Forgoing the manner of fanfare it traditionally employs for product announcements, Apple today announced the latest version of its entry level music player, the iPod Shuffle. The latest version of the Shuffle is almost half the size of its predecessor, "significantly smaller than a AA battery," according to the company. The third generation player is also Apple's first with VoiceOver technology, which speaks the names of track titles, artists, and playlist.

The diminutive player has 4GB of storage, holding up to 1,000 songs, according to the company. The Shuffle's body is constructed out of aluminum and the player features a built-in stainless steel clip. The player begins shipping today in silver or black for $79 via the Apple store. Like other models, it ships with Apple Earphones and a USB cable.

Given to hyperbole as always, the company is calling the third-gen Shuffle, "the smallest music player in the world." After introducing the new player, Apple dropped the price of its predecessor down to $49.