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Apple announces new Shuffle

by on12 March 2009

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Third generation model smallest yet

Apple launched its third generation iPod Shuffle late yesterday (European time) that offers a new "revolutionary" VoiceOver feature that can actually speak the name of the artist, song title and playlist name to you. The voice quality is better if you own an Intel based Mac with the latest version of OS X, while owners of PCs and older Mac's get a much more computerised voice.

The new 3G Shuffle, as it has been dubbed, is smaller than an AA battery but can hold about 1,000 songs using Apple’s math. The new Shuffle is a rectangular shape, leaving the previously square-ish shape behind.

The big news beyond the VoiceOver (which can speak in 14 different languages) technology is the upgrade to 4GB of flash memory and 10-hour playback time on a full charge. Speaking of charging, the new 3G Shuffle is able to be 80 percent charged in two hours and fully charged in three hours (some competing devices charge fully in less than half the time, so this isn't a huge feat. Ed.). The 3G Shuffle does use a special USB cable for charging and syncing.

The new Shuffle will be available in a silver and black finish and will be only available in the 4GB configuration. One major flaw that has already been widely criticized is the fact that the controls are built in to the headphone cord, as the player itself doesn't have any playback buttons. Some commands require multiple presses and you might even have to press and hold to perform a desired task.

We're sure Apple fans will overlook its flaws and it should prove to be quite popular; but we have to wonder how much smaller the iPod really needs to go and how many more times users will be willing to upgrade. Of course, many users now own multiple iPods these days, and with a price of $79 many can afford to buy a second one.

Last modified on 12 March 2009
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