Subscription radio is not something that’s taken off over here in the UK, but if you’re in the US then there’s plenty of choice if you don’t like free-to-air FM or tire easily of what’s on your PMP. The Gadgeteer’s Rob Tillotson has been trying out a chunky little XM receiver made by Pioneer, the inno, and has found that if you’re looking for a compromise between rocking your own tunes and sampling a bit of the mobile XM life then the portable device might be for you.
Can’t quite let go of the 60’s yet? Even if you never really saw the 60’s you can still have an appreciation for the things created within them, such as the VW bus.
Alright boys, it’s time to fess up, we know you take baths when we aren’t looking. You make fun of our bubble bath and all our girly things, but we’ve seen that bottle of Chewbacca bubble bath hidden under the sink. Well now you can give your rubber ducky a rest and pick up the submarine radio.
Have you been thinking about checking out that HD radio that you keep hearing about? Well HD radio maker Radiosophy has got a deal that they hope will get you on the bandwagon.
Mergers, eh? Some might say they’re bad news – big companies getting even bigger and squashing out the little guy – whilst others think they’re a good thing. XM and Sirius are the latest big boys to do the dance of the frotting assets and they’ve pushed the company line that consumer-experience won’t be negatively impacted, most notably through price rises.
It might, however, be a case of what’s not said being more important, as Gene Kimmelman of the Consumers Union suggests:
“The heads of XM and Sirius want consumers to believe that prices won’t rise after a merger, but that’s probably not the case. By highlighting a price freeze for the old package of services, they leave the impression that’s what consumers will pay for the new, combined offerings. But they haven’t really said what the new prices will be”
For a device so busy courting contrary opinions, it seems a tad strange that Nokia’s N800 isn’t excitedly boasting all its features. Andrew Barr over at Internet Tablet Talk has discovered a hitherto unknown FM radio secreted inside the device, with no mention of it in any of the documentation Nokia provide nor functionality enabled in the software.
Jonathan Greene promptly got to work putting together instructions for it, together with a link to the necessary download (as you can see in the photo above); he also took the time to shoot a video of it in action (after the cut).
You’re no doubt expecting me to make some smutty joke about a cold ball in the bedroom, but I’m afraid you’ll have to do without. This is a perfectly serious alarm-clock and radio, it just so happens to use a huge ball-bearing as selector for the different radio presets.
Gimmick aside, it’s all pretty basic: FM and AM with nine presets of each, battery or AC power and a backlit display. So the $60 pricetag seems a bit steep if you ask me.
Product Page [via Coolest Gadgets]
Modding computers is all very well, but it’s a bit niche – I can’t exactly see my mother picking up the Dremel and adding a window to her computer (or her kettle, for that matter) – what’s needed is an easier way for people to imprint their individuality on an object. That in mind, the wouter Geense Design Studio present the Tune ‘n Radio, a simple FM radio that comes without aerial or speaker-holes, and with only rudimentary controls.
New owners must decide for themselves what might be the best aerial – aesthetically and technically – where to punch the holes and what items to use as controls. wouter Geense describe it as a canvas that, once decorated, a user feels bonded to, in effect a little bit like spray-painting your initials on your cat.
wouter Geense [via Neatorama]
Sweet Martha Stewart, who on the highly-polished Earth needs this on their bedside table?! Yes, it looks like a Tascam multi-track recorder, but don’t be deceived – it’s actually a clock-radio. Or is is a weather station? Or is it a police scanner? Calm down, dearests, it’s actually all of the above. Yes, for $199.95 Hammacher Schlemmer will sell you a behemoth of a wake-up call.
Synchronising to the atomic clock at the National Institute of Standards and Time, capable of monitoring FM/AM bands as well as traffic, weather, police, public safety, aircraft and VHF TV, with 30 pre-sets and that all-important snooze. Because let’s face it, it doesn’t matter how many channels you have, in the morning you just want five minutes more.
Hammacher Schlemmer [via CRAVE]
Like listening to radio for variety, but find most DAPs these days offer limited FM radio capabilities? Then the new portable IP Radio from Phoenix will lift your spirits as it lets you listen to any station, podcast, or music source that streams online. The built-in Wi-Fi (802.11g) automatically detects and connects to open hot spots. You can save favorite stations and songs directly on the radio. Comes with two stereo speakers with bass boost. So when we say portable, don’t be expecting to tuck this thing in your pocket as this hunk of radio measures approximately 5 x 8 x 3 inches and weighs almost 2 pounds. Priced at $249 and will be released just before CES 2007.
CES 2007: Phoenix IP Radio Streams Station from the Net [Via: Gizmodo]
SlashGear Japan
