March 1, 2006 When it comes to "feeding" the iPod, the folks at Wingspan are the evangelists of the "shortest distance between two points" theory. Today Wingspan revealed a video demonstration of its iLoad-c, a US$200 gadget that utilizes the music stores proliferating on cell phone networks, to download music directly to the Apple iPod Nano, without using a computer. iLoad-c clamps onto a Nano and then connects to your cell carrier's music store to download the music directly to the Nano. The iLoad-c is the third device to be announced by start-up Wingspan in three months – Wingspan’s other announced devices include iLoad, a device that copies CDs to the iPod without using a computer and iLoad-v, a device that connects to a cable or satellite TV boxes and records video and music onto a Video iPod or USB storage device, without using a computer or Internet connection.

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Wingspan will provide the device that is initially compatible with the Verizon, Sprint/Nextel, Cingular and T-Mobile networks and will shortly begin discussions with Apple and others to enable the WiFi capability within the device.

iLoad-c is planned for release mid-year at a retail price of US$200.

The iLoad-c is the third device to be announced by start-up Wingspan in three months – Wingspan’s other announced devices include iLoad, a device that copies CDs to the iPod without using a computer and iLoad-v, a device that connects to a cable or satellite TV boxes and records video and music onto a Video iPod or USB storage device, without using a computer or Internet connection.

iLoad will have a suggested retail price of US$250 and iLoad-v will have a suggested retail price of US$150. Both products are scheduled for release in early (Northern hemisphere) Spring 2006.