Speak To Me: Apple Unveils New iPod Shuffle
The company Wednesday unveiled its next-generation iPod Shuffle that has a new feature, VoiceOver, which enables the iPod to speak song titles, artists and playlist names. The shuffle can speak 14 languages, including English, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish.
The new iPod 4GB also is nearly half the size of the previous model at 1.8 inches tall by 0.3 inches thick. Controls are now located on the earbud cord, which the company said is more convenient, but not so much if you want to switch out headphones.
With 4 GB of storage, the new Shuffle holds up to 1,000 songs. Apple said that song capacity is based on 4 minutes per song. In 256-Kbps AAC format, song capacity is up to 500 songs; actual capacity varies by encoding method and bit rate.
The revamped Shuffle also lets users sync multiple playlists for the first time. Additionally, it features a switch with three positions that users can flip to shuffle songs, play them in order or turn off power. Speaking of power, the new Shuffle has a battery life of up to 10 hours.
For fashion mavens, the new iPod is a must-have "tech-cessory, a wardrobe essential," Apple said. The clip is made of stainless steel, while the Shuffle itself is made of anodized aluminum and is available in silver or black. The 4GB retails for $79 and is available immediately.