An iPod touch ships without OS X -- hints at disabled Bluetooth
By Thomas Ricker 
posted Sep 14th 2007 7:48AM
posted Sep 14th 2007 7:48AM
Update: Video now embedded after the break. Seems David's not the only person experiencing this problem judging by the comments. See reader Chris' hapless touch after the break as well with a new twist to the Bluetooth mystery.
Another from Dave. Note that clicking on the Bluetooth icon brings up an empty screen which reads "nothing to see here."
Chris' iPod touch -- now the 2nd we've seen -- only without an "X" through the Bluetooth icon and nearly fully charged battery. This has led some of our readers to speculate that his Bluetooth is possibly enabled since his battery (unlike Dave's) is charged to a sufficient level. Remember, it is common for devices to shut Bluetooth off automatically when the battery becomes depleted. If true (where's the check mark?), the FCC will not be happy.
Wow, it can sense temperature, too?
I'm guessing that's internal temperature.
Btw, I'm guessing that someone will pay a pretty penny to get their hands on that touch.
go away gerald, that's what e-bay's for.
shoo
my bad, sorry.
I am sure this guy can get a tonne of money if he did put it up on eBay.
Sorry again.
Needed for battery charging, to detect end-of-charge.
Apple Newton had a temperature sensor, to control the screen contrast, as it depended heavily on the temperature. I would expect the touch screen is somehow temperature dependant and needs correction.
A good temperature reading is needed for EEPROM/Flash writes.
... and besides, an LM75A temp. sensor costs like $0.50.
Even Apple's BIOS is sort of pretty.
Bluetooth is useless anyway without microphone.
bluetooth could enable voip, wireless syncing of small amounts of data, control of other objects (remote feature), communication with other devices within the same area....bluetooth is very very very far from useless on a device that is (potentially) as versatile as the Touch.
I FREAKIN KNEW IT!!!
Oh and yeah, in an mp3 player, bluetooth is entirely pointless, which is why no companies are creating bluetooth headphones.
What do you do with VoIP if you don't have mic?
If you have a 3G mobile phone you can connect the Touch using bluetooth and surfing the Web with Safari, everywere.
Bluetooth useless with out a mic?! If the software was available then Bluetooth is potentially very usefull?
Bluetooth headset?
Bluetooth GPS (like Tom Tom's) linked to google maps or other internal app?
Link to your mobile phone?
Bluetooth sync to PC?
Bluetooth Headphones?
Bluetooth Remotes?
Useless? Here's several things you have the potential to do if the device had bluetooth.
1. You could use bluetooh to print to bluetooth printers. (email, web, etc)
2. You could transmit to a bluetooth speaker system. The Blackberry curve already has this ability.
3. You could connect a bluetooth keyboard and mouse.
4. external bluetooth gps
5. people already mentioned it you add a bluetooth headset with a microphone you could do voip (the device does not need a microphone if it's in the headset)
6. bluetooth watch to control the iPod while working out.
7. how about ipod/nike with bluetooth
8. other bluetooth devices would be surely be invented by creative companies seeking to make money off the Touch. (ie. bluetooth xm receiver, bluetooth radio receiver, bluetooth car kits, digital camera photo download, bluetooth remote control, bluetooth chat between devices, etc., )
Uh....blutooth is not useless. It depends on how it is implemented on the device. Remember this device has wifi. So if it's hacked and a voip app is put on that supports blutooth headsets than...COOL. IPOD SKYPE BIATCHES. Oh and yes there are companies making blutooth stereo headphones so this little baby could be stashed away in your pocket or bag while you rock out, that is when it is implemented to do so.
Mixxmann
You might think that bluetooth would be useful to do all those things, but what you are forgetting is that you also need software support for all those things. Lets compare to the iPhone, which DOES have bluetooth, and yet still CAN'T do any of those things, the bluetooth on the iPhone is crippled so you can use it for a headset and nothing else.
I was pissed when I found out that not only did the iPhone not include a GPS for use with Google maps, but I couldn't even use the bluetooth GPS I already had with it.
Bluetooth is the avenue to implement a mic! *rolls eyes*
In addition to everything else above, what about a bluetooth enabled car stereo. Could Steve's talks with VW mean no wires in the car?
Bluetooth-enabled car stereos exist. Pioneer's top-end decks have support BT-audio for a few years.
If you have a 3G mobile phone you don't need the addition of the touch to get online or use voip. Or use the POS Safari. It's all already in your 3G phone.
I am willing to bet that the bluetooth is in there, but as what happened with the iMacs and Macbook Pros With the 802.11n in it but not disabled users will have to pay some fee to get bluetooth unlocked.
No, you won't have to pay extra if Bluetooth is enabled later.
Apple is accounting for Apple TV, iPhone and the iPod Touch using subscription accounting, recognizing revenue over two years. So, if you bought an iPhone today, Apple wouldn't report a $399 sale, they'd report $399/24. This way they get around having to charge people the way they did for the iMac 802.11n update.
For you this means that over the next couple of years, you'll get new features as they come out, e.g. ringtones, iTunes WiFi Store as well as the usual bug fixes.
no.
I bet the software is in there, the hardware is not. they are probably planning to put it in into a later gen, or they have a few prototypes floating around the office with bluetooth
cheerios, haha.
yeah that cheerios icon cracked me up. buttons should be disabled as well
gotta love the creative people working for apple
wait, so this shipped like this?? he received this iPod touch like this????
BLUETOOTH HACK please! nothing like some high quality mp3s in wireless headsets.
Yup if this thing turns out to get A2DP support I'll buy the sweet device tomorrow.
I wonder if they have the rights to use the Cheerios box in their sold products.. lol
Should've used Apple Jacks
That (Apple Jacks) would be for the headphones icon.
He shouldn't take it back to the shop. I'm sure someone will pay more than what it's worth on eBay. It's kinda like being in the BIOS of the iPhone isn't it? Surely some iPhone hacker will find it interesting.
wait.. if earlier inside ipod touch apple people said that the programs run off of the "same damned binaries" as the applications on the iPhone.. then how can the touch NOT be running OSX?
I think clever apple is still hiding things from us.
Think of this as a PC with no OS - The BIOS screen appears, runs through all the self-tests, but stops when there's no OS to boot..
I agree bluetooth is pointless on this device, even the iPhone doesn't support AD2P so there is no value in a bluetooth headset for such a device if it cant really be used to listen to music properly.
Speaker? i thought the touch didn't have a speaker?
Looks like the volume level...theres also one for checking if headphones are plugged in.
Dump. The. Flash...
...NOW!
how the heck do I dump the flash. I keep getting people saying that to me. Tell me please! I want to try more things on this baby.
You guys make me sad :( Bluetooth would add immense value.
Bluetooth headset + VOIP software = iPhone - Contract
Bluetooth GPS + basic tracking or mapping software = awesome
Or perhaps, when paired with your Bluetooth phone, your music would pause when you get a call, and the caller info would pop up on the screen.
You need to stop thinking of it as just an MP3 player. This thing has the potential to be a full fledged PDA.
heh heh heh - the accelerometer icon looks like a boner.
lmFao you're right dude
god damn apple! My iPod touch has a dead pixel
Think about the popularity of the IPod line, if the bluetooth chip was enabled for the entirery through t firmware update then there would be a long list of accesoriesy for it the would work with that, probably mostly along the line of Bluetooth speakers. maybe they could get simple remotes to work, btw anyone wanting to get rid of a touch?
I am wanting to get rid of the ipod touch. all of them. off the face of the earth. im tired or reading apple apple apple apple other brand apple apple apple apple apple apple other brand ripping on apple, apple apple apple every single time i log on engadget.
What's up with that Speaker Icon? Having a small internal speaker would be nice. As far as I was informed though The Touch was lacking one, another disabled feature perhaps?