Some say the iPod is the next generation of portable music especially with the new iPod touch; this following report really shows us that the Apple iPod is a space age technology so to speak.

Recent hi-res photographs of the Space Shuttle Endeavour, which is currently circling the planet at this moment in low-earth orbit, docked to the International Space Station has an interesting focal point for Apple lovers.

If you look closely you can spot an iPod through the crew cabin window (see image below). Now this is not the first time an iPod has been hurtled into space nor is the first picture of an iPod in space, but it is definitely one of the coolest pictures yet. If you take a look at the hi-res photograph you will know exactly what I mean!



Click for Hi-Res Image

iPod in Space Fun Facts

• The traditional lithium batteries have to be replaced with specially certified alkaline batteries. (I wonder what the battery life is like?)
• The iPod cannot be brought on board the Space Station, as it has not been certified as safe in that environment.
• No the iPod touch does not get wireless up there.

Cool article!

Yea I thought so too! A nice easy read for the weekend!

it'd be strange to use the ipod touch in orbit, it would randomly switch screen directions because of the lack of gravity

Hah! Good call!

The Zune should have gone up there because it's a waste of space.

Well on the ISS they got Bose so I think they are rocking up there.

Very nice pic !

lmao that would confuse it! Imagine if some Apple developer had written in some code on the sly that detected zero gravity and displayed some easter egg for the astronauts! Then again it could make it think the accelerometers had broken and display an unhappy iPod face.

I suppose though the touch might be unnecessary in space as without an internet connection it is just an ipod with a big screen (until 2.0 is released!) and also the battery might not be as easily replaceable as the classic.

I draw your attention to http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/gallery/images...ss014e08795.jpg

So, apparently at least one iPod has made it to the ISS.

reinharden

Makes me proud of my iPod :-). Most current musicians have one, most people have one, now its even in space!

will it be only a model that making fun of us?!

Nice. But so is IBM and Nikon and Kenwood and Microsoft and what not..........

Space Age? I'm pretty sure the iPod was made long after the Space Age ended. I believe current time is more commonly referred to as the Information Age. :-P

I couldn't find the iPod at first. That was like a 'Where's Waldo' for me.

Same here, I was so proud of myself when I finally spotted it.

Really? For me it was more of a "where in the world is Carmen Sandiego"-ish thing..

Its a cool candid shot but I fear fanboys will make too much of it since its certainly not shocking that astronauts take ipods and mainstream brands of stuff in space. "Fruit of the Loom in space" or "Herbal Essence in space" probably dont make as interesting news.

Unless they are running iPodLinux on it and using that to run the AutoPilot system of the Space Shuttle. That is the reason why the iPod is in the Cockpit.


Also wont the HDD shutdown, coz at zero gravity, it will probably trigger the Free Fall mechanism. Or does the Shuttle have its own Artificial Gravity.

As far as I know artificial gravity is still the stuff of Science fiction.

NASA isn't the only space crew that used iPods. They also had iPods in Star Wars as well. If you look really closely at this shot of Vader, you can see that he is clearly holding an iPod.

nice one

WTF! Thats not fair! No Wi-Fi?! Rip-Off!

Colonel, i love that dark varder's ipod *big fans of star wars and apple*.
do you have the "Original" shot without that red color pen?