Speaker docks are everywhere for iPods with the dock connector, you can't walk into any store even vaguely related to electronics and not see one. Even the freakin' Reject Shop has them! However, if you have an iPod Shuffle, all those docks are no good for you. Enter the
iWorld Shuffle Speaker - a simple, very cheap, 2nd generation iPod Shuffle Dock with a built in speaker.
The iWorld Shuffle only costs $20 - so it should be known from the outset that this is no Bose or B&W sound system. It's speaker is of the same level of quality as those in your MacBook or MacBook Pro. Hardly hi-fi, but good for voice and just background noise if you want it. The speaker is mobile and takes 3x AAA batteries, I don't know how long it lasts on those batteries, but I doubt it would die quickly as it's a relatively simple piece of kit.
What makes this speaker dock interesting however is the fact it also doubles as a replacement for the normal iPod Shuffle dock. You can plug it into your computer and it will charge and transfer data with iTunes - very handy if you've damaged or lost the dock that came with your Shuffle. The USB cable even neatly tucks into the bottom for storage and travel. Oh, it also comes in pink, green and blue, to match your iPod Shuffle (very important).
It's a great price for an iPod Shuffle dock, considering the Apple one is $48 - the iWorld Shuffle Speaker is only $20 and includes a speaker. I'd like to see an AM/FM radio thrown into the iWorld Shuffle Speaker, so if the Shuffle has no music on it, it would make for a tiny little radio too. The build quality is actually quite good for an item of this price, I would have thought it would be much flimsier, but it feels quite solid.
I wouldn't recommend it as your sole listening source, but if you're after some background noise that's easy to move, or a replacement iPod Shuffle dock, the iWorld Shuffle Speaker is worth it.
