Okay, they probably didn’t, but it’s interesting to see the resemblance between a 1954 Regency TR-1 transistor radio and the now defunct iPod Mini. BBC has the story on how John Ousby discovered the resmeblance and proceeded to post the photos on Flickr. Everything down to the size, color and unique wheel are the same and it has led many to believe that Jonathan Ive may have gotten his inspiration from an invention created of a half-century ago.

Arstechnica goes on about another theory involving cryptomnesia.

…wherein authors and creators are unconsciously influenced by experiences in their lives. Cryptomnesia, it is argued, isn’t the same thing as plagiarism; rather, the mind simply fails to distinguish between a “new idea” and one influenced by previous experience.

Why do these type of crazy theories only happen with Apple? Is that a good thing when your company and products are so loved and worshipped that people start attributing cryptomnesia to their success? I think there is a rule that if you can’t pronounce the word then it is definitely cool and therefore that makes Apple and Jonathan Ive even cooler.