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The iPod Gets WiFi, Sort Of

Posted by michael on from the wozniak-too-busy-speaking-at-conferences dept.

thecounterfeit writes "Engadget has a story on Pocketster Pro, a new application that lets you add WiFi to the iPod. The catch? You have to connect it to a Pocket PC with both USB Host capability and WiFi first, but once it's up and running you can wirelessly swap tunes with any other similarly equipped iPods."

9 of 206 comments (clear)

  1. In a related story by YankeeInExile · · Score: 5, Funny

    In a related story, an iPod can carry 490 passengers from New York to Sydney, Australia. The catch? You have to put it inside a Boeing 747 ....

    --
    How does the Slashdot Effect happen given that no slashdotters ever RTFA?
  2. Holy battery drainer, batman! by Shoeler · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Let's see - my iPaq with wifi gets maybe 1.5-2 hours of playtime.

    Add USB usage and that's gotta drop - at least a little.

    Add processing for data transfer.

    Add external battery.

    Call this a novelty, I will.

  3. The catch? by yawhcihw · · Score: 5, Funny

    You'll be clubbed to death by any Apple evangelist who sees you doing this...

  4. Aireo 802.11 Interface Works Today by wyngarth · · Score: 5, Interesting

    SoniqCast's Aireo player already has 802.11b (11Mb) integrated already. Interesting option to download files to it while it's sitting in your car. Interesting quirk however, is that it doesn't take DRM-protected files. SoniqCast says they're working on it. Good think I still have all my P2P files...

  5. iPod + iBook by powerpuffgirls · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why don't we just connect iPod to a iBook, which conects to a AirPort? This will keep everything in the same franchise :)

  6. iPod Exchange Provider by powerpuffgirls · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Will we start seeing hotspots (intentional or otherwise) allowing iPod users to exchange files?

    Imagine a pseudo-P2P service run by hotspots installed (or infected) with the P2P apps......

  7. Re:This is too fucked up. by 0racle · · Score: 5, Funny

    Unix nerds would alreay be doing it with a very small shell script.

    --
    "I use a Mac because I'm just better than you are."
  8. I Have Something Even Cooler... by bfg9000 · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...it's called, uh.. a radio. You guys should try it. It cost me like a tenth of what my iPod cost me, and already has some sort of integrated wifi. I've listened to like a million songs and didn't pay for ANY of them! I don't know how Kazaa is gonna survive in the face of this new technology. I just hope it stays underground, otherwise Microsoft or someone will buy it all up and ruin it.

    --

    I'm not normally an irrational zealous dickhead, but I figure "When in Rome..."

  9. There is a way to connect two iPods by gotr00t · · Score: 5, Informative
    Since Firewire is a peer to peer protocol, unlike USB being host and client, it is technically possible to connect two iPods together and share files. An implementation does exist, but its described as being "slow and buggy"

    One of the iPods must have iPodLinux installed, which should include firewire support, as well as SBP2 support. Compile this as a module, and then connect the two iPods together with the Sendstation Pocketdock if they are 3G, or just a regular 6pin to 6pin FW cable if they are 1st or 2nd generation. Put the other iPod into firewire disk mode, and the one running linux should be able to mount it and access the files. This is incredibly impractical, as typing on the iPod requires turning the scroll wheel until the right character appears (incredibly annoying), and also very slow. However, it just goes to show that it _is_ possible for iPods to share files with just minimal extra hardware.