
We've been waiting just about forever
for Apple to add an FM receiver to the iPod, and the company's competitors have had no trouble exploiting that lack;
it's almost impossible to find a digital audio player from another company that doesn't have an FM tuner. Now Apple has
thrown in the towel and added an FM receiver of their own to the iPod — sort of. The new iPod Radio Remote has a
built-in FM receiver, something that's been available for some time on third-party products like
Griffin's iFM. Of course, now that
Apple's doing it themselves, the vendors can just throw in the towel. The iPod Radio Remote supports the nano and iPod
with video, and is powered by the iPod. Stations can be saved as favorites, and the radio supports the Radio Data
System for display of song or station information. Of course third-party vendors may still find an audience for their
products given that Apple's offering only works with the most recent iPod models, and doesn't include a voice recorder
or some of the other bells and whistles available on some aftermarket products.