Apple to Roll Out iPod Companions

AppleInsider has published some tasty tidbits of information from their sources who are familiar with Apple's plans.

It would appear that the company's iPod division is preparing to extend its domain into the consumer electronics market by means of several iPod related products early next year.
It seems that Apple is going to be marketing these new products as "iPod companions" rather than "accessories", and are preparing to unveil the first one at the next year's Macworld Expo in San Francisco, in the second week of January.

Details are sketchy at best, but AppleInsider sources describe one of the new products as being a boombox of sorts, "unlike anything seen in boombox world" and strikingly different from "anything Apple has released in the past."
It would seem the gadget looks like an oversized iPod with boombox-type speakers. "It's ideal for use on a bookshelf or on the go," the source said.

This boombox is said to have built in wireless audio streaming capabilities, but it might also work from a built in hard drive, iPod dock, or indeed any combination of the aforementioned three methods.

Some of the earlier reports described the device as an "iPod radio" which does suggest that Apple might have integrated satellite radio capabilities into the device. This doesn't seem too far fetched considering that there have been negotiations between Apple and Sirius Satellite Radio over the past year, but not even the most recent reports on the subject imply a partnership between the two companies has been reached.

Regardless of exactly is going to be on the inside, it seems the Cupertino based iPod maker is expected to market the device as "plug and play music for your home."

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