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In case you weren’t aware, the iPhone 5, the fifth-generation iPod touch and seventh-generation iPod nano’s connector port design is now nine pins instead of the traditional 30 pins that previous iOS devices have. Presumably, the company plans to phase out the 30-pin connector in lieu of the smaller, faster “Lightning” connector.
Unfortunately, this causes a lot of problems for those of us who have already spent hundreds of dollars on 30-pin compatible accessories. Sure, you could spend $30 on the Apple-brand Lightning to 30-pin Adapter, but it doesn’t mean that this switchover isn’t a pain in the neck for Apple fans.
According to a recent patent that Apple was awarded, there may be a universal option in the works that would be beneficial to all iOS devices. U.S. Patent No. 8,280,465 is for a “Wireless adapter interface between an accessory and a device.” The technology involved could make it possible for you to wirelessly connect all of your gadgets, no matter what their connecter pin count is.
The patent describes an adapter with a built-in wireless transmitter “which can communicate signals between the accessory and the portable media player.” The design also takes into account incompatibility with wireless protocols like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
The patent refers to a wireless interface that would connect a portable electronic device with another portable electronic device ( for example, an iPad and a wireless speaker system) by translating protocols between the two devices.
There is no evidence that Apple is planning on developing a universal wireless adapter, but this patent is promising.
Maybe Apple had us in their minds all along.
[via Apple Insider]
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