Tech Shout!

On Tuesday, Apple announced that it planned to release the second generation of the iPod Shuffle on November 3. Measuring half a cubic inch in volume and with a meager half an ounce in weight, the iPod Shuffle is regarded as the world’s smallest MP3 player. The player has a capacity of 1 GB (which holds upto 240 songs) and retails for $79 USD.

The second-gen iPod Shuffle was initially announced in September, however it started shipping to pre-order customers on Monday. The reason for the delay is unknown, though it seems that the new Shuffle will be the last new iPod before the new year and Macworld 2007.

Apple worldwide marketing vice president Greg Joswiak said, “The new iPod shuffle completes our all-new lineup of iPods for this holiday season and beyond, and we hope it’s going to be a huge hit.”

The new iPod shuffle features up to 12 hours of battery life according to Apple’s tests and is based on the company’s pioneering shuffle feature which lets music fans serve up a continuous mix of their favorite songs anywhere they go. Users can enjoy their songs in a random order or simply flip a switch to listen to their songs in order, such as when listening to a new album.

The new iPod shuffle can be connected to a Mac or PC with the included dock and iTunes’ AutoFill feature will automatically sync the correct number of songs from a user’s music library.