Tapstick Case Adds Buttons to Buttonless iPod Shuffle
We love Apple’s minimalist ethic, and usually it means not just cleaner lines, but an easier-to-use gadget, like the iPhone. But sometimes Apple just goes too far. Exhibit A. The third-gen iPod Shuffle. Its buttonless design means that you have to either use Apple’s own earbuds or search out a pair of ultra-rare third-party headphones. Even then, you’ll need to learn the Shuffle’s proprietary version of Morse Code to tap out coded instructions, again all with a single button.
Which brings us to a product from Scosche, the splashproof Tapstick. It is a case for the Shuffle which adds buttons. This should be ridiculous, and in another universe we would rightly poke fun, but the fact is that Apple’s insane simplification makes this a genuinely useful stick of plastic. The buttons mimic those on the Shuffle’s ‘buds, so you’ll still have to learn the tappity-tap instructions, but one you have the case you can buy any headphones you like.
Better, the diminutive size of the Shuffle means that even when encased in polycarbonate, it is still tiny. It’ll cost you $30, or the same as a pair of replacement Apple earbuds.
(Via Gadget Lab.)
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