My iPod Is My Crystal Ball: Music, Chance And Telepathy

We at Wit have been playing iPod iChing since 2002, and we believe we invented this fast-spreading oracular game and coined its catchy name. Though it's easy to see how the idea could arise everywhere at once in these noospheric, telepathic times.

"Some people assumed their iPods not only played favourites but drew on mystical powers to choose their songs. 'My iPod is my crystal ball,' wrote Paul Toennis of Billings, Montana. 'Although I am still a beginner cryptologist, I do know for a fact that two songs from any artist is a danger signal. I learned this the hard way a couple of years ago - just prior to getting popped off my road bike by a red pick-up truck, a second Barenaked Ladies song in a row began to play from my white oracle box.'

Mr Toennis was not alone in considering that the iPod was telepathic. 'Over the last couple of days that I've been [putting my library on shuffle], I may think of a certain song or band, and lo and behold, that winds up being the next song or band played,' writes a blogger named Kapgar. 'It's like some sort of symbiotic relationship.'

Another time, when he was on the way to work, 'Every single song that was played was absolutely spectacular. And just what I wanted to hear at the moment.' I was becoming the clearing house for the X-Files of iPod shuffle..."

Link: Guardian Unlimited Arts | Arts special reports | Steven Levy on the secrets of the iPod shuffle.

Click over to Wit's Music category to see our multiple iPod iChing posts.