3rd Generation Ipod Touch "Cannot Connect to iTunes." Desperate for help!

I have a 3rd geneartion ipod touch (last model to come out before they added the camera. **** timing lol) with iOS 5.1.1 and I have tried everything I can think of to fix this annoying problem. It won't let me update the iOS to anything higher so I don't know if that has anything to do with the issue as I have the old itunes still since it is incapable of updating. I can download apps fine, it's updating them that is the problem. If I search for an app that I know has an update I can do it that way, but when we're talking 30+ updates and I have to guess which ones have updates and search for them one by one, well you can see my delimma and why I really don't want to do that. When I try to go to the "Updates" tab on the far right side of the itunes store screen it flashes me the "Cannot connect to iTunes" error message. It doesn't give me any other error code with it. Just those words. I am logged in fine, I can access my itunes account, but that doesn't seem to have any bearing on this issue.

Here is what I have tried thus far after searching around for solutions:

-I switched the automatic settings for the clock off and moved the year forwards once and exited and then turned it back on to reset. That didn't work.

-I did this again only switching the year backwards once, and then twice when it failed to resolve the problem. Failed again.

- I changed the DNS in my wifi settings to 8.8.8.8. This failed to help as well.

I don't know what else to do short of resetting my ipod to factory settings and then restoring again. That's kind of my last resort I guess. If anyone knows something else besides that that I can try or what is causing this annoying problem I'd be so grateful for the help.