Original URL: http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/04/13/wifi_ipod_on_the_horizon/
Apple will bring out an iPod with Wi-Fi wireless connectivity on board during the latter half of the year - if the latest whispers coming from Taiwan's electronics manufacturer community are to be believed, that is.
So claims local newssite DigiTimes today (http://www.digitimes.com/systems/a20070403PD200.html), which mentions moles from contract manufacturers Foxconn and Universal Scientific (USI). Foxconn is making the player; USI the Wi-Fi module it's said to contain.
Wi-Fi is one of those features of questionable value in a personal music player. Certainly, Microsoft's Zune, which uses Wi-Fi for song-sharing, doesn't appear to have won swathes of converts to wireless music.
More likely, if Wi-Fi is part of the iPod programme, it's to allow the player to grab content directly from the iTunes online store. That's almost certainly going to be a feature of the iPhone - albeit over cellular rather than Wi-Fi - and it makes particular sense if the facility will be a part of the much-rumoured video-centric widescreen iPod.
Zune DRM stripped (16 July 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/07/16/zune_drm_crack/
No Zune in Europe until 2008 (4 June 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/06/04/no_zune_til_bedtime/
Zune to sell one million by June (30 May 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/05/30/zune_sells_1million/
iPhone demand in the UK is 'soft', survey finds (16 May 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/05/16/survey_says_iphone_demand_uk_soft/
Paid video has look and feel of dead duck (14 May 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/05/14/forrester_online_video/
Ballmer: Apple's iPhone will be a niche player (2 May 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/05/02/ballmer_vs_iphone/
Schools ban iPod cheaters (27 April 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/04/27/ipod_cheats/
iSymphony tunes up Bluetooth wireless hi-fi (27 April 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/04/27/isymphony_bluetooth_hifi/
The Cloud descends over City (23 April 2007)
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/04/23/free-city/
iPod add-on draws out dock connector (23 April 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/04/23/sendstation_extends_dock/
Tiny iRiver media player flows into UK (26 March 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/03/26/iriver_x20_in_uk/
Zicplay out to wow with Ewoo wireless iPod remote (8 March 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/03/08/zicplay_woos_with_ewoo/
Griffin Evolves wireless speakers (9 January 2007)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2007/01/09/griffin_unveils_journi_evolve/
Apple's iPod roadmap said to list three new models for '07 (8 December 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/12/08/ipod_roadmap_hints/
Quanta 'to make next-gen video iPod' (22 March 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/03/22/quanta_video_ipod/
Next-gen video iPod to launch 'March/April' (3 March 2006)
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2006/03/03/apple_vid_ipod_date/