When you think about the 3rd generation iPod shuffle, you probably don't think about getting a case for it. After all, the little music box is less than 2 inches long, .7 inches wide, and .3 inches thick, and it comes with a clip.

The designers at Scosche Industries realized that some shuffle owners might like a way of keeping their devices from getting scratched or wet, as well as having a way of using any earphones with the shuffle and still be able to control it.

The tapSTICK comes in white or black polycarbonate plastic, and slides over the outside of the shuffle. It has three buttons on it that allow you to control play, adjust volume, navigate playlists, and even activate the VoiceOver feature on your iPod shuffle. It also comes with a 3 foot audio cable that connects to most audio systems, including those in cars:

While nobody at TUAW had a 3rd generation shuffle to try out the tapSTICK on, the good folks at Scosche did make one available for a giveaway to some lucky TUAW reader / shuffle owner. To enter, just leave a comment telling us how many times you've misplaced your 3rd generation iPod shuffle. Here's the scoop:

• Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
• To enter leave a comment telling us how many times you've misplaced your 3rd generation shuffle.
• The comment must be left before Friday, October 9, 2009, 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time.
• You may enter only once.
• One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
• Prizes: One Schosche tapSTICK in black (Value: US$29.99)
• Click Here for complete Official Rules.

Good luck!

Businessweek has posted a list of what they call the top 50 most innovative companies in 2009, and guess who is sitting right at the top of the list. Sure enough, it's our favorite computer maker -- according to the survey, taken by "senior executives around the world," Apple is number one, and the reason listed by 47% of respondents is the products. Not that surprising, no? From the iPhone to the unibody MacBooks right up to the new Shuffles, Apple's products ooze new concepts and features and ideas.

Then again, Microsoft comes in at number four, and Wal-Mart is not far behind at number 10, and I don't know too many non-executives who would call those companies out for being "innovative," necessarily. But then again, both of them are being recognized for their "process," not their actual products. In terms of product, Apple is followed by Nintendo (no arguments there), Blackberry's RIM, and then Nokia.

So maybe Businessweek is just asking the wrong people. At any rate, congrats to Apple for topping the list (for the second year in a row), and we can't wait to see what's new in the next year.

Got a new iPod shuffle? Hook up to iTunes and check Software Update, because there's a holiday surprise waiting there for you. The revised VoiceOver Kit 1.0.1 corrects artist name pronunciations and includes a few other fixes.

If you've downloaded the update let us know how it's working for you.

[via Macworld]

There's a story at Click2Houston (I would have embedded the video if I had that option) about iPhone users who have had their devices ruined by excessive exposure to sweat. Specifically, they've been bringing them to the gym to provide a soundtrack to their workouts. Of course, sweat leaks into the iPhone's two moisture sensors (one in the headphone jack, one in the docking port) and it stops working. From the article:

"Both [customers] Keneker and Pittman use their iPhones at the gym to listen to music or use the calorie-counting fitness applications that actually come with the phone. They said Apple employees told them their sweaty palms are the likely culprit here."

There are no calorie-counting fitness applications that "...come with the phone." Sure, you can buy them in the App Store, but they're not built in. Also, Apple just so happens to make an iPod that was designed specifically as a workout accessory and it costs less than $80US. My guess is, if you can afford an iPhone, you can swing a shuffle -- or a case that blocks the dock port, which is a pretty accessible area for moisture.

I know it sucks to have your sweet iPhone ruined, but this was completely avoidable. Plus, aren't most phones with cameras banned from gyms?

All right, folks. Perhaps I was a bit too snarky. The lesson here is twofold. First, the iPhone is quite sensitive to moisture. The water sensors are placed towards the device's extremities, so even a sweaty palm can trigger them.

Secondly, with that in mind, be careful when using the iPhone in situations that may introduce liquids. We recommend a low-cost case. --Dave.

[Via CNET]

The store is back, and the rapid rumor ramp-up is vindicated: Apple introduced a new iPod shuffle this morning, billed as 'the first music player that talks to you' -- it features a VoiceOver interface that announces artists, songs and playlists on demand (the iPod nano features spoken menus as well, so that tagline may need some work).

Interestingly, the VoiceOver UI concept was mused upon by John Gruber last month. The shuffle now supports multiple playlists, which would have been difficult to manage without some sort of UI for controlling which one is playing.

The new shuffle expands to 4 GB of storage for the same $79US, but in the course of shrinking the overall size of the microscopic MP3 maven down to 1.8" high, 0.7" wide and 0.3" deep (45mm x 17mm x 7.8mm), the player controls were moved onto the headphone cord. This may not sit well with buyers who prefer other earbuds.

The shuffle is available in black and silver and is shipping in 3-5 days.

With the day's Apple news slowing down, the Apple store finally came back online after what seemed to be an eternity. We've been looking around and here are the changes that we found:

• New iPod nanos are now available for order and ship within 24 hours
• New iPod touches are available for order and ship within 1-3 business days
• New iPod classic is now available and ships within 24 hours
• New iPod shuffles are available and ship within 24 hours
• New in-ear headphones are not available and sport a "coming soon" message
• New earphones with remote/mic are "coming soon" as well

That is all the newness that we spotted, be sure to leave a comment below (or send us a tip) if you spot something else.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster is speculating that Apple will hold a special event in early September to announce new iPods and MacBooks, according to a research note he released.

Munster is bullish on seeing Apple enter the sub-$1,000 market for its MacBook line, and has been saying so since last month. He also anticipates a new form factor for the MacBook Pro line, noting that its exterior design (and that of its predecessor, the PowerBook G4) has only slightly changed over the last five-and-a-half years.

In the same note, he suggested that larger-capacity iPod shuffles and nanos are on the way, but with no change in pricing. He said that the iPod touch could even be redesigned and priced at $199.

Looking into the future, Munster said he thinks a touchscreen Mac portable isn't ready now, but could be available closer to 2010, while a redesigned (even smaller) MacBook Air could hit store shelves next year.

[Via Barron's.]

Apparently this iPod-enabled dance performance has been around for quite a while (here's an NYT piece on it from 2006), but it's the first we've heard of it, and it's pretty amazing. The 87-year-old choreographer, Merce Cunningham, who has collaborated with John Cage and Andy Warhol among others, has created a dance performance piece called eyeSpace.

Apparently, the music, which can be downloaded preperformance and is written by composer Mikel Rouse (no relation at all to TUAW's own Mike Rose) plays in the audience's iPods while the dancers dance (and other atmospheric sounds are added during the performance as well). Very interesting. The NYT piece seems to hint that the tracks are meant to be played in random order on each iPod, which would mean that the timing wasn't too important, but it's a cool idea (even more cool that it's done by an artist of Cunningham's age, but what else do you expect from a Mac fan?).

Definitely reminds me, too, of the MP3 Experiments done by Improv Everywhere in New York. Just goes to show you that we're still in the middle of the digital music revolution -- when we can listen to almost anything anywhere at any time, who knows what other creative folks will come up with?

After this morning's store downtime the Shuffle product page shows a $30 price drop to $49. If you're in the doghouse for not getting a Valentine's Day gift for your significant other, this might be your opportunity. Of course, I don't know what meaning might be construed from giving your sweetheart runt of the iPod family, but it might be taken better than the heart-shaped box of chocolates you picked up in the check-out line.

What am I saying? Mac users are romantics in addition to being snobs, right?

Thanks Mog!

Update: Woah! In all the excitement we missed the fact that Apple has also announced a new 2GB shuffle that will sell for $69 when it is available later this month (our friends in the UK will be paying £32 for the 1GB model and £45 for the 2GB model) .

Engadget points out that Target is now selling a hot pink iPod shuffle, branded as a Special Edition with a free $15 iTunes gift card, and a portion of the proceeds going to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Pretty good deal, considering the price is the same as all the other shuffles, just $79.

Engadget says the offer is in stores only, and sure enough, while Target's web site has a hot pink shuffle, it doesn't look at all like the same one, and nothing is mentioned about the Foundation. If you've been planning on grabbing a new shuffle, here's the one you want.

Thanks, Chris!

Among all the updates to the iPod lineup today, this one might have gotten lost in the... well, I'm not gonna say it, but you know what I mean. It would seem that January's iPod Shuffle color choices were so nine months ago; the new Shuffles are stumbling in with a somewhat more subdued, 'pro' palette and adding a Product (RED) version that sends a contribution to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa.

The new Shuffles are retailing for $79 and include 1 GB of flash storage. Get them before they change again!

We recently mentioned a concept from Arriva for iPod Shuffle headphones that integrate the Shuffle into the 'phones themselves. Well Monster Cable (of way-too-expensive-cables fame) has apparently beaten them to the punch with these foldable iFreePlay headphones. As you can see the Shuffle fits into the top of the left can for a "cordless" experience, while still giving access to the controls, etc. While you're certainly not going to be a paragon of fashion walking down the street with these, I could imagine that they might be useful for the gym or a run.

The iFreePlay headphones are available now for $49.95.

[via MacMerc]

Well, this is the end folks. End of the (work) week and the end of our Spring Shuffle Giveaway. By the power of process of elimination we bring you the color pink. Pink isn't just a color, it's a cause. I think I once heard pink shot a man for snoring too loud, but that's just an ugly rumor. In any event, pink appears to be quite popular with some folks, which might be the reason why we left it for Friday. You love Friday, right? So do we. And pink. And iPods. And shuffles. And the moon.

Aside from the chance to win another iPod shuffle, this is also the last time (this week) you'll be reading this:
Contest is limited to the 50 US states. The contest period is from May 18, 12:01am EST to 11:59pm. Only one entry per person, you must leave a validated comment (one that appears on the page) to enter. Full rules after the jump. That's it, good luck, and have a great weekend TUAW readers!

Welcome back to another round of TUAW's Spring Shuffle Giveaway. Today on the menu: green. Or as some of us call it, 008000. While Kermit may complain, these shuffles don't appear so unhappy with their hue. At least green is a spring color, right?

Anyway, if you don't know the drill, you enter our little giveaway by leaving exactly one comment. That's one comment per person. So far they've been excellent. Really, the elves are having fun compiling the prose into a handy guide to the internet. The contest is limited to the 50 states, and the green shuffle entry period lasts all day today, May 17 (so from 12:01am to 11:59pm Eastern). So fire up your internets and leave us a message. As always, full rules after the jump. This contest is for a green iPod shuffle, in case you forgot.

Welcome back to day three of TUAW's Spring Shuffle Giveaway. For those who finally managed to find tuaw.com on their dial, we're giving away a fresh iPod shuffle every day this week. Today's magic color chosen at random (mostly) is blue. Not exactly a Bondi blue or motherboard blue, but a vibrant blue you only see with polarized sunglasses.

Point is, you leave a comment (one per customer thanks) and you're entered in the contest. Same rules as before: limited to the 50 US states, this entry period ends tonight (May 16) at 11:59pm Eastern. Complete rules after the jump. Good luck everyone, and stay tuned for tomorrow's mystery color! Hint: it isn't gray or orange or blue.