iPod Peripherals - Mic and Image Card Reader?

[MacRumors]

ThinkSecret posts some last minute "reliable" confirmation of the long rumored iPod peripherals, which are potentially to be announced alongside iTunes for Windows today.

ThinkSecret confirms that the upcoming iPod peripherals will include a microphone and an image card reader.

A recent MacRumors Page 2 report previously detailed that one upcoming iPod peripheral would be an SD/CF memory card adapter for photos, while multiple reports have labeled the other peripheral as a microphone.

ThinkSecret also mentions an iPod Software update which will provided improved features and a new iPod game.

[shadowfax]

the best part of this, potentially, is that i just got a digital camera with a CF card. too bad i'll never take 128 MB of pictures at a go....

[voyagerd]

Wonder what the game will be...

I'm going to need the card reader for dig photo

[mustang_dvs]

What time is the Apple Event expected?

10am EDT?
10am PDT?

I can't wait...

[baby duck monge]

bring on the recording feature! i will certainly get a mic for mine if they can record more than a few mins at a time.

[bennok]

This is very exciting!

[dho]

hmmm If the card reader is true, that could open up a whole new type of POD-ipherals(though I'd give it a try)
still camera anyone?????

[Ja Di ksw]

I would LOVE the mic, it would come in so handy, but I have a 1st gen iPod. The thing is, it holds all the songs I have, and more. Only 2.71 GB, and to be honest, I don't think I'll ever need more than 5 simply because there are songs on there already that I could delete and not care in the least. Though I could use it as an external HD more to back up all my pictures, movies, etc. Sigh. Anyone want to trade a Dock iPod for a 1st gen? (ha)

[dho]

How about a video camera attachment that records to the hard drive, I would use it

what kind of design or just fundamental issues could that present?

[technocoy]

i hope this one is true... I would love to carry my iPod with me to load my photos from my new canon digital eos!!! that will be so much easier than carrying the powerbook... Awesome. Although i do wish they were making an AV dock, it seems unlikely.

[azdude]

I'll be taking a trip to the Apple Store as soon as a mic is available, for recording college lectures.

I'll buy it either way, but here's what I'd REALLY like to see:

1) Form factor of the Navman GPS for Palm devices:
http://www.marcosoft.com/gps/Navman5...avman_m500.jpg Replace the GPS antenna with a nice directional mic, using the iSight's patented 'noise reduction' technology.

2) The 'sled' would contain it's own extra Li-ion battery which basically operates like a belkin power pack (powers iPod)... I can't imagine how short the iPod battery life will be recording... it's barely acceptable just for playback.

3) Pass-through dock connector, for charging both the sled and ipod internal batteries without removing the 'sled.'

4) Not necessary -- But i'd like it to be a slim-enough sled that I can squeeze it into my Booq PodPaq014 along with my 15GB-er.

Lets hope, but I'm not expecting all 4!

[tizza]

cool!!, both the mic feature and image storage features would be very useful for me. Certainly a lot cheaper to use my iPod to backup photos from my camera than go out and buy a stack of memory cards. The mic could help turn the iPod into a more useful PDA too - simply say someone's new address when out and about, and then enter it into address-book when you get a chance.

[jimthorn]

About this whole iPod recording thing...

I just hope the quality isn't restricted to bitrates appropriate for a "voice memo". Recording lectures or "notes to self" are fine and all, but I'd also like to do some high-quality sampling and recording if I want.

[sososowhat]

I've been asking for & posting for these two features since I got my iPod.

This last summer I took a trip to Thailand & found myself hunting all over for places to burn CD's of photos to free up & back up my memory card - all the while with my iPod on my hip.

The mic's a no brainer too. I don't know about compression, but if it were as good as mp3's, then 10,000 songs is about, what, 1,000 lectures or meetings? More than I'm going to listen to. Making it easy to get these things onto the Mac - and use iTunes to sort my lecture library. That rocks!

Now: let's hope it's true.

[xtekdiver]

With a little tweaking, the iPod may eventually become an iPhone. We might even add a camera. Hmm, what else can we stuff in there? Sort of tickles the imagination.

[Xero]

Originally posted by jimthorn
About this whole iPod recording thing...

I just hope the quality isn't restricted to bitrates appropriate for a "voice memo". Recording lectures or "notes to self" are fine and all, but I'd also like to do some high-quality sampling and recording if I want.

this is EXACTLY what im thinking! if it ends up just being a simple mono microphone attachment with no possible line in/mic in, im going to be so let down. even if the quality is high, if theyre going to add recording options they mine as well let us hook up a real nice microphone for sampling. please please please oh please! heres to hoping.

[reyesmac]

Use the technology they are using for cellphones to make quicktime movies appear on the screen.

Anyone seen that video now product that is a video disc player for under $50? Why cant Apple put animation on its iPod LCD?

Heres a picture of the Video Now player.
http://i.walmart.com/i/p/00/07/69/30...22_500X500.jpg

[Xero]

remember people, that this is an audio device first and foremost. theres a lot of greatthings they could do for the iPod before they start trying to turn it into some overpriced all in one video-player or camera phone... that wouldnt make sense, and itd be a waste of a good product. besides, i dont think theyd be able to add video playback or phone components with just a peripheral.

[SeaFox]

Originally posted by reyesmac
Why cant Apple put animation on its iPod LCD?

Calling Dr. Obvious.

The iPod is supposed to be a portable music player. Ya'know, listen to music while you're doing other things. The point of the iPod's screen is information. Not to give you something to start at while you're stoned.

Don't you think you would look silly jogging through Central Park staring intently at the screen of the iPod in your hand? You would be worse then those folks who walk down the street carrying their Discmans in their hand horizontally, Their wrist raised halfway between their elbow and shoulder because they have lame anti-skip.

Also, what about folks driving?

A color screen wouldn't be a bad add-on accessory if the iPod had some video playback functions. But that's a tall order for a device meant to be a music player primarily.

[lazyrighteye]

Ahoy fellow Mac dorks.
Seriously, do we REALLY need (or even remotely want) a dictaphone with a 40G HD? Ok... why (and I'm not buying the "lectures" angle)?

While adding mic capabilities to the iPod would be a step in the right direction, it feels like a baby step... at best. Quite limiting. I'm more interested in a perf. that will offer some different audio I/O options... not just a mic. So that one could record audio from any number of sources (RCA, 1/8", S/PDIF, Optical, etc.). I also think it is key to be able to record uncompressed, stereo .aif files. If we see these capabilities in an iPod, it would instantly replace my Tascam DA-P1 as this field recordists' tool of choice.

[soosy]

I agree that the iPod could use video/picture display. Ever since it first came out, people pointed out that "Pod" doesn't limit the device to music.

An image card reader would be cool especially when traveling, though a little bit clunky compared to a straight usb connection (I've never had to take the memory card out of my camera). USB straight to cameras would probably require all kinds of crazy drivers though.

the big question is... will it DISPLAY pictures? For true integration there should really be an iPhoto update, so I'm thinking this is unlikely.

for the ultimate of what iPod could be, check out this product:
http://www.smartdisk.com/Products/Di.../FlashTrax.asp

it can view pictures/video/text files. even has a remote and video out to tv.
...

Tomorrow will still be a lot of fun though!

[Nebrie]

Originally posted by reyesmac
Use the technology they are using for cellphones to make quicktime movies appear on the screen.

Anyone seen that video now product that is a video disc player for under $50? Why cant Apple put animation on its iPod LCD?

Heres a picture of the Video Now player.
http://i.walmart.com/i/p/00/07/69/30...22_500X500.jpg

The ipod is a great music player, let's keep it that way. The minute you start adding video to it, you start to make sacrifices technologically (iPod's battery wasn't designed for constant power drain from the disk. The device size would have to double for starters). Nothing else in tech history has lost so much money as convergence devices, not even the internet. You can choose to have a great music player or a video and music device that's not great at either.

[soosy]

one more thought...

It would be totally sweet if the iPod displayed the currently playing album art.

yes useless... but cool.

[ColoJohnBoy]

Originally posted by lazyrighteye
Ahoy fellow Mac dorks.
Seriously, do we REALLY need (or even remotely want) a dictaphone with a 40G HD? Ok... why (and I'm not buying the "lectures" angle)?

While adding mic capabilities to the iPod would be a step in the right direction, it feels like a baby step... at best. Quite limiting. I'm more interested in a perf. that will offer some different audio I/O options... not just a mic. So that one could record audio from any number of sources (RCA, 1/8", S/PDIF, Optical, etc.). I also think it is key to be able to record uncompressed, stereo .aif files. If we see these capabilities in an iPod, it would instantly replace my Tascam DA-P1 as this field recordists' tool of choice.

Your ideas are really great, but since they'd be such a niche product, it really wouldn't be feasible just yet. For now, iPods are just high-quality, high-style MP3 player.

Besides,are you really going to be doing a whole lot of high-quality professional recording on the go?

That's not a rhetorical question, by the way. Would it really be that much use?

[reyesmac]

Well, I for one hope that Apple uses the technology from the iPod to create the next iGadget. There is so much potential when you can carry that much info in that small size, they just need processors and batteries that can handle more powerful functions. I hope Apple eventually evolves the technology into a bigger range of iPod like devices that can be used for each of their iApps. Basically a device that is between a laptop and a portable hard drive that is priced more than a hard drive but less than a portable.