SINGAPORE: The latest object of lust is slim, deliciously curvy and very easy for your hands to slip around. I'm talking of course, about one of the stars of Apple's 2008 iPod range, the nano.

Aside from a wardrobe of colours, including yellow for the first time, the iPod nano has undergone a make-over that has seen it shed a few millimetres and its sharp lines softened into an oval profile.

Age has definitely been good to the iPod nano, with the 4th generation creation sporting no bulges even though its face now has a subtly curved but still generous screen.

Yet, the beauty of the iPod nano lies not in how it looks or how it makes you feel. It is really in the brains of it.

Although seen elsewhere before, Apple clearly couldn't shake the idea of giving iPod nano users an easier way to switch between songs - with just a shake of their music player.

The folks at Apple Singapore also assured that tests had been carried out, presumably strenuously, to make sure that an accidental bump to the iPod nano would not rudely interrupt a music session.

While the dial may be iconic of the iPod and some may find the added feature unnecessary, I personally found it appealing to be liberated from any form of button-pushing.

Another smart feature which I liked is the spoken menu, which is helpful when a person can't see the screen and menu options on the iPod nano.

Added to the iPod nano as well is the Accelerometer which detects movement when the device is rotated, and flips from portrait to landscape (and back again) on-screen images such as album covers or video.

This feature was seen in the iPod Touch when it was first launched and it remains in the new version, along with some other modifications.

The most noticeable changes are those made in response to users, such as built-in speakers and a side volume control button. Amazingly, both features blend un-noticeably into the body of the new iPod Touch that is even more slim and light compared to the earlier models.

All the new iPods will feature a new short-cut to the genius of Apple in music enjoyment, the Genius.

The way it works gives true credit to its name and creator. All a user has to do is click on a song, followed by the Genius option, and up comes a play-list of music that should go well with that one piece that was first chosen.

The Genius is part of the new iTunes 8 which can be downloaded free from Apple.

As for the rest of it, be ready to spend at least S$248 for an 8GB model of the iPod nano, while the iPod Touch hits Singapore stores on 15 September with a price tag of S$388 for an 8GB model that comes bundled with special local games and WiFi wireless networking.

This is Apple's first shot at getting on everyone's Christmas list and also before the Christmas shopping rush. Bring on the reindeer!

-CNA/sf