The Apple App Store may be the most obvious addition to the recent iPod touch v2.0 software update, but the firmware update also introduces some less obvious (but welcome) tweaks to the existing applications.

Here is a list of changes we’ve noticed after a couple of weeks of using an iPod touch with the new software update.

Searchable contacts

Yes, while it was fine to scroll through your contacts if you have a small contact list, people with hundreds of contacts will be happy to know that with v2.0 the contact list is now searchable by just typing in the first few letters of a person’s name.

Multi-language support/input

With the global introduction of the iPhone 3G, the iPod also benefits from the multi-language support built in to the new v2.0 software. Not only does it have support for Spanish, German, Norwegian and many other keyboard input methods, but more importantly in our part of the world at least, is the addition of the Chinese Traditional and Simplified input.

While there is the more conventional Pinyin method of input, Apple has also added a pretty cool handwriting feature where you can just use your finger to write out Chinese characters.

Scientific calculator

WIDER CHOICE: Multiple calendars are now supported by iPod Software v2.0

One of the niggling little issues I had with the previous iPod touch software was that the calculator was a little too simple and lacked even a percentage button.

With the new software, the iPod has gained an updated calculator — the same old calculator (but with a slightly updated button design) still exists when you hold the iPod in portrait mode.

However, turn it to landscape mode, and the calculator automatically turns into a full-fledged scientific calculator with everything you’d expect from a scientific calculator, including of course, a percentage button.

Rotating videos

One of the strange quirks of the videoplayer on the iPod touch with the previous firmware was a slightly inconsistent software behaviour — for example, if you launched a QuickTime video from a link in the Safari browser, it will open the built-in video player for you.

Videos opened in this manner could rotate to follow your screen orientation, but strangely enough, for videos stored on the iPod, the auto-rotate was not available. V2.0 solves this quirk and now videos will rotate to follow the two possible landscape orientations (either with the Home button on the right or on the left).

More than .com

One feature that’s not particularly obvious is that the input keyboard has had a very subtle but useful enhancement when it is used with the Safari browser.

As you probably know, the iPod touch’s software Qwerty keyboard changes its layout slightly depending on what application you have open at the time — for example, you get an extra “.com” button when you select the address bar in Safari.

V2.0 of the keyboard is slightly enhanced — while the “.com” button is still there, if you hold it down for about two seconds, a new pop-up will appear with all the popular suffixes, namely “.net”, “.org” and “.edu.”

Saving images

Talking about Safari, the browser itself has a few little tweaks, most important of which is the ability to save images from the Web.

To do this, all you have to do is tap and hold on a photo for a couple of seconds, after which a menu you pop up prompting you to save the image.

Screenshots

A little less useful for the normal consumer but very useful for reviewers and software developers is the ability to take screenshots right on the iPod itself.

To do this, all you have to do is hold down the Home button and while holding it down, quickly press the power button on top of the iPod.

This will take a screenshot and save it as a PNG file into a special folder called Saved Photos, which is the same folder for images saved from Safari.

Oh yes, the Saved Photos folder is also different from the other image folders within the Photos application of the iPod any images saved in this folder can be accessed without having to install iTunes all you have to do if you’re using Windows is to run the Microsoft Scanner and Camera Wizard to transfer the files over. -TheStar

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