If you’re an iPhone user that also happens to be shopping for a new head unit for your vehicle, you might want to check out Oxygen Audio’s new O CAR stereo which has been designed specifically for the iPhone. The O CAR features a built-in RDS-enabled AM/FM tuner, Bluetooth connectivity and a 4-channel, 55-watt amp that links to a vehicle’s factory or aftermarket speakers. The iPhone slides into a special dock that turns it into the radio’s faceplate, allowing you to control standard car stereo functions like volume and tuning, as well as browse and play your iTunes library and internet radio station apps. The O CAR also provides hands-free calling and battery charging. It has an MSRP of $299.95, which seems a bit steep, but I’d still love to try this in my 2006 Mazda 3. I could then do away with cigarette lighter chargers, FM transmitters and other connection methods since my car doesn’t have a built in AUX-in jack.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Car, iPhone, Radio

Oxygen Audio O CAR – Car Radio Built for the iPhone originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 25, 2011 at 1:00 pm.

This is a difficult review to write. Not because the Evoke is frustrating to use, because it can be or that it’s wonderful because it can be that, also. What makes it hard is that the Pure Evoke Flow Radio does so many things, I having to choose what to write about and what to skim over. The Gadgeteer is not an audiophile site, so I try to keep details short and easy to grasp. So if this review seems to ramble a bit, please forgive me I’m covering a lot of bases here.

Remember your first girlfriend or boyfriend? They were so magical and when you weren’t together, it felt like there was a void in the pit of your stomach. That person seemed to become part of you and you couldn’t fathom how you got through your day before they entered your life. Before long though, you noticed all was not perfect, and this partner could frustrate the heck out of you. However you stuck it out because the good so outweighed the bad that you overlooked the flaws. Well, that’s what the Pure Evoke Flow radio is like. This hefty, sleek, retro, magic box has become indispensable to my daily routine. It also frustrates me from time to time.

The Evoke Flow is beautiful to look at. It’s (very) black and has that early tabletop/transistor radio look to it. It’s heavy – as in solidly built – and portable, especially with the optional Pure E1 ChargePAK battery. The Evoke Flow does not use regular batteries.

The Evoke Flow has a smallish monochrome OLED display. The yellow on black text-only display seems like a throwback to the nineties. It’s very low res and confusing to learn, but very easy to read. There are two knobs; one which controls volume and the other – named Select – that scrolls through the display for tuning, preferences, settings and such and then pushes for selecting. Despite the sometimes confusing nature of the display setup, you soon figure out how the knobs work in conjunction with four touch sensitive buttons located below the display. These touch sensitive buttons are Cancel, OK, Options and a reverse button which will put you back in the previous selection. I press the reverse button a lot.

The Options button lets you set alarm, media, network among a few other settings. Even though you can choose many preferences using the Options button along with the Scroll knob, it can be confusing at first. Scroll can be used to search for radio stations, iTunes music, podcasts and environmental sounds. You can also use a search function on the display to look for stations. However, the Scroll knob is needed to find and select each letter one at a time on the display letter arrangement – it can’t even be described as a keyboard. Not fun.

Setting up the radio begins by connecting to your wifi router. A wireless network is essential for internet radios. The radio’s display walks you through the very simple registration process and is a one time affair. After that, reconnecting is all automatic. It’s almost set it and forget it.

There are four options to choose from in the main display. He first choice called The Lounge refers to a website: www.thelounge.com where you register the radio. Once registered, you can input favorite internet radio stations, podcasts, streaming and even environmental sounds into playlists that you name and control. There can be as many or as few playlists as you like. The Evoke radio will then recognize your registration and list your named playlists in a favorites listing. When you add, delete or change those favorites on The Lounge site, the Evoke refreshes itself and reflects the changes you just made. This way, the radio is completely customizable to your tastes. That quickly becomes an addiction. I find myself searching various music and talk stations that I like on The Lounge site then categorize them. The Evoke the displays my favorites right away. Radio was never like this. I am so spoiled now.

The Evoke also will find any media servers you may have in your home, which allows you access to any audio library you have throughout the house. I don’t have any media servers, so I was unable to try this option. There is a built-in FM  band that holds 15 custom presets. Sadly, there is no AM band. If you need a decent output for your iPod or other portable media player, there is also and AUX port on the back of the radio.

Speaking of decent output, the Evoke’s 3-inch mono speaker is not bad. The sound is full and the volume will fill a smaller-sized room. Even though it is a single mono speaker, the Evoke will output a stereo signal either through its headphone jack or an optional extra speaker (from Pure – $50) connected through the stereo out port.

But all is not perfect. There is a lack of support for paid subscription services like Napster or Rhapsody, but its the inability to access the free Pandora streaming service that I miss the most. Also, you have to weigh the Evoke Flow against easy to use apps available for the iPhone and other smart phones, despite the numerous and serious drawbacks those apps inherently have.

Pure is also a European company and consequently, The Lounge site’s American radio selection isn’t as robust as it should be. I have repeatedly not been able to input stations I like that can easily be found using internet radio apps on my iPhone. Pure does have a helpful support team that have “turned on” stations for me that were previously not available, but other times, I have been told that if a station is not available for streaming outside the US, then they cannot access it and because Pure is based in Europe, its US customers are treated as if they were outside the US. This needs to be fixed. Even though most stations broadcasting on the internet in the US are currently available or can be made so just by asking, it is still frustrating to have to jump through those hoops. Also, you can’t search by radio show titles. Many nationally syndicated radio shows cannot be found, at least by show title. To find them for your playlist, you have to first find station that carries that particular show.  So for example, whether you may be a right-winger or a left-winger looking for your favorite nationally syndicated talk show, you can’t search by show title alone. Another frustration.

There is a handy app available for download called “Pure Flow Server” for both Windows and Mac. What it does is treat your computer as a media server so you can play music from your computer through the Evoke radio. The Lounge web site provides the necessary instructions, but I ran into issues when I tried to use it. For some reason, the app sent me to the proper web site … for Danish people. Once again, the Pure support team fixed it for me. Note that only your DRM free music will play.

The Pure Evoke Flow is really more than just a radio. With internet streaming, built-in FM, ability to access your media and ability to upgrade the software wirelessly, its practically a window to your personal world. The absence of AM (a minor inconvenience) and clunky display/button combination can make for a frustrating experience. Get past that though, and you will come to depend on this portable gem.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews

Tagged: Radio

Pure Evoke Flow Radio Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 4, 2011 at 12:45 pm.

After reviewing the Eton/Red Cross Aluminator Flashlight , I was happy to receive an Eton/Red Cross ARCFR360R SolarLink Emergency Radio as a gift. Being a preparedness-minded kinda gadgeteer, I was really looking forward to adding this feature-filled gadget to my kit.

Note: This is a 2nd opinion on this product. Janet reviewed the ETON Solarlink last Spring.

The Eton ARCFR360R is almost ridiculously full of features.

• It can run off 3 AAA batteries (not included), AC power (adapter not included), solar power (sort of), or a hand crank. The latter two charge a replaceable bank of Ni-Mh coin cells, like those used in cordless phones.
• The radio can pick up AM, FM, and 7 NOAA weather bands- with digital tuning.
• It has a alarm, sleep to music, a USB charger port (cable not included), 4 LED flashlight- white or red flashing, and has a headphone out jack, as well as a source input jack (cables not included).
• There is a digital display, 11 small buttons, a big switch (for the flashlight), 3 knobs, and 4 ports or jacks.

It claims to be a rugged, reliable, award-winning unit for everyday preparedness. It all really sounds great!

Front view. The volume knob is the one beside the speaker.

Functionally, the flashlight works well- nothing special, but handy. The radio works decently on all bands. Clarity and volume are about what you get out of most smaller battery-powered mono radios with a typical antenna. The digital tuning is helpful, and the large tuning dial makes it easy to either make big spins or fine-tune. There is a tendency sometimes for the tuner to hesitate or jump in use but this is nothing too annoying.

The weather radio is helpful. Most people will only be able to pick up one channel in their areas (I made a note of which channel ours was on the back of the unit.) It does feature an ALERT option that will trigger a tone on the radio when the local weather service issues one- as long as their is a charge in the batteries.

The buttons... the buttons!

The buttons. The radio is covered in small buttons with tiny labels. 4 in one group on the front, one off to the side, and a bank of 6 under the handle. Even in decent light, the buttons under the handle are hard to read. The ‘DISPLAY’ button (off to the side) triggers a very short-lived backlight for the display that also helps illuminate the button labels, but you better read fast. The bank of four help manage the power functions-”POWER, SOL/DYN, BATTERY, CELL”. To turn the unit on or off, select SOL/DYN or BATTERY and POWER. CELL turns on the USB charger. The other buttons, under the handle are for things like “ALERT, ALARM, SLEEP, CLOCK”, etc.

The helpful booklet explains how to do everything, but some things are not as smoothly intuitive as they could be so you’ll want to keep the booklet handy. And, remember, you may be doing these functions in the dark in adverse conditions. Yuck.

The crank and solar panels are big sales points in emergency units- the ability to run the unit if all else fails. But it takes about 3 minutes of cranking (fast enough to turn a small LED green) to power a typical call, or 90 seconds to get 15 minutes of radio play. The solar panel, like so many small solar units, takes a very long time to fully charge the Ni-Mh cells. The good news is that either the crank or the solar panels can charge those batteries- although they do not seem to hold much of a charge, or for very long (almost every time I check my radio in the prep bag, it is dead flat again. The 3 AAA batteries also do not hold up for long- less than a day of light use – possibly because it is so easy to accidentally leave something on that draws some current. I recommend keeping the batteries out of it in storage.

Once you start to get annoyed at a product, it is easy to find more and more that bothers you- the oddly placed and protected volume knob, the fact that the alarm is just the radio- set at whatever volume you went to sleep with it at (not nearly loud enough for me!), the fact the ports in back are not clearly labeled, the somewhat cheap-feeling casing, the rather exposed buttons that can get bumped in any kind of bag, and the fact that I had a hard time using the device as a radio in my nice, calm, non-crisis bedroom.

Two of the unlabeled ports with my notes

Can it be redeemed? Sure- there are things you can do to make it more useful in an emergency, or just for camping or something…

1. Keep the batteries out of it until needed. This is good advice for most battery-powered devices in your emergency kit. It is also helpful to try to run all of your devices on the same size battery whenever practical.
2. Instead of hiding the unit in your emergency kit, park it where the solar panel can keep charged.
3. Write important notes on the case- what the ports are for, what kind of AC adapter do you need, what weather band works locally, how to turn things off, etc.
4. Pack an AC charger 9for the Ni-Mh cells), and a cell phone cable for your phone with the radio.

I know that many preparedness enthusiasts prefer to use discrete components- like a small travel alarm clock, a good flashlight or three, and a hand-held AM/FM/weather radio- for many reasons and I tend to agree with them. However, there is a place for well-designed multi-purpose emergency units like this that can coordinate a variety of power options for a variety of functions. I just am not sure that this unit accomplishes it in the right way.

Eton makes some great products, like the Raptor or Scorpion radios, and Amazon lists several interesting alternatives, many with better reviews, more features, and lower prices. This unit is not a complete failure, but rather expected better from the company.

Filed in categories: Outdoor Gear, Reviews, Travel Gear

Tagged: emergency, Radio, Red Cross

Eton/Red Cross ARCFR360R Solarlink Emergency Radio Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 2, 2011 at 11:40 am.

I drive a 2006 Mazda 3 5 Door and love it except for two things. The A/C is crappy and so is the stock stereo. I keep toying with the idea of replacing the stereo and these new Sony Xplod in-dash units might make me finally pull the trigger. Sony has introduced 4 different radios that range in price from $80 up to $160. So pricing isn’t really an issue. The top end model (CDX-GT650UI) has several features that appeal to me, including the ability to customize the illumination color to match the color that your car already uses. There are 35,000 color choices, so I don’t think I’d have a problem picking one to match. It also has a front USB connector for use with an iPod or other MP3 player, as well as a front aux-in jack. It even has an application called SenseMe that automatically organizes your music library into custom playlists to match your mood.

Filed in categories: Car Gear, News

Tagged: Car, Radio, Spotlight Gadgets

Sony Announces New Xplod In-Dash Car Stereos Designed For Connectivity and Customization originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 18, 2010 at 1:58 pm.

To complement the yellow submarine tea infuser Julie told us about earlier this year, Uncommon Goods is offering a yellow submarine radio.  The submarine is covered in rubber to protect the radio components while it bobs along in your bathtub.  The Submarine Bath Radio is $30.00.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Radio, Yellow submarine

Yellow Submarine Bath Radio originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 13, 2010 at 7:00 am.

Built for the job / construction site, the Bosch Power Box 360 is one tough radio / sound system. It was first introduced in 2004, but has been updated with two new models that retain the signature roll-cage design. Both have a 5 speaker design with an integrated sub woofer. They have a special weather proof media bay for your MP3 player, as well as a powered USB port. The PB360S retails for $199 and is currently being rolled out on shelves nationwide as I type this. The PB360D (includes a remote, Sirius port, backlit display, GFCI outlets, more sound power output) will be available starting late July for $249.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News, Outdoor Gear

Tagged: Outdoors, Radio, Spotlight Gadgets

A Sound System on Steroids – The Bosch Power Box 360 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 29, 2010 at 6:04 pm.

The iHome iP39 speaker system for iPhone/iPod is designed for the kitchen.  The sleek design doesn’t take up much counter space, and its stainless steel finishes help it blend in with the current trend in kitchen appliances.  You can use cooking apps to prepare a meal while charging your iPhone/iPod.  The iP39 has dual kitchen timers, and the clock has two week/weekend alarms that can wake you to music from your iPod, from the FM radio, or with a buzzer if you decide to use it in the bedroom instead of the kitchen.  The dock retracts when not in use, and the iP39 has easy-to-clean membrane buttons.  There’s a sync button to automatically sync clock time to iPod time, a USB charging port for cellphones or other devices, and a magnetic remote control that will stick to the iHome when not in use.  The iHome iP39 is $99.99.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: Alarm Clock, iPhone/iPod charger, Radio

iHome iP39 Dual Kitchen Timer and Alarm Clock Radio Speaker System for iPhone/iPod originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 10, 2010 at 9:00 am.

Pyramid Distribution is now carrying another handcrafted Motz wooden speaker. Their first speaker was shaped like an acorn, while this one has a more traditional box shape. It’s made of apricot wood includes a USB connector for charging the internal Lithium Polymer battery and a standard 35mm jack to connect to audio sources. It also has a built in FM radio and telescoping antenna. It’s available now for $49.99.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Radio, Speaker, Spotlight Gadgets

Motz Tiny Wooden Emotion Speaker originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 24, 2010 at 8:00 am.

PURE announced today that three of its highly anticipated internet-connected radios will be available for purchase in North America on July 1, 2010. Pictured is the Oasis Flow. You can read about the other two products in the press release.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News, Wireless

Tagged: Radio, Spotlight Gadgets, WiFi

PURE Brings Their WiFi Radios to the US originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 3, 2010 at 1:00 pm.

So your iPod or iPhone’s got your personal music collection.  And it’s got streaming music through Pandora.  But what if you want good ol’, low-tech local FM radio on your iPhone or iPod?  Till now, there’s been no good solution, but Griffin‘s iFM may have solved that.  Plug iFM into your iPod and it wakes up the Apple radio control software already embedded in your iPod. You’ll see a new main menu choice: Radio.  Then plug your favorite headphones into iFM and you’re good to go.  For iPhone or iPod touch, plug in iFM, and use Griffin’s iFM Radio Controller app (free in the App Store) to control your FM radio.  iFM also works with Griffin iFM Radio Browser.  $39.99.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: iPhone accessory, iPod accessory, Radio

Griffin iFM adds radio to your iPhone or iPod originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 26, 2010 at 8:53 am.

This is a cool idea- a solar panel charging ‘handle’ with interchangeable heads. The ‘mini kit’ includes a flashlight, book light, fan, radio/speaker, and a USB charger head. Let’s take a closer look…

The P23000 Mini-Solar Set, Summer Series is not packaged with anything that helps identify the maker. The manual is listed at Sunsei’s site, and their logo and website appears on a .PDF of the instructions that are otherwise identical to those in the package, but the actual item is not listed there, although it is available at Amazon and other sites.

This is an interesting little package of gadgets!

Everything that comes in the box

Main Handle Unit

Main handle, showing the solar panel

The handle is a lightweight but sturdy black plastic ‘box’ with heavy ridges and a slightly rubbery feeling. One front side is a solar cell, the ‘head’ is a slide-on coupling. One side has a sliding on/off switch, the back has a fold-out wire stand (that pops off easily), and the ‘tail’ has a lanyard loop, charging port, and a charge indicating LED.  One bit of clever design is that when the unit is on, the attachments cannot be slid on or off.

It offers 5VDC at 40 milli-amps, which is between three and four AA or AAA batteries, but it is much lighter than that (I suspect that it runs on watch-type batteries.) It claims that it will power the flashlight unit for up to 10 hours.

It comes with a USB cable to charge the handle from any powered USB port in addition to charging from the sun. It takes 4-6 hours from USB or 10-15 hours from the sun.

Flashlight Head

A rather simple 3 LED head makes a very round, moderately focused beam that is very workmanlike, but not very noteworthy.  Its main strength is that it is rather light for its strength. The biggest weakness is that it makes the unit thicker- I really wish the LEDs were arranged in a line rather than a circle.

Book Light Head

The handle and this head makes a rather bulky unit, but the three flat LEDs make a nice reading light. It is almost bright enough to act as a ‘lantern’ in a tent- not bright enough to read by, but brighter than a night light.

Fan

The motor in this head makes it the heaviest single part of this kit. Two thin plastic blades make a nice breeze, and ‘click’ back to lie flat against the head for transport. This sucks the most juice and makes the best use of the wire stand. It also hangs well so would be great to hang in a tent on a hot night.

FM Radio/Speaker

This may be the weakest part of the system. The internal antenna seems week- it is tough to pick up even some of the strong local stations in my city- a task made tougher by the fact that the only tuning controls are a scan and reset button. It also has a volume control and jacks for any input and headphones (both are standard mini- or 3.5mm jacks.)

Speaker quality is frankly mediocre to poor- music on my Blackberry is louder and clearer with its own speaker than through this. On the other hand, this unit does not add a lot of weight and may be helpful in an emergency- although a weather band would be useful.

USB Charger

This handy accessory lets you charge a PDA, cell phone, or MP3 with a proper USB cable- not included. At 40 milliamps, it can take a while- my Blackberry wall charger puts out 5vdc at 700 milliamps. I would not count on it to do a full charge, but it would sure help in a pinch!

Other

The set also includes a rather cheap satin-like pouch, a page of simple but helpful instructions, and the earlier mentioned charging USB charging cable.

Overall, this is a nice set of tools. I could wish that there were a few tweaks (weather band on the radio, some sort of lantern mode, a flatter flashlight, and better packaging (the included pouch just makes a lumpy package.) I think the handle is empty enough to have some of these elements built in- the USB port, LEDs, and charger cable seem like they could fit in there.

There is also a certain sense of cheapness overall. It is most noticeable in the radio, but is visible in every part.

This will become a part of my ‘car gear kit’- the charger will be the most helpful item, but I’ll keep the other parts with it for those odd situations that always crop up, and I am sure it will come in handy occasionally on a camp out.

Filed in categories: Gear, Outdoor Gear, Reviews

Tagged: booklight, fan, Flashlight, Radio, Solar, USB charger

Mini Solar Set Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 28, 2010 at 1:36 pm.

If you are a fan of NPR radio programming, you’ll probably want a Radio Bookmark.  Do you find yourself getting to your destination in the middle of a program you really want to hear or in the middle of a song that you want to know more about?   If you have the Radio Bookmark you can resume your programming at your convenience. 

The Radio Bookmark looks like a usb flash drive with a couple of buttons on it.  Simply push the button with the radio-waves icon to record the date and time you were listening.  If it’s something you are really interested in, press the button with the thumbs-up icon to mark it as a favorite.  When you have time later, plug the Radio Bookmark in to your computer, and information about the programming on your local participating NPR stations at your bookmarked date and time will display on your personal page.

You will be able to playback programming, see the station’s music playlist to find the song title and artist, and sometimes even be able to click through to buy the song and benefit your favorite radio station.  The Radio Bookmark costs $39.95, but some stations offer it as a gift with an NPR station membership.  Check the Radio Bookmark web page for a list of participating NPR stations.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: News, Radio, Spotlight Gadgets

The Radio Bookmark for NPR Stations originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 29, 2009 at 11:47 am.

Gigaware hopes you do as they have released an in-line controller that provides HD Radio for your iPhone or iPod touch. It attaches to the dock connector to allow you to receive HD radio signals that offer CD-quality sound. Song information, such as title and artist, appears on your iPod’s display, iTunes Tagging saves artist and song information to your iPod for purchase via Apple’s iTunes and it also provides Play, Stop, Pause, Forward, Backward and Scan controls. All this can be yours for $79.99. Hey, is it just me, or does the controller look like a 2nd gen iPod Shuffle?

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: iPhone, Radio, Spotlight Gadgets

Do you care about HD radio for your iPhone? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 10, 2009 at 1:57 pm.

Not to be outdone by the iHome iP88 Dual Dock Alarm Clock, iLuv has just announced their own version. The iMM183 Hi-Fi Dual Dock Alarm Clock has all the features that you would expect to be included in a clock radio, but it includes a trick up its sleeve that might have you choosing it over the iHome. It offers a Weather Band Radio with the NOAA emergency alert system. It uses Digital SAME Technology to provide localized weather warnings. You can buy one for $149.99.

Filed in categories: iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News, Watches and Clocks

Tagged: Clock, iPhone, Radio, Spotlight Gadgets, weather

iLuv sees double with iMM183 Dual Dock Alarm Clock originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 29, 2009 at 4:37 pm.

From the company that brought us the Livio Pandora Radio, comes the Livio NPR Radio. It’s the first internet radio with an exclusive menu dedicated to NPR stations and programs. NPR stands for National Public Radio. It’s a a privately supported, not-for-profit membership organization that produces noncommercial news, talk, and entertainment programming. Now, with one device, NPR fans can now personalize their NPR experience, and easily switch back and forth between the local NPR Member station they know and love, and on-demand content and programs from NPR.org and stations across the US.

Filed in categories: News

Tagged: Radio, Spotlight Gadgets, Streaming

Get your NPR fix with the Livio NPR Radio originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 19, 2009 at 1:25 pm.

The last iHome clock radio that we reviewed here on The Gadgeteer was the iHome iH5. Since then, I’ve missed out on a lot of cool products from this company, like their latest one – the iHome iP88. The main feature with this clock radio is the dual iPhone / iPod charging docks. The iP88 is shielded for the iPhone, so you won’t hear that annoying GSM buzz. It has 3 separate alarm settings and also allows you to wake to your custom iPod playlist at different times on different days. You can buy one for $149.99.

Filed in categories: Watches and Clocks

Tagged: iPhone, Radio, Spotlight Gadgets, Watches and Clocks

Clock radio for a 2 iPhone family – iHome iP88 originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 30, 2009 at 9:38 pm.

Wow, time flies! I reviewed the original Chumby almost two years ago and coming in early November we’ll get a chance to check out a brand new version: the chumby one clock radio. It looks like this new model is focusing more radio features as it has Pandora (and can access other internet radio stations) as well as a built in FM radio. Like the original version, you can install widgets (there are currently around 1500 of them) to do all sorts of things like show your Google calendar, check the weather, show your friends Facebook status, etc. The display is the same size and resolution 320×240, but the processor has been bumped up from 350mhz to 454mhz. The chumby one will retail for approximately $100. I can’t wait to check it out.

Filed in categories: Watches and Clocks

Tagged: Clock, Radio, Spotlight Gadgets, WiFi

New chumby one – More clock radio, less squishy clock thingy originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 29, 2009 at 9:19 pm.

Last winter I reviewed the slotMusic player from Sansa. I thought it was an ok player for $20, but the lack of display and CD music cards made it less than desirable. Now we have another option with the slotRadio player. It includes a display and can play preloaded cards with 1000′s of songs as well as cards with your own songs. Is it worth $99 though? Let’s see.

Hardware Specs

Capacity: Zero on-board memory, includes slotRadio™ card with 1000 songs
Screen Size: OLED 1.5″ landscape
Colors: Silver
Expansion Slot: microSD/SDHC
Headphone Jacks: 1
Radio: FM tuner with presets
File Support: MP3, WMA
Connection: USB 2.0
Battery: Rechargeable up to 13 hours
Product Dimensions: 2.0 x 2.0 x .60 inches including the Clip
Product Weight: 1.3 oz

Package Contents

Sansa slotRadio player
slotRadio mix card with 1000 songs
AC Adapter
Earbuds
USB cable
slotRadio card case
Silicone sleeve for player
Quick Start Guide

The slotRadio player has a metal casing and a matte plastic top with two membrane style buttons on either side of a mono OLED display that move from genre to genre on slotMusic cards, or album to album if you put your own music (folders) on a microSD card.

The bottom edge has a 3.5mm headphone jack and a micro USB connector for charging the internal battery.

The top edge has a power/FM radio selector switch and the microSD slot.

On the left side are the volume adjustment buttons.

And on the right side is the next song / pause button. Press the button once to skip to the next song or hold it to pause playback. There isn’t a Previous song button though…

On the back is a large square metal clip.

The clip is pretty strong and looks like it’s meant as a belt clip. But it seems weird that if you did clip it to your belt, that the headphone jack is then pointing down. Oh well.

When you flip the switch to Play, the mono OLED display will spring to life with some simple animations that show the current genre along with the band name and song name scrolling across the bottom. It will also scroll the band and next song name.

Then the screen will go black and just show the band and song name across the bottom for a few seconds whenever a new song starts.

The player that was sent to me also included a slotMusic card with a mix of music genres including Rock, Country, R&B/Hiphop, Contemporary, Alternative, Workout and Chillout. There are supposed to be a 1000 songs on each card, so I haven’t tried to count how many are in each music type. The collection is decent and includes newer and older stuff. The cards are priced at $39.99. Currently there are only six different cards available: Rock, Country, Hip Hop / R&B, Oldies, 80′s & 90′s and Daily Mix.

The whole idea is that you buy these cards instead of downloading music. The cards have some kind of DRM because when I tried to read one with my Mac, it would not show the music files.

You can also put your own .MP3 or .WMA files on a microSD card and the slotRadio player will play them. It will show the album name and song name as well.

Sound quality is good. No complaints there. I am also happy to report that if you pause a song and then turn off the player and even go play the radio and then come back to play music, it will start from where you paused it.

The other feature built into this player is an FM radio that appears to be RDS capable. One of my local channels (not shown here) displays the call letters and song names as they play. Nice. You can seek channels as well as set presets. Reception is actually pretty good.

So is the Sansa slotRadio player a winner? Well, it’s definitely a step above their $20 slotMusic player due to the display and FM radio. But, I think the $99.99 price tag is about $50 too high given the fact that it doesn’t have any built in storage of its own, no previous track feature and no song shuffle feature. The idea of the slotMusic cards is interesting, but I really don’t see them taking off. I think people want to put their own music on a player. They don’t want to pay for stuff that they might not like. I’d rather have the Sansa Clip instead. It’s smaller, has a previous track button, FM radio, display, shuffle, voice recorder, 5 band equalizer, playlist creator, and you can get the 4GB model for about $60.

What is your favorite inexpensive small MP3 player and why?

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear

Tagged: MP3, Radio, RDS

Sansa slotRadio Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on June 10, 2009 at 2:30 am.