Life is random. Wise words indeed, since
life only developed thanks to randomness,
or so some believe.
iPod Shuffles are not random enough for
two reasons:
- you fill them with your own music
library,
- humans can not understand randomness
anyway (just google the people
complaining
about the perceived non-
randomness of their mathematically
random shuffled playlists)
Solution: Shuffle randomiser. A simple
device, available in two versions: 512Mb
and 1024Mb. It consists of a
rectangular tube, that holds about 20 iPod
Shuffles. You can take one out of the
bottom, after you have inserted one at the
top. In essence: you get some other
persons Shuffle.
An initial version can be deployed
immediately in areas where one can be
sure that you get: A) the same storage
amount you inserted, B) an iPod Shuffle,
not a stick of gum (even if it is 1024Mb
gum, it's still gum) C) nothing if you don't
insert an iPod Shuffle.
The first 20 people are out of luck; they
will loose their iPod Shuffles. Hey: life is
random. S**t happens.
At the end of time, the lost Shuffles will be
returned to humanity.
A more public version could be made to
function by
adding an intricate detection system that
can
discriminate between 512Mb and 1024Mb
shuffles. I guess they will look exactly the
same in an Xray and simply printing
"1024Mb" on a 512Mb one is too easy. I
suppose it would be best if Apple were to
cooperate and make 1024Mb round and
512Mb square, or better; make a new
2048 version that is just slightly smaller
and features a unique transponder. That
way, if you ever, ever, get your own one
back, the iPod Shuffle randomness
maximizer station will beep and flash, to
warn you of familiar territory.
The perceived randomness will be far
richer than any unit can accomlish,
shuffling solo. Add even more
randomness, by swapping iPod Shuffle
randomness maximizer stations from
around the world.
One might even go so far as to leave out
access to the music altogether and buy
iPod Shuffles prefilled with your desired
amount of whichever music from the iTMS.