There have been stories floating in the press that Apple has had a combo iPod / cell phone in the works for quite some time, but wireless providers have been hesitant about allowing such a device to work with their networks, mainly because an iPod / cell phone could eliminate certain revenue streams. After all, who wants to pay for a ring tone when one could create one on a personal computer and then transfer it to the cell phone for free?

However, Nokia appears to have moved past that sticking point with their new N91, which combines a cell phone capable of running on high-speed G3 networks as well as wireless LAN networks, with an MP3 player equipped with four gigs of storage. It also snaps photos.

The company, working with Microsoft and OD2, plans on launching an online music store, thus allowing customers to download tunes directly to their N91s. And since wireless providers bill by the minute, downloading songs directly to these devices would definitely boost those monthly charges. While technical issues are still being hashed out, Reuters reports that the company hopes to be selling downloads by Christmas.

The N91 is only one of several new devices recently announced by Nokia. Other phone / gadget units include the N90, which the company is touting as a “personal video maker” and the N70, which the company describes as “your photo lab fused into your design savvy smartphone.”

“The Nokia N91 delivers both a fantastic music experience and cutting-edge phone features,” Jonas Geust, VP of Music at Nokia, said in a statement announcing the new gizmos. “What sets the Nokia N91 apart is the fact that it is always connected – you can download new music while on the move, add it to your favorite playlist and then share your playlist with friends. It’s truly the world’s best mobile connected jukebox.”

Wanna burn CDs but can’t afford the necessary hardware and software? Then Wal-Mart wants to be your CD burner. The retail chain is offering customized CDs for those who might be CD burner challenged.

Here’s the skinny. Customers can pick which songs they want on the company’s Web site. Then, it’s sit back and wait for the mail ($4.62 gets you three songs on a CD, with additional tunes costing 88 cents per. Shipping is $1.97 per disc).

If all of this sounds way too familiar, that’s because many companies offered similar services only five or six years ago – a time when CD burners retailed for more than $300. However, such services didn’t do too well then, and no one’s predicting instant success for Wal-Mart now.

That’s because CD burners often come as standard equipment on new computers, thus limiting the number of potential customers who have online access, but no burning capabilities. Then there’s that “instant gratification” feature that comes with the services offered by online stores such as iTunes or Napster. With Wal-Mart’s CD burning service, you have to wait for the Post Office to deliver your disc to your trailer… er… home. Are we excited yet?

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Amy Colella said that the service is for those who either don’t have CD burners or don’t have broadband Net access, or both.

“We see that physical CDs at our site at walmart.com continue to be strong,” Colella said. “[The customized CD] is just another service option. It’s really just kind of to give them that added convenience.”

You probably already know about podcasting – the practice of downloading a recording of a program that can consist of anything from an amateur do-it-your-selfer pontificating on home repair to radio station morning teams yucking it up, sans music.

But now Infinity Broadcasting has brought podcasting full-circle. Starting in May, the company will be broadcasting podcasts over the airwaves of its San Francisco AM station, KYCY.

The plan is for the station to broadcast the shows under the moniker KYOURADIO. All podcasts used by KYCY will be produced by amateurs, although the station will pre-screen each show for objectionable material.

All podcasts will be drawn from those submitted to the station, and Infinity will not pay for the content, nor will the company charge the creators of the podcasts for air time.

For Infinity, the switch to podcasting is not a big financial risk. The station’s current talk format has reportedly done so poorly that it hasn’t even showed up on Arbitron’s radar. Expect the pods to take over KYCY on Monday, May 16th.