Shuffle Chips

There have been some questions as to whether the new iPod Shuffle will require headphones containing a proprietary chip in order to use the device’s in-line voice controls. According to an Apple spokesperson (via Boing Boing Gadgets), the iPod headphones do contain a proprietary chip but third-party headphones (including those without Made for iPod certification) can still be used with the Shuffle if the chip is cloned; there is no encryption or authentication on the chip. However, this means that companies will still need to pay a licensing fee.

TWICE’s attempts to contact Apple were unanswered as of press time.  

(Hat tip: Cult of Mac)