Apple may be ditching aluminum is its material of choice in future products, according to Cult of Mac.

The website reports that the switch comes as Apple aims to introduce WiFi syncing to the iPod. Much of the effort at equipping the next iteration of the iPad with WiFi syncing comes from Steve Jobs himself, who is pushing hard for the technology, says a CultofMac source.

That, however, can't be accomplished with aluminum-based devices, which conduct electricity. To this end, Apple engineers have been testing a very of materials and designs in order to create the desired level of reliability and speed. So far, says the source, carbon fiber has elicited the best results. But carbon fiber is also a conductor of electricity, making it little better than aluminum for future Apple products.

To aid with the efforts, Apple recently hired carbon fiber expert Kevin Kenny, who was president and CEO of Kestrel Bicycles for over a decade. Evidence of Kenny's work with Apple dates back to as far as 2009, when Kenny filed a patent for Reenforced Device Housing. Kenny is currently a senior composites engineer at Apple, according to his LinkedIn profile.

A carbon fiber iPhone or iPad would be substantially lighter than current models of the device, making it an attractive option for the design-focused Apple.

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