Nonetheless as TFA indicates, the iPod Shuffle 2G+ magically crammed USB into the TRRS audio connector in a way that was reliable enough to work in a mass-market product. As others have noted the design is potentially risky since power and ground are right next to each other, etc.
> As others have noted the design is potentially risky since power and ground are right next to each other, etc.
That's $0.30 worth of hardware to deal with though. Of course in mass market products such amounts really matter but I feel that the convenience and reliability factor as well as consumer centric thinking should allow for that kind of expense.
