Is this really necessary? January 11th, 2005 A couple of new Apple products got released today, including the Mac Mini (very cool) and the iPod Shuffle. The iPod Shuffle is a cool device... I like the idea of being able to stick an MP3 player directly into an open USB port and throw some music in it on the fly. Plus, at .78 ounces, you have to love it's size and weight. So, in general, I give it a thumbs-up. Under no circumstances though, would I ever mistake this thing for food.