New 4GB iPod Shuffle: The first iPod that speaks to you

Apple have been drip-feeding us new toys lately with the surprise release of new range iMacs and Mac minis last week, and now a brand new iPod shuffle to add to your new mix of toys.

Usually low-end models don’t generate a massive amount of interest- why shuffle when you can Nano for a few pounds more? Apple have combated what could have been a blaze release with a brand new iPod feature: a voice.

The new shuffle still doesn’t have a screen, but now comes with Voice Over so that a little man inside the device will be able to tell you what you’re listening to.

At the press of a button Voice Over will tell you what song is playing and also who’s performing it. It will also tell you the names of your playlists and when you need to plug your shuffle into a powerpoint. If you’ve got a taste for Italian cantatas, don’t worry as Voice Over can accomodate 14 different languages.

This god-like voice won’t boom into your ears over your Daft Punk CD, but will quieten your music first so you don’t need to worry about a surge of decibels in your ears.

This latest Shuffle not only has more, but also less. It is the world’s smallest music player at a leaf-like 1.8 inches tall and 0.3 inches thin. That’s skinnier than Naomi Campbell.

To accommodate for this smallness, the controls have been moved to the earbud chord, so you’re left with a perfectly formed pill that will accessorise any kind of outfit nicely.

The controls situated on the chord means that this shuffle is really designed for people on the go, and would be perfect as a second MP3 player for the gym. It’s small enough not to weigh down your right side while you’re on the treadmill, and is now able to be conveniently controlled.

This shuffle may be smaller, but on the inside it’s grown a bit with 4GB of memory to store up to 1000 songs. It can now also handle multiple playlists, which was a shortcoming of older models.

On sale for £59 it’s the perfect release for these recession-busting times.

Source: Apple