Apple Wireless Earbuds?

We're not really quite sure what this means, but it could be a clue as to what Jobs and Co. have up their sleeves for MacWorld Expo in two weeks. A TUAW reader visited the Apple Store in Japan recently and found the employees all wearing maroon T-shirts with the slogan, "Luck is in the Air". On the computers in the store was a screensaver displaying the same theme with a picture of an iPod as the middle of a flower and earbuds floating away from the center, as a flower releases pollen.

There are six more screens, some with Japanse on them that I am unable to read (if any Japanese-reading readers would like to translate for us; send me an email and I'll share the screensaver images with you).

So, what does this mean? It might be an early indicator of an Apple-created iPod-compatible wireless earbud system, or it might mean Apple has figured out a way to include Bluetooth or wireless sharing of music between iPods. It's something "different" that Apple might introduce to keep the iPod and iTunes ahead of their competitors.

Of course, it might also just be an advertising campaign unique to Japan.

Update: Reader Steve Forrest has translated the text for us and it seems perhaps that this is just an advertising campaign for Apple Japan. No idea why the images are what they are, or what they mean. The Japanese text on the other images tranlates to:

1. Luck is in the air
2. Enjoy the Apple Store your way
3. Advice just right for you
    Enjoy your Mac even more
    The best place to enjoy music
4. In the New Year free workshops for kids
    Accessories to make your iPod rejoice

However, wireless functionality in our iPods is still a pretty interesting idea and possibly something we may see soon, particularly with earbuds.

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We're not really quite sure what this means, but it could be a clue as to what Jobs and Co. have up their sleeves for MacWorld Expo in two...

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tiuk

Jobs has stated that wireless headphones for the ipod aren't going to happen (don't quote me on this, I don't remmeber his exact words and don't want to search for it, I know he said something along these lines however), but that doesn't necessarily mean much. He also said that people weren't interested in video on the ipod, and look where that went.

December 28 2005 at 10:45 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

shrimp

I agree with dalton. I bet there's a Apple designer in Japan somewhere reading this, laughing and wishing he actually knew what Apple was going to release.

December 28 2005 at 8:28 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Goobimama

Wireless earbuds would also require a power source which will increase its size considerably....I don't think it will be a good idea.

December 28 2005 at 4:32 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Tim

i second the earlier motion: post the other images, they'd be neat to see.

December 28 2005 at 4:03 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Phillip in Japan

The red photo with the white dandelion arrangement in the center is a take-off on the Japanese national flag, a white background with a red circle in the center. Variations on the Japanese flag are common in advertisements around the holiday season, which begins here with the emperor's birthday on 12/23.

December 27 2005 at 5:44 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

jakej720

Please post the other screens! They would make awesome desktops! :)

December 27 2005 at 5:20 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Kirtan

Easy: You'll be able to go the the apple store and buy music to juice up your iPod.

December 27 2005 at 4:11 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

XIV

Logitech and iCombi have made some bluetooth headphone for the ipod.

- http://www.compusmart.com/Product/Default.aspx?SetLanguage=En&SupplierPartNo=112124&eSectionID=814&SetSite=2

- http://www.compusmart.com/Product/Default.aspx?SetLanguage=En&SupplierPartNo=335005&eSectionID=814&SetSite=2

I also thought it would be indeed a great idea to have some wireless headphones. Although, like a previous poster, I also notice how easy it would be to loose them, if they were simple little headphone. That's why in my two previous links, it's some neck-around headphones which would be less easy to loose. In any-case, maybe we could have some "James Bond" headphones, you know those in-ear skin colors one. Maybe they would stick in our ears without getting out.

In any case, I would love to have some wireless headphone.