Multiple sources are reporting that Apple seems to have implemented what has become known as an "authentication chip" inside the 3G iPod Shuffle's control unit, which is located on the right earpiece cord and has as such rendered third party controllers that work with the current iPhone and iPod Touch useless.

Boingboing Gadgets went as far as ripping their control unit apart and found a small chip that is labelled 8A83E3 at the rear of it. They think this is the secret to the story and that Apple approved partners will have to buy this small chip from Apple to make their headphones compatible with the 3G iPod Shuffle.

We can't see a lot of partners being willing to do so, as it would add to their production costs. Maybe this is a move by Apple to make more money on accessories, as iLounge is reporting that Apple will be offering an adapter cable for third party headphones for US$19 (€15/£13.50) which seems like an outright rip-off for an unnecessary accessory had Apple added controls to the player itself.

You can also use the Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic and In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic with the 3G iPod Shuffle, the latter costing as much as the player itself. At the moment there are no replacement headphones available for the 3G iPod Shuffle and everyone is waiting for Apple to release these.

We didn't think it was a great idea from day one, but this "new" control system seems to be getting worse and worse for every day that goes by. You could always make the Shuffle live up to its name, by using your own headphones and just switch it on, as it'll still play your music, but you won't have any means to control it.

You can find Boingboing's ripped apart controller unit here and iLounge's report here