Barely two weeks ago, we bemoaned the state of note taking applications on the iPhone, not least of which was Apple's own Notes application. The reason? None of them managed one thing: true, two-way synchronization of notes between a computer and an iPhone. Two apps have just be updated to do just that, but there are drawbacks.

New screenshots of the iPhone 2.2 software have been dug up by blogger Florian Schimank and they confirm over-the-air podcast downloads direct to the iPhone. Another blog, M4gic.net, claims that this will work not only with a Wi-Fi connection, but also over 3G, although with a cap of 10MB, just like the App Store.

Yo, Mama Automatically sends your mother a loving text message — right before she calls to ask why you never call.

OhYeah? A microphone-based utility that instantly translates a flat one-liner into a witty bon mot. Face!

iNebriate A voice analyzer that determines if you're sauced and shuts down the phone before you drunk-dial your ex.

StarGazer A GPS-tracking app that pings you when celebrities are in the vicinity — so you can stalk them.

iNewton Turns your iPhone into a perfect re-creation of the coolest PDA of 1993.

CoryCaddy^TM A voice sample of blogger Cory Doctorow continually reminding you that your iPhone is a pathetic piece of DRM-riddled crippleware. (Also works as a ringtone.)

WherzDaBoss? A GPS-tracking system that gives real-time updates of your boss's location and warns you when the overlord is within earshot of your desk.

Meta-4 Crafts metaphors and similes faster than a $2.99 Indian buffet passing through your digestive tract.

Peril-Sensitive Screen Sentry Turns the display black if you get bad news via chat, SMS, or email.

GPAss Analyzes the background conversation of any room to tell you who the asshole is. Not finding one? Then it's you.

: Photo: Robyn Twomey/Wired

It has been seven years since Steve Jobs announced the first "perfect thing" in the fall of 2001. Since then, very few products have come to exact total domination in their respected fields like the iPod has. And really, no other gadget in recent memory (save for maybe the iPhone) has exploded onto the cultural cache with the same impact. Hell, your granny is probably listening to some Wu-Tang on her fourth-gen Nano right now.

Here, take a scroll down memory lane with us and see the evolution of the product from its initial rocky conception to its current button-free touchscreen interface. Come on, it'll be fun.

The Proto

Conceived Early 2001

Left: There were literally dozens of early mock-ups of the iPod that didn't make the cut. Cobbled together from foam and fishing weights, they all had one thing in common: the round control wheel adorning the front.

: Photo: Apple Computer

Announced: October 23, 2001

Unveiled by Snoop Jobby Jobs at a special event in October 2001, the premier iPod featured a gigantic scroll wheel, a $500 price tag (for a whopping 10 GB) and was solely compatible with Macs.

: Photo: Apple Computer

Announced: April 8, 2003

The first major redesign of the iPod sported touch-sensitive buttons for menu access, rewind, fast-forward and play/pause. It also was the first iPod to drop MusicMatch support when iTunes 4.1 was unveiled with Windows compatibility.

: Photo credit: Apple Computer

Announced: January 6, 2004

Apple's very first attempt at miniaturization of the media player resulted in a 4-GB model that was available in five different hues. Also making its debut was the touch-sensitive click wheel.

: Photo: Apple Computer

Announced: October 26, 2004

In living color! After three years of monochrome displays, the iPod got a vibrant 2-inch color screen that was also adept at showing off pictures. For the first time, the line between music player and all-in-one media device started to bleed.

: Photo: Apple Computer

Announced: January 10, 2005

We've noticed that Apple has a tendency to drop legacy features sooner rather than later (latest example: FireWire ports from the new Macbook), but ditching the entire LCD screen? WTF?! Turns out people kinda didn't care — especially when they found out this pack-of-gum-sized device had a sub c-note price tag.

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Announced: October 26, 2004

Laser etched with the signatures of the band and festooned in a black and red paint job, this iPod was not exactly a huge commercial success. But for die-hard U2 fans, it was, uh, even better than the real thing.

: Photo: Apple Computer

Announced: September 7, 2005

IPod Mini heir apparent, the first Nano was thinner, could be used to view pictures and was the world's first 4-GB flash player. But all was not well — critics took issue with a screen that scratched more readily than a crazed cheetah.

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Announced: September 12, 2006

Sure, it looks like it could be a toddler's belt buckle, but this anodized aluminum wonder boasted some hefty specs: 0.55 ounces, 1 GB of memory and half a dozen color options. Fun fact: For a short period of time, Apple's website cautioned customers to "not eat the iPod Shuffle."

: Photo: Apple Computer

Announced: September 5, 2007

The first iPod with a multitouch interface. The first iPod with WiFi. The first iPod without a click wheel. No matter if you think the iPod Touch is a Jobsend or just an over-hyped disaster, one thing is for certain: It's definitely the most radical re-imagining of the device since its inception.

In a question-and-answer session held during Apple's quarterly earnings call Tuesday, Steve Jobs reminded investors that Apple was not ready to enter the netbook market because it's a "nascent category." But he did hint that the company is certainly thinking about it.

Once you've peeled the packaging away from your shiny new MacBook Pro, what's next? If you are iFixit, you just keep on going, cracking open the case to see what's inside.

There's been a spate of netbooks hacked lately to run OS X but none have been quite as stately as the Lenovo S10. Our recent top pick in the netbook category has been hacked to run our favorite OS. Looks like we don't have to wait around until Steve Jobs sees the light and makes a a sub-$500 lappie.

What will be announced at Apple MacBook Event 2008? New MacBooks? Sure. Redesign of the MacBook Air? Possibly. A new Apple Cinema Display? Not outside the realm of probability.

This 11th hour "leak" is supposedly a fully assembled new MacBook Pro, expected to be announced today by Steve Jobs at the Apple event. It tallies pretty much completely with the previous shots we've seen of the upper case, with the recessed, chiclet keyboard, magnetic latch and in/out ports arrayed along the left side. Apple's one button mouse obsession? Over.

Tomorrow sees the unveiling of Apple’s new notebooks. What can we expect? The official invitation, sent out just last Thursday, doesn’t offer much. We get the slogan, “The spotlight turns to notebooks” and a picture of a notebook, probably metal, partially illuminated by – you guessed it – a spotlight.