Crave readers imagine their dream Apple product
We asked readers to paint a picture of their ultimate Apple product, and they dreamed up everything from a souped-up iPod Nano watch to gesture-controlled headphones and iEye augmented-reality contact lenses.
Last week, rumors of a potentially "revolutionary" product being designed for Apple by French designer Philippe Starck got lots of imaginations running. Apple put a kibosh on the whole Starck buzz -- which turned out to be a yacht design for Steve Jobs -- but we figured that shouldn't stop design enthusiasts from dreaming. So we asked you, dear Crave readers, to tell us what your ultimate Apple gadget would look like for a chance to win some iPrizes.
Dozens of you e-mailed us and commented in the original story with forward-thinking (and sometimes amusing) concepts, ranging from a double-sided iGlass transparent window/TV with a built-in Retina Display capable of using natural light for illumination during the day to an iEye augmented-reality contact lens.
Another reader suggested a waterproof unibody capacitive touch-screen MacBook Air. One commenter got excited about a line of AppleWear connected clothing, and still another mentioned an Apple panini maker. Delicious!
Our first winner, Josh Pitta of Fresno, Calif., wrote us a rather lengthy e-mail describing his dream Apple product: a souped-up iPod Nano watch with several futuristic features like wireless connectivity (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and/or NFC), and a smaller version of Apple's iOS with aesthetics similar to iOS 5's Notification Center. A primary reason for iOS integration in the Nano, according to Pitta, revolves around being able to utilize apps like iCloud, iTunes Match, and so on.
Pitta also mentions Siri integration into an iPod Nano, perhaps our favorite aspect about the fictional superwatch. He enthusiastically describes the ideal scenario for this application: "How cool would it be to get a text while driving, be notified by the buzzing on your wrist, press a button or the touch screen to see what it was, have it read to you by Siri, then reply to it?"
A rear-facing camera built on the Nano watch would offer the user FaceTime (or Skype) video-calling capabilities, with audio supported by a pair of iPhone-esque earbuds or Bluetooth communication accessories.
Our second winner, D'Andre Gooden of Hartford, Conn., wrote a rather brief description, but it stood out to us: "Apple Air phones." The headphones would allow the user to control media playback with gestures (similar to the Sony Ericsson MH907 headphones of old), such as "swiping your finger across the side of the headphones" to turn up the volume. Gooden even suggested integrating a basic form of Siri into the Air phones so the user could simply say "play" to access music on the go.
Congratulations to the winners, and thanks to all who submitted ideas.