New iPod Shuffle

For most of us, simply running gets a little boring. Gotta have your tunes. That's why I was psyched when I discovered the new (3rd-generation) iPod Shuffle. It appealed to me because it's tiny, light, and seems pretty much indestructible.




Unfortunately, I found the Shuffle's Achille's heel: the controls.



The problem is that the Shuffle has no on-board controls. It relies on the controls built into the Apple headphones to do that job. A little sweat trickles down the wire, and the short circuit forces you into silent mode for the rest of your run.

Fortunately, my dear husband found a solution.




Available only at the Apple Store (as far as I can tell--tried a bunch of other places first), the Shuffle plugs into this case and allows you to use any headphones with it. The controls are buttons on the front of the case, making them easily accessible. Best of all, so far, it has passed the sweat test. It might have increased the original purchase price of $80--for the 4GB version, you can get 2 GB for about $60--by about 50%, but it was well worth it.