Special Chip Required to Control iPod Shuffle

Category: Gadgets
Posted: March 16, 2009 09:23PM
Author: Crow47

Many of you are already familiar with Apple's new third-generation iPod Shuffle which moved controls for the music player from the device itself up onto the headphones. As of right now, no other headphones exist that can control the device besides Apple's own headphones included with the Shuffle. Over the weekend, several news sites reported that Apple will require vendors to include a special "authentication chip" that will be needed to control the player. Two vendors, Vmoda and Schosche, have confirmed the usage of this chip, though they refer to it more as a "control chip". However, they added that Apple will be charging licensing fees for the usage of this chip. Since then, Apple has confirmed this as well. Whether or not vendors will be able to reverse engineer the chip to avoid paying licensing has yet to be seen.

• Email Link
• Print News

This news has comment postings disabled because it is now archived.