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Disney, Apple working in wireless?

BURBANK, Calif.-The Walt Disney Co. appears ready and willing to work with Apple Computer Inc. across a number of media devices, if a recently filed patent is any indication.
In a patent application filed last month, Disney specifically cites the iPod-among other technologies-as a possible vehicle for its offerings.
Speculation has been ramping up in recent months that Apple is preparing an iPod/phone device for launch next year, with at least one analyst declaring that an Apple mobile phone is already in production. Word of the iPod mentions in Disney patents sparked speculation from Mark Ververka of Barron’s that Disney and Apple may be cooperating in media ventures.
Disney’s patent application sketches out a user interface that Disney claims would be “particularly well suited for use with electronic devices having small-screen displays” including cell phones, and that “methods of the present disclosure may be applied to other mobile electronic devices, such as PDAs, pagers, etc., and to other handheld electronic devices, such as, e.g., the iPod digital music player (available from Apple Computer Inc.).” Disney also specifies that larger devices could be configured as well, such as TVs and Tivos.

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