RSSApple unveils a new, tiny iPod Shuffle
By Tim Conneally | Published March 11, 2009, 11:37 AM
The new iPod Shuffle was introduced today, revealing a device completely free from buttons and measuring only 1.8" (45mm) x .7" (17mm) x .3" (7.62mm) in size. Jacobim Mugatu would approve. To shrink down the device to half of the size of the last generation Shuffle, the controls have been moved to the headphone cord. A simple three-button switch allows for play, pause, skip, volume, and activation of the new 4 GB USB Shuffle's banner feature.
VoiceOver gives the Shuffle the ability for it to speak song titles, artist names, and playlist categories in any of 14 languages.
The new iTunes VoiceOver Kit generates the voice, which will differ by the operating system on which iTunes is installed. When the feature is selected, the computerized voice says the name of the track and the artist. It also warns when the Shuffle's battery is low, or can be used to rifle off all of the playlists on the device. Since it recognizes 14 languages, song titles are spoken in those languages, like Mandarin or Japanese, Greek, or Swedish.
It doesn't recognize your voice yet (for that, you'd probably expect to pay more than $79), though you can "respond" to its voice through the headphone cord.
The device comes with some immediate drawbacks as well: First, the VoiceOver feature is part of iTunes 8.1, which is not available yet. Secondly, because the controls have been moved off of the device and onto the headphone cord, support for third-party headphones has been dramatically reduced. And third, the USB plug does not at present appear to be Micro USB, validating recent concerns by many about how Apple has not signed on to the Micro USB standard.
Sorting through 4GB of songs without a display is insane. I still hate this company despite owning two iPods. Luckily every song is downloaded or ripped from existing CD's and none of them are from iTunes.
I use SharePod to load music and videos and can transfer my entire contents to anyones computer as long as I have the cord. Sharepod runs off the iPods HDD so it works as a stand alone device.
I love to screw the system.
The latest is these FlexPlay movies you can buy from cardboard stands at Office Depot and other places that don't sell DVD's. Basically, they self destruct 48 hours after you open the package by forming a film under a red colored substrate.
The first thing I did after opening the disc is tried to make a copy. It worked like a charm. Thanks for the cheap movies MPAA. I really appreciate that fact that we now know even a specially made DVD with custom substrates costs about 12 cents to make. This will make me think twice before even purchasing a regular DVD again.
Renting from Netflix and making copies is the way to go however.
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|Ok I get it that people like Apple, but this is ridiculous, I see absolutely no value in this. We make fun of Sony going the proprietary route but somehow Apple gets a pass? If the situation was reversed and lets say a company like Coby or Emerson came out with a product like this, then they would be severely ridiculed and for good reason, starting with the fact that headphones do become faulty, much more so than the actual device. So why would you want all the sole controls for the device placed on the headphones? I mean really does that make any sense? Not to mention that Ipod headphones are never anything high end. I sometimes think that Apple puts out low end products to see how many people eat them up blindly. Apple is wishing that you would loose your headphones or damage them, because everyone knows where you would have to go to get new ones. btw, I am not anti-apple I praised the ipod touch for what it was worth, i am just anti-stupidity.
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|The difference between Apple and your Sony analogy is that Apple actually makes products that people want and obviously get very excited about. Apple products, especially the Mac, are cutting edge, innovative and highly addicting. Most Wintards have no clue or concept of the above, having been subjected to years of 3rd rate, poorly designed and ugly Microsoft products.
I welcome you to the light side, the world of Apple...
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|oh hell no, I am fine being on the darker side. Just because you don't know how to fully use a product doesn't mean that you should label it "poorly designed", there have been many "poorly designed" products that if used properly can be quite useful. The last thing I would do is pay for some close ended product that gives you little control over fixing yourself. And how exactly are they "cutting edge"? their Cinema displays previously were made by LG philips who also supplied Dell, there was a time when the same competing displays were priced $850 for Apple and $350 for Dell, for the same screen. My basic point is that Apple is just pointing lipstick on an expensive pig. And by the way the majority of computer users (pc and mac) do the same thing.... email, surfing, listening to music, movies which doesn't require a $1000+ device, so I don't share your sentiment implying that Apple is better. Most people keep their computers for 3-4 years, in that span of time I did the same things as you for half the price. Come on I am sure you have better ways of spending your money.
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|POS
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|Sorry but I think you meant to post here: http://www.betanews.com/...ser-any-time/1236782173
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|Elegant, usable, super-portable and functional. Nice work yet again Apple.
In this case, the naysayers either lack good taste or complaining is their psychosis.
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|(sarcasm)
Elegant, usable, super-portable and functional. Nice work yet again Apple.
(/sarcasm)
There, fixed it for ya.....
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|Lame lame lame. I don't for ipods and this is even less reason to consider one.
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|Pretty cool device really. Playlists too. The headphones will be an issue for some - though Apple and/or third party will release an (inexpensive?) adaptor for sure.
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|The coolest company on earth continues to deliver the coolest products on earth.
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|Yeap. Now you get to pay $80 for a 4GB mp3 player with no buttons on it (so innovative!, revolutionary even) and when the earphones go (like they normally do from normal wear and tear), you can probably expect to shell out another $20-$50 or so for either an Apple made replacement or a licensed product that will work with it. And don't forget the lovely proprietary chargers, different for and between every Apple product. So what they've essentially done is s***ed the money making mechanism from the actual device to it's accessories/peripherals - something Apple seems to be doing with most of their current products. "No, we don't want you to be able to change your own battery, pay us to do it...it's better that way".
Sooooo very cool!
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|I stopped reading after "the controls have been moved to the headphone cord."
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|Ditto.
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|"Jacobim Mugatu would approve."
loved this side note.
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|Like you note at the end of this article, my main gripe with the iPod products are the exceptionally uncomfortable headphones. Naturally, I immediately purchase or use an existing set of headphones. Now, they have tied you to their headset. This is really the wrong direction. C'mon Apple, everybody wants a bigger capacity Touch.
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|"C'mon Apple, everybody wants a bigger capacity Touch."
My sentiments exactly.
Once they can get to ~160GB touches, that's when I'm interested.
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|I see this gimmick being thrown in the washing machine along with the clothes.
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|I second that thought. Even my classic has ended up in there a couple of times! (Thankfully I remembered both times before the washer /really/ got going)
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|Looks like a lighter! Any smaller and you'll need a microscope to use it. I can see adapters coming that will have the controls and then you plug in your favorite pair of ear/head phones.
Nice ideas but i can see people getting annoyed with the VoiceOver feature very quickly.
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|There's going to be an adapter that allows you to use it with other earphones, but assuming it's between 30-40 dollars give or take 10 dollars, that makes the shuffle between 100 and 140 dollars in theory, should you WANT to use YOUR choice of headphones. Something that comes naturally and effortlessly with most if not all other mp3 players.
That's $100-140 for a 4gb MP3 player....with no video, no wifi, no bluetooth....just a good ole' mp3 player that, oooooh, speaks the song names to you. So, just make sure your tags are good and not with funky names like Ma Car-Always B~.mp3.
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