May 16, 2008

iPod docking stations on airplanes

Air New Zealand will equip eighteen of its airliners with in-flight entertainment rigs allowing iPod users to play their video on seatback screens, listen to audio through the aircraft system, and control their device via the plane's interface.

Flight International reports that the Panasonic X Series in-flight entertainment system, which was trialed last October, will be fitted to 13 Airbus A320s and five Boeing 767s operated by the Kiwi carrier "in the near term".

The X Series kit is capable of offering broadband internet connection, VoIP, secure payments and indeed pretty much anything you might expect from a computer/media centre, and of course there is the iPod hookup, - under which, according to Panasonic, "your aircraft becomes an authorised Apple accessory".

Posted by ipodworld at 03:18 PM

May 15, 2008

Solar-powered bra 'able to charge an iPod'

A Japanese lingerie firm today unveiled the perfect gadget for eco-friendly sun worshippers – the solar-powered bra.

The bra comes with a detachable solar panel, worn around the stomach, which can produce enough energy to power an iPod or mobile phone as the wearer lazes on the beach, the makers claim.

It is also equipped with plastic pouches that can be filled with water, allowing wearers to quench their thirst without having to buy and then throw away hard-to-recycle drinks bottles.

Posted by ipodworld at 03:42 PM

May 14, 2008

A bridge to the future of the iPod

Apple has sent clear signals that it thinks the iPod touch and the iPhone are the future of its iPod business. It considers the Wi-Fi-enabled iPod touch "a new type of device," Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of worldwide iPod and iPhone marketing, said when Apple unveiled a higher capacity iPod touch in February.

But that doesn't mean the whole world is ready to step up to a more sophisticated device like the iPod touch: Lots of people just want to play their tunes and watch their shows on the go, and don't want to break the bank to do so. While Apple is taking sure steps toward evolving the upper echelon of its iPod product line, what should it do to keep its iPod cash cow going into the next decade?

Look to the clouds. IaaS (iPod as a service) will thankfully never catch on as a buzzword, but Apple could bridge the gap between today and the future by bundling regular iPods with services, adding wireless as fast as possible, and bringing OS X down into a new generation of iPods as soon as Moore's Law lets it happen.

Posted by ipodworld at 10:51 AM

May 13, 2008

Schmap Launches City Guide Web App for iPhone and iPod Touch

Schmap , publisher of over 200 free online travel guides, has opened access to their guides for iPhone and iPod Touch users by way of a remarkably nifty web application. The guides cover cities throughout the US, Europe, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand, and provide information on everything from the city’s historical background to the best places to get your drink on.

In addition to the city guides available for many major cities, Schmap is working on implementing a local search feature to provide similar functionality for cities they haven’t charted out yet. While local search results obviously won’t be as in-depth as the custom written city guide entries, it provides enough to get by: the business name, street address, and phone number. It did a good job of finding coffee shops in my area, even pointing out a few I’d somehow managed to ignore. I was unable to get the local search to recognize any zip codes, so you may need to type out the city’s name for the time being.

Posted by ipodworld at 04:58 PM

May 12, 2008

Live TV Stream Available on iPhone and iPod Touch

OrbLive is the streaming media application developed by Orb Networks for iPhone and iPod Touch. With this app, you can stream all your media, no need to sync. This app plays live TV, Internet TV, and webcams on your iPhone or iPod Touch.

“TV on the iPhone is now real,” said Joe Costello, CEO of Orb Networks. “Steve Jobs may think that buying shows from iTunes is the same as watching TV, but iPhone users know better. When the NBA playoffs are on, you want to see the game, live, wherever you are. Free.”

Orb pulls files off your Mac and streams them to any device with an app or web browser capable of accessing the Orb interface. From there you can stream music, video files, and if you have a TV tuner card, live TV. According to Orb Networks, all media streaming is optimized so it works great over WiFi, AT&T, O2, and Vodafone. You must have a jailbroken iPhone or iPod touch to get OrbLive.

Posted by ipodworld at 03:27 PM