With its $79 price tag, the new iPod shuffle is still inexpensive compared to other iPods, but it is even smaller than the last version.

The AA battery-sized iPod shuffle measures 1.8 inches long and less than an inch wide, and weighs only .38 of an ounce, according to Apple's specs on the device.

Manufacturers moved the controls from the actual device to a play button found just below the right earbud. By pressing the control button, users can play, pause, adjust volume, switch playlists and hear the name of the song and artist.

The iPod shuffle comes in only two colors, and includes a stainless-steel clip and a built-in rechargeable lithium-polymer battery. When fully charged -- a process that takes three hours -- the iPod shuffle can be used for up to 10 hours.

The new anodized aluminum design may be smaller, but it comes with 4GB capacity and holds 1,000 songs -- double the amount of the previous iPod shuffle version.

Talk to Me

Aside from increasing its song capacity, Apple added a completely new feature to the device: a voice feature that turns the iPod shuffle into "the first music player that talks to you," according to Apple.

Apple added voice-over technology, which allows the iPod to speak to its owners. The feature -- a male or female voice, depending on whether the user has a Mac or PC with which to sync songs on iTunes -- names the song and its artists as well as the playlist names.

Voices come in more than a dozen different languages, including Chinese, French, Italian, Portuguese and Swedish.

"Imagine your music player talking to you, telling you your song titles, artists and playlist names," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of iPod and iPhone product marketing. "The amazingly small new iPod shuffle takes a revolutionary approach to how you listen to your music by talking to you, also making it the first iPod shuffle with playlists."

Some, however, believe Apple hasn't reinvented itself by making the small unit even smaller and adding a voice that is more like an announcer than a device that talks to you. Others are complaining about the controls being moved to the earbuds, which means users must purchase an adapter to use third-party headphones.

Keeping Green and Staying Secure

Keeping with its environmental efforts, Apple made the device PVC free, added a recyclable aluminum enclosure and used packaging that is 40 percent smaller and 33 percent lighter.

The company also made the device free of brominated fire retardants, chemical flame retardants that are applied to prevent electronics, clothes and furniture from catching fire. Although these retardants are helpful in saving lives, they may be toxic to the liver and thyroid and cause neurodevelopmental problems, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Also this week, Apple updated iTunes by fixing security issues and adding support for the new line of iPod shuffles. Apple also tweaked iTunes' performance when adding large libraries of songs.