Kane Kramer filed a patent in 1979 that was a spot-on prediction for the iPod
There have been insinuations that Gene Roddenberry came up with the idea for the iPad or even the flip phone, or that Leonardo da Vinci inspired a plethora of ideas that turned into modern technology, but this predictive design by inventor Kane Kramer in a patent filing in 1979 is about as close as one can get to detailing the design for the iPod. The IXI was to use flash-based memory, had a display screen, quad-directional controls, and was supposed to be the size of a deck of playing cards. Sound familiar? As Gizmodo explains, he even had a vision for DRM: He predicted DRM, though he didn’t go into many…