toggle

AAPL Stock: 423 ( -8.77 )

MacNN News

http://www.macnn.com/articles/09/03/11/shuffle.3g.earbud.support/

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

Post tools:

TAGS :

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

toggle

Comments

Monstermind
Junior Member

Joined: May 2000

+4

03/11, 03:31pm | report spam | (1 reply) close Reply |
Euhh.

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

Rolando_jose
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jan 2006

0

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

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

Parky
Mac Elite

Joined: Oct 1999

+2

03/11, 03:37pm | report spam | close Reply |
Easy!

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

greenG4
Grizzled Veteran

Joined: Aug 2002

+1

03/11, 03:44pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: Easy!

People have been known to lose headphones before...

waffffffle
Mac Elite

Joined: Sep 2000

-2

03/11, 03:49pm | report spam | (1 reply) close 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.

Inkling
Junior Member

Joined: Jul 2006

-3

03/11, 04:12pm | report spam | (3 replies) close 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.

testudo
Forum Regular

Joined: Aug 2001

-2

03/11, 04:44pm | report spam | (1 reply) close 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.

davedawgnyc
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 2005

+2

03/11, 07:42pm | report spam | close 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!!

davedawgnyc
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 2005

-1

03/11, 07:42pm | report spam | close 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!!

jpellino
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 1999

0

03/11, 08:08pm | report spam | (1 reply) close 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.

jpellino
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Oct 1999

-3

03/11, 08:08pm | report spam | close 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.

ender
Junior Member

Joined: Mar 1999

-2

03/11, 09:03pm | report spam | close Reply |
Fail

This, too, will go the way of the pastel shuffles and the fat nano. Apple will quickly realize their mistake when sales don't live up to their expectations. But they will wait a year to reverse their decision so it doesn't look like they are admitting failure.

LouZer
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Nov 2000

0

03/11, 11:17pm | report spam | close Reply |
Re: standard minijack

Well, duh. But I think the point of it 'not being a standard' is more along the lines of "It's another Apple-only invention", as opposed to a "It's an industry standard for controls via the mini-jack plug".

If it is Apple-only, it most likely will NOT make it into any other hardware...

itguy05
Forum Regular

Joined: Apr 2005

+2

03/12, 06:39am | report spam | (1 reply) close Reply |
Can't use the supplied

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

Some of us CAN'T. I've never been able to wear earbuds. Why? My right ear is shaped a little differently and they all fall out. No problems with In-ears or regular old headphones.

First thing I do with the iPod ones is leave them in the package as I can't use them.

rbsandka
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Jan 2002

+2

03/12, 09:35am | report spam | close Reply |
starnge

this does seem like a strangely limiting choice.
did the shuffle really need to get any smaller?

lamewing
Dedicated MacNNer

Joined: Aug 2004

+1

03/12, 10:37am | report spam | close Reply |
The size of the new is...

The size of the new mini is fine by me, but it still could have had onboard controls:

1. Rocker volume like the iPod touch/ iPhone on one side.
2. Play, Back and middle button controls (from the new earbuds) on the other edge...again the size of the iPod / iPhone rocker.

This would work quite well, but Apple wouldn't care for the "lines" of the shuffle being upset.

katschy
Fresh-Faced Recruit

Joined: Mar 2009

0

03/13, 04:31pm | report spam | close Reply |
meh

I have the same problem as itguy05 - I can't wear the earbuds because they fall out (or, worse, hurt the tragus). I use Sony earbuds, the kind with the rubber stoppers that prevent sound leakage and keep the sound pounding into my head, just the way I like it.

I've never had a problem controlling my Shuffle (gen 1 or gen 2, as I've had both) and so don't feel any loss from not having the inline controls. If the adapter doesn't come with the gen 3 shuffle, I'll have to say no to it even after my gen 2 dies.

Show More Comments

Login Here

toggle

Network Headlines

06/19	Third-party replacement MacBook batteries...
06/19	Texas firm sues Apple over iPhone's...
06/19	First Look: Apple Airport Extreme with...
06/19	Parallels Desktop 8 for Mac updates...
06/19	Apple wins $30M iPad contract with...

Show All

06/19	Third-party replacement MacBook batteries...
06/19	Texas firm sues Apple over iPhone's...
06/19	First Look: Apple Airport Extreme with...
06/19	Apple TV 5.3 update adds HBO Go, Sky...
06/19	Dish gives up on Sprint merger attempt...

Show All

toggle

New Shuffle to need adapter for third-party output

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

Shuffle 3G earbud support

Euhh.

Jeez

Easy!

Re: Easy!

Not true

Good for Apple

Re: Good for Apple

too small now?

have we reached the limit

"standard minijack plug"?

"standard minijack plug"?

Fail

Re: standard minijack

Can't use the supplied

starnge

The size of the new is...

meh

Login Here

Register for our weekly email newsletter:

Connect tools:

Subscribe

to our RSS

Follow us

on Twitter

Most Read

10 Most Discussed

MacNN Marketplace

New Shuffle to need adapter for third-party output

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

Shuffle 3G earbud support

Related Articles

Recent Articles

Euhh.

Jeez

Easy!

Re: Easy!

Not true

Good for Apple

Re: Good for Apple

too small now?

have we reached the limit

"standard minijack plug"?

"standard minijack plug"?

Fail

Re: standard minijack

Can't use the supplied

starnge

The size of the new is...

meh

Login Here

Register for our weekly email newsletter:

Connect tools:

Subscribe

to our RSS

Follow us

on Twitter

Most Read

10 Most Discussed

MacNN Marketplace