A small device that looks like a regular mp3 player, but instead of keeping your own sound files, it detects what any nearby players are playing, and assigns them to virtual channels.

Now you can find out that the cool looking gal in the front seat of the bus is listening to NPR, and the guy in the suit and tie is listening to Green Day.
-- Galbinus_Caeli, May 19 2006

The Register http://www.theregis...7/10/wireless_ipod/
"Grassroots hackers create file-swapping wireless iPod" [st3f, May 19 2006]

Apple Insider http://www.appleins.../article.php?id=745
"Analysts don't foresee an Apple iPod with wireless capabilities emerging anytime soon, but a newly obtained document provides incontrovertible evidence that the company has been experimenting with wireless iPods for nearly two years." -- (article published in 2004) [st3f, May 19 2006]

Wikipedia: van Eck Phreaking http://en.wikipedia...i/Van_Eck_Phreaking
Refers to the electromagnetic radiation emitted by CRT and LCD displays. Not quite the same as what you want to do here. [jutta, May 19 2006]

There has been speculation about a wireless iPod for a few years now. AppleInsider commented on Apple's patents in that area, and The Register reports that someone built one nearly two years ago. I don't doubt that manufacturers of other players are looking in the same direction.

These devices would serve up your music to others at the same time as listening to those around you and would use some established radio technology rather than the unspecified means of communication in this idea.
-- st3f, May 19 2006


But what if I want to eavesdrop on what other people are listening to?
-- Galbinus_Caeli, May 19 2006


How are you going to do that if they aren't transmitting it?
-- st3f, May 19 2006


Can you Van Eck phreak it? OK, maybe you could just read the title scrolling on their display that way.
-- normzone, May 19 2006


Intercept the leak from the headphone wires. Not that hard.
-- Galbinus_Caeli, May 19 2006


Pure nosiness I guess. A friend mentioned on her blog that she had this desire on the bus this morning.
-- Galbinus_Caeli, May 19 2006


If we're really going to hack into other people's iPods, then what I want to be able to do is impose my own musical selections on them. Or, of course, just turn the music down about fifteen notches.
-- DrCurry, May 19 2006


You're starting to sound like an old geezer, [DrCurry]. Unfortunately, sometimes I feel the same way.
-- NotTheSharpestSpoon, May 19 2006


Magic. Pointless. Annoying.
-- baconbrain, May 19 2006


Who needs a wireless iPod when you can use a decent PDA running iTunes and a WiFi card...

Now, [Galbi], how do you suggest we do this bit?
//it detects what any nearby players are playing, and assigns them to virtual channels//
-- Jinbish, May 20 2006


picking up the electomagnetic leak from the headphone wires and voice coil is certainly possible. strength of signal could be enough to differentiate separate sets.
-- Galbinus_Caeli, May 20 2006


Chris Tarrant often used to make me laugh out loud in the car on the way to work - bit embarrassing really when other drivers give one weird looks.
-- po, May 20 2006


Neat. I wonder what the effective bandwidth of a single flashing LED is at a couple of metres.
-- st3f, Sep 08 2007


Hey, you deleted my anno, which basically said you can do this with an iTrip and a radio.

since then, I've seen the announcement of the new iPod (which seems to be an iPhone that isn't a phone) which will have WiFi, so I assume it will offer the same playlist sharing that you can currently do over a LAN.
-- marklar, Sep 09 2007


Um. I deleted nothing. Must be a glitch. I think I have only deleted an annotation once or twice, and always by accident, and I quickly posted a new anno with the text from cache.
-- Galbinus_Caeli, Sep 09 2007



random, halfbakery