My iPod Shuffle 4th Generation refuses to sync up the PC plays count

Question

As soon as a new podcast episode arrives in my Podcasts iTunes library, it shows up in that library with a plays count = 0.   When I start up iTunes and update the podcasts, I then copy all new (unplayed) podcasts to a Playlist named "1-UnheardPodcasts", then mark all unplayed podcasts in that playlist as Played, thereby setting the play count on those podcast episodes to 1.   I then copy a bunch of podcasts to my iPod shuffle 4th gen and wander off cackling into the night to listen to those podcasts.  In the fullness of time, I return to my PC, fire up iTunes, plug in my shuffle and see that the shuffle shows the plays count (on the episodes I have listened to) as 2.   I then sync the iPod to iTunes but the plays count in my "1-UnheardPodcasts" playlist and in the podcasts library both stubbornly remain set to 1.   I then have to manually pretend to listen to the podcasts in iTunes again, fast forward to the end of each podcast, let it finish, then the plays counts everywhere are set to 2.  I can then delete the plays count 2 episodes from my "1-UnheardPodcasts" playlist and all is right with the world and I'm ready for new episodes to randomly appear in my podcasts library.
My older first generation shuffles (both of which died and were replaced by the 4th gen shuffle recently) did not have this problem.  Sync from those would always update the plays count on the iTunes application on my PC to match what it showed for the plays count on the shuffle.
What's up with that?  Is there any way to fix this?  It happens whether or not I completely fill up the shuffle.
I also have problems with getting back to where I left off if I stop playing a podcast by pressing the centre button on the iPod face and then try to resume play a few minutes later.  If I shut down the shuffle and restart it, it seems to always resume play from where it left off.
I've got everything turned on in the iPod settings menu except the thing about reserving disk space for Windows files.
I've got what claims to be the latest version (11.0.4) of iTunes running under Windows 7 (64 bit) on a BIOSTAR MB with an AMD phenom II X4 820 2.8 GHz quad core processor with 8 GB of RAM and at least 50 GB of free disk space.
When I click on check for updates with the iPod attached on the iPod settings window, it comes back with "you have the latest version"

Answer 1

If you are loading the shuffle manually, by dragging podcast episodes to the shuffle in iTunes, that is probably why the playcount does not update in your iTunes library, after playing the podcast episode on the shuffle (and then connecting the shuffle).
When you use the manual method to load the shuffle, the iTunes library on the computer and the library on the shuffle are separate.  iTunes does not keep the two libraries "in sync."  Therefore, data such as playcount are not synced back to the computer when you connect the shuffle.
If you set up automatic syncing using the shuffle's Podcasts screen in iTunes, iTunes keeps your iTunes library in sync with the shuffle's library (based on how you set up the shuffle's Podcasts screen).  So data, such as playcount, should sync back to the iTunes library.  In your case, if you maintain a playlist in iTunes with the unheard podcast episodes you want on the shuffle, you can select that playlist on the shuffle's Podcasts screen in iTunes (where it says Include Episodes from Playlists).  iTunes will automatically keep that playlist in sync between your computer and the shuffle.
NOTE:  If you are currently NOT using automatic syncing, and you also have music on the iPod, you will also need to set up the shuffle's Music screen in iTunes.  When you start using automatic syncing, any content on the shuffle that was loaded manually is replaced.
The 1st and 2nd gen shuffles used a different very simple software design, compared to other iPods.  They did not have an automatic syncing mode.  You loaded it manually, but it was linked to only one iTunes library at a time.  Therefore, although you loaded it manually, iTunes does keep data (such as playcount) in sync.  On all other iPods, including the newer shuffles, iTunes only keeps the data in sync if you use automatic syncing.