If, while strolling through a dark alley, a ne’er-do-well were to accost you with a threatening mop and demand that you immediately and accurately compare the iPod’s Dock connector to the human belly button, the response most likely to save you from a sodden fate would be ‘њoutie.’ќ And why not? Ponder docking an iPod and you think speakers, FM transmitters, multimedia docks, video cables’”connections that demand the iPod pass data to another device through its Dock connector.
Unlike ‘њoutie’ќ devices, which are extremely common, ‘њinnie’ќ devices are just-as-extremely rare. Offhand I can think of these very few’”the iPod Camera Connector, the iPod Radio Remote, the handful of iPod microphones that allowed you to record audio via a built-in microphone or line-input, and The iPod + Nike Sport Kit.
(I’m not counting those FM transmitters that, through the developers’ wizardry, display frequencies on the iPod’s screen’”these, at heart, remain outie devices despite their slick interfaces.) Rarity aside, the common element that these innie devices share is Apple’s involvement with their existence. Those who make outie devices need only pay Apple for the right to use the Dock connector. Making an innie product is far tougher.
The iPod Camera Connector, iPod Radio Remote, and iPod + Nike Sport Kit are home-grown products. Legend has it that iPod microphones worked only because of an Apple-supplied technology. From all appearances Apple kept the ability to access the innards of the iPod to itself. With the existence of the iPod touch and iPhone, I’m hoping that will change. And the reason I’m hoping that will change is because of Wi-Fi.
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