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New Shuffle to need adapter for third-party output

updated 03:05 pm EDT, Wed March 11, 2009

Shuffle 3G earbud support


People looking to use headphones of their own with the newest iPod shuffle will have to be patient, Apple is said to have confirmed. The problem arises from the control scheme for the updated player, which has shifted almost entirely to proprietary Apple earbuds. At the moment the player is rendered useless without them, Apple notes.

One solution is slated to be a special dongle adapter, equipped with the Apple earbuds' three-button remote. Beyond this Apple says it is cooperating with third-party manufacturers, who should eventually begin producing Shuffle-compatible headphones of their own. It is unknown when these will arrive however, nor has Apple set a price or a release date for the adapter.


by MacNN Staff

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iPod, iPod shuffle, accessories, audio, headphones, Apple

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  1. Monstermind

    Junior Member

    Joined: May 2000

    +4
    03/11, 03:31pm | report spam | (1 reply) Reply |

    Euhh.

    I'd rather have the pastel colored postage stamps back again if that's the case.

  1. Rolando_jose

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jan 2006

    0
    03/11, 03:35pm | report spam | (1 reply) Reply |

    Jeez

    If this thing doesn't come with the adapter I'll qualify it as a "s**** up" on the part of Apple.

  1. Parky

    Mac Elite

    Joined: Oct 1999

    +2
    03/11, 03:37pm | report spam | Reply |

    Easy!

    Just use the standard head phones that come with it OR don't buy one - simple!

  1. greenG4

    Grizzled Veteran

    Joined: Aug 2002

    +1
    03/11, 03:44pm | report spam | Reply |

    Re: Easy!

    People have been known to lose headphones before...

  1. waffffffle

    Mac Elite

    Joined: Sep 2000

    -2
    03/11, 03:49pm | report spam | (1 reply) Reply |

    Not true

    You can play and stop music but you can't change the volume or skip tracks. Therefore "third-party output" does not require an adapter.

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3472

    MacNN, get your facts straight.

  1. Inkling

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Jul 2006

    -3
    03/11, 04:12pm | report spam | (3 replies) Reply |

    Good for Apple

    Many thanks to Apple for encouraging other earphone makers to produce earphones with the proper switch. With any luck, this arrangement will be taken up by other players and become a de facto standard. The worst hassle with these gadgets has always been the bother of pulling the device out to change anything.

    Now if Apple would license their MagSafe connectors. I've got two iGo power supplies I can't use for that reason. It'd save a lot of trouble if I didn't have to make the same MacBook power supply serve in my den, office and on the go.

  1. testudo

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    -2
    03/11, 04:44pm | report spam | (1 reply) Reply |

    Re: Good for Apple

    Many thanks to Apple for encouraging other earphone makers to produce earphones with the proper switch.

    Encouraging may be just that. But some manufacturers may be wary of designing yet another headphone specific for iPods, when currently only the shuffle needs or uses it.

    With any luck, this arrangement will be taken up by other players and become a de facto standard.

    Luck would be required. Being that Apple is trying to encourage third-party peripheral makers, my guess is that this is not a standard mini-jack plug. Thus, the question arises as to whether it is Apple proprietary, and, if so, can other hardware makers license it for players, and not just peripherals.

  1. davedawgnyc

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Oct 2005

    +2
    03/11, 07:42pm | report spam | Reply |

    too small now?

    is this shuffle just too small now?! i'm perfectly fine with the onboard controls of my current shuffle esp if it means my choice of earbuds or earphones.Not too impressed with the computerized voice feature. Since I'm putting all my fave songs on my shuffle, you could assume I know what the songs are. Plus, god, can't we do better synthesized voices by now?!?! Apple IIgs flashbacks!!

  1. davedawgnyc

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Oct 2005

    -1
    03/11, 07:42pm | report spam | Reply |

    have we reached the limit

    is this shuffle just too small now?! i'm perfectly fine with the onboard controls of my current shuffle esp if it means my choice of earbuds or earphones.

    Not too impressed with the computerized voice feature. Since I'm putting all my fave songs on my shuffle, you could assume I know what the songs are. Plus, god, can't we do better synthesized voices by now?!?! Apple IIgs flashbacks!!

  1. jpellino

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Oct 1999

    0
    03/11, 08:08pm | report spam | (1 reply) Reply |

    "standard minijack plug"?

    Of course it's not. It needs more contacts. Anyone know if you can use the IPT remote headphones - same three buttons (plus a mic). As for ergonomics, neither previous shuffle control was directional enough to know which button you were pressing. More so with the Gen2. Nothing that couldn't have been solved with a bump like most keyboards. The voice allows you to have playlists. Which is the reason I went from Shuffle to Nano, I suspect Apple knows this and has the data to back it up. As for the voices, we were an external research site for the IIGS - no way their voices were as good as the current Apple voices. I can't get too excited about the MS voice. And if anyone records a song titled "my ROFLcopter goes soi soi soi soi soi" you're SOL on Windows.

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