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iPod Apple patents wireless iPod for vehicles

The integrated systems do this to a certain degree but not wirelessly and the current state of radio transmitters is a joke. My guess is that you'll start seeing a ton of RDS "smart" radio tuners coming out to exploit this new wireless iPod. Home receivers, boomboxes, etc. Why have an iPod remote when your iPod IS the remote? In the car you would use the built in screen and steering wheel keys to control it. At home you could either use your WiPod to send tunes to your stereo or use the RDS screen on the front of your receiver with the receiver's remote.
 
I just use a audio out cable to my aux jack on my car stereo and it sounds perfect. This "wireless iPod" sounds like a good idea but I'll be passing on it.
 
RDS and FM transmission are old ideas hardly worthy of a patent, but there is something more in this patent that I haven't figured out probably because it's vague from the excerpt alone. Most likely auto makers will have to add a receiving device (maybe IR receiver for remote control) beyond a standard RDS-capable radio.

In any event, this is not really that exciting. Much more exciting is the idea of replicating the entire iPod interface on a car's large-screen display and controlling the iPod from the car's iDrive or similar system, not vice-versa. BMW's iDrive controller has the same degrees of freedom (movements in various directions) as the click wheel. RDS and FM transmission can do the job for most auto makers, but for cars equipped with more advanced computer systems it would be much more exciting to have the iPod wirelessly integrated to those computer systems.
 
I'd prefer a direct line in connection.

If there's one thing the car companies should be working on it's the windscreen complete with a HUD. :cool: :p
 
EGT said:
If there's one thing the car companies should be working on it's the windscreen complete with a HUD. :cool: :p
Click to expand...
BMW already has this on the 5 series. It works quite well -- a 4-color hi-res display projected just above the front fender. Street names are projected along with other symbols (icons, turn arrows) and text (speed, cruise, warning messages). It would be nice to see the song and artist titles on the windscreen as well, but the iPod still needs to be *controlled* -- integrate with iDrive first and project on the windscreen later.
 
I guess I'll just have to wait until july to by the new beamer, haha.

But yeah, about time this is finally coming through, will boost the sales of ipods even more!!
 
EGT said:
I'd prefer a direct line in connection.

If there's one thing the car companies should be working on it's the windscreen complete with a HUD. :cool: :p
Click to expand...

As long as it doesn't compromise sound, as the FM transmitter does, I'm all for it. I have an auxilliary input on my head unit for XM Radio that is unused right now. The more I find these interface units don't work well, the less I want one.

I believe that the Aston Martin Lagonda saloon had a HUD. Why not go after that one?
 
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