What Happens When You Add Wireless Connections To An iPod?

Predictions

from the not-much,-actually dept

Last week we wrote about the NY Times article pitching the concept of Everywhere Internet Audio where everyone would have a high speed wireless connection to a grand jukebox in the sky and could call up whatever song they wanted, whenever they wanted, on whatever device they were closest to. The idea, clearly, has some problems and some even suggest that such a solution is scary, in that it would require a “tax” and a method for determining who gets the loot. I think the bigger hurdles, right now, are still technical ones. However, over at Business Week, a columnist has been convinced that this all possible today if only Apple would add a wireless connection to the iPod. That’s a bit of an exaggeration. While it would be nice to have a wireless connection and the ability to download music – most wireless connections will still be too slow and too unreliable for this sort of thing. Besides, what if I don’t want it on my iPod but on my fancy stereo system where I can hear just how bad the sound quality is when it’s streaming over the air? I’m all for new business models for the music industry – and I’m all for adding wireless connections to devices. I’m sure a wireless iPod would turn out to have some very cool uses – but I don’t think it’s the magic “solution” the music industry needs.