Apple Introduces New iPod Shuffle That Talks

Apple has recently introduced a new 4GB iPod shuffle. The new model has no buttons other than the shuffle mode switch. All the controls are now on the earbud cord, which means that you’ll have to purchase Apple’s earbuds until third party versions make it to other retailers.

The new Shuffle also talks to you. By holding the center button on the remote the VoiceOver function will tell you the the name of the artist, the song and can read your playlists. And because the Shuffle now reads out your playlists, you can skip through them until you find the right one. Suggestion: Keep the names short to avoid any frustration.

VoiceOver speaks up to 14 languages, from Mandarin to Spanish. The speech is generated by iTunes and then moved across to the Shuffle when you hit sync.

The new iPod has 10 hours of battery life and costs a bit more at $80.