Radio -- Engadget

radio posts

Engadget's recession antidote: win a VTech IS9181 WiFi radio

by Darren Murph, posted Jul 1st 2009 at 12:00PM

This whole global economic crisis, and its resulting massive loss of jobs got us thinking. We here at Engadget didn't want to stand helplessly by, announcing every new round of misery without giving anything back -- so we decided to take the opportunity to spread a little positivity. We'll be handing out a new gadget every day (except for weekends) to lucky readers until we run out of stuff / companies stop sending things. Today we've got a boomin' VTech IS9181 internet radio on offer, ready to stream jams from the world wide web when not playing back your MP3 collection. Read the rules below (no skimming -- we're omniscient and can tell when you've skimmed) and get commenting! Check after the break for some photos of the prize!

Special thanks to VTech for providing the gear!

The rules:

Leave a comment below. Any comment will do, but if you want to share your proposal for "fixing" the world economy, that'd be sweet too.
You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
Winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) VTech IS9181 WiFi radio. Approximate retail value is $199.99.
If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
Entries can be submitted until Wednesday, July 1st, 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
Full rules can be found here

Sonoro Eklipse clock radio / iPod dock gets official, priced

by Donald Melanson, posted Jun 13th 2009 at 3:36AM

This one's been making the rounds in Europe for some time now, and finally passed through the FCC late last year, but it looks like Sonoro's Eklipse iPod dock / CD player / clock radio has only just recently gotten fully official in the US, and given a price. Unfortunately, while it has dropped a bit compared to the Euro conversion, it is still a fairly hefty $550, which will buy you 7.5W of power output, a nice little OLED display, a compact remote, and an auxiliary jack in case the iPod dock and slot-load CD player aren't enough options for you. There's still no official word on a release date, however, but it looks like at least one retailer is now taking pre-orders for it.

[Via OhGizmo!]

DIY WiFi radio built with ASUS WL-520gU router, sweat and tears

by Darren Murph, posted Jun 6th 2009 at 3:57PM

Are you just now coming to the stark realization that you've nothing whatsoever to do this weekend? Calm down, there's no need to freak out. Thanks to Jeff Keyzer over at mightyOhm, you can now get to work on your very own DIY WiFi radio. In one of the most elaborate how-to guides we've ever had the pleasure of gawking at, Jeff has detailed exactly how to turn an ASUS WL-520gU router, a few spare pieces of wood and a couple of unwanted knobs into an open source internet radio streamer. Sure, there's always Pandora for those who aren't inclined to get their elbows dirty, but seriously, what fun is that? Roll up those sleeves, grab whatever tools your pop gave you when you left for college and hit the read link. Pronto.

[Via Hacked Gadgets]

VTech's $200 IS9181 WiFi radio now shipping

by Darren Murph, posted May 14th 2009 at 6:21PM

What, you didn't even know VTech was dabbling in home audio now? You should be ashamed! All jesting aside, the outfit's first-ever WiFi radio -- which was introduced "way back" at CES -- is now shipping. Priced at $199.95, the Wireless Music Hub boasts built-in 3W stereo speakers (not to mention a 10W subwoofer), 802.11b/g support, an FM tuner and an auxiliary audio port. Additionally, it can play back MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV and RealAudio files stored on any nearby WiFi-enabled computer, though it can't actually get more beautiful with age. Sorry.

Portable HD Radio prototype gets pictured, coming this summer for under $50

by Darren Murph, posted May 13th 2009 at 10:07PM

Details are rather scant on this little gem right now, but here's what we can tell you: you're looking at the world's first HD Radio portable device prototype, and it's slated to do just about exactly what you expect. In other words, it'll slip into your pocket, tune into HD Radio as well as standard analog FM broadcasts and connect with any set of cans that use a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack. Unfortunately, the manufacturer is being kept under wraps, and there's no Bluetooth headset support baked in. That said, you can expect it to land in an undisclosed "big box retailer" this summer for under $50.

Monitor Audio Airstream 10 WiFi radio gets the hands on treatment

by Donald Melanson, posted May 11th 2009 at 4:14PM

While Monitor Audio's new Airstream 10 WiFi / DAB radio unfortunately isn't a radio inspired by a vintage Airstream trailer, it is nonetheless pretty eye catching in its own right, and fairly full featured as far as WiFi radios go. Apparently, the radio can either be stood upright or placed on its side, and it'll let you listen to some standard FM or DAB radio, or hop onto a network via WiFi or Ethernet to either stream some tunes off your Mac or PC or tune into some internet radio stations. What's more, while Stuff.tv is apparently reserving final judgment for its full review, it does say that the sound quality doesn't disappoint, and it packs the usual 3.5mm jack to round out its options. Still no word on a DAB-less version for these parts, sadly, but those in the UK should be able to pick this one up starting in June.

[Via SlashGear]

DIY spring reverb from cassette player brings noise, nostalgia

by Laura June, posted Apr 28th 2009 at 7:42PM

Back when we were growing up, we had three cassette players all our own (one in the bedroom, one in the playroom for dancing, and one kept by the back door for travelling) which were tiny, pink, and had the audio quality of of a GBV record cranked thorough a baseball park sound system -- but still, many of us have at least one cassette player laying around the house, sad and disused. Make has posted a project by Leadtowill which puts an old cassette radio player's parts to use by removing the motor, adding an input to the amp part of the circuit, and adding a spring to convert the speaker to a driver. The end result is a spring reverb, which he plans on augmenting further by repurposing the radio as a white noise generator. Us? Well, we still use our tape player for the occasional outdoor rollerskating / baton routine so we'll leave this one to the pros. Hit the read link to check out the very cool photo set.

[Via Make]

Creative TravelSound i85 adds external speaker, FM tuner to iPod nano

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 23rd 2009 at 6:34PM

There's really no easy way to say it -- Creative's TravelSound i85 is bordering on unsightly, so devout fashionistas should probably look elsewhere. For those who always put design second and utility first, this here device adds a portable speaker and FM tuning abilities to Apple's fourth-generation iPod nano (the tall, thin one, for those unaware) and even includes a built-in rechargeable battery for pumping out up to 15 hours of house jams. Aside from operating as a gaudy wrist adornment, it can also double as a stand (horizontally or vertically), though there's no Dock Connector pass-through (just a miniUSB plug). Worth $99.99? That's between you and the monster underneath your bed.

[Via FarEastGizmos]

Pandora-lovin' Livio Radio sports 'thumbs up / down' controls

by Darren Murph, posted Apr 15th 2009 at 12:01AM

Much like digital photo frames, the whole internet radio sector is getting really, really tired. Thankfully, a little known company by the name of Livio is breaking in to spice things up. The simply titled (and classically styled) Livio Radio is the first and only dedicated device to offer Pandora's signature "thumbs up, thumbs down" controls on both the front panel and a remote, and while we suppose Pandora will be plenty for most of the targeted customers, it can also tune into a comprehensive list of other validated internet radio stations from around the world through Reciva. Outside of that, functionality is indeed limited, but Livio designed this thing to be a simple WiFi mix tape of sorts, not a bona fide home audio player. Naturally, all that's required to get tunes streaming is an AC outlet and an internet connection, so you can feel free to leave your PC / laptop at home. It's shipping now directly from Livio for $150, and the full release is after the break.

Gallery: Pandora-lovin' Livio Radio sports 'thumbs up / down' controls

Continue reading Pandora-lovin' Livio Radio sports 'thumbs up / down' controls

Brionvega's retro-futurist MP3 / radio stolen from the set of Fahrenheit 451

by Joseph L. Flatley, posted Apr 13th 2009 at 12:54PM

Once again, the gang at Brionvega prove that sometimes sexy is enough. The Italian company's been doing its thing since the 1940s, and this radio is actually a refresh of a model that first debuted in 1965. The RR227 (as it's affectionately known) is pretty straightforward -- an AM / FM tuner that sports an SD card slot for MP3 or WMA playback. This bad boy also features headphone out, aux in, and a USB connection. It will run off of European mains power (Yanks will need to get an AC adapter) or, if you're picnicking with a loved one near the Seine, it also runs off batteries. Available in black, white, or red. Retails for €199 (about $260). More pics after the break.

[Via Technabob]

Continue reading Brionvega's retro-futurist MP3 / radio stolen from the set of Fahrenheit 451

Solar-powered broadcast on WFMU New York Monday night may just change your life

by Laura June, posted Mar 29th 2009 at 1:26PM

If you're on the planet tomorrow night, you may just want to check out Engadget's own podcast producer, Trent Wolbe, on his WFMU radio show. Sure, Trent can be found assaulting the airwaves there every single Monday, but this coming one (March 30th), the show will be live from the Solar One facility on the East River in NYC, and the broadcast will be entirely solar-powered. Oh, there's going to be live performances by some great 8 bit / handheld, artists too. We love that. Hit up WFMU.ORG for all the details, or to listen to the show live tomorrow night, from 8-10 PM EST. Should be awesome, friends.

[Via Solar One]

Acoustic Research Infinite Radio now on sale for $129.99

by Darren Murph, posted Mar 28th 2009 at 12:02PM

Remember that ARIR200 WiFi radio from back at CES? If not, you can take comfort in the fact that we're the forgiving type, but Acoustic Research has rung in to inform the world that the so-called Infinite Radio is now on sale. For those with short memories, this radio brings along Slacker support, on-demand weather forecasts from WeatherBug, MP3tunes music locker streaming, an AM / FM radio tuner, USB and Ethernet connections and enough internal memory to hold ten hours of audio. The device is available now at regional chain stores and nationally online for $129.99, and if it's the iPod-friendly ARIR600i you're after, that'll hit the market later in the year for $199.99. Full release is after the break.

Continue reading Acoustic Research Infinite Radio now on sale for $129.99

Verizon Hub spotted streaming internet radio

by Darren Murph, posted Feb 23rd 2009 at 8:26PM

We've already heard a few of you clamoring for internet radio support on Verizon's Hub, and if a mall unit is indicative of shipping units, your prayers have been answered. Mr. Dave Zatz happened upon a Hub while checking out the good word at a Verizon mall kiosk, and sure enough, WiFi radio functionality was in tact and working smoothly. We're told that the company's initial music partner is Clear Channel's iheartradio.com, though details beyond that are nonexistent. In all honestly, the Hub seems like the perfect device to see all sorts of added utility via firmware updates, so we're crossing our fingers in hopes that Verizon feels the same way.

College students contact space station with self-built radio system

by Donald Melanson, posted Feb 3rd 2009 at 3:49PM

While putting a call in to the International Space Station and chatting up an astronaut for a full ten minutes would likely be more than enough to satisfy most science classes, a group of students from Humber College in Toronto decided to go one big step further and do so with a radio system that they designed and built themselves. According to the school, that makes it the first time that's ever been done by students at the college level, which provided some well-deserved bragging rights for the students and their instructor, who said that they're "playing way, way above their league." Be sure to hit up the link below for a video of the big moment and, of course, the complete NASA control room-esque geek out.

Sirius XM plans official rate hike for March 11th

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 27th 2009 at 10:54PM

Yep, the deed's done. Er, it will be come March 11th, and there's no avoiding it. Unless, of course, you lock in a lower rate now, but we suppose that's the point of Sirius XM coming out with this information over a month in advance. As of now, both XM and Sirius' separate websites have "lockin" pages hosted up, with XM's noting that after March 11th, subscriptions will no longer include internet listening gratis. For those who renew their existing contract now, you'll be grandfathered in and continue to listen for free; after that deadline, it'll be $2.99 per month for the premium (and only) stream. Over at Sirius, we're told that the SIRIUS Everything plan will rise from $6.99 per month to $8.99 per month unless you lock yourself in prior to the eleventh day of March. So, should you stay or should you go?

[Via The Wolf Web]

Read - XM's page
Read - Sirius' page