Sort of add WiFi to your iPod with Pocketster Pro

The same people behind Pocketster, that little Pocket PC app which lets you swap and stream music files with other Pocket PCs, have figured out how to add iPods to the mix with Pocketster Pro. It's not exactly what you'd call a graceful solution (we'd kill for Apple to just come out with a simple WiFi attachment — or add WiFi to the next iPod), since it requires a Pocket PC with USB host capability (Toshiba's e805 is one of the few, but there are a couple of others, or you can add it with a CompactFlash adapter) and a couple of cables, but assuming you can get it up and running you can more or less add WiFi to your iPod and swap and stream files with any other similarly equipped iPods that are within range.

We'd blather on about how this is the RIAA's worst nightmare, except that they probably don't have much to worry about, at least for now. Pocketster Pro seems just complicated enough to scare off all but the hardiest of gadget geeks, to say nothing about how you also need to carry around the right kind of Pocket PC with you. What they should start worry about is that sooner or later more MP3 players will start coming with WiFi built-in (there's already one sorta disappointing model called the Aireo out there), and even if the manufacturers (inevitably) cave in and try to put some sort of anti-filesharing crap in there, some enterprising young hacker will figure out how to get around it. That's when you'll finally be able to ride the subway and see what's on other people's iPods and grab those rare Josef K bootlegs you've been looking for.

[nojetlag @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

That is the only reason I'm not buying an IPod. I will wait till they bring the one with builtin Wifi, it is really about time to get it on the market :(

[Geoff Groube @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

Strange... I contacted Apple a little while ago about a project I had in mind to build a WiFi attachment for the iPod. Their response:

"Interesting idea. Sounds like a hobby project tho'. And that creates a
challenge for me, as I have to operate within the following contstraints:
>
> Due to the overwhelming demand for technical information & connectors, we're
> currently only able to support requests from companies that have experience in
> the consumer electronics or computer peripheral business. I also need to take
> product ideas to product marketing & engineering for review/approval.
>
> So what can you tell me about your company and your product ideas? Armed with
> this info I'll chat with the right folks. If you're approved, I'll be able to
> do the necessary paperwork to give you the technical specifications.

As you can see, I'm limited to working with companies that have pre-existing
manufacturing, marketing, sales, and distribution capabilities. If you have
that sort of arrangement with a partner, or can strike up that sort of
relationship with someone, I would be happy to take your idea to the right
folks to see if it would be approved."

You know what, I'm not even going to bother anymore.


Apple does nothing to promote innovation, and therefore cannot really be that interested in fostering new ideas which might just help their bottom line. Just how many iPods do you want to sell, Apple?

If it weren't for hobbyists, where would our industry be? Would Michael Dell have made any money out of his custom built systems? Would Wozniak, Jobs, Gates, Ellison have their 7 figure salaries and share options? Most importantly, would any of this electronic gadgetry have come about?

Or should innovation only the domain of Fortune 500 companies who can afford to buy the efforts of clever people for their own benefit?



Interesting timing though... my original contact with Apple is dated 12 May 2004. Funny, two months later a new product with similar capabilities comes out. Just how long is the dev cycle for new iPod peripherals?

[JMoore @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

The reason Apple doesn't integrate WiFi into their ipods is not because they don't feel like it, but because A) WiFi is slow, (11/54mb vs. 400 Firewire and around there for USB 2) and B) Then there would be no hard wired cable to actually charge the unit, not leaving the consumer with the convience of charging their unit when they aren't actively listening to music as the iPod is having songs transferred back and forth to it.

[lullabud @ Dec 19th 2005 12:03AM]

AirTunes + WiFi iPod = Perfect Sense

Having WiFi on an iPod would never be to replace Firewire, it would be an added feature, and fits perfectly into an AirTunes network. I'm willing to bet that Apple is already working on it. I don't see how the RIAA can logically resist either, but nobody ever claimed that those pigopolists did anything logical.