Apple to add Bluetooth to iPods

This sounds exciting, for the car and other applications



By Katie Marsal
Published: 01:00 PM EST
Apple will soon introduce an iPod with Bluetooth wireless capabilities, according Bogdan Nedelcou, an automobile product manager for Motorola.


In an interview with Radio France, Nedelcou let it slip that consumers will soon be able to broadcast music wirelessly from their iPod through their car speakers. Similarly, he said that users will be able to answer incoming phone calls without having to operate their mobile phone handset.

Both tips apparently reference an upcoming device for automobiles, which will include a dock or 'pod' that will allow both an iPod with Bluetooth and a mobile phone device to communicate with car stereos. It's unclear if the device is Apple or Motorola-based.

According to a description provided by Nedelcou, when a Bluetooth phone receives a call, the device will switch the automobile's audio stream from the iPod's music over to the phone's audio feed. A hands-free Bluetooth accessory will reportedly handle outgoing communication.

In November, AppleInsider was first to report on a patent filing that provides incontrovertible evidence that Apple has been experimenting with wireless iPods.

rest of article:http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=898

I think bluetooth should be the next step for the iPods and would much rather see this than having video playback capabilities. The potential for having the iPod broadcast via bluetooth to a set of decent self powered speakers or a stereo is a great idea. For me, taking my iPod to a mates house and being able to use it 100% wirelessly on a set of speakers is great. iPods are a great way to break the ice with new people, and its going to be more effortless than ever if I can take my iPod to a party and play great music without needing any wires or setting up.

There's also the possibility of transferring songs from one iPod to another (if they will be able to do this) as well as being able to transfer pictures, movies and other files with other bluetooth enabled phones.

Tel said:

There's also the possibility of transferring songs from one iPod to another (if they will be able to do this) as well as being able to transfer pictures, movies and other files with other bluetooth enabled phones.

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I do not believe this will become a reality with the ability to transfer songs from one ipod to another because that would be illegal for one person to pay for the songs and to simply give it to a person using another ipod, it is the same reason why you can not take the songs off your ipod with out a seperate app the apple does not supply you because it can get them introuble because they are supporting the free transfer of songs and could cause a legal suit to them from the music industry and really hurt apple and the ipod in the long run.

that would be excellent if that happens, then i would actually have a use for the bt in my powerbook.

How many days do you think it would take for some third party to make an app like that though?

My car doesn't have bluetooth so it wouldn't really help me, plus it has to be plugged in for power so I don't see a benefit to having wireless audio transmission. Of the cars I have seen that do have bluetooth it isn't setup to have a bluetooth music device, the bluetooth features are only helpful for phones.

Yeah I have a 3rd party thingy for my ipod, its called the iblue which is just a bluetooth attachment for the ipod. I bought off ebay for 90 Aussie dollars.

PowerBookG4 said:

I do not believe this will become a reality with the ability to transfer songs from one ipod to another because that would be illegal for one person to pay for the songs and to simply give it to a person using another ipod, it is the same reason why you can not take the songs off your ipod with out a seperate app the apple does not supply you because it can get them introuble because they are supporting the free transfer of songs and could cause a legal suit to them from the music industry and really hurt apple and the ipod in the long run.

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i second that

BMW already has a factory integration with the iPod

mynameis said:

My car doesn't have bluetooth so it wouldn't really help me, plus it has to be plugged in for power so I don't see a benefit to having wireless audio transmission. Of the cars I have seen that do have bluetooth it isn't setup to have a bluetooth music device, the bluetooth features are only helpful for phones.

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This is the next evolution in the receivers from alpine (german company) and this interview was in europe and was for european listeners.
BMW, Mercedes, audi, use alpine on installs. etc.

mynameis said:

My car doesn't have bluetooth so it wouldn't really help me, plus it has to be plugged in for power so I don't see a benefit to having wireless audio transmission. Of the cars I have seen that do have bluetooth it isn't setup to have a bluetooth music device, the bluetooth features are only helpful for phones.

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Two words. Bluetooth headphones.

I am getting a JVC head unit put into my VW Van next week which will allow me to connect my ipod direct into the stereo. I already have the FM transmitter(sp?) device but got sick of the loss of quality in sound. The power solution is easy with the cigarette lighter power charger. BT would be a welcome addition as it means no more wires when updating the ipod etc. I would love to see some BT Head phones also if they were to do this so you become totally wireless.

dan828 said:

Two words. Bluetooth headphones.

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and being able to transfer music from my powerbook to my ipod wirelessly, if i forgot my cable. that seems like the most obvious one to me.

untoastytoast said:

and being able to transfer music from my powerbook to my ipod wirelessly, if i forgot my cable. that seems like the most obvious one to me.

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This would be the least likely use of bluetooth actually, as it would be painfully slow. Bluetooth operates at a speed lower than USB1, which is itself about 40x slower than USB2 or Firewire.

It could, however be a welcome addition for wireless headphones, remotes, as well as car or wireless speaker interfaces of some sort.

untoastytoast said:

and being able to transfer music from my powerbook to my ipod wirelessly, if i forgot my cable. that seems like the most obvious one to me.

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You def, wouldn't want to do this. Like the above person said it would take an eternity to do.

That being said, BT should have already been in the ipod.

have fun transfering songs/pics at 3mbps.

Alone2Gether said:

have fun transfering songs/pics at 3mbps.

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3mbps isn't terrrible. It would definitely be helpful if you were on a trip and had forgotten your firewire or usb2 at home. 3mbps is still almost an entire song.

perhaps transferring notes to your pod? and if you wanted one or tow songs off your friends computer?

AirTunes?

Don't think AirTunes, that to much data to move over bluetooth.

gogreen said:

3mbps isn't terrrible. It would definitely be helpful if you were on a trip and had forgotten your firewire or usb2 at home. 3mbps is still almost an entire song.

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3mbps is only about 30k/s transfer speed