The iPod is the lifelog. Brian calls another one on Apple.

Sometimes I get lucky, I admit. Like my call on the Amazon smartphone. Most of the time, however, sitting here thousands of miles from Cupertino, with no sources within Apple, I get it right because, well, I'm smart. Most of the people writing about technology are either not terribly smart or not terribly hardworking; or both.

I told you for more than a year now that the future of iPod (non-touch) was as a series of wearable devices -- and a platform, which Apple loves -- to support health and fitness monitoring and general lifelogging activities.

From just last October:

One of the things I've been writing about for some time now, that most pundits have missed, is that iPod is *not* dead. It's just morphing into something completely different.

What, exactly?

We'll know in time, obviously, but I've long suggested that iPod should become both device and platform for "lifeblogging" -- for monitoring and recording and reviewing and elevating all the information about us. Heart rate. Steps walked today. How fast we ran that mile. How many bench presses at 200 lbs in how many minutes. Stress numbers, pulse; eventually, blood sugar and more. 

The little love that iPod got at today's Apple event leads me to believe that Apple is seriously considering the next phase for iPod just as I do...

From this summer:

Which is *exactly* what I've been telling Apple they should do with their iPod line for, what, a year now? The market, and Apple, have essentially consumed the iPod brand. It's not terribly relevant, and less meaningful. But, as a connected device, intuitive, powerful, that integrates with OS X and iOS, and tracks our activities, health goals, and related information...well, that's a giant market and a true new area for Apple to conquer. 

Just listen to me, already!

Also from this past summer, when I wrote about the (failed) Jawbone Up device:

I've been saying for some time now that Apple should not retire the iPod brand. Rather, re-focus and re-position it.

I believe that with Apple's customer base, iTunes and App Store ecosystem, amazing design skills and personal computing and personal wireless device making expertise, that iPod offers Apple a huge opportunity to become the premier brand and platform for all the (simple, integated) tools, devices, services, accessories, databases and software for fantastic, high-margin "body computing".

Now, today, from the very well-funded The Verge:

We're told that Apple wants to see a new wave of app-based accessories using the new Bluetooth Low Energy profile in Bluetooth 4.0, with a particular focus on next-generation health and fitness gadgets like the FitBit Ultra and Jawbone Up. We're also told Apple is making it easier to for MFI accessories to connect to Wi-Fi networks by automatically pulling the appropriate configuration information from your iOS device over Bluetooth or the docking cable — all you have to do is approve the request and your accessory will hop online without any extra effort. That'll make configuring AirPlay docks and other Wi-Fi-based iOS accessories much, much simpler in the future — right now they all involve a fair bit of effort.

What the hell do most tech bloggers do all day? I'm writing what is obvious -- for those that are smart and prepared to do at least a bit of work. Do tech bloggers typically just have no idea about business and technology, I wonder? That's not a dig at The Verge, which has quickly become the best tech site -- after mine -- but instead a knock on this cottage industry. 

Perhaps they all just spend their days reading -- and re-editing -- so many press releases that they lose sight of the big picture?