Apple rolled out a new iPod Shuffle on March 11 that it claims is the smallest music player in the world. The device also “talks,” courtesy of a new feature called “VoiceOver” that reads aloud song and playlist information at the press of a button.
By moving the iPod Shuffle’s controls from the device body to the earbud cord, Apple was able to shrink the player’s dimensions to 1.8 inches tall and 0.8 inches thin. The device has a capacity of 4 GB, which can translate into roughly 1,000 songs depending on the encoding method and bit rate.
The iPod Shuffle’s newest feature, VoiceOver, will, at the press of a button, dip the music volume down and then read aloud the song title and artist. It will also read off playlist names, and whether the device has low battery power.
VoiceOver is also multilingual, utilizing an algorithm based on song data to choose the best language and voice in which to read a particular song title or artist name. If you’ve chosen a Japanese pop song to accompany a morning run, for example, pushing the button will result in VoiceOver reading off the title and artist in Japanese.
Apple has offered 14 languages for VoiceOver, including French, Turkish, Swedish, Greek, Mandarin and French.
The iPod Shuffle’s shuffle switch now comes with three settings: one that enables random flow, one that plays songs in whatever order you established in iTunes and one that turns that particular feature off.
A stainless-steel clip will keep the device affixed to workout clothing or a bag.
The iPod continues to serve as a core product for Apple.
In October, Apple rolled out iPods in nine colors. It has also introduced an exponentially increasing number of applications for its iPod Touch, a non-telephony variant of the iPhone, via the App Store.