“Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Taiwan’s largest electronics company, said stockholders approved plans to sell NT$58.8 billion (US$1.8 billion) of shares overseas to fund expansion, including possible takeovers. The value of the 300 million shares is based on the stock’s closing price of NT$196 a piece in Taipei. Details and pricing will be set by Chairman Terry Gou later, Hon Hai said at its annual meeting at its headquarters in Tu-Chen City, Taiwan,” George Hsu reports for Bloomberg.
Gou said he expects the company’s revenue to grow at least an average 30 percent in the next five years on rising orders for components from customers such as Sony Corp. and Apple Computer Inc., whose iPod music players are assembled by Hon Hai,” Hsu reports.
“Apple is about to unveil the next generation of iPod, the best-selling music player in the U.S., using a ‘none-touch’ concept, Gou said without elaborating,” Hsu reports.
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “LinuxGuy” for the heads up.]
“None-touch,” as in voice-controlled? Apple Macs already have Speech Recognition, of course. More info on that technology here. Or how about motion-detection via gestures or similar input? If your Nike shoes can talk to your iPod, then a motion sensor on the iPod itself can, too. Or just a bad translation or misquote for “touchscreen?”
Oh, almost forgot, our prayers go out to Chairman Gou. If this is true, we wouldn’t want to be anywhere near Steve Jobs when he finds out the beans have been spilled.
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Related articles:
Patent application shows iPod capable of live wireless video conferencing – June 13, 2006
Apple video-capable iPod nano on the way? – May 25, 2006
Apple patent application filed for automatically matching iPod music tempo to exercise level – May 25, 2006
Nike and Apple team up to launch Nike+iPod, footwear that talks to your iPod – May 23, 2006
non-touch as in screen senses your “digit” above the “glass”. Move your digit… control the ipod.
i hate talking
As long as they keep the ability to touch, it’s all good
Bingo, Taiwan accidentally release the latest Apple secrets yet again!
But what the heck does it mean?
Thanks for turning off the Intellitxt ads MDN. Much appreciated as I like rolling my pointer round the screen when I read. Intellitxt made it impossible.
In related news, Hon Hair chairman found strangled with black mock turtle neck…
As in we’ll touch none of your factories for orders. This is somewhat amusing since Hon Hai is the factory making the ‘slave iPods’.
Wonder what the Steve will do? Slap on the wrist or kick in the groin?
he he… Hon Hair.
I having typing problems.
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He was probably referring to this:
http://www.thinksecret.com/news/0602videoipod.html
Maybe he meant “non-click” rather than “non-touch”. Although a non-touch iPod would certainly have fewer problems with scratches…
This article is brought to you by the very people who just last week claimed iPods are made in “sweat-shops,” in China. What gives? Are they trying to make good with Apple?
It’s Apple’s variation on “one-click” buying. They just send you stuff and keep billing the credit card until it’s full.
So, for example, when you connect to iTMS, it starts downloading every song and billing you 99 cents for each one until your credit card is full. When you pay it down, it’ll fill it back up.
Genius!
What he meant:
iPods screens will come filled with Tahitian noni juice. Navigation is controlled by “touching” the noni liquid under the screen.
“None-touch,” as in voice-controlled? Apple Macs already have Speech Recognition, of course. More info on that technology here. Or how about motion-detection via gestures or similar input?
Interesting. I wonder if this has anything to do with Jaybro’s mic in ear headset technology. Imagine iPod ear buds with a built-in mic.
Maybe its tilt-able, you tilt it and it scrolls in that direction…or maybe its just the full screen pod we have been hearing so much about…
I hope it was “touch screen” and not “voice controlled”. I really don’t want to have conversations with my iPod…not in public anway.
none-touch could be a poor translation of many different things. In other words, don’t read too much into it.
Maybe Hon Hai will make an Etch-a-sketch iPod w/ two dials you twist, and you can draw pictures, too!
Steve will have to give Gou the “Ships that leak from the top” talk. This is why factories are in China; harder to feed rumormills.
jeez, i can’t believe you people are so thick you can’t see what Apple has in store for the next-gen iPod. it’s plain as day where this is heading, and Gou’s comments confirm it.
the next iPod will be controlled through the listener’s breath.
utilizing assistive technology that’s been around helping the disabled for years, the iPod will feature a white, thin plastic tube that allows the listener to navigate the iPod system using puffs of air. one puff for forward/play, two puffs for rewind, three puffs for fast forward. blowing continuously will “scroll” through the different menu options. to move backward, the user will draw air in through the tube rather than blow.
the blowPod will be available mid-late third quarter 2006.
and remember, you heard it here first.
MDN: “effort,” as in “it took no effort to come to that conclusion.”
Someone will still complain that the screen gets scratched.
Or their voice is hoarse from scrolling through all their music.
Hanes just released a crotch sensor for Hon Hai Co. It wirlessly transmits to their iPods how many times His Steveness has just kicked them in the nads for spilling the beans – that we have no idea what it means.
hmmm i still have the intellitext ads?!?!?!?!
Touch screens suck.
You thought the iPods screens scratch easily, you’ve seen nothing yet.
MDW: “heart” like where’s I heart Macdude?
Coming soon to CBS, America’s Reality Network: Secret Asian Man. CEOs of Asian manufacturing firms compete for the next iPod assembly contract by being told new details about the next generation iPod and then compete to see who leaks least.
Looking at some recent published patent applications from Apple, I think you could see some kind of multi touch input IPOD.
I didn’t see any published applications that discuss non-touch input. However, it does take about 18 months from priority filing date before they are published so they could have filed a while ago.
Nothing sucks more than voice rec. Unless you have an American accent of course!
How to get out of a binding contract with Apple?
1) ask nicely
2) send stern demand letter
3) spill the beans about the deal.
Answer: 3
Of course, this works even if you wanted to stay in the contract…