Mysterious Minijacks on iPod AND iBook...

[G4scott]

Well, I'm back from over a week in the Michigan wilderness. So far from home... I did get to visit the Apple store in Plano on my way back, and I noticed something odd...

It has been noted that the minijack plug for the audio-out on the iPod has the connections around it for a remote. If you haven't noticed it, take a look at an iPod, and you'll see what I mean. Now, look at the miniplug on the NEW iBooks. It has the same three contacts around the miniplug jack. I asked a guy at the Apple store, and he didn't know why they were there.

Mysterious...

 

[j763]

i can see what you mean... very interesting!

 

[billiam0878]

Hmmm

That's very interesting... what do you think it could be used for?

Bill

 

[Grokgod]

umm me very stupid

I dont know what your talking about.

Yea! baby... half way there!

 

[Hemingray]

Yup, there's been a lot of speculation about that mysterious "outer ring". Most people think it's for a remote. But as far as anyone actually sacrificing their iPod to dissect the minijack to find out for sure, well that's another story.

 

[G4scott]

I find it very odd that Apple would put in such a thing and not use it. Besides, all of their other computers use regular miniplug jacks...

 

[Skandranon]

Are there similar plugs in the new PowerBooks? If so, we've got an interesting pattern developing here....

 

[szark]

Nope.

Just looked at my new 800 MHz TiBook and it has a standard plug.

 

[Mr_Sqeeb]

very interesting indeed!!!

check it out
iPod
http://www.apple.com/hardware/gallery/ipod_nov2001_480.html

iBook
http://www.apple.com/hardware/gallery/ibook_may2002_480.html
(hard to make out)


perhaps apple will offer a remote and allow you to listen to music on their laptops with the screen closed (a feature of peecees that i envy)

 

[sprescott1974]

question

I'm having a hard time seeing this on my 14" iBook. Is it there?

 

[ponyboy]

If you put your ipod in diagnostic test mode, press and hold the forward, back and center buttons at the same time, you will see that one of the diagnostic tests it runs, among many, is a test on a remote, of course the result comes back fail, because there is no remote connected, but I am pretty sure that is what the jack is, and it is just a feature they didnt have totally ready by the time they wanted to release it and so we were left in the dark.

 

[G4scott]

I noticed it only on the new 700/600 mhz iBooks without the external reset button. That's the only computer that I've seen it on. I checked the PowerBooks, PowerMacs, eMacs, and iMacs and I didn't find the different plugs.

 

[firewire2001]

yea.. i totally think its a remote..

jus look at some of the other mp3 and cd players out there with similar plugs...

i think that this would be the way to go because a lotta ppl like to keep their ipods in their pockets, and it would be useful to be able to skip forward sometimes...

 

[sprescott1974]

Originally posted by G4scott
I noticed it only on the new 700/600 mhz iBooks without the external reset button. That's the only computer that I've seen it on. I checked the PowerBooks, PowerMacs, eMacs, and iMacs and I didn't find the different plugs.

so it is not on the 14" 600 iBooks then?

 

[G4scott]

Originally posted by sprescott1974



so it is not on the 14" 600 iBooks then?

Nope, just their current line.

 

[digitalrampage]

iBook Connectors

Yes, I can confirm it has the same connector as the ipod on the 700 Mhz 14"

I sold a new one to my customer yesterday and noticed this,

ALSO!!!

There is no longer a reset button on the side of the iBook

We have too many complaints about customers date and time resetting, because they press this button and the date and time resets itself.. there is no longer and hasn't been since 1999 a battery backup in iBook...

Cheers

DigitalRampage

AppleCentre Service Australia

 

[G5orbust]

Hmmm, interesting captain, very interesting.....

 

[AlphaTech]

Alright, what the F are you guys talking about?? There is only a single jack for headphones on the iPod. I just checked out the iPod gallery image and see the same thing as for my 5GB iPod. There are not additional ports on the iPod, just the one. Yes, it looks a little bit different then most headphone jacks, but that could be for any number of reasons.

 

[King Cobra]

I have the 5GB iPod and all that I can see is the phone jack for my music satisfication and the Firewire port.

BTW, Alpha, does this mean your station is back up?

 

[AlphaTech]

Originally posted by King Cobra
BTW, Alpha, does this mean your station is back up?

Nope, all ground based, so you are still on your own Bubba.

 

[chmorley]

Look closer

The jack looks like a "normal" jack at first, but it's got extra stuff. That extra stuff probably enables some additional functionality. It has been the source of speculation since day 1 or the iPod introduction. A few devices have been discussed, but I only know of one that might take advantage of the "strange" connection.

This post from ipodhacks.com discusses something called the Podmate. It would turn the iPod into a Universal IR Remote. There are a few things about it that make me skeptical (e.g., this post was from January, and there is no reference to it at the Griffin web site; it is the only Griffin announcement that doesn't have a link; the photos would not have been difficult to fake). However, I don't think it's far-fetched that the iPod could have this kind of functionality. The connection may allow for this.

I am attaching a photo of the PodMate.

Interested to see people's reactions to this.

Chris

 

[chmorley]

Second photo

Here's the other photo of the PodMate from iPodhacks.com.

Chris

 

[AlphaTech]

From what I remember, they were waiting for Apple to give them the green light on that. Which has either not happened, or never will.

IF they do get the green light to do that, then it would be a nice OPTION. Options are for those that want them. I can't see it doing me any good here, since I have a remote for my tv/cable box (the one from the tv) and the remote for the dvd player is more complicated then the iPod could handle. Too many features to be included inside a universal type remote.

Maybe it would work out for a stereo system that has a remote already. Then again, why would you replace one remote with another (doesn't make much logical sense to me).

 

[chmorley]

The post was simply to demonstrate what the port might be used for. I don't think I would buy one, either.

Still, very cool that the nature of this connector might allow for multiple functions. Given that it's been impossible to inspect this thing, there's no way to know if it is possible because of the connector type, but others have alleged this.

Chris

 

[tjwett]

Why?

Why would the iPod need a remote? It IS a remote! It's got a very easy to use menu and interface right on it. Why on earth would anyone need ANOTHER remote on it? I think that's silly. I think the PodMate thing is kewl though.