Apple Researching Integrated Speaker for iPod Nano and Shuffle

[Wayfarer]

Not really bothered by this but I'm hardly the target market. I'm sure Apple will sell crap loads though, which suits me fine.

You gotta have one brah! :O

Anyone who values their health and fitness is in the market. My shuffle is synonymous with running.

 

[akugyaku]

**** a speaker, give me bluetooth.

 

[jwdsail]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A334 Safari/7534.48.3)

Bluetooth + use the screen as a camera concept they have and use it for FaceTime via iPhone... ;-) a reimagined Dick Tracy watch

 

[Westside guy]

Apple's patents aren't usually so overt, they often try to obscure the intended use of the new technology. In this case, I think we can expect the next Nano to have some type of speaker, perhaps to make it more competitive as a watch.

Please give a specific example that supports your claim that Apple attempts to obscure the true purpose of their patents. I don't believe your statement has any basis in fact, but am willing to be proven wrong.

 

[DESNOS]

Please give a specific example that supports your claim that Apple attempts to obscure the true purpose of their patents. I don't believe your statement has any basis in fact, but am willing to be proven wrong.

Apple doesn't, but the patent would be worthless if they were obscure about it, so they don't really have much choice. They do sometimes delay the actual launch of the product to a bit after the announcement to give some time for patent approval, but that's about it. Yah, Apple is as obscure about their patents as they can be, but that doesn't say much.

 

[ctdonath]

Tap and hold on the Nano or press and hold play/pause... *ding ding*

Me: Where is the next bar?
Siri: No. You are already drunk. I am calling a cab. Stay put.

Don't have to fumble getting the iPhone out of my pocket in a sloshed stupor.

Visions of a geek in a bar slapping himself silly, trying to activate the clipped-on Nano.

----------

I want 'em to stick a cellular module in there and make an iPhone Nano already. (I've got an iPad with me most of the time, so don't need a full-bore iPhone.)

Or use Siri to make the iPhone Shuffle viable. (Don't need a screen so long as I can talk to it.)

 

[notjustjay]

Dick Tracy video-watch, anyone?

 

[John.B]

The fifth generation nano (with the video camera) already had an internal speaker, didn't it?

Mine does. Kinda annoying sometimes, if I accidentally hit play without earbuds plugged in... In fact, now that I think about it, that's why I dedicated that iPod to the car and bought a sixth gen nano to carry around...

 

[Rafterman]

A speaker is cool, but bluetooth is probably needed more.

 

[APlotdevice]

Also, for those people wanting bluetooth, you better hope they much better improve the nano's battery.

For very small power draws it does last a long time, but it seems any tiny increase in power draw really affects battery (on headphones it does last hours and hours. But just put it to my helmet's speakers, which really don't get that loud as they don't need to since they are in my helmet and right next to my hears, the battery gets sucked out in 2 hours or less, especially if it is cold). And I know it's not mine, I already returned and replaced it once and it maybe was a little better the 2nd time around (and then I just figured it was a design issue).

I'd hope they better the battery before they even put an external speaker in it (That will really suck its battery too).

So yeah, the nano as is is not ready for bluetooth or external speakers or anything that draws more than just a small amount of power. Until they find a way to get a better battery in that small space (I think they can claim 24 hours cause with headphones the thing doesn't need much power at all.. it's not that the battery is good, it's just that it doesn't need much power. put something on it that needs power and that battery will be drained like that).

Bluetooth v4.0, which the 4s already supports, actually has a low-energy mode for devices with limited battery life.

 

[Le Buzz]

I don't care about a damn speaker on an ipod nano. Give me a new design, (the current one isn't balanced... Ive get on it,) black and white in addition to all of the colors, a little bit bigger screen and I'll be lining up to buy one.

Any features that I really want such as wi-fi and bluetooth really cannot be implemented at this time without significant battery issues. Bluetooth 4.0 is not for music, its for other things that require very little power, i.e. heartrate monitors, etc. etc.

 

[APlotdevice]

I don't care about a damn speaker on an ipod nano. Give me a new design, (the current one isn't balanced... Ive get on it,) black and white in addition to all of the colors, a little bit bigger screen and I'll be lining up to buy one.

Any features that I really want such as wi-fi and bluetooth really cannot be implemented at this time without significant battery issues. Bluetooth 4.0 is not for music, its for other things that require very little power, i.e. heartrate monitors, etc. etc.

I never said anything about music. Something else Bluetooth could be used for is connectivity with an iPhone or other iOS device. For instance you could have it display notifications, so you can see them without having to pull the phone out of your pocket. It could also sync your alarms and reminders. And perhaps even let you manage the Nano's library. (You could always do this last one while it's plugged in to the wall)

 

[Mr. Gates]

Bye Bye Battery life

 

[zen.state]

It may be okay for a podcast but not music.

 

[Le Buzz]

I never said anything about music. Something else Bluetooth could be used for is connectivity with an iPhone or other iOS device. For instance you could have it display notifications, so you can see them without having to pull the phone out of your pocket. It could also sync your alarms and reminders. And perhaps even let you manage the Nano's library. (You could always do this last one while it's plugged in to the wall)

Yeah those are good ideas.

 

[AmpSkillz]

If they are adding a speaker that must mean they are adding video capability.

Can't see a need for pezo speaker to share music on a nano, but if they add a camera (which that hole in the clip clearly indicates) then they would definitely need a built in speaker

 

[tigress666]

Bluetooth v4.0, which the 4s already supports, actually has a low-energy mode for devices with limited battery life.

It better be really low-energy as in not more than a pair of headphones would. I dont' think you understand how susceptible the battery on the 6th gen really is on even small differences in power draw.

Put it this way.

My 3rd gen nano could handle a weekend of me riding and using it on my helmet speakers without charging. And who knows how long on headphones.

My 6th gen I know won't last 24 hours on headphones, and put it on max volume and you can tell the difference in battery life just with volume differences. On my helmet, I get about 2 hours of life maybe before it's completely drained. It always claims about 3/4 drained just from commuting back and forth from work.

And even temperature really affects its life (It's a bit better in summer).

I think the only way they could even claim 24 hours was by having it on very strict usage (no turning the screen on except for to start it playing, low volume, headphones only, not on any speakers).

I love my 6th gen nano but I honestly miss the battery of my 3rd gen nano which was so good I could forget to charge it for a week (even with me riding back and forth to work almost every day) and not worry. My 6th gen? Anytime I commute to work with it I have to make sure it gets charged that night cause it won't last another commute to work. Maybe it will get me there but certainly not back home again.

 

[APlotdevice]

It better be really low-energy as in not more than a pair of headphones would. I dont' think you understand how susceptible the battery on the 6th gen really is on even small differences in power draw.'

No, I quite understand. However the low energy protocol was actually designed for devices which could run up to a year on a watch battery. It operates at ~1mW. Headphones actually need a lot more than that.

 

[pocket3d]

If they are adding a speaker that must mean they are adding video capability.

Can't see a need for pezo speaker to share music on a nano, but if they add a camera (which that hole in the clip clearly indicates) then they would definitely need a built in speaker

That could be the key insight here, and maybe the reason they have skipped adding video up to now--no room for a speaker.

Having a wearable video camera is in our future, whether it's made by Apple or not. And this little square thing has many physical advantages, like sitting stably on a flat surface, unlike the 5th gen nano, which was a near-impossible shape for a camera. I hope they do it.

 

[justinfreid]

Please give a specific example that supports your claim that Apple attempts to obscure the true purpose of their patents. I don't believe your statement has any basis in fact, but am willing to be proven wrong.

Any company that is seeking a patent has incentives to obscure the full range of intended uses of a it to maintain their competitive advantage. A company like Apple, where secrecy is in its DNA, must be especially sensitive to tipping off the competition even while it seeks to protect its intellectual property.
What I was responding to was the very clear images of the Nano in this particular patent versus the one I linked to where a generic device was used:
http://www.patentlyapple.com/.a/6a0120a5580826970c013489a0a6e2970c-pi

Also, I appreciate the way in which you asked the question.

 

[Thanatoast]

If they are adding a speaker that must mean they are adding video capability.

Can't see a need for pezo speaker to share music on a nano, but if they add a camera (which that hole in the clip clearly indicates) then they would definitely need a built in speaker

That could be the key insight here, and maybe the reason they have skipped adding video up to now--no room for a speaker.

Having a wearable video camera is in our future, whether it's made by Apple or not. And this little square thing has many physical advantages, like sitting stably on a flat surface, unlike the 5th gen nano, which was a near-impossible shape for a camera. I hope they do it.

I'd totally wear a 24-hr lapel camera. Especially if it uploaded real-time to the net. I don't think my life is that interesting, but think of it as an insurance policy against accident or attack.

 

[Photoshopper]

They can't even put a decent speaker in a $3,000 Mac Pro. Who gives a rat's *** about this?

 

[ctdonath]

They can't even put a decent speaker in a $3,000 Mac Pro. Who gives a rat's *** about this?

The difference between "decent speaker" and "crappy speaker" is a lot less than the difference between "crappy speaker" and "no speaker".

 

[Javik]

Turning the Nano into a streaming device for you iPhone/iPod would be awesome.

(iPhone in pocket, Nano on Wrist)

Hey siri, set me and alarm for 6 o'clock.

~Streams audio to iPhone, iPhone does what it does, alarm is set --> also on your nano

(Same situation)

Listening to music -- Text message on your iPhone makes a notification pop up on nano.



All this could be done without making the Nano a wifi device. All through bluetooth

 

[lamerica80]

No. Siri would also need an internet connection and a lot more processing power and RAM than a Nano has to offer, not to mention a more significant battery to make these things feasible.

Not even close to possible with today's tech at that size.

He did say "one day".

One day the nano will for sure have the power to run Siri, and more.