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An April 2003 patent application by Apple may give some insight into future iPods, AppleInsider reports. The document suggests that Apple may give the iPod music streaming functionality, which could let the music player send data to other devices wirelessly. An extract from the application reads, "...a wireless media player system that includes a hand held media player capable of transmitting information over a wireless connection and one or more media devices capable of receiving information over the wireless connection. Another aspect of the media player system pertains to a method of wirelessly connecting the hand held media player to another device...The transmitter is configured to at least transmit a continuous music feed to one or more personal tuning devices that each include a receiver capable of receiving information from the transmitter over the wireless connection." Although there have been frequent rumors that the iPod would transmogrify into a PDA, Apple appears to have no plans to build one, although several sources have claimed the company prototyped such a device. However, Apple recently released the iPod Photo, with a color screen and photo display functionality, which represents the company's first real shift from iPod as digital music player only. Analysis: Should a streaming, wireless iPod come to market, there are serious copyright/anti-piracy issues that would need to be thoroughly sorted out before it could happen. The tech is probably fairly trivial - some version of an Airport card and software support. But given that early versions of iTunes streaming could be easily have its streams captured by a hack, this proposal would need serious thought. Would it stream to other iPods or third-party devices? Maybe just to or from Macs? Or any, say, 802.11b or 11g device?
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