Apple Updates iPod Shuffle – Now Smaller Than AA Battery

…and a key:

Certainly setting the shuffle apart from its competitors is the introduction of VoiceOver:

VoiceOver is the exciting new feature that makes iPod shuffle the first music player that talks to you. It entirely changes the way you browse and navigate your music. Say you’re listening to a song and want to know the title or the artist. With the press of a button, VoiceOver tells you—without interrupting your music.

But the fun doesn’t stop with songs. For the first time ever on an iPod shuffle, you can have multiple playlists, because VoiceOver announces their names, too. So you can easily find the right mix without taking your eyes off your run, your ride, or whatever you’re doing.

Additionally, virtually all controls are now relegated to the earbuds’ in-cord remote:

That’s a neat trick, except for everyone that owns higher-quality third-party  earbuds (me).

The new 4GB (~1000 songs) iPod Shuffle sells for $79 and is available in black or gray. The second generation Shuffle (1GB/$49) is also still available.

More: Apple.com/iPod Shuffle

(This really reminds me of the SNL episode where Steve Jobs appeared on Weekend Updated to introduce the iPod Mirco (and later Inviso – “an iPod so small it cannot be seen by the naked eye”). I looked forever for the video but alas, it’s not online.)

Kelly Clarkson – “All I Ever Wanted” Bonus Tracks

Kelly released her fourth album yesterday and here are the various bonus tracks:

Tip Of My Tongue (Bonus Track)

The Day We Fell Apart (Bonus Track)

Can We Go Back (iTunes Pre-Order Bonus Track)

Enjoy!

“Basic Cable Personality Clash ’09” [Updated]

It continues (hilariously)…

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Update: Jim Cramer will appear on “The Daily Show” Thursday night. (Jon’s totally going to win this one.)

Maher, Coulter Go Head-To-Head

Photo: Metro

Political opposites Bill Maher and Ann Coulter took the stage at Radio City last night to kick off the 2009 Speaker Series.

Metro published some of the night’s best quotes:

COULTER: “A poll of Germans shortly before the election showed they supported Obama by 80 percent over McCain, and we all know how infallible the Germans are in picking great leaders.”

MAHER: “They said [Obama] is a ‘communist,’ ‘anti-American’ … ‘celebrity.’ That was my favorite: ‘He fills stadiums.’ Hey, the Republicans can fill stadiums, like the Superdome during Hurricane Katrina.”

COULTER: “Time magazine got the ball rolling by comparing Obama to Jesus Christ, so I lost a bet – they do know who Jesus Christ is. But as the leader of 12 apostles, even Jesus had more executive experience than Obama did.”

MAHER: “Republicans are the party of greed. They’re greedy and proud of it … Suddenly they’re against debt. Who put two wars on a credit card?”

COULTER: “That’s the end of Obama’s honeymoon with the press: Now he’s not Jesus, he’s just Lincoln. … I forget, how many times did Lincoln vote ‘present’? … Did Lincoln do blow mostly in high school or did he wait until college?”

MAHER: “George Bush did a lot more blow than Obama ever did. … Please don’t boo the only thing I like about him. … Osama bin Laden said one of his goals was to bankrupt America. Sorry, big guy, but someone beat you to it.”

You have to admit that Coulter’s were pretty good…

New Music From Doves!

I don’t know HOW the fuck I missed this as I’ve been faithfully checking the Doves blog (it actually went 8 months without an update – is that a record?) hoping for some seed of information about ANYTHING and then, all of a sudden, I get an e-mail about a concert date and yadda, yadda, yadda their new album (“Kingdom of Rust”) drops APRIL 7!!! (That’s soon!)

Doves are one of my all-time favorite bands and I absolutely love their sound. Last month, the band offered a free download of one of the album’s new tracks, Jetstream:

Doves – Jetstream

The lead single and title track, video below, is just as impressive as “Jetstream” and if the rest of the album is as good as these two tracks, I’ll have another favorite on my hands.  =)