La "radio app" che sfrutta il chip FM di iPhone?

Forse ricorderete i miei post sull'inclusione nell'ultimo iPhone di un chip multimodo per tecnologie wireless (Bluetooth e Wi-Fi) che includeva tuttavia anche un circuito per la sintonia delle stazioni FM e addirittura per la ritrasmissione in FM dell'audio dell'iPhone (per esempio verso l'autoradio della vettura). Al lancio dell'iPhone terza generazione le aspettative per una radio FM integrata andarono deluse. Ora invece sembra che Apple stia per rilasciare una radio.app che darà agli iPhone e agli altri modelli iPod la stessa funzionalità FM dell'iPod Nano. Lo ha rivelato ieri 9to5Mac, (segnalato puntualmente da Rocco e Francesco). Presumibile anche che l'applicazione supporti il Live Pause per congelare l'ascolto delle stazioni per un breve periodo di tempo. Un'altra bella notizia per i fan della convivenza tra digitale (Ip based) e radio analogica.

In-house Radio.app in the works for iPhone and iPod touch
Tue, 10/13/2009 — Seth Weintraub

We've just received a tip that an iPhone radio.app is being developed in-house by Apple for use on the iPhone and iPod touch. From what we know, the app will be allowed to operate in the background like iPod.app and will offer the same functionality as the FM radio in the new iPod Nanos. The source mentioned that this application could also be incorporated into the iPod.app before release.
The holdup on this app is that Apple is trying to integrate the Mobile iTunes Store purchases into the functionality of the program. For instance, if you like a song you are listening to on the radio (and that station supports tagging and you are in the US), you will be able to push a button and see the song (and all of the information around it) in the iTunes Mobile store. With another click, you'll be able to make a purchase. This is an extension of the Song Tagging feature used in the iPod Nanos. Perhaps they could even add some Shazam technology to help with those stations that don't support tagging.
Though it wasn't specified, the app will likely have the same Live Pause functionality that the Nanos currently enjoy.
Apple's iPods and iPhones have been able to receive FM radio signals for some time now. The latest generation of iPhone and iPod touch can even broadcast FM signal, for instance to a car stereo. The ability of the iPhone and iPod touch to receive FM signals has been used solely in the implementation of the Nike+ ecosystem to this point.
This wouldn't be the first time Apple awoke sleeping hardware functionality from its mobile products. Apple sometimes chooses to leave hardware features dormant in their products until they feel the time is right. For instance, Apple didn't enable Bluetooth in its 2nd generation iPod touch until 9 months after it was released. Apple also hasn't enabled the 802.11N +5GHZ wireless networking (which we also hope to see updated shortly) in its latest iPhone and iPods.
The addition of an FM radio would eliminate that advantage from the ZuneHD over Apple's line of Touch OSX products.