Last week, Apple released a new iPod Shuffle. While the device has been very well received by reviewers, it quickly became obvious that the only headphones that worked properly with the device are the ones Apple ships alongside with it. Any other headphone is useless, as you won't be able to control the device in any way (other than the off-switch, that is) - no volume control, no next/previous, no play/stop. If you have an older third-party headphone, you won't be able to use it.

That’s because the ones at Apple have embedded a DRM-type chip into the headphones of the new iPod Shuffle. The assertion came from iLounge during its recent review of the new iPod Shuffle. The blog, famous for its detailed product reviews, doesn't say how it knows Apple included an authentication chip in the new headphones only that it has one.  A further investigation by BoingBoing discovered a mystery chip named 8A83E3 buried in the Apple earbuds' architecture that may be the authentication chip.

However, no one seems to know what the chip is—whether it's an authentication chip or something else entirely. And Apple isn't talking. As Boing Boing noted, if this is indeed an authentication chip, it could mean that third-party headphone manufacturers would be required to pay fees to make their headphones compatible for the new iPod Shuffle.

The $79 3G iPod shuffle comes in a single 4GB capacity in either a silver or black anodized aluminum case that’s approximately the size of an AA battery. Like the previous 2G iPod shuffle, this iPod bears a clip for attaching the iPod to your clothing. At the top of the shuffle is a small three-position switch—Off, Play-in-Order, and Shuffle—a small status light that glows different colors depending on the state of the iPod’s charge (as well as blinks in response to presses of the headphone controller), and an Earphone port. Apple suggests that the 3G iPod shuffle can continuously play for up to 10 hours on a single charge.