News, info, and opinion by Mac users, for Mac users.

December 1, 2006

podcasting

There’s no news like old news…

Posted Dec. 1, ’06, 8:19 AM PT by Dan Moren
Category | Music » Podcasting

Podcast Flow ChartThe latest Apple patent often sparks a rampage of Godzillan proportions. While we brought you news yesterday on one interesting filing, another was making the rounds. But that patent? Well, I think it goes back almost as far Britney Spears’s last marriage.

This patent is described as “Utilization Of Podcasts on Portable Media Devices.” If that sounds pretty bland, well, it is. ZDNet describes it as follows:

A new Apple Patent application just published this morning provides insight into how a series of hierarchical menus displayable on an iPod could guide a user to select podcasts for play that are already stored on the device.
A hierarchical menu? On an iPod? Surely you jest, sirrah!

iPods have featured Podcast support since June of last year; the wheels of intellectual property turn slowly, though, so it’s no surprise we’re just getting news on the patent filing. The only real difference in the patent diagrams is that they refer to “iPodcasts” instead of “Podcasts.” Glad Apple dropped that one.

But why the hubbub, bub? Derik suggested this diabolical formula: “jounalists + flow chart = wild speculation.” I think you’ll find it hard to argue with his twisted logic.

Let me add this though, my own brand of wild speculation. While I was trying to figure out what exactly was novel about this documentation, it occurred to me that if you combined it with yesterday’s other patent, this would also be a great interface for downloading podcasts. Say over Wi-Fi? Hmmm? Think about it.


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