Beyond AirTunes?

[Awimoway]

Sounds like dreaming of manned flight the same week the Wright brothers made history on a beach.

Announced the same day as AirTunes (and maybe that's Snell's excuse—he missed it in all the other news), I give you the Sonos system. It slices, it dices, and it does every single thing dream boy put on his wish list.

Where does Apple go from here? The sky's the limit. And I'm sure that numerous developers are already scrambling to fill the needs that Apple doesn't address. A remote control for pausing, skipping tracks, and the like is a must.

Check.

A display that shows what's currently playing and what's up next would be awfully nice.

Check.

Of course, when I really dug into the details of AirPort Express, the first thing I thought of was a handheld, iPod-like remote control that let you choose playlists,

Check,

browse albums,

check,

and the rest -- basically letting you do everything you could from iTunes,

check,

without having to walk over to a computer and pick up a mouse.

aaaaand check.

At which point I had to ask myself …

He really likes the sound of his own voice, doesn't he? I should mention, by the way, that the Sonos is Mac-compatible. No I don't work for the company, yes it is overpriced, and yes I hope Apple can make one with a Mac-esque interface on the remote. But there's just something funny about an article that dreams of someday inventing something that already exists.

 

[silvergunuk]

Genius

As mentioned earlier, a wifi ipod could be genius. You can have a mini itunes built into the little hand sized player and would be able to browse and buy tunes from itunes while on the move such as a music store in a city centre or wifi hotspots like in cafes or bars.

 

[kirs]

The first thing I thought about when I heard about the extreme was the possiblity of the WiPod. Where else can Apple go with it? They can do color and video, but wireless is such a killer app. Imagine being able to share your playlist with other iPod users as you can do now with iTunes. I think it will eventually come to that. I think the 4G iPod will at the least broadcast to the Airport Extreme.

 

[brianrubinton@m]

I still think they need to sell a $50 wifi adapter that goes on top of the iPod and it allows you to use it as a remote, as the media source for the speakers, and allows you to only simply browse through the iTMS and buy songs.

 

[nmk]

I agree with others that have posted in that Apple should make the iPod WiFi enabled. It seems to be the next logical step and I have a feeling they will do it in this revision. This will also lay the foundation for the video iPod. Steve Jobs has always said that it makes no sense to view video on such a small screen. However, I think it makes a lot of sense to include video capability in the iPod if it can stream video directly to your TV through an upgraded Airport Express. The iPod itself would not display any video, instead while streaming video it would act only as a remote. It could similarly be used to display your pictures on a TV.

Once these products are introduced, Apple could start bundling music videos automatically with your music downloads (only if you chose this option). You could then use the iPod to view the video while listening to the music. In the long run, of course, I would expect iTMS to evolve to become a movie store as well. The same name could even work, iTMS (iTunes Media Store).

I really do believe this is the future direction that Apple will take with the iPod. If they manage to get all the pieces in place, they will have truly delivered the worlds first complete online media distribution an playback system.

As far a what Apple is holding back for WWDC; anyone heard of TIGER. I think that a major operating system demo is worthy of an entire show. I don't know whay people seem to think they will be showing anything other than Tiger. Forget the G5 iMacs; Apple said as much yesterday.

 

[Lui-G]

Great 100 meter remote.

(lond time reader - first posting)

I currently use Salling Clicker ($20 - Salling Software) on my Sony Ericsson P800 to control iTunes, DVD player etc. --/snip/-- The only current limitation is that the bluetooth range is only 10m.

I use a £30 ($45) Class 1 BlueTooth USB adaptor. It has a range of 100 meters! My Palm T3/sony-e T610 control iTunes (& more) from quite a distance. Salling clicker is really an amazing peice of software. I couldn't see much purpose for this range until airTunes.

What I want to see is the DVD player on the Mac playing, and a receiver by the TV receiving the video & 5.1 sound (and maybe even another receiver for the rear speakers, so you have virtually no wires! - Great for people with wooden floors!

I guess I should be content with my 2.5GHz Mac - whenever it arrives...

 

[aussiemac86]

It would be massively in apples interest to make a wifi ipod. Think about the enormous increase in iTMS sales if people can buy a song whenever they are in a wifi location, it makes it much more on demand and people would buy songs without thinking about it as much, so apple revenues go up, and people are happy, and it could also be a remote...
No losers 😀

 

[clonenode]

Wait until we find out that the Airport Express has VIDEO OUT capability too. They just haven't told us about it yet because support for it in the Mac OS isn't coming until 10.4.

 

[MattG]

This could lead to so many great things...I envision someday being able to use a device like this to stream movies with sound. Imagine being able to plug one of these things into your wall, and plug a set of component cables from the device into your A/V system and watch DVDs or video clips! Something like that would be a godsend to me...being able to do that in a school environment would be incredible.

 

[James_C]

This may be a complete red herring, but I noticed that Apple UK's refurb store which is only open on Wednesdays had all current versions of the iPod listed. The store normally sells out by the end of the day, but when I checked last night they still had iPods available, which may indicate they had a lot to shift. Perhaps they are clearing inventory. I remember the same thing happening a couple of weeks before they announced the new Powerbooks.

Also Apple looks like they are announcing the International iTunes stores next week, perhaps they also have some new hardware to go with it.

 

[michaelrjohnson]

I don't usually speculate on such uncertain circumstances, but I have no doubt in my mind that the "remote" people keep begging for will be the new iPod. It makes *perfect* sense. Think about it:

With your iPod that has wireless Firewire, you can sit down on your couch, sync your playlists. Then, from your iPod, you can stream music into AirportExpress with 802.11g (Because currently from your iPod, you can see all your music, play playlists, make playlists, etc), or control your stationary mac with the remote functionality.

Granted, that scenario wouldn't need a "home-base" mac to operate, but there is probably something i'm missing. And hey, let's say Wireless Firewire isn't in the next rev. That's still really awesome functionality.

 

[alywa]

My Take

I agree that the ipod is the logical controller. I too think the ipod will have wifi built in to the 4th generation. However, I think it's function will be two-fold.

1. For people with a mac / pc and airport express, the ipod can do two things. It can broadcast wifi audio straight to the express (skipping the pc entirely), at the expense of greatly decreased battery life.

2. Or... it can act as a remote for the Mac / pc, which would stream the info. That way, the ipod could greatly save on juice by only using wifi when accessing the itunes located on the computer.

To me, this is the perfect setup. It allows ipod users to be free of the computer, stream directly, and still have a reason to buy the airport express (ie for traveling, parties, etc). Or it allows the home user (ie most of us) to control the itunes they have stored in their computer in a manner that already has been syncd, with excellent display, artist info, etc...

Oh... for travel and home use, don't you think the airport express could likely serve as a power source / charger for the new ipods via its USB out? Think of it as a multipurpose dock... if they built this cabablility in.

Just add video streaming, and I think you've got a truly killer app that would be completely scalable, affordable, and open the doors for apple to really take control of this segment of the tech market.

Just my $.02

-alywa

 

[srobert]

Add all you want to the iPod, but please, don't make it bigger and/or more expensive. Let's not forget what it is: a Portable music player. 😉

 

[marcsiry]

I predict a tablet

The much maligned MacWhispers posted a report about a company making platic enclosures, 6"x9", with a slot in the back exactly the size of an iPod.

I think: Wireless tablet to control iTunes. If you don't have a computer with iTunes, slot in your iPod and stream from that. The tablet has the extra battery power to drive the Wifi and the display, so no 'magic wifi ipod' battery is necessary.

The battery only has to last an hour or less, as you will normally set the tablet down on its inductive dock charger by your sofa.

If they can run a browser off it, you get your 'Wireless Webpad' that works in the only place it would be useful- in your home, on your sofa, so all the 'real world' requirements of long battery life and optical drives etc. are meaningless.

 

[Gee4orce]

It won't be an iPod, unless the next gen ones are significantly more powerful. Why ?

Because AirTunes works by the Mac decompressing the MP3 or AAC or whatever file, and then re-compressing with Apple's Lossless Encoder and excrypting the stream on the fly. This is how they get around the problem of DRM protected AAC files being sent to the Express.

An iPod would not have the horsepower to do this kind of heavy lifting.

An iPod is total overkill as well. Think about it - if you are sat in the room with the AirportExpress connected to your HiFi with a cable, then what's the advantage of using wireless streaming technology when you could just plug the iPod into the HiFi instead ?!

I expect a simple screen with iPod-like controls and display. Possibly by a third party company like Belkin.

 

[Gee4orce]

Of course, when the new iPods are unveiled and they do not support WiFi (because there's absolutely no good reason to, and plenty of good reasons not to), and the folks here dreaming up how kool a WiFi iPod is will start bitching and whining.

Witness the PowerMac thread 🙄

 

[CoreForce]

WiFi iPod - what for?

If you look at this:
- WiFi does not provide the bandwidth as FireWire
- permanent WiFi activity drains battery
- playlists of iPod and iTunes home base are typically in sync
- Bluetooth is there for remote control
- Bluetooth advances it's audio profile as well as performance

A WiFi iPod makes no sense. It's too slow for good sync experience. So have a battery draining transmitter for some geeks only to allow them to broadcast to AirPort Express directly? What relevance does this have for stationary home audio (speakers) and outdoor mobile audio. Nada.

The iPod, in first place, stands for it's own.
Then computer sync.
Then nothing.
Then anything else.

What can enhance the iPod the most? Bluetooth.
It will offer wire-free headphones, supercool.
It will offer phone/calendar/tasks/notes sync.
It will offer iTunes remote control with mini app like Salling does it.

All at limited battery life impact and by using established, cheep to implement technology.

With Bluetooth Class I you get much more practical features for home audio, embedded into the current
Apple product vision. Much more one could expect from WiFi in iPod.

Don't think tech geek.
Think about usability.
Think different.

Just my 2ct.

 

[Porchland]

the iPod is the way to go surely tho'. am using it as such already, but with an iTrip, but wi-fi would be the way to go....

Iain

I would trade iTrip for an installed car mount in a flash if Apple would brand one. iTrip is better than nothing, but the sound quality is third behind CD and FM.

I keep expecting any day now to read that the new model of some VW, Audi, etc., will come with an iPod mount.

 

[pkradd]

The iPod will always be first and foremost a music player. Believe it or not Apple understands the market and knows a "do everything"device is not needed or wanted (except by geeks who are a very small percentage of the target audience). A remote will eventually be available either from Apple or a third party by the end of the year.

What's left for WWDC? Plenty. A Preview of Tiger. A new line of redesigned iMacs and iBooks. A bunch of new Displays and a "one more thing" surprise. We'll see. 🙂

 

[Lepton]

Sony PSP as remote/tablet

Think about Sony's upcoming PSP. This hardware exists. Portable, wireless, 4" color video screen. All Apple (someone) has to do is make a cartridge (disc) for this thing and a driver in the Mac. It can be the remote control for iTunes, you can stream audio and video to it, maybe put Apple Desktop Remote on it..

 

[~Shard~]

This really does open things up and present lots of possibilities - I'm sure Apple will capitalize on it!

 

[Porchland]

What's left for WWDC? Plenty. A Preview of Tiger. A new line of redesigned iMacs and iBooks. A bunch of new Displays and a "one more thing" surprise. We'll see. 🙂

1. 42/50-inch plasma display?
2. A new iPod (color display, wireless, 60G)?

But, you know, the two on my list just don't sound like the sort of thing you'd introduce at a developer's conference. The other side of that coin is that this is Apple's showcase for everything that is Apple.

 

[reaper]

I think the biggest issue with implementing wifi on the ipod will be the battery life. If it is to be a dedicated streaming remote, then you are going to need one seriously large battery for it to work long at all. I currently use my ipod for my commute in, a little music listening at work and my commute home and it's drained by the end of the day. Imagine if you had to not only power the harddrive but the wifi signal too. I think Apple should just make a standalone remote or maybe an adapter for the ipod that would add in extra battery power and additional functionality while at home... but please leave the ipod the way it is - small, simple and great for listening to music.

- reaper

 

[7on]

Think about Sony's upcoming PSP. This hardware exists. Portable, wireless, 4" color video screen. All Apple (someone) has to do is make a cartridge (disc) for this thing and a driver in the Mac. It can be the remote control for iTunes, you can stream audio and video to it, maybe put Apple Desktop Remote on it..

That thing is expected to get 3hrs of battery life... at most.

 

[pjkelnhofer]

I think the most obvious thing would be a firmware upgrade of somekind to allow other uses for the USB port... (video?)