Apple Inc. announced today a series of new products and some updates during Steve Job’s keynote for Macworld. There is plenty of coverage about the new products, most probably with far more insight than anything I could offer here. However, I do have some initial thoughts on the new products that are as good of an excuse as any to update this blog.

Apple TV looks great from an entertainment point of view, the perfect companion for your Tivo or preferred DVR. Apple TV provides the interface to your own digital library. All those photos from your last vacation or your music library will now be easily available within your entertainment center with the ease of a few clicks.

Airport Extreme this is probably the one piece of hardware that that has received the least amount of attention, yet it is a great improvement over its previous version. Some will see it as a high-priced wireless router, I am not sure that I would run out to get it today, but it provides a high-speed router with a great visual design and the ease of use that only Apples seems to come up these days. Probably the feature that I find the most interesting, is the ability to simply plugin an external hard-drive or printer (or both using a USB hub) and share it within your network. Great for that central location you need for your music library, your computer backups and anything else that needs to be accessed by multiple machines within your home network.

iPhone this is probably the one product that will be discussed the most over the next few days and yet the one that we know the least about. I love the features presented during the keynote but I cannot see myself spending that much money for a gadget. I know that if you combine the price of an iPod plus a smart phone, the price gap is not that much but I just can’t see myself standing in line for one of these devices. I wish you could buy the device sans the phone features and the 2 year contract from Cingular. Also, given the historical battery performance for the iPods I would like to see some figures before jumping on board.

However, although I might not be the first one to own the iPhone among my friends, I will be the first one recognize the risk Apple is taking with the new touch-based interface and context-aware user interface. A risk that is very much worth taking since most user interfaces used in today’s phones tend to fall short when you jump from application to application. By moving toward a more dynamic UI, Apple has the flexibility to provide the best interface for each individual application and motion sensors provide further information about how the user is utilizing the device. Combine these two features and you can start providing an improved experience for your user.