"[A] newly obtained document provides incontrovertible evidence that the company has been experimenting with wireless iPods for nearly two years," reads an interesting headline at AppleInsider (http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=745) today.

Somehow the Apple news site was able to get hold of a patent application. It begins with:

"One aspect of the media player system pertains to a docking station that allows a media player to communicate with other media devices. Another aspect of the media player system pertains to a wireless media player system that includes a hand held media player capable of transmitting information over a wireless connection and one or more media devices capable of receiving information over the wireless connection. Another aspect of the media player system pertains to a method of wirelessly connecting the hand held media player to another device. The method includes selecting a media item on the hand held media player; selecting one or more remote recipients on the hand held media player; and transmitting the media item locally to the hand held media player, and wirelessly to the selected remote recipients."

I only wonder what is taking Apple so long to implement WiFi. Two years is an insanely long time.

I think part of that patent might have to do with airport express though you wouldn't consider a mac or PC a handheld device...

Agreed. I suspect they aren't filing a patent for an ipod that integrates traditional wifi per se, but have some sort of buy in for their own flavor (ie, airport).

Now if they'd just get it together and integrate BT into the pod, I'd be a happy girl. Clip the wires! :)