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[mightynine]

Taken from the fine folks over at Engadget, who took it from iPod Lounge:

Everyone is abuzz over these cryptic words in Time Magazine’s review of the new iPod about some unannounced new features:

[Y]ou should know that internally the new iPod is a ground-up reconstruction, and its really compelling applications — the ones that very well might get the goat of anyone unable or unwilling to upgrade — are still secret. All that Apple is saying is that there’s more to this than what’s being publicized.

So what could it be? An add-on radio? Photo and video capabilities? Bluetooth? WiFi? Some sort of fancy new dock? Why is Apple messing with us like this? They know how we fragile we’ve been lately.

Why, there's even a link to the Time story, if you're so inclined to have a look.

 

[Fowler]

Duh. The other iPods had "hidden features" too -- hell, the very first one supported a remote that wasn't activated for months (a year?). Another clue for me was that the Browse option in the menu became Music. That implies that there's something else going there on the root level. Best guesses are Photos or Videos, both displayed via a new dock with video out on it. I don't find this too far-fetched to be honest since you can already import your pictures to your iPod (for temporary storage, admittedly), and with the forthcoming "Home-on-iPod" feature (which has been on the cards for AGES) you'll have your movies and photo library on your iPod with you... so it could very easily happen.

 

[Idle Will Kill]

With the 60 GB iPod and OS X Tiger coming out soon, I'm pretty sure "Home on iPod" is almost here.

Getting a new computer? Download your Home onto your iPod, and then transfer it to your new machine. Easy as that. Hard drive crash and lose all your data? Just reload your Home onto your machine, and you are as good as new.

 

[Bat]

I don't know....CNET just posted a pretty thorough review that doesn't list any suprise features. Maybe they are referring to editable playlists?

 

[Fowler]

With surprise features they don't mean unadvertised features anyone with a 4G iPod can just find right now. They mean things in the hardware that'll be enabled with new firmware in due course. Examples are the remote in the first iPods (it was in the debug menu, but wasn't properly enabled until the remote itself was released months later) and Voice Recording, which again was seen in a debug menu before being enabled. Similarly, the option to upload photos to your iPod doesn't actually appear until you attach the Belkin Media Adapters.

 

[Fusebox]

So any news on the hidden features?

 

[mrklaw]

I don't have one, and I don't know if its normal, but on HPs ipod page, they list how many photos you can store on the different ipods...

 

[golem]

yeah i dont really expect it to be anything earthshattering like hidden wifi or a color screen... proably just more jobs hype (why is it totally redesigned but almost the same form factor?!)

here's more on the ipod pictures thing:

Since you can store pictures in an iPod, Apple now makes it possible to print directly from the device to its new HP 375 photo printer.

if i could backup my digicam pics directly to the ipod that would be cool (maybe through a usb adapter?).. otherwise seems kinda meh

 

[DarienA]

The only new feature I want to see is a $199 or lower price dammit.

 

[Fowler]

Printing directly from an iPod is new, but storing pictures isn't -- Belkin make a couple of media adapters that either accept memory cards or connect the camera directly to the iPod.

 

[Willco]

The only new feature I want to see is a $199 or lower price dammit.

Amen.

 

[SteveMeister]

The only new feature I want to see is a $199 or lower price dammit.

Geeze, they already lowered the price by $100 for the 4th generation models. Give 'em an inch and they want a mile

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

Does the IPods use a generic hookup to your car stereo? I mean, if I already have one of those badboys for a CD player or MD player, will it work for the IPod or will I have to shell out another 35 bucks?

Oh, and should I wait a bit until the new ones come out so I can snag an older version for cheap?

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

Like anything that supports headphones, you can use a cassette adapter.

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

Cool.

 

[tedtropy]

Like anything that supports headphones, you can use a cassette adapter.

Cassette adaptors tend to crap on audio quality. You get a nice low hiss in the background and audio seems to just plain drop out at higher volume levels. Much like a real cassette, of course. The FM Adaptors that are available manage to actually sound worse. I owned a Belkin FM adaptor for about a day (planned to use it in my car with my Nomad Jukebox), and then promptly returned it. I suppose this is one instance where the iRiver's Digital-Out would come in handy...

 

[xsarien]

The iPod does have line-out circuits, it's just a pain to access them.

Here:
http://www.sendstation.com/us/press/release-040620.html

The dock connector that you can buy from Apple also has a port for the line-out audio, but this is a bit easier (and probably cheaper.)

 

[Ignatz Mouse]

My car is so noisy, I really don't care. But you are right. My next car has a line in, I hope.

 

[golem]

www.densionusa.com sells ipod -> your car's cd changer port adapters

$$$ though

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

I'm not a big junkie on the quality. So, the cassette thing works for me.

 

[AstroLad]

Hey, I was just going to buy an I-Pod since my old Intel Pocket Concert standby finally crapped out. Too bad they're so pricey, though, makes the decision a tad harder.

 

[Fusebox]

I've got the Sik imp car line-out car adaptor and charger but I dont have a line-in on the car stereo, I use it to run a headphone and the charger part plugs on and off luckily.

"imp's unique design offers unmatched flexibility for using your iPod on the go. imp provides unadulterated line level audio output and charging when used with iPod with Dock Connector. imp's line level audio output functions whether or not power is supplied for those occasions when you would rather power a device other than iPod from your vehicle's cigarette lighter socket."