Lack of good functionality for iPod Nano alarm timer?

Question

Hi, I'm the proud new owner of a Gen 2 - 2GB Nano, and I had figured that between the Sleep function, the Alarm function, and the Stopwatch function, it would be something I could use to listen to music while working out, and at the same time use it as a timer for the couple of exercises I do that I'd like to time (as opposed to counting).
I would think this would be a key use of Nanos by many people, but what I find is that all of the options are less than desirable.
Alarm: I could set the alarm to go off at the allotted time, but what I would want is the "beep" and for the "beep" to come through the headphones. I'm listening to music using the headphones, so I don't to hear the "beep" emitting from the Nano's "internal speaker". Selecting a Playlist to be the alarm sound does work to alert me to it being time to switch exercises, but "switch" is the key problem here because it switches to that new (or the beginning of the same) Playlist. In other words, the main function of the Nano for me is to listen to music, and perhaps that will be an entire album while I work out, but using the Playlist feature for the sound of the alarm means I will be interrupted in the midst of, say, track 4 of the Playlist I'm wanting to listen to for my workout.
Sleep Timer function: Only allows me to select in 15 minute intervals (I need 11 or 12 minutes for one particular exercise, though I could live with 10 minutes, but that’s not even there). Plus the abrupt shutoff of the music that's playing is horrible. The intent of the Sleep Timer function of course makes the 15 minute interval choices make sense, but a bit of a fade for the music shutoff would be an improvement (and less likely to wake someone up who was just drifting off). If the Sleep Timer could actually let me set the number of minutes, it would be my solution (since upon stopping the music that’s playing, that position in the Playlist is retained and one can start listening again where one left off).
Stopwatch: Stopwatch isn't really useful for what I'm trying to do. It would be, of course, if it had a "timer" setting that let you program it for a number of minutes to count down, then upon reaching zero it would beep in the headphones along with the music being played, or just fade the music that’s playing, similar to what the Sleep Timer does, though it does it abruptly...
So two questions:
1. Do any more experienced iPod owners know of a way I can do what I’m trying to do? (Play music, be alerted when a specific number of minutes are up, and not have the position in the Playlist of the music I’m listening to be lost.)
2. What is the way to make suggestions to Apple for changes to the iPod software?
Any help/comments appreciated!
Thanks,
Rich Apple (and yes, Apple is my name, and no, Apple the company has never seen fit to give me a computer and take advantage of the wonderful “stealth advertising” I would naturally be… Oh, your name is Apple? Do you own the computer company? Well, no, but they actually did give me a computer; that’s how groovy they are.)
Nano 2GB Generation 2    

Answer 1

Thank you, Jeff, for the couple of answers. I did put in a couple enhancement requests via the http://www.apple.com/feedback/ipod.html link, and I imagine such requests carry more weight if others also request them.
I requested that Apple make it so one can be alerted to an alarm via the headphones without losing the position in the playlist that one is listening to, or that the Sleep Timer be changed to accept a number of minutes rather than just choosing between the 15 minute increments. (Either being a means to time something (excersize, hard-boiling an egg, sex, or anything) and be alerted when the time is up without having to lose one's place in the Playlist.)
I also requested that the Sleep Timer function use a fade-out rather than the abrupt shut-off of the music.
Again, thanks for the link, and thanks for confirming that you too can't find a way to do the timed periods in the way that I would think many others would want.
Rich Apple