• Another quickie for Cult of Mac: Welcome to the 1980s—App Store game compilation appears – http://is.gd/mTlh #

I remember buying one of the original iPod shuffles, thinking it might come in handy for walking about with, rather than ‘risking’ my expensive chunky iPod photo. In the end, the iPod photo sat unloved in a drawer (and, eventually, got wired into my amp), while the shuffle laughed heartily on its victory.

Far from being bothered by the perceived restrictions of the device (no screen, basic controls), I loved the shuffle’s durability, and due to an OCD-like iTunes set-up where everything’s rated, I could fill the tiny iPod with tracks of a certain length and quality, and then set off to town knowing that I had a selection of what I considered great music with me.

When the new shuffle came out—the one that’s a tiny clip—I bought one of those, too. The old shuffle was relegated somewhat (although it’s still dug out for long flights), because the new one’s sheer tininess made it a real winner. Again, no screen, but the competition’s tiny displays didn’t seduce me in the slightest.

Today, Apple went a stage further, with the latest version of the shuffle, and, yeah, there’s going to be a third one rattling around this house soon enough.

Amazingly, the device is even smaller that its predecessor, tinier than a door key. Because of this, the controls have shifted to the headphones (the one negative, since this means you’re stuffed if they break or you want to use non-Apple headphones), and VoiceOver has made its debut, making the lack of screen a non-issue. Now, the iPod shuffle, apparently conversant in 14 languages, can tell you what you’re listening to, and which playlist you’re playing.

Again, this highlights Apple’s desire to innovate, rather than just looking at the competition and doing something similar. It also shows that giving people what they want rather than what they think they want can pay dividends, in terms of features and industrial design. Most importantly, though, it appears that without Steve Jobs at the helm, things can continue, what with unknown devices still being in the pipeline. Take note, idiot reporters.

• @CraigGrannell http://twitpic.com/1ywrc – Respect the fish! #
• Just spent a crazed evening speed-reviewing/rereviewing a whole bunch of iPhone Twitter clients. I am now quite insane. http://is.gd/mDB6 #
• Watched the most recent QI XL yesterday. Emma Thompson excellent + funny on a show that needs more women. Solution: more Emma Thompson. #
• Just posted by me to Cult of Mac: Apple App Store idiocy reaches new low: http://is.gd/mKIL #

Having been using the internet for more than a decade, I can’t think of two more broken ratings systems than those used by eBay and Amazon.

eBay’s appears largely based around screwing the other party over. To make things ‘better’, eBay recently removed the ability for sellers to leave feedback. This resulted in buyers realising they could ‘blackmail’ sellers with strong feedback scores, threatening to leave ‘negatives’ unless partial refunds were given.

Amazon’s system is just as bad, but in a very different way. Since the site enables people who’ve not bought an item to leave feedback, the reviews are largely rendered pointless. A stinking stream of “I’ve not bought this, but…” dribbles around the edge of every page, made all the more putrid when the reviewed item isn’t even available for another six months.

With these things in mind, it should come as no surprise that Gordon Brown’s Labour, bastions of IT idiocy, are now suggesting services like GPs and police should be rated in a similar way (source BBC News). The article notes that Brown said it was wrong that consumer websites such as Amazon and eBay had “higher standards of transparency” than those for public services.

Excuse me, but isn’t this the dumbest idea possible in this area? Sure, get official bodies to figure out if services are up to scratch, and run independent inquiries when things go very wrong. But the last thing we need for councils, the police and childcade is a bunch of one-star reviews by crazy people, annoyed that a service they’ve never used doesn’t do something it’s not supposed to do.

Interesting, though, that Brown notes how the government has been “too slow to make use of the enormous democratising power of information,” and yet ignores true democracy by avoiding giving the people referendums on things that actually matter. (Iraq, anyone?)

He also rattles on about ushering in “a new world of accountability in which parents, patients and local communities shape the services they receive, ensuring all our public services respond not simply to the hand of government, but to the voice of local people.” Note, though, that Brown avoids placing the government and himself in this arena.

• Gruber says vocal commands could help iPod-owning runners. http://is.gd/NQT – Only if they work better than DS games. “Bahloo! BAHLOO! GAH!” #