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Editorial: What internet radio needs to disrupt actual radio
"Internet radio" is usually a misnomer, as well as an indicator of its ambition. The term "radio" is misapplied to internet services like AOL Radio, Rhapsody Radio, the upcoming iTunes Radio and their ilk. All these mediums are unrelated to radio technology. But for most people, "radio" simply means something you turn on and listen to. As a marketing term, "radio" seeks to accustom users to new technology by connecting it with familiar technology. Pandora describes itself as "free, personalized radio." The business intent in all cases is more ambitious -- to wean people from the terrestrial radio habit and migrate them to online services. Will it work?
Tivoli's newly Bluetoothed radios up for order, bring your smartphone into the mix
Is your tabletop radio jealous of all the attention you lavish on your smartphone and tablet? Now everyone can play nice. Announced earlier this year, Tivoli's finally offering its Model One BT up for purchase, bringing Bluetooth device streaming to the fancy table-tap AM/FM radio. That $260 unit is joined by the PAL BT ($300) radio and Blucon Music Receiver ($150), which brings Bluetooth functionality to your home audio system. The latter two, up now for pre-order, are set to ship by the end of the month.
C. Crane Witness AM / FM DAP will make you wish Wolfman Jack was still on the air
AM radio often gets left in the dust in this here digital age -- we can't remember too many PMPs that bothered supporting it -- but the C. Crane "Witness" is here to tell you it's not dead yet. Sure, it looks like a clunky old DAP, has a monochromatic screen and only two measly GB of memory. Yes, it's true, you can't even make an MP3 playlist on it, but it's got built-in AM and FM tuners and you can definitely schedule it to record Coast to Coast AM hours and hours in advance. It's a pricy $229 but we have a good feeling that some of your um... relatives will think the Witness is totally awesome.[Via DAPreview]
Timex intros diminutive Ti700 iPod alarm clock
It's no secret that quite a few companies are jumping in the iPod speaker system / alarm clock game, but you know the market's saturated when Timex dives in. Sporting a slim, travel-friendly silver and black enclosure, the Ti700 rocks a blue-backlit LCD, twin alarms, AM / FM tuners, nine station presets, and even a nine-button wireless remote to control the action from afar. Of course, Timex isn't exactly the king of audio, so you'll be relying on a single (likely subpar) driver to belt out the jams, but you can plug in other audio devices via the aux in jack if you leave your 'Pod behind. No word just yet on pricing and availability, nor if it'll be setup beside the bargain watch display at your favorite retailer.
CMO and CMEL develop 25-inch LTPS AMOLED TV
When its not busy taking colossal orders for Dell's (probable) 19-inch widescreen business, Chi Mei Optoelectronics (CMO) is teaming up with Chi Mei EL (CMEL) to create an active matrix OLED TV panel and slapping a "world's largest" label on it. While we've certainly seen larger AMOLED displays before, this 25-inch rendition boasts its Low Temperature Polysilicon TFT technology as the differentiating (and record setting) factor. Typically, LTPS TFT screens are found in more pocket-friendly devices -- such as Minox's DC 8111 digital camera -- but this panel upps the ante by proving suitable for your average bedroom / living area. While shying away from specifics, CMEL did manage to tout the "fully functional, full color" television's "slim design, wide viewing angle, high contrast, and fast response time," but (unsurprisingly) failed to provide any foresight into eventual availability or price.[Via TGDaily]
Polk Audio ships I-Sonic XM/HD Radio combo system
It's not quite an XM / Sirius combo unit, but Polk Audio's new I-Sonic system is nonetheless a first of its kind, combining XM and HD Radio capabilities along with a CD / DVD player for good measure. For those who still enjoy rocking it 20th century style, it'll also pick up plain old AM and FM radio stations. The unit itself measures a countertop-friendly 14.5 x 9.75 x 4.75 inches and packs two sets of auxiliary inputs that'll let you jack in just about any audio device you like (like, say, a Stiletto, perhaps?), as well as S-Video and composite video outputs in case you want to do more than just listen to DVDs. List price is a hefty $599 US, but Polk knows you're good for it.[Via Talk Radio Nation]
Digital Cowboy's SOUND Cowboy: keeps your saddle light
So, here we have Digital Cowboy's new SOUND Cowboy audio excrescence. This AM/FM radio with an aptitude for MP3 and WMA PlaysForSure playback features 256MB of on-board memory, SD expansion, and a "drip-proof" sheath of boxy plastic to keep your Hank dry for up to 10-hours off battery. The perfect companion to that eucalyptus bath you've been hankerin' fer after a hard day's ride eh Buckaroo Panzai? So go ahead, pick 'er up (if you can) when it drops in June for an expected ¥9,980 or about $87. [Via Impress]
TEAC's AM/FM RADIO R-1W
We loves to get old school now and again, so this new AM/FM radio from TEAC is looking pretty sweet right about now. The R-1W features some free swingin' BASS/TREBLE knobs, 10 hours off battery (with 2 hour recharge), a 1.5W 65mm speaker, headphone jack, and weighs just 3-pounds. Still, she manages to keep things fresh via an AUX IN jack for connecting your fave MP3 player. Now, if they could just slap on a few toggle switches we'll happily fork over the ¥12,600/$110 when these drop the 16th of June in Japan.[Via Impress]
DS TV tuner created from 1984 Trans Am
Seriously, I had a friend in high school who drove a '84 Pontiac Trans Am and the dashboard looked just like this...thing. Actually, upon further inspection, I believe that antenna is the exact one and the same, ripped from the dated-beauty of the hood of his 1984 Pontiac Trans Am and affixed, in pure Frankenstein-like fashion, upon this bulky add-on. Considering the allure of simplistic design that the DS, and even more so the Lite, has achieved, this is one eyesore of an adapter. What's even more puzzling is how the adapter was proposed almost a year ago, looking identically the same, yet the color grey.[Via Joystiq]
