Could have also made the list: live versions of the track you just listened to this second.

[GraphJam]

iPod shuffle algorithms, revealed is a post from: The Inquisitr

A lot of talk is being made about a Microsoft sponsored study into the Apple Tax that Mac lovers seem to gladly pay in order to be cool. The interesting thing about the furor that ran rampant across the the tech blogosphere is that much of the talking points were about the numbers being bandied about. This made reading Steve Clayton’s post today about the uproar all the more fun because he seems to have been one of the very few that caught the sarcasm and with that was slid in amongst the fancy number breakdowns.

Whether or not the idea of there being something like an Apple Tax the fact is that Apple has no qualms at all about making a very nice profit on their hardware. A good example of this is the cost of the new iPod Shuffle in contrast to the profit made on each one. To determine this ratio the good folks over at iSuppli have taken apart one of the new Shuffles to see exactly what is in them and how much all those parts might cost.

It turns out that their estimated cost of parts that go into the Shuffle works out to $21.77. Now given that the iPod Shuffle generally retails out at $79 that means the cost of parts plus the minor additional costs of industrial design and programming makes the over all cost only 28% of the retail price. Meaning in the end that Apple is making more than double the cost of the miniscule MP3 player as profit.

[hat tip to SlipperyBrick]

Never mind the Apple Tax how about the Shuffle profit margin is a post from: The Inquisitr

The other day I wrote about the release of the new iPod Shuffle and how in its efforts to make the music player even smaller Apple had moved the controls to the ear bud cable. At that time I pointed out how I thought this was a bad idea because it would incur additional costs for the user should they want to use non-Apple earbuds.

Well it turns out that in order for third party manufacturers to bring compatible headphone sets to market they are going to have to fork over an Apple Tax. This tax comes in the form of an Apple-licensed authentication chip that will be required by all 3rd party manufacturers of iPod Shuffle compatible headsets.

This tax will of course be passed on to the consumer with suggested prices of headsets starting at $19 and reaching $49.99 for the handful of VoiceOver-compatible headphones. So far the response from various Apple related blogs has been less than enthusiastic over this news with iLounge calling it a nightmare scenario and Engadget referring to it as a sad new low.

[hat tip to Crave – cnet]

The iPod Shuffle Tax is a post from: The Inquisitr

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Apple’s New iPod Shuffle

The third-generation iPod Shuffle is nearly half the size of the previous model, but it’s the player’s new VoiceOver feature that has everyone talking. With the added functionality, you just press a button to have the Shuffle speak aloud the name of a song, artist, or playlist. The iPod’s voice can even tell you how much life is left in your battery. It speaks 14 different languages, too: English, Czech, Dutch, French, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish and Turkish.

The new Apple iPod Shuffle has an updated aluminum look, available in either silver or black, along with a built-in stainless steel clip. It has a 4GB capacity (about 1,000 songs) and an estimated battery life of about 10 hours. The new iPod Shuffle is selling for $79 and is available now.

(Click to enlarge images)

Meet Apple’s New iPod Shuffle (It Talks!) is a post from: The Inquisitr

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