9to5 mac received some photos of a purported white iPod touch front panel. While they cannot confirm the legitimacy of the photos, they fall in line with the fourth generation iPod touch’s build. So these could be photos of a scrapped white iPod touch 4 in white or photos of the fifth-generation iPod touch’s front panel in white.

There have been reports that the iPod touch will come in white. We will just have to wait and see, but we are hoping that this news is accurate.

Rumor is that users will be able to pop a 3G SIM card into the next iPod Touch and subscribe to a data plan of their choosing. AT&T and Verizon Wireless already offer 3G service for the iPad, so a connected iPod Touch would presumably work just like they do.

If this rumor turns out to be true, this is great news for those wanting a data only phone. Skype could replace a traditional voice plan, and iMessages, the messaging service that will launch with iOS 5 this fall, could reduce the need for SMS. Using data-based services could lead to big savings on a monthly smartphone bill.

Ever want to turn your iPod Touch into a Pseudo iPhone? Sprint has the answer. And it’s expensive. The ZTE Peel is an iPod touch case with a built-in 3G hotspot. It costs $80, but only supports two devices at a time, and 1GB of data costs $30 per month.

For comparison, Sprint’s OverDrive with 4G service costs $50, and for $60 a month you get 5GB of data over 3G and unlimited 4G data. The other problem is that this also makes your skinny iPod touch fatter.

We can’t all afford iPhones, but even so you probably already own the latest generation iPod touch. Well, you can now turn that Touch into an iPhone 4 thanks to a selection of applications.

You’ll need the fourth generation iPod touch, a VoIP app like Skype and Line2. Of course you’ll also need an always-on Wi-Fi connection. After all of that you can proceed. Just be aware that you will have a shorter battery life.

This “magic” case will add phone and texting capabilities to the iPod Touch. At least that’s what it claims to do. We can’t say that we believe in magic around here, but we’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. For $129.99, this case will transform any jailbroken 1st gen, 2nd gen, or 3rd gen iPod Touch into a phone that can make voice calls and send text messages.

Sounds pretty amazing. And you wouldn’t be locked to a carrier if you got one of these. But the product page doesn’t mention any 3G support. Who will buy one of these and let us know if it works?

The folks at iFixit continued their investigation of the latest round of iPods with a teardown of the fourth-generation iPod touch. They went deeper than the FCC teardown, and confirmed that the Wi-Fi antenna has been moved to the front, eliminating the need for the black plastic window on that earlier models had. It also shows that Apple is using Toshiba flash memory for the main storage on the iPod; other Apple devices usually use Samsung.

The A4 processor model number is the same one as in the iPad and confirms that it’s using 256MB of RAM. The iPhone 4 has a different label to indicate that it has 512MB. The headphone jack is removable for the first time, and there’s a gap around the battery that simplifies removal.

With all of the news at today’s event, you didn’t think that the iPod Touch would get away unscathed did you? The new iPod touch now includes the Retina Display from the iPhone 4, an Apple A4 core, 3-axis gyroscope, Game Center, and FaceTime support thanks to the addition of a front cam.

Pretty sweet huh? It also has a rear cam that is capable of HD video. $229 gets you the 8GB version, $299 for the 32GB, and $399 for 64GB.

Pictures of a so-called protective case for the upcoming iPod touch have surfaced, and if they’re on the level, it would seem to confirm that the next-generation iPod touch will sport a camera, and maybe a built-in flash too, like the iPhone 4.

Take this with a grain of salt. Until Apple confirms it, nothing is certain, but remember that we’ve heard talk of a camera on the iPod touch before. Several times in fact.

The iPod Touch has been feeling pretty neglected lately with all of the iPhone 4 and iPad news. So Speck has come out with two new Fitted Artsprojekt cases. The cases have been designed by some of the world’s most progressive artists and members of Artsprojekt.

They should add a touch of sophistication to your device. The designs are printed on soft fabric and then fitted onto Speck’s hard-shell cases. The two new cases feature designs by Jared Nickerson, who created the “Mother Nature” theme. The second case has artwork from J. David McKenney.

We figured that the next iPod touch would get in on Apple’s FaceTime video-calling action, but how will calls be initiated without phone numbers? Well, BGR has the scoop. It will all be based on email addresses. Registering an email address with the touch and FaceTime will let people videocall you using that email address

However when you call an iPhone user it will still involve the phone number. BGR thinks that the email-based system will be extended to the phone eventually too, which I guess makes sense.

There’s no way to confirm this one just yet, but Apple might be working on a new iPod touch. Some iPod touch parts have showed up on several Chinese websites, which show a hole on the front of the device that’s likely for a front-facing camera.

There are also some new comments from an exec at UK retailer John Lewis, who said that a major iPod touch refresh is coming in September, and that it will match many of the iPhone 4′s features, including a 5-megapixel camera with HD video recording, a gyroscope and even FaceTime support.

Tinhte, those folks from Vietnam have yet another Apple leak. The first pics of the iPod touch with a camera. The “DVT-1″ stamp on the back shows that this is an early design verification test unit in product testing. So this is probably not the final design. The device’s serial number identifies a late 2009 third generation iPod touch so it may be a prototypes that never made it to production.

The Foxconn label appears to indicate a 64GB model as well as a 2 megapixel, backside illuminated sensor made by Omnivision. The Apple rumors and leaks just keep coming.

Portable rocking with your guitar just got easier. IK Multimedia has unveiled the AmpliTube iRig: an easy-to-use instrument interface adapter and guitar/bass tone mobile software. Using the AmpliTube iRig, you can plug your guitar into your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad and jam anywhere you want.

Just plug the iRig interface into your device, and then plug your instrument into the input jack, plug in your headphones, amp or powered speakers, and download the free AmpliTube app. You’re good to go. Rock out.

According to Apple, the latest 32/64GB iPod touch is 50% faster than the old iPod touch. It’s an impressive claim. But is it accurate? Well, Macworld tested it out so you don’t have to worry about it. They found that the new touch comes close to that benchmark, even though it fell a tad short in some testing.

Booting: The old touch took 31 seconds. The new touch takes 19 seconds. Loading a web page went from 34 seconds to 15. And most games tested between loading 33% and 50% faster.

Solar power has come a long way. They used to be something you only saw on hippie communes and Sci-fi movies. Solar panels are on everything now, especially our charging gadgets. The latest to sport a solar panel is the Surge iPod Touch charger, which allows you to recharge your iPod Touch anywhere, as long as you have sunlight.

The case features a 3.7 V lithium-ion battery that can be charged via the sun or by USB should it be cloudy. It comes in a bunch of colors. We aren’t sure if they have chargers for the other iPods, but at least your Touch is covered.