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Radio posts

Gigaware dongle brings HD Radio to iPod touch and iPhone for $80

by Darren Murph posted Nov 9th 2009 @ 12:29PM

Up until now, there have been just two ways to get HD Radio in a portable, handheld solution: buy a Zune HD, or opt for Insignia's NS-HD01. As of today, Gigaware is changing all that, and it's hoping to give HD Radio a kick in the pants by opening it up to every single iPod touch and iPhone user in the US. iBiquity's own HD Radio module has been tucked neatly inside the clickwheel dongle you see above, giving any iPhone / iPod touch with iPhone OS 3.0 (or greater) the ability to listen to HD Radio and FM stations in their area. The (now available) adapter itself sells for $79.99 exclusively at RadioShack, while the accompanying app -- which sports a manual tune wheel or auto-seek option, social network integration, bookmarks and iTunes Tagging -- is available to download free of charge. It's a novel idea, sure, but something tells us the limited availability and lofty price tag will keep it from selling like gangbusters.

Gallery: Gigaware dongle brings HD Radio to iPod touch and iPhone for $80

Continue reading Gigaware dongle brings HD Radio to iPod touch and iPhone for $80

Public Radio App lets you resume 'This American Life' whenever you please

by Darren Murph posted Nov 4th 2009 @ 1:02PM

Now that you've got an NPR-lovin' stereo in your bedroom, the only thing missing in your otherwise completely fulfilled life is an NPR application that enables you to listen to your favorite programs whenever, wherever. If we just rung your bell, you can now drift away and die happy. Available this very moment in the 100,000-strong App Store is the Public Radio App, which essentially acts as a DVR for the iconic station. Once fired up, the app can "pause and rewind public radio streams from NPR, PRI, APM and local public radio stations," and there's even an alarm clock setting that wakes you up with your favorite public radio stream. Unfortunately, on-demand streaming is still a pipe dream, but there's nothing to stop these guys from adding that very feature in the next iteration. Go on -- try and lay off the trigger. It's not like that awfully low $2.99 price point is tempting or anything.

Pandora and IHeartRadio arrives on BlackBerry devices

by Darren Murph posted Mar 22nd 2009 @ 4:55PM

Jealous of all those radio apps on Apple's iPhone, are ye? Fret not, as Pandora and IHeartRadio are now available for select BlackBerry devices. Dave Zatz has pointed out that neither of the apps are functional on T-Mobile (saywha?), but both should play nice with any other Bold, Curve and Pearl handset. We know what you're thinking, so here's the answer -- BlackBerry Storm support is listed as "coming soon," at least with respect to Pandora. Anyone gave either of these a shot? How has it been?

Nokia will gladly include DAB support on handsets... after it's popular

by Darren Murph posted Dec 6th 2008 @ 4:04PM

This folks, is a classic case of "chicken before the egg." Reportedly, Nokia's director of product and technology marketing Sari Stahlberg was quoted as saying that "when the technology reaches mass adoption we would consider putting DAB radios into our phones," but rather than supporting it now and assisting the technology in becoming adopted en masse, it's fine to just wait things out. He continued with: ""The more the technology is adopted across Europe and other territories, the more chance it's got of being included." Translation? "We'll gladly pull the trigger once it's safe, but don't count on us to increase DAB visibility in the mobile space."

IMMI tracks ad exposure / effectiveness via cellphone, trips privacy alarms everywhere

by Darren Murph posted Oct 15th 2008 @ 10:59PM

Hunker down and find that tin foil cap, pronto! Privacy advocates, we've a new target for you to bang on: Integrated Media Measurement. The 4,900-person media research company is looking to take advertising measurement to a whole new level (or new low, as it were) by embedding tracking modules within cellphones. In short, the module picks up audio from ads and records information about the exposure; in the future, if you were to purchase whatever product you heard about (like seeing a movie that was plugged), it would register a hit and deem you a sucker. As of now, the only testers with these freaky phones are individuals who signed up for this stuff, but you better believe major marketing firms (and TV / movie studios in particular) are perking their ears up and begging to know more.

[Image courtesy of Corbis, thanks ugotamesij]

BBC iPlayer comes to iPhone, not as interesting as originally thought

by Chris Ziegler posted Mar 10th 2008 @ 11:28AM

After a groundswell of hype that the rumored BBC iPlayer for the iPhone might be some crazy, Apple co-developed, SDK-usin' piece of kit, the reality is just a little underwhelming. Fact is, yes, the BBC-only streaming app has migrated to the iPhone -- but it's built entirely on the handset's existing technology stack, prior to the SDK announcement. Ah well, it's probably just as well considering that the content available on the beta-quality player is limited at the moment, and let's be honest: they're gonna need 3G to really rock, anyway.

[Via TUAW]

AT&T gets cozy with Pandora for on-device radio

by Chris Ziegler posted Nov 13th 2007 @ 2:49PM

XM radio not so much your thing? AT&T's starting to roll out another officially sanction choice for streaming radio on some of its devices through a new partnership with Pandora. Basically, users can access their personalized Pandora stations directly from their handset -- up to 100 of 'em -- and the carrier specifically mentions that users can enjoy those stations anywhere within its 3G network, suggesting that the streams are probably of a high enough quality to actually be worth listening to. Check it out now on Samsung's SYNC, A717, and A737, the Motorola V3xx and V9, and the LG Trax, CU400, and CU405 for $8.99 a month.

Ericsson's Tower Tube concept radio mast ain't ugly

by Conrad Quilty-Harper posted Sep 10th 2007 @ 9:18AM

After all this time, and after all these complaints, could the solution to ugly cellphone masts have been as simple as a concrete radome? That is essentially all Ericsson's Tower Tube concept is: a glorified case for the ugly antennae that connect your daily calls. Apparently, construction of the radome releases 20% less CO2 than traditional steel structures, and the concrete is secure enough to not require extra site fencing, and will therefore occupy significantly less space than the masts we currently live alongside. Sounds like a win-win to us. Let's get 'em built!

[Via Just Amp]

New chip curbs misplaced cellphone syndrome

by Darren Murph posted Jul 26th 2007 @ 10:24PM

Those who are contemplating some type of bizarre surgery to ensure your dear cellphone stays permanently attached to your person should probably hold off, as a couple of companies are teaming up to curb the oh-so-typical problem of misplacing one's handset. New Japan Radio Co. and Superwave Corporation have reportedly joined forces to "develop a chip that uses weak radio waves to communicate with mobile phones, paving the way for devices that tell users when a handset is misplaced." Supposedly, the chip would communicate with one's phone "every few seconds," and if you bolted from the subway sans your cellphone, a sound or vibration would apparently be there to alert you of your mistake. Hold tight folks, the firms have plans to distribute samples to manufacturers this October. [Warning: Read link requires subscription]

[Image courtesy of GLIRC]

Nokia N95 + RC plane = unlimited DIY aerial photography

by Darren Murph posted Jun 23rd 2007 @ 9:01AM

If you've found yourself tempted by other interesting DIY aerial photography rigs, but spent all your dough on the Nokia N95 instead, you may still be able to make a lifelong (or momentary) dream come true. A pioneering lad over at the N95 Blog has suggested that nearly unlimited high-resolution aerial photography can be yours if you're willing to strap your precious handset to an RC plane and get savvy with Pict'Earth software. The application allows users to create a theoretical Google Earth of their own if the existing imagery isn't up to snuff with their personal standards. Still, we'd have to mull this one over mighty hard before attaching such a valuable communicator to a potential death bed, but feel free to let us know how things go if you can muster the courage.

[Via AllAboutSymbian]

Sound ID's SM100 Bluetooth headset tunes you into nature

by Darren Murph posted May 15th 2007 @ 2:14AM

We've got Bluetooth headsets that cancel noise, amplify voices, and make you look ~~good~~ not entirely cockamamie, but Sound ID's latest iteration actually gives you one less reason to ever take it off. The minuscule earpiece sports compatibility with handsfree Bluetooth profiles, around eight hours of talk time and 72 hours of standby, auditory and visual low battery warnings, dual omni-directional silicon microphones, and a trio of modes to fit your situation. It also touts a NoiseNavigation feature that magnifies and cancels appropriate sounds automatically, and just in case you get tired of only hearing face-to-face conversations out of one ear, the "Environmental Mode" actually brings in ambient noise in order to make you forget about the critter hanging off your eyeglass holder. Notably, the $129.99 SM100 even features a One2One mode that enables "Bluetooth communication between two modules" without the use of a cellphone, which should definitely appease the anti-social social crowd.

[Via Slashphone]

Alpine offers up KCE-300BT Bluetooth Interface Module for in-car head units

by Darren Murph posted Jan 12th 2007 @ 8:26PM

Alpine's got a fine streak going with regard to integrating consumer electronics into its snazzy head units, and now it's continuing the trend by offering up a do-it-all Bluetooth Interface Module. The KCE-300BT accessory acts as a bantam liaison between your Bluetooth-enabled handset and that brand new Ai-NET-compatible stereo, giving users the ability to hold handsfree conversations sans wires or complicated installations, and also allowing A2DP / AVRCP-compliant mobiles to stream tunes and control playback functions. Co-developed with Motorola to work specifically with Alpine's 2007 lineup of Ai-NET head units, it's possible this module would actually work with other BT-enabled units not manufactured by Alpine, but we're not so sure we'd press our luck. Anyways, the interface also allows users to peep caller ID information, missed / dialed calls, and on certain high-end units, you can even scroll through your address book, which we're certain is exactly what everyone around you on the freeway hopes you're eyes are glued to. Regardless, Alpine's KCE-300BT can add another dash of utility to your otherwise average in-dash media player next month for a (slightly steep) $220.

[Via BlueTomorrow]

ClearChannel, Cingular to offer radio station streams

by Chris Ziegler posted Sep 7th 2006 @ 3:16PM

ClearChannel, purveyor of all things terrestrial radio, think they see the writing on the wall when it comes to mobile streaming -- and they don't intend to get left out of the fun. A fairly far-reaching deal with Cingular announced this week gives customers the option to download radio broadcasts from ClearChannel stations for $2.99 a month, while streaming adds another 99 cents to the bill. Only New York's WHTZ-FM is available initially, but plans are in the works for "up to 100" additional stations to launch in the next year. The download plan gives folks access to interviews and features, but it looks like the closest they'll be offering to music will come in the form of a list of the last 10 titles and artists that graced the airwaves. And if you thought $2.99 was enough to buy you out of advertising, think again -- "sponsor announcements" will be part and parcel with the service.

[Via MocoNews]

Specs, rendering of HTC Artemis?

by Chris Ziegler posted Aug 14th 2006 @ 6:40PM

Previously, we'd mentioned three crucial details about HTC's rumored Artemis: it'd lack 3G, the d-pad would be replaced or augmented by a trackball, and GPS would be on-board. Newfound specs appear to confirm what we'd known thus far, and now we have a possible rendering of the device to fuel the fire. All the new deets seem believable enough; we'll apparently get 128MB of ROM and 64MB of RAM, quad-band GSM / EDGE, 802.11b / g, a 2-megapixel shooter, MicroSD expansion, and an FM radio when she drops sometime this quarter. A little more exciting than the Oxygen, if we do say so ourselves.

[Via phoneArena]

Motorola patenting Feng Shui-enabled cellphone

by Evan Blass posted Apr 28th 2006 @ 1:32PM

Motorola knows what a pain it can be to hire a consultant every time you need to get your Feng Shui-on at a new location, so they're trying to patent a method for measuring chi levels right from your cellphone. In order to provide the user with the greatest amount of must-have qi, phones equipped with this tech would use nearly every available sensor -- and one dedicated one -- to develop an accurate overview of the environment: the camera is used for evalulating color saturation and spacial relationships, the GPS reciever for determining proximity to "undesirable" sites, the microphone for gauging ambient noise levels, and even the radio for measuring AM/FM transmission strength from the nearest towers. Since no Feng Shui reading would be possible without knowing which direction the main wall of the building faces, the Moto patent also calls for the inclusion of a "three-dimensional Hall-effect sensor" that would measure the strength of electromagnetic fields to deliver digital compass readings. While this all seems a bit complicated, software would take care of most of the hard work, essentially allowing the user to snap a few photos and sit back as the phone's sophisticated chi engine leads him/her to a harmonious balance.

[Via Unwired View]