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Keepin' it real fake, part CCXLV: the Nokia iPhone
Alright, so iPhone and N97 knock-offs probably aren't the rarest of gems around these days, but how many handsets do you know that can lay claim to being both? The Cooli902 takes the iPhone's 3.5-inch touchscreen, spit-shines a pretty realistic iPhone OS clone-job, and then adds the Nokia flavor with a fully fledged QWERTY keypad ripped straight from the heart of the N97. Not only does it open to that familiar angle, it also sports the same layout and what we can only imagine to be the same violent opening mechanism as found on the original Nokia handset. And to think that poor Philippe Starck had to pick between these two phones, when for only $143 we could have had both. More pics after the break, or hit the read link to get your own.
Sony joins 1,000-hour recording club with IDC-UX300
You really don't know how many voice recorders there are out there until you actually look. Sony's UX line of dictation takers / mp3 players has just undergone a gentle revamp with a freshened up control scheme and a bump in integrated storage. The new base model, UX200, will come with 2GB of flash memory, while the 4GB UX300 and 300F (both capable of more than 1,000 hours of recording) are differentiated only by the FM radio availalble in the latter. All models record in stereo mp3 format with added noise cancellation built in, while playback can be done at 21 different speed steps, allowing you to keep track of all the Scatman John wannabes out there. Battery life is rated at up to 15 hours for continuous recording, or north of 80 for continuous playback. Expect to see these showing up, in all their classy color options, in Europe early next month, and check past the break for the full PR.
Rumor: Apple adding FM Radio to the iPhone and iPod touch?
Just like the 5th generation iPod nano that was introduced last month, Apple may soon be adding the capability to tune in to FM radio stations on the iPhone and iPod touch, if this report from 9to5Mac is on the money. As some of you may remember, the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth chipsets in the iPhone 3GS and the 2nd and 3rd generation iPod touch models already have the capability to support FM radio tuning. It's also reported that you'll be able to listen to the radio in the background, allowing you to use apps at the same time, just like you listen to music synced to your iPhone or iPod touch. It would also support Live Pause and iTunes Tagging, just like the 5th generation iPod nano does. Also, it would allow you to buy the song directly from your iPod touch. While technically possible, this has been a long-requested but missing feature on the iPhone and iPod touch. Would you listen to FM radio stations on your iPhone or iPod touch, or do you prefer listening to podcasts or Music synced from iTunes or from a streaming radio service on your iPhone or iPod touch? Let us know in the comments below! [via Engadget]
iPhone and iPod touch radio app with iTunes store integration on the horizon?
We know what you're thinking, how dare that new iPod nano have features your premium iPhone and iPod touch handhelds don't? Well, if this 9 to 5 Mac rumor has any merit, Apple is right there with you and has a solution in the works. According to said whispers, a Radio app is in the works to capitalize on the recent models' latent FM tuner. It'll either be standalone or integrated into the iPod app, and either way it'll be able to work in the background while you browse other, not so fortunate apps. The apparent cause for delay is work on a feature that'll identify the songs and link you to the appropriate iTunes page for purchase. As always, this is just a rumor, so do yourself a favor and try not to dwell on it too much, k?
LG's GB230 ditches the headphones and keeps the FM flowing
A great many of the world's phones can tune FM radio -- it's basically a standard feature in some developing countries -- but most of them are hogtied by a necessary evil: the headphones act as the antenna. Enter the GB230 slider from LG, an otherwise uninteresting entry-level slider that proudly boasts of its "Wireless FM" capability with a big silkscreened logo below the screen, meaning you're able to tune FM to your heart's content without plugging in. It's also got live radio recording and a microSD slot to save all that scintillating talk programming you're into, Bluetooth 2.1, and USB connectivity for 4,790 rubles (about $158) -- not bad for a phone that can do something most $600 phones can't. [Via PhoneArena]
Philips sticks to its guns with 16GB GoGear Muse PMP
Think you've seen this one before? Close, but no cigar. Philips' GoGear Muse doesn't deviate much from the path that has been chosen for it (and fittingly so, might we add), boasting a predictably glossy motif, 16GB of internal storage space and a 3-inch display. As it overtakes the Opus for the company's top-of-the-line player, it also gains support for BMP, GIF, PNG, OGG, APE, Real Video and Real Audio formats, and just in case you're curious, it'll also handle those ultra-rare "MP3" things as well. Philips asserts that users could see up to 25 hours of audio playback on a single charge, while watching Family Guy re-runs could suck it dry in just 5 hours. As with pretty much everything else that Philips produces these days, it'll first hit Singapore for S$349 (or around $244 in Greenbacks), with only a faint chance of ever seeing significant action here in North America. One more look is after the break.[Via CNET]
Philips HF3490 Wake-up Light is also a bedside lamp, iPod dock
Did you know that waking up by natural light is a lot less stressful than doing it with sound? Yes, apparently your toast tastes better too. Philips has long been a proponent of light alarms and, in an effort to stay hip with the kids, it's added a detachable iPod / iPhone dock to its latest offering. The HF3490 might never serve as your music station, but it tries hard, bringing an FM radio and some soothing sounds along. With 30 different levels of brightness and a "dusk simulator," this device has enough tweaking options to ensure you wake up just the way nature intended -- with birds chirping and soft sunlight on your pillow, all simulated by futuristically ugly electronics. If you can get over the $199 price, you can pre-order one for delivery on August 22.[Via Coolest Gadgets]
Insignia NS-HD01 portable HD radio hands-on and impressions
HD Radio has been desperately trying for years to become important in a world where most Americans are perfectly fine with tinny, 96kbps MP3s, and by and large, it's been unsuccessful. More vehicles today arrive with compatibility for a single shining portable media player (Apple's iPod, if you had to ask) than HD Radio, and up until this month, there was no way to easily strap an HD Radio player on your arm when heading out to the gym. One could argue that getting the technology into this segment is crucial for being ubiquitous, and while we aren't so sure we're in that camp just yet, we're still willing to give Insignia's NS-HD01 a fighting chance. Head on past the break for our take, and feel free to peruse the gallery for an up close and personal look at the hardware.
Insignia NS-HD01: first-ever portable HD Radio on sale at Best Buy
Remember that first-ever portable HD Radio prototype we peeked back in May? Turns out Best Buy just let loose the real-deal, today announcing immediate availability of the Insignia NS-HD01. Needless to say, the big box retailer and supporters of HD Radio alike are hoping that this subscription-free player will finally put some much-needed wind behind the sails of the format, and while it's pretty simple in nature, the sub-$50 price tag could place it squarely in the "impulse buy" category. The relatively brief specs list includes a color LCD, rechargeable Li-ion battery, a 3.5 millimeter headphone jack, a bundled armband and ten user-selectable preset memory channels. You can catch the full release after the break, and the player itself in your nearest Best Buy.
Portable HD Radio prototype gets pictured, coming this summer for under $50
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.
Creative TravelSound i85 adds external speaker, FM tuner to iPod nano
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]
SanDisk slotRadio player comes with jam-packed card: like NOW, but infinitely worse
Oh, heaven help us all. Just when we thought SanDisk had taken a hint and stopped promoting its slotMusic initiative entirely, in flies this. Quite honestly, we weren't aware that it could get any worse, but this friends, is worse. The Sansa slotRadio player includes a fairly intriguing 1.5-inch OLED display, a useful FM tuner and a slotRadio card with 1,000 hits that were "handpicked from the Billboard charts." Oh, and we hope you dig 'em (all of 'em), because there's no way to remove or alter them. For real. The device itself is expected to ship to three or four suckers early this year for $99.99, and additional 1,000 song, genre-specific slotRadio cards will be offered up separately at $39.99 apiece. And we thought the NOW That's What I Call Music! theme was a train wreck -- way to show 'em what a real disaster looks like, SanDisk.[Via OLED-Display]
New Broadcom chip for phones does 802.11n, lots of other stuff
Phones have lagged -- understandably, we suppose -- behind desktops and laptops in bringing 802.11n to market, but it was bound to happen eventually; to that end, Broadcom has announced its BCM4329, one of the first mobile 802.11n solutions on the block. On top of delivering up to 50Mbps of real-world WiFi throughput on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, the darned thing throws in Bluetooth, an FM receiver, and an FM transmitter, too -- in other words, everything but the kitchen sink, where the "kitchen sink" is the cellular radio itself. Sadly, the 4329 sticks with single-stream transmission to conserve battery life -- no MIMO here, folks -- but considering the 802.11g alternative, we'll take what we can get. The chip's already being sampled (and hopefully being integrated into future products) by Broadcom's customers with mass production following on sometime in 2009.
Nokia introduces Home Music WiFi radio
Hot on the heals of today's look at the N97, Nokia has dropped the dime on Home Music, the company's first internet radio. Meant for the office or smart home, the device features WiFi and Ethernet connectivity, as well as the usual USB port, aux line-in, analog and digital outs. For those of you who kick it old school once in a while, it also sports an FM receiver and a 10W speaker. No pricing or shipping date yet, but you'll know as soon as we do. In the mean time, hit the read link for more specs and info.[Via Electronista]
RCA trots out RIR205 tabletop internet radio
Among the other low-rate gear unveiled this evening by Audiovox comes the RCA RIR205, a tabletop internet radio that may have gotten away with that design in 1992. Instead, we have no option but to recommend this one only for rarely used spare bedrooms, though the built-in AM / FM tuner, WiFi radio streaming (complete with a Slacker song tagging feature) and the integrated support for WeatherBug forecasts are quite nice. Additionally, users can record up to 10 hours of music and other radio programming onto the unit's 512MB of inbuilt memory, and of course, you can set the alarm to wake you with online music or your favorite local sports talk host. Not too shabby for $149.99, but that exterior could use some work.
Radiopaq Rp5 does DAB, FM and internet radio
Look out, Pure Digital -- you've got a new rival in town. Radiopaq, best known for bringing thousands of internet radio stations and podcasts to listeners via the web, has decided to hop into the hardware game. The Rp5 tabletop radio features a five-way speaker system, digital / analog processors, a headphone jack, remote control and a rather stylish design. There's also an integrated WiFi module for tuning into the outfit's website and even sucking down news, weather and traffic information. Of course, the more traditional FM / DAB tuners are there as well, making this one quite the multifaceted box. Word on the British streets has this one pegged for a September launch at £250 ($468).[Via Pocket-lint]
Keepin' it real fake, part CXIV: the N95 FM radio... from Asaki
It's just what you've been waiting for -- a Nokia N95 running Windows Mobile. It looks like the rumors were true after all! What's that? This is not a real phone? It's just an FM radio with a sticker on the screen? Oh bother. Yes folks, thanks to eagle-eyed tipster Eric, you're looking at the next evolution in gadgetry -- the Asaki N95 FM radio. We're not sure what the going price for this is, but we'd imagine slightly less than $779, though the real N95 doesn't come with those totally pimped-out headphones, does it?
FM DockRadio is a radio for your dock
We're still not totally convinced this isn't just some joke gone too far, but given the fact that they're accepting PayPal payments as we speak, we're going to have to go with "scarily real." The FM DockRadio is simply an FM radio for your Bose SoundDock. Obviously the iPod doesn't have an FM radio tuner, so the need is there, but we're guessing the $89+ cost isn't going to fly for something as incredibly janky and featureless as this. Especially when we could just go out and buy a Coby for twenty five cents at Costco -- which plays CDs and keeps you warm.
Switched On: PopCatcher teaches a new 'Pod old tricks (Part 2)
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment. As discussed in last week's Switched On, the PopCatcher Ripper scours FM radio stations to separate the music from the mumble and transfer songs to flash drives, memory cards and several brands of MP3 players. Using the product, one can harvest hundreds of megabytes of music without any service or song acquisition fees or touching a PC. However, there are some limitations. First, while songs are captured as 192 kbps MP3 files, captured song quality will be less than that of purchased or CD-ripped tracks due to the limitations of FM radio. Furthermore, files are named according to the order in which they were captured. There is no automatic song identification, nor does the company provide an Internet-based song identification service for captured tracks. Radio stations are inserted for the album title field. Because of these analog disadvantages, developing a version of the PopCatcher technology based on HD Radio would be a natural future improvement.The beginnings and ends of songs will also often be a bit clipped although this generally wasn't as much of a disadvantage as anticipated. Also, because there is no programming guide or way to set manual recording times, you cannot use it to record talk-radio programs, one of the key applications of the PoGo Products' RadioYourWay devices.
Switched On: PopCatcher teaches a new 'Pod old tricks (Part 1)
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment.
