Gizmodo: apple ipod

Apple Patent Implies iPod to Get a Unibody

Andi Wang — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 20:09:13 EDT

Last October, Apple started using unibody designs in their MacBook and MacBook Pro. A newly uncovered patent suggests that the next product to incorporate this aluminum case may be the iPod.

The patent shows that the iPod's new casing will be carved out of a single, large and thick block of sheet metal, making the device lighter, thinner and sturdier. Although it may be a significantly stronger product, with it being made out of one slab of metal, it seems that it would be harder to take the iPod apart for second-hand replacements and repairs, meaning that consumers would have to turn to Apple directly for all their iPod needs.

However, having it made out of one block of sheet metal would reduce the costs of creating it. Does this also mean it'll be cheaper for consumers as well? Please, Apple, let it be so. [iPodNN]

Apple Patent Shows New Hi-Fi?

Jason Chen — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 14:30:28 EST

The patent for this device labels it as an "iPod Boombox," but we're going to guess that it's the next iteration of the Apple Hi-Fi speaker system. It looks almost identical to the current one—but then again there are only so many ways you can draw a rectancular box—and features a dock on the top for your iPod/iPhone. It will also have an Apple Remote to allow you to control it via Front Row, and has an indicator light to show you the current status. We're not sure what item 118 is, but we're hoping that it's some sort of LCD screen. [Macnn]

6th Generation of iPods for January 2008

kevinhall2 — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 12:44:01 EDT

Analysts at Piper Jaffray peg Apple's next iPod announcement in January 2008, and they bet we'll see an iPod with an iPhonish touchscreen and running a version of OS X. What is it with these guys and obvious predictions?

I mean, January is Macworld. From the looks of it, the iPhone will continue to be Apple's mobile all-in-one handheld, while the iPod will move toward being a portable media powerhouse, with larger drive capacity, bigger and better screens, though lacking the iPhone's net capabilities. Again, obvious, but we only report because maybe they know some facts they can't share on record. But without specific details or quotes, what do we have here worth standing on? [Ars Technica]

Up Close and Personal with Krell's $1,200 iPod Dock

Louis Ramirez — Fri, 11 May 2007 16:08:36 EDT

Looking for a way to pamper your iPod? Audio giant Krell showed off its first ever iPod dock at the Home Entertainment Show 2007 in New York today. The $1,200 dock (which is the most expensive iPod accessory out there) was just finished yesterday. Krell reps affectionately call it "The Kid." To serious audiophiles who scoff at the iPod, Krell has this to say: "You can ignore or you can embrace it." From the looks of the dock, we're glad they did the latter. – Louis Ramirez

Krell

Next Gen iPod Patent Has "Touch Surface" On Back

Louis Ramirez — Thu, 10 May 2007 09:55:26 EDT

The newest iPod patent says that the "touch" and the "screen" don't have to go together. The next gen iPod will have a normal display covering the front, and a separate touch surface on the back. Here's how it'll work.

The front screen of the iPod or iPod nano shows everything, but is no more touchy-feely than your iPod's screen today. When you touch the backside, however, transparent "ghost" controls appear on the front. You'd then use your finger on the backside of the device to navigate your way through the transparent controls up front. The key to the equation is force sensitivity. As you run your finger along the backside, the cursor hovers, but when you press harder, you can click on things.

Apple's patent covers not just music and video navigation but phone controls and more. Follow the jump for details.

From the patent application:

"A hand-held electronic device, comprising: a first surface having a display element coupled thereto; a second surface having a touch-surface coupled thereto, the second surface not coplanar with the first surface, the touch-surface adapted to detect a location on the touch-surface contacted by an object and an activation force applied to the touch-surface by the object; and control means for—displaying on the display element first information, control elements, and mark representing the contact's location on the touch-surface, determining when the mark is spatially coincident with one of the control elements, determining the activation force is greater than a specified threshold, and activating a function associated with the one control element."
"The method includes displaying first information appropriate to the device's function on a display element on a top surface of the electronic device (e.g., video, graphic or textual information), displaying one or more control elements and a cursor on the display element (e.g., numeric or alphanumeric keys, buttons, sliders and control wheels), adjusting the cursor's displayed position in response to an object contacting a force-sensitive touch-surface on the device's bottom surface, and activating or executing a function associated with one of the control elements when the cursor is positioned "over" the control element and a force is applied to the force-sensitive touch-surface at a position corresponding to the cursor. In a preferred embodiment, the control elements are displayed transparently so that the first information is not totally occluded by the display of the control elements. A program implementing the method may be stored in any media that is readable and executable by a computer processor."

This kind of design allows for smaller iPods and iPhones, since you're making the most of the front and back screens of the device. We just have one question: what the hell do we do with our thumbs? – Louis Ramirez

Back-Side Interface for Hand-Held Devices [US Patent Office via Unwired View]

Sony's TDM-iP1 Lets Your iPod and Home Theater Play Nice

Louis Ramirez — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 14:59:21 EDT

Think of Sony's TDM-iP1 as the middleman between your iPod and your Bravia set up. Connect your iPod to the TDM-iP1, then plug the dock into your Bravia home theater/receiver and you'll be able to navigate your iPod straight from your TV, playing both its music and videos. It's pricey at $100, but its not every day Sony gives a nod to the iPod. – Louis Ramirez

Press Release [via Electronista]

iPod Nano Explodes During Charge

Louis Ramirez — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 11:29:59 EDT

It seems like every month a new gadget goes up in flames. This month it's an iPod nano that was caught exploding while being charged via a PC. The owner says that the force sent his iPod flying to the ground, where it started smoking and sparking until it was unplugged. Unfortunately, the iPod was out of warranty, so the owner wasn't able to get an immediate replacement. I've had my iPod Nano for a long time now and never has it heated up, so we have to take this one with a grain of salt, but you can never be too wary when charging your gadgets. – Louis Ramirez

Exploding iPod [users.on.net via Gadget Lab]

Philips Entertainment Dock Brings Your iPod into Your Kitchen

Louis Ramirez — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 19:13:39 EDT

Can't bare to spend an hour without your iPod? Philips' under-the-cabinet DCD778 Docking System lets you dock and hang your significant other from your kitchen cupboards. The unit's 8.5-inch LCD will let you watch TV (it has built-in tuners) or DVDs or you can play CDs and AM/FM radio. The unit will go for $400 when it ships next week, which isn't that bad if you spend a lot of time in your kitchen. Otherwise, you're better off with a cheapo iPod boombox. – Louis Ramirez

Philips Intros iPod-ready LCD-TV Kitchen System [iLounge]

Mexican Airliner Rents iPods for 50 Pesos

Louis Ramirez — Mon, 19 Feb 2007 10:45:34 EST

Having just returned from an 8-hour flight, I gotta say this a cool idea. For about $5, Mexican airliner Volaris is renting 30GB iPods to its customers. The iPods come pre-loaded with Mexican TV shows, music, and whatnot. Pretty cool considering United and Delta have yet to fill their promises on those iPod seat connections. – Louis Ramirez

Mexican Airline Rents iPods [Reuters]

iPod and Cellphone Ban Coming to NYC?

Louis Ramirez — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 09:38:15 EST

This has got to be the dumbest ban I've ever heard of. State Sen. Carl-"look both ways before crossing the street"-Kruger wants to implement a ban on iPod and cell phone use while crossing streets in major NY cities. So if the bill goes through, you'll be fined $100 for yapping on your mobile (or listening to your MP3 player) while crossing the street. Ok, granted there are a lot of morons out there who don't look where they're heading when they're on the phone (sadly I'm probably guilty of doing that once or twice), but if you're too oblivious to notice a bright yellow cab heading your way while crossing the street, maybe city life just isn't for you. Is this seriously NY's top priority right now? – Louis Ramirez

Bill Banning iPods in Crosswalks Slated for Albany [WCBS]

Apple Inc and Apple Corp Finally Hug it Out

Louis Ramirez — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 09:48:05 EST

Ok, so maybe there was no Super Bowl ad announcing a new iPod, but Apple Inc and The Beatles' Apple Corp do have some news to share this morning. Both companies have finally put an end to their bickering over the Apple trademark. Under the agreement, Jobs' Apple "will own all of the trademarks related to "Apple" and will license certain of those trademarks back to Apple Corp for their continued use." The question now is—how soon before the Fab Four make their way to iTunes? – Louis Ramirez

Press Release [via Apple Insider]

Is Hollywood Losing its Infatuation with the iPod?

Louis Ramirez — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 18:05:08 EST

There used to be a time when you'd see Apple's iPod in practically every new music video. Everyone from Snoop Dogg to 50 Cent could be seen flashing their shiny white player, much in the same manner that Paris Hilton whored herself out to the Sidekick. But lately it seems the iPod has been getting the shaft from Hollywood who has been caught holding hands with other players. Take for instance Fergie's "Fergalicious" video. As painful as it is to watch (seriously, don't Google it), she has the brains (or maybe her agent does) to carry a Samsung YP-K5. Then there's...

24. In an old episode, we see an iRiver H10 being used to detonate a bomb. Even 007 settled for a Sony Ericsson in place of an iPod in last year's Casino Royale. As much as I like my iPod, I find it refreshing that Hollywood is welcoming other players into the foray—players that deserve the attention (ok, so the H10 is old, but still, it was a good player back in the day). Now how long before we see a Zune in a music video and which video will that be? – Louis Ramirez

MP3 Players on the Big Screen [Gizmologia]
Are Stars Forgetting the iPod? [Generation MP3]
iRiver's H10 is Da Bomb [DAP Review]
007 Die Another Day [Gizmodo]

Apple Making Future iPods Hot Unpluggable

Louis Ramirez — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 08:57:43 EST

One of the small things that's bugged me about my iPod is that every time I sync it I have to use iTunes to unmount it. Well, it appears Apple is doing something about that as it's filed a patent for a hot unpluggable media storage device. The patent talks about rendering a peripheral (I'm guessing an iPod unless it's something else) from a host computer without having to prep it. Small upgrade, but this means future iPods may be plug and play and not require software. – Louis Ramirez

Apple Working on Hot Unpluggable iPods [AppleInsider]

Brazilian Prostitutes on your iPod

www.gizmodo.com — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 12:23:39 EST

M.Class, a Brazilian escort firm, allows you to download video "interviews" of their selection of saucy, freshly waxed, Brazilian harlots straight to your iPod. It's a safe way to meet girls in Rio de Janeiro without risking your kidney. Way to use that iPod your wife gave you for Christmas. Make sure you wrap more than just your media player, nothing says "thank you for the iPod" like chlamydia. – Todd Haselton

Prostitutes using the iPod Video to increase turnover [MusicGizmos]

Popalive's LCD Remote Keeps Tabs on Your iPod

Louis Ramirez — Fri, 22 Dec 2006 09:45:11 EST

Despite its Fisher Price-sounding name, Alive-Style's new Popalive remote looks pretty cool. It's basically a wireless remote with an embedded 1.5-inch color screen that lets you view and navigate your iPod from afar. Dock your iPod with the Popalive Dock, connect it to your stereo or TV (the dock has audio and video outputs), and with the Popalive remote you can control what plays next. It uses bi-directional RF connectivity, which the company claims works through walls, etc. We'll have to try that out ourselves, but otherwise seems like a cool accessory. Pricing isn't out yet, but you can expect to see the Popalive by the end of the year. – Louis Ramirez

Press Release [Alive-Style Debuts Popalive LCD Remote for iPods via iPod Lounge]

United Pampers Geeks with iPod Connector and XM Radio

Louis Ramirez — Mon, 18 Dec 2006 19:35:15 EST

I admit, I don't like flying, but book me on United's new "First Suite" service and I'll literally be on cloud 9. In addition to your own 15.4-inch LCD, the service has seats that come with their own iPod connector so geeks like me can keep their player juiced on those long inter-continental flights. Once you get sick of your iPod, you can sample up to 50 XM Radio channels free of charge using the complimentary noise-canceling cans. There's even a universal power plug for your laptop. Ironically, my favorite feature has nothing to do with tech. Instead it's the seat, which transforms into a 6-foot, 6-inch bed. Finally a bed big enough for us tall folks. – Louis Ramirez

Product Page [via OrbitCast]

Video Slideshow of iPhone Concepts

Gizloco — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 12:44:44 EST

By now you've heard that specs for Apple's upcoming iPhone were leaked by Kevin Rose. Now we bring you completely inaccurate concepts of what the iPhone (and next generation iPod) might look like. With concepts ranging from terrible to not so terrible, you're likely to get a kick out of it. And if not, you can get down with the hot beat. Word. – Nicholas Deleon

Best of: iPhone Concepts [TechEBlog]

Apple Goofs and Ships New iPod Keyboard to Customers

Louis Ramirez — Fri, 01 Dec 2006 11:00:32 EST

We've been chasing after Razer's Pro|Type keyboard for quite some time now. It's the only keyboard that lets you dock your iPod (or in some instances your Zune) directly onto your keyboard. The problem is, it's only a prototype. But apparently Apple has its own iPod keyboard in the works and has mistakenly shipped a small number of them to a lucky bunch of customers that had taken their standard keyboards in for repair. I'm gonna call bluff on this one (just cause I don't think Apple would make a mistake that big), but MacWorld is just around the corner, so here's hoping I'm wrong. – Louis Ramirez

Apple Readying New Keyboard with iPod Dock [via Uber Gizmo via Think Secret]

Beatles-branded iPod in the Works?

Louis Ramirez — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 10:56:34 EST

First it was Bono and now it's The Beatles. Fortune magazine is reporting that Britain's EMI Group (the Beatles' record label) is close to making a deal with the house of Jobs. There's talk of bringing The Beatles' catalogue exclusively to iTunes and even using one of their songs in an iPod ad. But what's even more interesting is talk of a Beatles-branded iPod. Personally, I prefer my Beatles on vinyl, but in the long run this will only spread their tunes to a new generation of listeners. Sorry Zune fans, looks like the Fab Four have already found a new home. – Louis Ramirez

Beatles: Only on iPod? [via iLounge via Fortune]

Pogue and Mossberg Give Zune a Smackdown

Louis Ramirez — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 18:03:04 EST

The tech world's two leading giants (the NYT's David Pogue and the WSJ's Walt Mossberg) have put Microsoft's new Zune in its place, giving the unborn player multiple kicks and jabs before proclaiming the iPod the better of the two.

Mossberg starts off liking the Zune, singing praises for its good interface which he thought was "easier to use than the iPod's." Ultimately, however, he thinks it has "too many compromises and missing features to be a good choice" running back to the comfort of his iPod. He also dings Microsoft's point-based buying system (we kinda agree with you on this one, Walt).

Pogue, on the other hand, starts his hatin' right off the bat, saying the Zune "can't touch the iPod's looks or coolness." He bashes the Zune for having copy protection that's "as strict as a 19th-century schoolmarm" and hates on the fact that you can't even use the Zune as an external drive.

In the end, the Zune didn't stand much of a chance against the Pogue/Mossberg tag team. See the messy results for yourself below. – Louis Ramirez

NYT: [Trying Out the Zune: iPod It's Not]
WSJ: [Microsoft's Zune Challenges iPod]