iPod song-sharing in the works?
A 2006 patent application is fueling the latest round of speculation on the next line of iPods. In the filing, Apple outlines a technology that would allow for two portable media players to establish a wireless peer-to-peer network for the purpose of exchanging song files.
Yes, that does sound familiar. And yes, that noise you hear in the distance is the cackling of every Zune fanboi. Well... at least it would be if there were more than twelve of them.
So, does that mean that we should expect a new line of song-swappping WiFi iPods? There are some signs that would point that way, such as last year's patent filings for a ceramic tube that would allow wireless transmissions to pass through and would look an awful lot like an iPod nano.
But then there's the iPhone. If Apple has, in fact, been prepping this technology since last year, why not put it in the device being touted as "the best iPhone ever"? There's also the logistical issue. Given that Apple was so focused on the iPhone that it pulled developers off of OS X Leopard, it would seem that any new iPod technology, particularly one involving wireless networking would have either been added to the iPhone or would have been placed on the back burner long ago.
Oh, and then there's the whole DRM thing. Apple is still fighting the record labels tooth and nail to be able to sell tracks without DRM software. Now that iTunes is offering DRM-free music, how does Apple plan to allow sharing without further angering either the RIAA or the users who paid a premium for unlocked music?
Finally, there's the consumer end. Who really wants this? Song-sharing hasn't exactly been a killer app for the Zune, to say the least. Besides, as Steve Jobs pointed out, wireless sharing is a total game-killer.
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