Apple patent filings stir up the Apple fan rumor mill like nothing else does. Sometimes the speculation is nothing more than idle chatter and fun, and sometimes the speculation brings up real potential ideas that get me excited. The most recent patent filing falls into the latter category for me.

The latest patent is for what appears to be an external device that would grab all frequencies of radio broadcasts, including FM, AM, HD and Satellite, as well as all forms of television frequencies, including IPTV, cable and satellite. It would then pipe them to your iPod, iPhone or iPod Touch.

It seems a bit bulky based solely on the drawing included with the patent filing. It’s hard to judge from a picture but it looks similar in shape to the FM transmitters currently in use going the other direction, piping your iPod tunes to your radio.

Speculation on the potential device includes use of WiFi or ethernet technology for added reception options. Apple’s patent also references the use of tagging the data brought in by the device. This would make users able to see the information about what they were watching or listening to, such as artist name, title, and album for music streamed from radio frequencies. There is a more detailed look at the possibilities and technicalities of tagging here.

People who have HD radio already experience this tagging feature, as do some with satellite. It isn’t portable, however. It is the portability of this device and how it could work with the iPod, iPhone and your computer or iTunes library that makes it go that extra mile. As someone who is always looking for new music and new television, being able to carry it with me as I go and also find out what it is that has grabbed my attention while I listen via tagging would be welcomed.

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Entry was posted on Saturday, August 2nd, 2008 at 11:08 pm under Apple, iPhone, iPod, iPod Touch.  Print This Post

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