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You know what I love about Apple, they work on getting morons to stop abusing their Macs.
 
In Leopard, they stopped you from being able to change the name of your home folder. In the MacBook Air and new MacBook Pros, as well as all iPods and iPhones, you can't even remove the batteries without taking the gadget apart and they're not user replaceable.
 
What is this saying to you? It's saying Apple doesn't want you to use their notebooks without the battery, so use the battery at ALL TIMES.
 
AT. ALL. TIMES. unless you're changing the battery in which case the power is cut anyway.
 
Do you know what "at all times mean"? No? Look it up in the Dictionary app. It's in your Mac. You don't know there's a Dictionary app in your Mac? You're using Mac OS 9? Get away from my face.

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Lack of buttons on the new iPod shuffle was an ingenious design. It kept the design clean to just a slab of aluminum with a clip and reduces source of damage/defect from within the product itself.
 
However putting the controls completely on the remote apparently becomes a complicated issue. In the past this had happened with later model Walkmans but those units also had on-device controls so Walkman owners were not forced to purchase expensive headsets with remote controls.
 
News came today via Engadget and iLounge that the new shuffle requires an authentication chip on headphones to allow the remote to work. Without this chip, no 3rd party headphones can control the iPod shuffle, they can only be used to listen straight from start to end, pausing only by unplugging the jack.
 
The immediate concern now is that new shuffle owners are locked in to Apple's earphones with 3rd party headsets having to license this chip from Apple which will almost surely add up to the cost, because not everyone is comfortable using Apple's.
 
It is also unlikely that Apple planned this chip only for the shuffle because not a single person will buy these more expensive headsets if they don't own a new iPod shuffle. Which means the other concern is that Apple may implement this requirement on future iPods and even possibly iPhones.
 
On the other hand, these new 3rd party headsets with remote may well work (or rather, should work) properly with other current iPods as well. Although not a compelling reason for non new shuffle owners, the addition of the remote does add value, at least for the moment.
 
It's just a matter how much more expensive consumers are being expected to pay for these 3rd party remotes.
 
 
Sent from my mobile

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@arisaja was wondering how long an iPod battery lasts.

Well, it all depends on what kind of iPod he has, how long since it was first bought and how he uses it. Here's a primer straight from Apple on the latest models. All figures are "up to".

These are all figures taken from playing songs or videos continuously from full charge until the battery has no power left. No fiddling with controls, no switching media, no shuffling, no skipping, nothing. Just hit play, let it play continuously, on loop if need be, and lock it. 

It is widely proven through various testing sessions by multiple independent parties such as iLounge, Macworld, WSJ and NYT over the years, that unlike with its notebook batteries, Apple tend to underestimate the battery capabilities on iPods so it should not come as a surprise that your iPod may last longer per charge than Apple's claims.

The iPod touch however, is not so clear cut. Being the most flexible iPod model, it is not simply a music or video player. An iPod touch is a mobile computing platform capable of performing a multitude of tasks such as accessing the internet, playing games, creating and reading documents, recording conversations, and even image manipulation.

To ascertain a typical usage of an iPod touch is made even more complex given its wifi ability and thus connectivity to the internet. One does not simply use an iPod touch for music or video. Even when listening to music, its possible to run another application and have the music in the background. Regardless, a new iPod touch should last around one full day from a single charge.

If your iPod is less than a year old and is getting less power out of it that it is meant to get, it might be time to bring it in to a service provider for an exchange. Free if under warranty or about $75 if not. This price is valid for ASPs in Indonesia.

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