In a rather Zunesque move, Apple may be planning its own version of "the social" for the iPod and iPhone. An Apple patent, recently made public, details a system where Wi-Fi-enabled devices such as cellphones and MP3 players can find each other automatically, perform device-to-device transfers, share contact info, and access iTunes to buy new and shared music. iTunes on the go?

We hope so. The interaction that Apple has planned offers users far more choices than what the Zune allows for, as it looks like authorized iDevices will constantly trade between libraries if the user sets it up that way, creating a random shuffle of similar music you didn't have previously. And, of course, it enables you to toss down some coin if you like what you hear. It's a fantastic way to get people discovering and purchasing new music, not to mention keeping large-capacity iPods marketable, as they have more room to pull in foreign tunes. [Electronista]

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