Old Content:

The iPod’s Future Killer Feature… From Space

November 3, 2008 by Kyle Brady
Tags: Feature Request, iPod, Satellite Radio
As required by the FTC, a Full Disclosure is available - this piece adheres to the Code of Ethics

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Remember when people got excited about the newest edition of the iPod?  "OH MY GOD!  COLOR!" (the Photo) or "OH COOL, IT CAN FIT IN MY MOUTH!" (the Shuffle)  Well, I believe those days have passed, and been succeeded by iPhone excitement.

But all that can change, for the low, low price of Apple listening to me.

The iPod Now

Today's iPod comes in two variants:  "Classic" and "Touch".  The only major differences are the Touch's ability to be the iPhone without the phone part, but they collectively range anywhere between 8GB and 120GB.

Feature list includes:

• Music


• Video


• Podcasts


• Color screen


• Sweet interface

Everything you'd expect from an iPod, right?

Wrong.

Microsoft Beats You At This, Apple

The Zune, Microsoft's mostly failed attempt at an iPod competitor, has something very basic that Apple has chosen to ignore:  an FM tuner.  I'm not going to say that FM radio is a great feature, but at this point all it takes to have radio built-in to your device is a very small chip.

No wires.  No mess.  No antennae.

GPS?  Check.

The iPhone uses some sort of magic spaceman technology called "GPS".  Ever heard of it?  It's probably in your brand new Porsche.  And your cell phone.  And maybe even that cup of coffee you bought an hour ago at Starbucks.

Just kidding on that last one.

Anyways, think for a second about what GPS really is:  a connection between an Earth-based device and an orbiting satellite, sending data, at a minimum, in one direction, that allows your device to determine your current location.

So This "Future Killer Feature"...?

Satellite radio.

If the iPhone can handle communication with satellites already (the GPS), why can't it just take the next leap?  I'm not familiar with the intricacies of satellite radio, but I'm fairly confident that it can't be too much more difficult than GPS, especially since the GPS is already interpreting data beamed to it from a satellite... one-way communication, just like satellite radio.

I'm suggesting that Apple partner with XM/Sirius and help move the modern world into the next wave of "radio".  Why?  Three major reasons.

1. Satellite radio is a great idea, but it's been slow to go mainstream, due to the necessary equipment.  "In my car?  Great, but what about while I'm running?" / "Well, you need another device for that, and maybe even another subscription." / *customer leaves*


2. Additionally, satellite radio needs to grow its customer base in order to survive, and soon.  By tapping into the Apple market, they have a built-in success factor of 9000.  Or 100%.  Whichever you prefer.


3. Apple is running out of options for what other kinds of media they can put on a mobile device, and so they're going to (maybe) start seeing their competitors play less "catch up" and more "we're even now, man".  They're obviously going to need an edge to stay competitive, and that edge does not include the App Store.

Imagine The Submarine

Try and picture having satellite radio on your iPod or iPhone:  you're tired of listening to Prince for the last three days, and want some new music, but don't feel like poking around to find new music.  So you sign up for XM/Sirius service for $X/mth, and have access to all the music you can handle.

Doesn't that sound great?

It's technically feasible, so go on, spread the word.  I want to listen to 24hrs of European Trance straight from the Eastern Bloc, so let's get busy... besides, I already can do that with iTunes, just make it mobile!

It's the iPod's future killer feature... from space.  And I'm willing to bet it's already "in the works".

Old Content posts are leftovers from a less structured, less civilzed era that are kept for posterity.
Kyle can be found on Twitter and MySpace, or reached via email.