APP DOCK BOAST IPHONE INTEGRATION

Chronicle

Like a lot of companies, Sharper Image's got an iPod and iPhone dock. But it takes its Apple integration one step further.
The Bedside App Dock (it's a working title still) takes the accessory integration of the iPhone 3.0 operating system and builds a docking station that can use the iPhone or iPod Touch to pull web data.
Traditional iPod docking devices just pull music off the iPod or iPhone. The talking between devices is more or less one way.
But this device will be able to talk back and forth using a downloadable app. Once you have the app, the dock communicates with the app and can pull weather, news, gossip and other headlines which shows up on the dock's digital screen. If you want a deeper dive, you can click on an individual headline and the app will take you to the story on your iPod Touch or iPhone.
When I talked to Apple executives after the release of iPhone 3.0 this past summer, they said the quiet revolution could be the ability for all manner of peripherals and accessories to talk back and forth with the iPhone or iPod Touch. It means the iPhone could combine with a number of gadgets to become all kinds of useful tools.
This is a more obvious example of it, but it gives a good glimpse of what can be done with the right initiative.
The Bedside App Dock will sell for a targeted price of $99 in the fourth quarter.