Enterprise Mobility: Apple's $79 Talking iPod Shuffle Is the Latest Evolution in Music Players

Apple's family of portable digital music players is always evolving. The Apple iPod has come a long way from the deck-of-cards-thick 5GB model that debuted way back in 2001. Over time, Apple made the iPod slimmer and more colorful, adding new models like the Nano and iPod Shuffle. The newest member of the iPod family, the Touch, debuted in 2007 with new features such as touch-screen technology and a Safari Web browser, complementing its Wi-Fi capability. Never inclined to sit idly, however, Apple has now moved from touch to talk with the latest version of the iPod Shuffle. Originally introduced in 2005, it was the first iPod to store data using flash memory and the smallest device produced by Apple. The latest version measures just 1.8 inches tall by 0.3 inches thin and offers 4GB of storage—enough for 1,000 songs. It also employs a feature called VoiceOver to inform you of the title or the artist of the song you're listening to, the names of your playlists, and when your battery needs changing.