iPod Shuffle

Apple has released a new version of the iPod Shuffle. And by new, I mean new. It looks unlike any other previous Shuffle products. It's a small, thin, rectangular piece of work on metallic gray. It's so small, in fact, that there are no controls on the device itself. Instead, these have been moved to the remote.

A rather unique feature of this iPod Shuffle is a voice-activated feature. At the touch of a button, a voice system is activated which recites the name of the song currently being played, the artist, and even your playlists. You can then navigate your way around the shuffle using this voice system.

Yep, Apple is at it again: going 10 steps ahead of its competitor. After the ridiculously successful touch screen interface of the iPod Touch and the iPhone with other companies scrambling to get their versions out in the market, Apple releases another breakthrough, this time without the need for a touch screen, or even a screen for that matter!

I have a bit of a problem with the controls being on the headset, though. I remember the headset of my iPhone as it went missing one afternoon. My knees got all week when I realized I have just lost my headset and I retraced my steps in case I can still get it back. Tough luck. I was never able to replace it because it was ridiculously expensive.

Plus, I have this mutant ability to damage headsets well before they reach their maximum usability age. Which means that I will be truly hesitant to buy this new iPod Shuffle. Too much of a gamble for me. It will be fun to see reviews about the iPod's new voice technology, though, and I expect it will be used in other applications too. On its computers coupled with the remote, perhaps.