The iPod Nano is one of Apple’s masterpieces, but its dependence on wired headphones really fetters it. At least, Tucker Osman must think so, because he spent unreasonable time designing the Bluetooth module for the third generation Nano. This is a beautiful thing – moody, difficult to build, fragile in use, but still beautiful. When some purists try to keep the signal analog, [Tucker]’s trick is to intercept the audio signal of the iPod in front of the DAC chip and keep the entire signal path digital to the Bluetooth speaker. Oh, he also managed to get the volume and track to work across the wireless space by skipping the buttons.
Now, we know that you are eager to use the beautiful instructions and source code in the above link, and try to copy this hacker behavior. If you really want to, go. However, you should know that the required welding is a nightmare, and the enclosure needs to be modified to accommodate additional circuit boards. The resulting battery life of the device is measured in minutes rather than hours. But since when has this stopped us? If more iPod hackers are your business, look at another project of Tucker!