Bam, another
Apple rumor vindicated. Apple just doubled the capacity of its iPod shuffle to 4GB while ditching the control wheel entirely. The new design keeps the clip and adds VoiceOver -- a new feature that gets around the lack of display by telling you which song is playing and who performs it at the touch of a button on the earbud cable. It'll also call out your playlists and let you navigate to others. Available in black or silver for $80 and your claim to what Apple calls the "world's smallest music player." Check the video tutorial after the break.
Update: VoiceOver in English, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish.
posted March 11th 2009 8:34AM
That is dinky...and huge.
yeah, the last form factor seemed smaller. at least it still has an integrated clip. :/
And it TALKS!?
Talking.... The Current Nano can do this already!
It's strange Apple are saying "the first player that talks to you"
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2961
my Rockbox been chatting for some time now, no?
That's what she said!
@BuddyBoy: Like you mentioned, it's not the first that talks, but it is the first to say things like song titles and playlists which is more difficult than the nano's reading of menus which are unchanging and wouldn't require text-to-speech.
So they moved the controls to the headphone cord...which thus prevents you from using your own headphones. Nice going, Apple.
Yep... They did it with the new computers, forcing you to buy 100$ cable to plug a monitor, now they force you to buy new 70$ shitty apple buds when the first is broken (and they break fast).
yeah that is so unlike apple
To be fair, there are many cheap adapters out there, I got mine for $6 from amazon for my iPod touch. No volume controls, but I use headphones with that in-line.
I don't think it would be an issue. Why? I'll explain!
1. Are you really going to buy a nice pair of headphones, upwards off $100, for an $80 device? Probably not.
2. Imagine you're the demographic for this device - a tween-teenager, or a big runner or exercise guy (knowing your buds will get abused). Are you still going to drop $100 or more on a pair of headphones? Probably not.
3. There are a number of nice headphones that have controls. I use Shure's MPA with my iPhone, but there are a number of brands that have volume as well.
No, you'll just have to use a ~$10 adaptor. The VAST majority of shuffle users would never use another set of headphones anyways so integrating the controls just makes sense. When Apple crafts a device they think outside the box and consider every factor surrounding it's use so this makes perfect sense.
The shuffle fills a very specific niche of active people who want to integrate a simple music playing device into their workout. They want something that can start playing and continue to do so with minimal to no user effort. They don't sit around looking at a screen and usually clip the device out of sight anyways.
The small device with gorgeous screen and classic iPod controls that you're all wishing this was is called a Nano.
Simplicity to the extreme!? No controls on the unit itself? So Apple forces you to use their own earbuds only!
Simplicity to the extreme: http://www.theonion.com/content/video/apple_introduces_revolutionary
Anyone know how it docks/recharges? There aren't any pictures of the dock...
@tc
Actually, Apple outdid The Onion. At least that thing has controls.
Next iPod will have no buttons, no headphone jack, just a speaker. Then Apple can decide what you wanna hear, when you wanna hear it and how loud you wanna hear it.
These Apple posts are turning into the old Batman TV show.
While I'm here, I might as well add: isn't there a point at which, given increasing amounts of storage, a screenless MP3 player becomes a liability?
You forgot the new iTunes 8.1 too.
for everyone who hates the Apple headphones ---> cut off the cord and connect your own headphones .... Sony Ericson /Nokia have been doing this for YEARS!!
Unless you want to literally cut the Apple earphones off and splice your own in after the remote with a bunch of electrical tape, that's not an option here. There's no socket, the remote is hard-wired into the cable.
this is exactly what i meant, you could also just cut out the remote, and hook this up to any headphones you want, or just build yourself a detachable remote (you know hook up a female 3.5mm jack to the remote instead of the headphones... )
at the end , its still better than the apple headphones. the only problem would be the length of the cord ( I don'T have problems with that since i am 2.04m tall.... )
Or just buy a different PAP. Seems like a lot of effort for not reason.
For those of you haten' the controls on the ear phones think about it...
I am sure someone will make a little attachment that is a go between. You earphones plug into the device, and the device plugs into the iPod. The device has the controls on it.
Finally, maybe apple redid these headphones a bit. The jack has a different design. Maybe these are really good.
"Maybe these are really good."
That gave me a good laugh.
macboy14,
Keep the faith, man.
You still understand that Apple knows what's best for us.
It's stupid that people still try to make decisions based on personal wants and not based on what's best for Apple as a whole.
That is such a classic apple fanboy comment. "That's not a flaw - it's a unique feature!". You probably drooled over the Macbook Wheel. Only the diehards can take what is obviously a stupid design and justify it. Whoever is stupid to design some sort of workaround for this is missing the frigging point. They're going to make money off these earbuds when people lose them, breaks them, dogs chew them, etc. BTW - I own Apple stock, so I'm torn...
Why did you low rank me? Why are you killing me?
I did NOT say I like the design. I Just said that it is possible to get around it. And this:
"Finally, maybe apple redid these headphones a bit. The jack has a different design. Maybe these are really good."
Is called SARCASM.
Hmm, while I can see this as a huge negative that I can't use my own headphones with this, most people don't actually use other headphones, they simply don't know better. Ignorant, but still.
I think audiophiles will use higher models or other players (Not from Apple) so I guess this isn't a problem.
finally,someone else who gets what I've been saying!
LOL! I was looking for the buttons, then I realised there is none!
The controls are on the earbud cord! WTF what if i dont want to use the crappy white earbuds??!!!!
WTF!? indeed
their trying to control the headphone market now, from the new earphones one the for the touch and iphone
and now to these
this is nucking futs, how many minutes would it take me to skip a song, I might as well be listening to the radio
Finally something from Apple that lacks Steve Jobs' Reality Distortion Field (RDF)
well double tapping is easy
but switching play-lists?
Then you probably shouldn't buy it, huh?
ok two questions: does it work with other languages? and after watching the video, if those cheap (as in bad quality, because theyre actually expensive) apple earphones break, then i wont be able to use it unless I buy new ones? Sorry this is a lame update,
VoiceOver speaks multiple languages, so it’s perfect for cosmopolitan music libraries. Here are a few samples.
Chinese (Mandarin), Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish
meh
Is it me or is the on-off button crooked, I know apple has let their quality go but now even the renderings ( or pictures Im not sure which) are showing the quality slips. Is it to much to ask for things to be straight.
Who still buys a standalone flash mp3 player? 4 GB is a $20 flash card away and you can just use your cell phone, which has among other things a screen. And you're always carrying your phone anyway, so the size is essentially nil.
Can you tell me where you brought your nuclear powered cellphone???
For people that talk to much it is not practical to use their
cellphones as mp3 players...dummy
mp3 players on cellphones is for people that have their phones standby 70% of the time.
This is clearly made for people who run/cycle/exercise... you carry your cell phone on your person when you are at the gym?
The reason to have a shuffle is because it's smaller than even a cell phone, and gets out of the way easier.
@ Finnschi
"cut off the cord and connect your own headphones"
yea........
thats a retarted idea, if you are a real audiohphile and do not wish to use the apple headphones, cutting the cord & reconnecting the wires is retarted, as you thus mess up the integrity of the 99.9% oxygen free wires, meaning they will rust and your sound will be just as shitty after a while.
Im sure apple will bring out a remote to which you can plug in your own earphones.
I agree that their idea isnt the brightest though, also if you watch the video on their webpage and listen to the cool "voice" I can imagine it having quite a few problems when I add my spanish/german/english songs. (just try making your mac speak in a few different languages and you will see what I mean)
my 2 cents...
audiophile!! if you are an audiophile you wont be using a shuffle with apples horrible ear buds in the first place. Get real. Audiophile/mp3/apple ear buds are fundamentally at odds. Dumbass! Perhaps you would like to enlighten us further as to the composition of apple's wire too !! unbelievable...
99.9% oxygen free? who cares. this is an electrical signal were talking about, air isn't going to break a metal connection....
When did copper pick up the ability to rust? (it doesn't.... it can oxidize though) Here's a snippet from a Audioholics, a fairly well respected audiophile website/magazine:
"The fact of the matter is that OFHC copper and pure unalloyed copper, both oxidize at around the same rates. Some cable manufacturers use the OFHC as an advertisement that it will not oxidize, or it will oxidize less than other copper conductor materials, but there is no truth to these claims."
For that matter, does Apple state that they use oxygen free copper for their earbud wires? If so, I wasn't aware that of that. I completely agree that there should be a remote that will allow a user to plug in their own headphones though.
However, no audiophile worth his or her salt would possibly use any ipod for serious listening.
Ugly as hell!!!!
wow thats tiny...
Thats what Hannah said last night....
Oh yes the list is already out there. Bad journalistic Engadget...
http://www.apple.com/ipodshuffle/voiceover.html