The advantage of the iPod Shuffle is definitely the size. It offers no-frills portability. That doesn’t mean that it can’t be useful. The GH-SP-125W portable speaker made by Greenhouse Japan adds a whole range of uses to your Shuffle. You plug the speaker into the earphone jack and you have sound. The output frequency is 2.5W. You and ten friends won’t be able to dance the night away to the booming bass, but it will certainly do for personal, portable listening.

The frame of the speaker is hollow so you can attach it to the neck strap of your Shuffle, or you can hang it on the wall. At 72 grams weight isn’t a factor. It measures 42x28x125mm, so it doesn’t add too much bulk to the tiny Shuffle.

The biggest drawback as I see it is that it runs on 4 AA batteries. They supposedly last 12 hours, but that still adds effort and expense that I would rather avoid. Something rechargeable would have made me happier.

The speaker will be available in Japan in the middle of December for $25.