By Jo Best, 22 February 2005 15:10
NEWS Apple is believed to be planning updates to its ubiquitous music player, including Bluetooth connectivity and a colour screen for the iPod mini.
With Motorola already working with Apple on an iTunes-enabled phone, it seems the handset maker's execs are privy to some of the Mac maker's secrets.
The head of Motorola's car products division, Bogdan Nedelcou, told radio station Radio France the iPod maker would soon be bringing out a version of the music player with wireless connectivity.
Nedelcou's Bluetooth iPod comment is backed up by a patent filing Apple made in 2004, which showed iPods wirelessly transmitting music to other devices.
France Radio's website reports that Nedelcou revealed Motorola will soon bring out a system that will allow music stored on an iPod to be broadcast over a car's sound system.
The Bluetooth addition is not the only makeover that's set to hit the iPod in the future.
Both the AppleInsider and Think Secret rumour sites are reporting that tomorrow will see a new colour screen iPod mini with a more spacious 6GB hard drive. Think Secret also claims the iPods will come in a selection of new colours.
Comments
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1. anonymous
Is this news ? You can already get an FM RF modulator for the iPOD that allows you to find a free frequency and use it with a car stereo.
2. anonymous
Finally something that might make me buy an i-pod!
Up to now I've always thought that there was too high a price to pay for the Apple name, and other mp3 players were cheaper or performed better in some way.
But my Holy Grail has been a single device I can store all my music on and play while out and about, in the house or in the car, and this will finally be it.
There have been in-car mp3 players, but they've either been extortionately priced (£500+) or not portable, so this would be ideal for me.
3. anonymous
My ipod mini already palys its tunes through my car radio, if you go to www.ipod.com you can buy the devises that enable this to happen!
4. Paul B
There are 2 problems with FM modulators:
1. They are illegal in the UK
2. They are useless in major cities (ie London) as there are no empty bands
A Bluetooth model would be fantastic as long as car audio starts to implement bluetooth as a sound source.
5. Jag Gill
I know this is terribly Lo Tech, but would not a standard auxillary input into car systems not be more sensible? It would allow any number of devices with a headphone to phono jack to play audio via car stereos. If all new cars came with a standard jack on the dashboard which went via the stereo, my IPAQ, IPOD, MP3 player in car DVD etc etc etc would work.
Although I am in favour of new technology, and Bluetooth, it does seem a case of overengineering in this case. Few devices have bluetooth, whereas virtually every device with a sound output from the humble walkman to Laptops and PDA's have a headphone jack.
Let's get the basics right before we start to add functionality where it isn't needed (yet).
Only problem is, it wouldn't make the headlines would it?
P.S. Whatever did happen to the K.I.S.S principle?