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Apple iPod with Video and WiFi Capabilities?
An anonymous reader writes "Apple is currently seeking an engineer for its iPod hardware division. However, they are not looking for just any engineer. They are seeking an engineer with WiFi and Video integration experience. 'The iPod group is looking for a Hardware Engineer. Experience in the following areas is important: system integration, digital logic, SDRAM, Flash, ASIC's, processor selection, ATAPI, various communication protocols (ie: GSM, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, Firewire, and USB), display types and video and analog integration.'"
How much does this cost? Or is it free for Apple?
Well I'd apply, but I'm too busy hanging around Slashdot.
What is this, Monster.com? We get product ads as articles, now we get ads for people to make new products as articles so we can get more products and therefore new articles?
My head is going to explode....
From TFA:
;)
"The iPod group is looking for a Hardware Engineer. This person will be an individual contributor on a top notch team with responsibilities for the design, implementation, and integration of digital and analog electronics. Experience in the following areas is important: system integration, digital logic, SDRAM, Flash, ASIC's, processor selection, ATAPI, various communication protocols (ie: GSM, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, Firewire, and USB), display types and video and analog integration."
Does this mean we are very likely to see an iPod with a video display and capable of sending and receiving music via WiFi? This is very likely.
What strange language the author uses there. Is he answering his own question about whether it's very likely by saying yes, it's very likely? Or is he saying that it's very likely that it's "very likely?"
I think it's very likely that I'm confused
everything in moderation
Well, Apple's already moved into the 'home broadcast' sector with the Airport express streaming music via 802.11 protocols, so it wouldn't seem too far a stretch for them to start streaming video or DVDs around your house, perhaps onto a vPod.
However the amount of battery consumption for such a beast would be epic.
...set the standard for this sort of thing and give other people something to copy off of so we can start getting some better products of this type. I really thought they would have jumped on this bandwagon a while ago....
I wouldn't put too much stock in a job ad. If I were Apple I would add as much miscellany to the ad posting as possible to distract the competition.
sulli
RTFJ.
Two thoughts:
1) Why do they feel the need to complicate the iPod? People love the fact that it does one primary thing, and does it brilliantly. The iPod is expensive enough without any more frills.
2) If they are just looking for an engineer now, just think how long before any product sees the light of day.
I'm supprised they aren't looking for more jewlers after making P Diddy a diamond iPod.. damn
Boxing Equipment Reviews
Obviously Apple knows their job announcements are scrutinized, and it wouldn't surprise me if they were casting a broader net than they need to be, as insurance against future needs that may or may not materialize.
Read the EFF's Fair Use FAQ
The only thing I wonder about is how the MPAA and its member companies will take this. Hopefully Apple's talked to them already or is in the process or they could find themselves with a wonderful videoPod without any way to get movies for it legally. Given their success with iTunes and the iTunes store I'm inclined to believe they have this worked out already though.
I wasn't as excited about the iPod since I have a portable CD/Mp3 player and it works fine for me. I would be quite excited and interested in a video device though.
I wish job postings for *my* company made it to Slashdot's front page on a Monday afternoon.
--
make install -not war
Apple should probably know by now that the iPod has a lot of "value added" potential, outside of the music player.
It functions exceptionally as an MP3/AAC/AIFF/Audible player - no dispute about that. It works well as an audio recorder from what I've heard. And it also functions "decently" as a calendar/address book/note taker.
Apple might be seeing something beyond a "video iPod". Personally, based on what Mr. Jobs has said, I'd be surprised if it went that route. Most people I know don't care to be watching video as they walk/exercise/work/drive.
But what if the iPod became more of a hub? Take the current Airport Express device - 802.11 device plus audio player and print server. What if your iPod could wirelessly transmit audio to it, so you wouldn't need another computer on all the time - just pick up the iPod, and it would be like a little remote. Or you enter the room with your iPod, and the Airport Express starts playing what's on there, so you have seamless music from your earphones to your speakers.
Imagine if that could be done with video as well - just take the videos you made with iMovie or one of Apple's major movie editors, and plunk it onto the iPod. Now you can go to the other room and demo the movie on the TV set.
Remember how The Lord of the Rings was downloaded onto iPods and transferred to the editing room? Imagine a digital video camera that, instead of a small tape, just plugged in an iPod - direct from video to hard drive, and then just plug it into the computer and edit away. Or, if you have a digital camera, same thing - and now you can wirelessly transmit those photos to your computer for editing/emailing and the like.
So rather than a "video iPod", I wonder if Apple won't make the iPod an extension of the "digital hub" idea. Of course, knowing Apple, those features will work best with a Mac - but if they get other companies like HP to jump on the bandwagon and support these functions with their devices and software, Apple won't care - they'll still be selling iPods and cashing in the checks at the bank.
Of course, just an idea. I could be wrong.
52 Weeks, 52 Religions with John Hummel
/me raises hand.
I usually don't reply to ACs, but the Objective-C bashing is just ignorant. Objective-C is not used much outside of the Mac OS X development community, but that does not make it a bad language. I've programmed fairly extensively in it, and I can say that it is a truly incredible language that makes tasks really simple. It is a true object oriented language (everything inherits from NSObject) yet you still get to keep pointers, which gives you a lot of power as well. It has the power of C++ and the ease of use of Java or C#.
I have yet to meet anyone with significant experience in Objective-C who can say they dislike the language.
-- Fighting mediocrity one bad post at a time.
bells and whistles != good device.
It has the power of C++ and the ease of use of Java or C#.
Ouch!
I know Obj-C isn't perfect, but saying it has the ease of use of Java or C# is a bit harsh.
-jcr
The only title of honor that a tyrant can grant is "Enemy of the State."
Oh vanity, thou name is a dimond studded ipod
If I were running Apple, I would do it just to read what all of us armchair quarterback types have to say about it. Think about it... People's guesses may be combinations of tech that Apple didn't think of yet, and they get free market feasability research at the same time. Plus, it's funny.
Of course, if I were running Apple I'd stop making products that get handled a lot out of white plastic (iPods, keyboards, and the like).
Someday a real rain is gonna come...
system integration - Check. I installed Samba last week
digital logic - Check. That's ones and zeros, right?
SDRAM - Check. I use that in my camera
Flash - Check. I flashed my DVD-rom thingy to be region free
ASIC - Um. That's like a CPU for a nintendo.
processor selection - Check. AMD beats Intel every time. Only fan boys use Intel.
ATAPI - Check. I've installed Harddrives before
various communication protocols (ie: GSM, Bluetooth, IEEE 802.11, Firewire, and USB) - Check: I've got a GSM phone and a USB flash drive.
display types and video and analog integration. - Check. How easy peasy! Just match the colors on the cable plugs and the sockets.
Apple, here I come!
Wonder if I should change my name to "iMateito"?
Norman Cook's Ode to Sl
You're right. Obj-C is so much better that those two its not even funny.
The only reason I'm replying is to congratulate you on the benign post. Oh god, lame hex humor. I truly apologize. If I wasn't programming registers on a chip today that joke would never have happened. I promise. I'm going to crawl into a corner now.
-- Fighting mediocrity one bad post at a time.
I would think that a want ad posted on /. would be the worst case scenario for any HR department. Instead of looking at three or four people that do have the requisite knowledge and skills, Apple is going to be so overwhelmed with thousands of people claiming to have experience in all the areas ("hey, I hooked up my own WiFi network at home, can plug in USB flash disk keys and I can almost always transfer my digital videos") that they are going to go nuts vetting and responding.
A more interesting story might be is hearing how Apple worked through all the applications this piece generated.
myke
Mimetics Inc. Twitter
It's simple, really. /. is a privately owned site. It isn't the BBC with some kind of public charter that specifically says 'we are unbiased'.
/. crew love apple hardware :-)
Plus the
----- Documentation is worth it just to be able to answer all your mail with 'RTFM' - Alan Cox.
the pricing of anything other than basic human requirements is not an ethical concern.
You can keep your wi-fi and video, the main thing that puts me off buying an iPod is the lack of FM radio for listening to sport & talk radio. Seriously, how much would it cost Apple to add such a simple feature?
iPod group, not necessarily iPod product. It's possible that this group will evolve into a multi-faceted consumer electronics effort, but there's no point in Apple publicly acknowledging as much now. So for now, they call it the "iPod" group, after its one product.
Or, maybe someone actually wants to watch videos on a twinkie little 2" screen.
--realinvalidname
Remote sounds most likely. I see a couple possibilities...
1. AirTunes-capable überDock. Play AirTunes from your iPod over 802.11g with a Bluetooth remote. This would involve the various protocols: FireWire & USB for the dock, 802.11g for the network, Bluetooth for the remote...
2. iPod PVR? Store video to your iPod & play it at any A/V capable dock or computer. Not, repeat not to play video on your iPod. Just as you can purchase audio copies of various radio broadcasts, you could purchase video copies of television programs at the Apple Media Store. Same simple anti-copy restrictions would apply. H.264 codec w/ FairPlay wrapper?
I don't see Apple putting the time and money into making the iPod more expensive for a feature set that so few people will use (wireless xfer, video iPod).
That what was all this school was for... to teach us how to solve our own problems. -- janeowit