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Scosche TapSTICK

Ray Aguilera — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 11:30:05 -0600

One of the big reasons we didn’t have a gadget-crush on the third-gen iPod shuffle (3 out of 5 stars, Jun/09) is its reliance on Apple’s earbuds to control the device. Without any buttons on the shuffle’s chassis, the inline remote on the included ’buds is the only way to navigate tracks, play, pause, or make volume adjustments. But now Scosche’s tapSTICK aims to improve your shuffle experience by adding back the third-gen shuffle’s missing buttons.

Rather than make a headphone adapter, Scosche built a hard plastic case that integrates rubberized control buttons. While we’re not sure the aluminum shuffle really needed any more protection, integrating the controls into a case makes a lot of sense and eliminates the overly long headphone cables that you end up with using an add-on inline remote dongle. At two-tenths of an ounce, the tapSTICK doesn’t fundamentally alter the shuffle’s ultraportable profile much, making it about 1/8 inch wider and adding about 5/8 of an inch to the shuffle’s length.

The tapSTICK brings buttons back to your iPod shuffle.

After docking your shuffle into the tapSTICK, the three buttons on the case replicate the functions of Apple’s inline remote. Tapping the center button plays or pauses and kicks in navigation and VoiceOver the same way it does with the standard Apple controls. The real win, though, is that now you can plug in your favorite headphones to tapSTICK’s headphone jack and still have full control over your shuffle. The tapSTICK also sports Volume Up and Down buttons, and the back of the case is open to allow use of the shuffle’s metal clip. The buttons themselves are decently sized, and the raised markings make them easy to find while the shuffle is stashed in a pocket. Unfortunately, raising or lowering the volume more than one increment requires you to tap the appropriate button repeatedly--holding the button down registers as only a single click.

The tapSTICK obscures both the status LED and the Off/Shuffle switch on the iPod. The shuffle’s single LED also serves as the battery gauge, so you can’t see how much juice you have left without removing the shuffle from the tapSTICK. You’ll need to do the same in order to switch the shuffle on or off or change the play mode. And due to the way that Apple built the shuffle, to use the same pin on the headphone jack for charging and remote control signals, you’ll have to remove the shuffle from the tapSTICK in order to charge the battery. Extremely fashion-conscious users should note that the tapSTICK comes in black or white, neither of which match the shuffle’s available hues.

Apple iPod Shuffle

Ray Aquilera — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 04:25:00 -0500

The new shuffle is smaller than a pack of gum.

If you’re a control freak, you’re going to hate the new shuffle. Skip this review and go read about something else. And for those of you addicted to your killer third-party headphones, you’ll also want to skip this one. But if you’re just looking for a music player that’s simple, affordable, and portable to the point that you’ll forget it’s in your pocket, well then, read on.

Apple’s latest shuffle takes the company’s minimalist design aesthetic to the extreme. It’s basically a small lump of aluminum, so tiny that one Mac|Life editor said “if I wore a tie, I’d wear that as a tie clip.” Ties are strictly optional here--some might say discouraged, thankfully--but yeah, it’s really that small. Sold in a single 4GB configuration, the new shuffle will hold about 1,000 songs. A switch turns the unit on and sets it to play tracks in order or on shuffle. A headphone jack also supplies power when charging, and there’s a teeny-tiny LED that provides status while charging and serves as a battery indicator when you’re using the device.

Since there aren’t any controls on the shuffle itself, the buttons have been moved to the earbud cable. iPhone users or owners of the new Apple In-Ear Headphones will be familiar with the click combos to skip to the next or previous tracks, and like the In-Ear Headphones, the earbuds feature volume controls too. For the first time, the shuffle allows you to sync multiple playlists, made much easier with the new VoiceOver feature. While the iPod is playing, a longish click of the center button will announce the Title and Artist of the current track. If you continue to hold down the button, the shuffle beeps and then speaks the names of your playlists in succession; a click then switches to your desired list. It’s a neat trick that makes the shuffle a lot more usable than before. Fans of audiobooks--or users of activity-oriented playlists, such as a collection of up-tempo workout tracks--will appreciate this new feature. But if you frequently jump between tracks or playlists, the controls can seem ridiculously slow and cumbersome compared to those of other iPods.

The sound quality was fine, and in our tests, the VoiceOver features worked well for announcing tracks and changing playlists. Mac users are lucky in that the digital voice is slightly more coherent than the voice Windows users hear. Switching playlists always starts you at the beginning of that list, which means that a larger number of shorter playlists makes for easier navigation than a few longer lists. We wish there was a way to go from a track to other tracks from that same album or artist, although making separate lists for your favorite albums is an easy workaround. And unfortunately the new smaller size also means a smaller battery. The new shuffle can get about 10 hours of playback on a charge, while the older version could keep you rocking for 12 hours.

While the new button scheme requires you to memorize a couple of sequences to use all the functions, the controls are reasonably intuitive. The biggest caveat is for users who already have a favorite pair of ’phones. Without earbuds from Apple or one of the forthcoming third-party adapters, plugging in other headphones will leave you stuck on the last playlist you listened to--without any way of navigating tracks or adjusting the volume. It would have been nice if the shuffle could detect “foreign” headphones and at least drop you into the All Songs playlist.

Sword Swallower Attempts to Swallow iPod shuffle

Roberto Baldwin — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:25:12 -0500

Gizmodo had a great idea. "Hey, let's get someone to swallow an iPod shuffle." In theory it sounded like a plan the entire Internet could get behind. Video of a sword swallower placing the button-less iPod shuffle in a safe place.

Unfortunately, the iPod shuffle lacks the weight to be properly swallowed. Still, Heather Holiday, from the Coney Island Circus, should be commended for her multiple attempts. We do get to see her swallow a large spoon, so we got that going for us.

Heather says she'll do some more training and may return with a fully swallowed iPod shuffle in the future. Check out the video below.

Can the iPod shuffle be swallowed? from Gizmodo on Vimeo.

Podcast #85: Apple Tax Rebuttal and Steve Still Runs the Roost

Roberto Baldwin — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 17:25:01 -0500

After being dragged over the coals by the Mac community, we talk about Roger Kay's side of the story. Yeah, he didn't do much to make us like him any more. Steve is still in charge, as if Steve would have it any other way and the innards of the new iPod shuffle.

A Kentucky rock band is chosen for our weekly, "Keep or Delete." Each week we download and review the free iTunes song of the week and decide whether we're going to keep or delete the file. This week's artist:

Cage the Elephant - Ain't No Rest for the Wicked

Don't forget, the Mac|Life staff would love to hear your thoughts, comments and ideas for the new podcast. Just leave a message on the Mac|Live question/comment line: (877) 404-1337, extension 622. Please limit the length of your messages to 1 minute max. We'll review these calls each week and feature our favorites, along with responses, on that week's podcast.

To subscribe to the Mac|Live podcast series through an RSS feed, click here; if you want to subscribe through the iTunes Store, click here.

New iPod shuffle Costs Apple $21.77 in Parts

Roberto Baldwin — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 15:16:18 -0500

According to tear-down artists iSuppli, the newest iPod shuffle contains $21.77 worth of technology. While the chances of you picking up the parts at your local Radio Shack and building an iPod shuffle in your spare are slim. A parts breakdown is always a hoot.

The combine parts of the iPhone total only 28% of the retail price of the device. Of course the parts cost doesn't take into account the R&D, manufacturing, advertising and being the time it takes for Steve to bless each and every unit with the his RFD powers.

For fun we decided to try to build our own shuffle for $21.77. Unfortunately, there was sale on hot pretzels at the mall and we blew all our cash on their salty goodness.

Via Business Week

New iTunes Ain't No Friend to Old Shuffles

Roberto Baldwin — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:28:11 -0500

An Apple support discussion--which is in "Be back soon" mode right now--is ablaze with older generation iPod shuffle owners upset that the latest iTunes update is causing their beloved shuffles to go insane in the membrane.

Users are reporting that their shuffles fail to remove older podcasts,are creating duplicate files, are having issues with Smart Playlists, and won't play when connected to a computer.

Users are downgrading to iTunes 8.0 to correct the issue.

Via Wired (Seriously, check out the pic Wired has. It's great)

Man Accused of Stealing Thousands of Shuffles

Florence Ion — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:07:16 -0500

A Michigan repairman has been charged with fraud and money laundering. Nicholas Woodhams is said to have stolen over 9,000 iPod shuffles, of which thousands were sold at $49 a unit. Filings at a federal court suggest that Woodhams took advantage of Apple’s replacement plan advertised on the official website.

Prosecutors claim that Woodhams had to have successfully guessed serial numbers to request replacement Shuffles. Replacement units typically required sending the defective device back, but the Woodhams is said to have dodged the normal penalty charge by using credit cards that would reject the transaction.

Controversy Clouds Third-Gen Shuffle's Mysterious Authentication Chip

Florence Ion — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:46:09 -0500

Internet blogs and the media alike have been up in arms over Apple’s alleged “DRM” chip in the third-generation iPod shuffle. A mysterious authentication chip is apparently responsible for supporting the player’s new headphone-integrated playback controls and blocks out the use of any third-party headphones.

The matter drew considerable attention after a review from iLounge reported that Apple was selling its loyal customers short by installing an authentication chip in the pint-sized media players.

Apple, in turn, has denied that any DRM authentication mechanism is involved. The company also says that a variety of manufacturers are expected to release control-integrated headphones compatible with the new shuffle, as well as adapters to accompany standard headphones.