FM Radio on pdas?

[kwhipp01]

How hard would it be to implement an fm radio onto palms? Why hasn't sony done anytihing like this? :confused:

[archangel]

There was a SD FM adaptor made, but it was very expensive.

I really doubt Sony would bother making a memory stick FM adaptor.

If they could make an AM/FM memory stick and keep it around $30 I would buy it.

[Unregistered]

You could have a Sony receiver with TV sound, Weather band
FM/Am Digital tuner and waterproof!

[Roni]

i have perhaps an un-orthodox idea for listening to radio while using ANY palm, the process in kinda simple, just go to a shop, buy a portable radio, and use it :D

[click]

Originally posted by Roni
i have perhaps an un-orthodox idea for listening to radio while using ANY palm, the process in kinda simple, just go to a shop, buy a portable radio, and use it :D

Whoa, your a genius!
Then you could listen to your radio and play on your Clie.

[Roni]

somehow i can't help but wondering, why no-one suggested the idea i did sooner :D
getting one would propably even be cheaper or atleast the same cost as an add-on module...

[WildWildWes]

But then you would be toting around two pieces of gear regardless of the radio's size. I'm sure they'll come up with something.

[alsa]

This is the radio that I have (I have had it since Christmas). It's tiny, has a world band (FM - world, Europe, and US), has AM (very important because I liisten to a lot of talk radio), weighs very little, and powers from only one AAA battery

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00005ML3V/ref%3Ded%5Fsoc%5F%5F2%5F2/026-1444233-0892453

[edeab220]

I remember there was a Springboard module available for the Visors that would make the Visors capable of being an AM/FM tuner. It was very nice, but expensive.

[r2d]

Originally posted by kwhipp01
How hard would it be to implement an fm radio onto palms? Why hasn't sony done anytihing like this? :confused:

If sony produced a new unit with a radio and if the radio were anything like the current mp3 player (which doesn't work in the background while you're doing something else on your pda), I'd much rather buy a small radio like Alsa's than to upgrade.

[Rick 098]

The Mp3 player does work in the backround,
To do this on NX,
go to audio player,
In the dropdown menu select options, then preferences,
check "enable backround play"
(without quotes)

[Rick 098]

I beleve other models handle bacroun play too.

[robrecht]

Originally posted by Roni
i have perhaps an un-orthodox idea for listening to radio while using ANY palm, the process in kinda simple, just go to a shop, buy a portable radio, and use it :D

True enough.  The SD radio simply allows the PDA user to have a larger interface while draining PDA battery.

On the other hand, a well integrated PDA radio that allowed the calander to schedule recording of specific programs onto a MS or SD would be really cool.  Then if I missed Car Talk or Prairie Home Companion I would have it with me for later.

[williamwck]

If you are using PocketPc with CF slot.

http://www.prolink.com.tw/english/products/PDA/FM201.htm

http://www.pdaordie.com/peakdetail.asp?PeakID=118

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by robrecht

a well integrated PDA radio that allowed the calander to schedule recording of specific programs onto a MS or SD would be really cool.  Then if I missed Car Talk or Prairie Home Companion I would have it with me for later.

This is a great idea! Why doesn't someone do this?

[*YellowRose*]

But, then again, it might be a 'useless feature' for a lot of people ~ if it adds expense, I REALLY don't see the point. I'm not one who would find it useful (and I love CarTalk too!).

How about a FM memstick?:D

Just my .02. ;)

[orol]

i have a FM radio in my cell phone (nokia 6510) and i really can't imagine myself having a cellphone without FM radio .. not to mention this cell phone has only 84 g!
but I would definitely love to have an integrated fm radio => i'm not willing to give up on the only memory expansion slot i have got .

[MikeD]

Whoo hoo more cartalk listeners!! I have a subscription from audible for it! I just got into the whole radio talk stuff and found some really interesting shows that I try to now tape off the internet streams.. great stuff.

[robrecht]

Originally posted by *YellowRose*
But, then again, it might be a 'useless feature' for a lot of people ~ if it adds expense, I REALLY don't see the point. I'm not one who would find it useful (and I love CarTalk too!).

How about a FM memstick?:D

Just my .02. ;)

Sorry, I actually thought we were talking about an FM Memory Stick. My point is that a Memory Stick FM radio that is not integrated into other PDA features like calandar and clock and recording options isn't worthwhile IMHO.

There is already such an nonintegrated SD FM radio and it doesn't have much to offer over a separate radio, except for maybe a larger visual interface. I don't want a Memory Stick FM radio that is not integrated into these other PDA functions.

SONY's proprietary focus ought to allow such Memory Stick peripherals that integrate into their version of the OS and their specific hardware. But maybe I'm being too optimistic about SONY's ability or wiliingness to engineer compatibility and peripheral integrity among their proprietary technologies.

[Robrecht]

Originally posted by orol
i have a FM radio in my cell phone (nokia 6510) and i really can't imagine myself having a cellphone without FM radio .. not to mention this cell phone has only 84 g!
but I would definitely love to have an integrated fm radio => i'm not willing to give up on the only memory expansion slot i have got .

Why not have a Memory Stick peripheral that also has memory. SD is doing this; why not SONY? In the end, though, SONY will have to have dual slots to compete with PPC hardware.

[Robrecht]

Originally posted by MikeD
Whoo hoo more cartalk listeners!! I have a subscription from audible for it! I just got into the whole radio talk stuff and found some really interesting shows that I try to now tape off the internet streams.. great stuff.

Hi, Mike.

Thanks for the tip about Audible.com. I guess they offer a year subscription to Car Talk when you join for their basic $14.95 per month service, but I couldn't figure out much more from their website about what they offer in terms of internet radio streaming. Or do you this elsewhere? Where should I go to get more information about recording Radio content off the Internet?

[MikeD]

Originally posted by Robrecht


Hi, Mike.

Thanks for the tip about Audible.com. I guess they offer a year subscription to Car Talk when you join for their basic $14.95 per month service, but I couldn't figure out much more from their website about what they offer in terms of internet radio streaming. Or do you this elsewhere? Where should I go to get more information about recording Radio content off the Internet?

Yes I do this elsewhere. I started with npr.org just to see what's available and just from clicking links here and there, I found out who broadcasted/streamed some of these shows.. Then I found out that these online "networks" had schedules etc so I found other shows I was interested in etc.

I'm a mac user and I use a program called audiohijack pro.. If you use windows, try to find a program similar to it. Audio Hijack link (http://www.rogueamoeba.com/audiohijackpro/)

You can even have it set to a timer. But the last couple of times, real player crashed on my using the timer function.. I'll have to try it when the quarter is over and I have more time again. But I just purchased the program this weekend have already taped/recorded about 5 hours of internet streaming that I'd like to listen to later.

For audible, remember that clies can't play audible files (some kind of copyprotection). If I wanted to listen to an audible file on my clie, I'd have to use that program to convert it to mp3. But it does it in real time or 1x. So if you have a one hour car talk program, it'll take 1 hour to change it to mp3. Like hitting record on your tape deck. That's the only downfall. Bad for 23 hour audiobooks!?! :eek: But I havn't gotten that far yet.. When I get my new clie, I'll probably only put the short shows on there anyway...

Mike

[OcellNuri]

I would like to see a tuner that is actually built into the unit. It could use the headphone wire as the antenna like many small handheld radios do. I also have my Clie with me, so it would be great to be able to tune in a station if I felt like it while I was walking around. We could get a nice digital tuner app, and some recording ability would be great! A FM tuner would not put much load on the battery. I'm sure if you used it with the screen turned off you could get hours and hours of listening time. This is something I don't need, but I'd love to have.

[SprSaiyan8]

Ocellnuri,
I agree it not something I need but I would love to have it and a tv tuner too that would be cool

[killah fury]

Yep, I'd like to see a Radio tuner built in to a future Clie too. It really wouldn't add much to the cost and would add to the Clie's "entertainment organiser" ethos.

[gfunkmagic]

FYI, Sony annouced last year that they developed TV tuner chips for their mobile devices:

Sony Japan has announced that it has developed some of the smallest TV tuners designed for PDAs and other mobile devices. When integrated with a mobile device the user would be able to receive and view broadcast television.

These modules are so small that Sony engineers gave its volumes in ml which is reasonable if you think of the size of unit. There are two different models. The first and smallest chip – BTF-ZJ401 has just a 1.5 ml volume (25x20x3mm, 3.5g). That is roughly 1/25th the size of chips on the market today. The second, BTF-ZJ411 is a bit bigger at 2.5ml (40x22.5x2.8mm, 4g). The main difference between two modules is the ability of BTF-ZJ411 to extract stereo sound from the radio signal.

Both chips can receive a common radio signal input for VHF (1-12 channel) and UHF (13-62 channel), with an impressive signal/noise ratio of 47 dB. The smaller 401 model achieves this with a low 0.8w power consumption.

The main problem for designers of such a small radio units is that it usually contains many induction coils; size of those cannot be reduced endlessly. Sony developed a special chip transforming the radio signal in order to replace all the external coils. Both tuners have a digital interface for simple integration into other digital devices as PDA, laptops and tablet PCs.

Sony says they are planning to supply samples of the modules in February 2003. There is no information on what PDA will be the first to host a TV-tuner, but one can guess - it should be by Sony. Starting prices look high: $299 for BTF-ZJ401 and $340 for BTF-ZJ411, but we can expect them to drop after few months. It is also not clear from the sources whether tuners are planned to be a flash-cards, integrated into memory sticks or factory built-in.


http://www.palminfocenter.com/view_story.asp?ID=4434

Watching TV on your clie would be damed cool!!!!!! :D

[tabjo]

I have been keeping my eye on this web site http://www.ibizcorp.com.

They have a compact flash radio and are coming out with sd radio. Anyone else have any information on this feel free to reply.

[Ezikial Anta]

also, doesnt sony supply part of the XM radio!? If they do... we should get it as part of the clie price.

[bakker]

Originally posted by Unregistered
You could have a Sony receiver with TV sound, Weather band
FM/Am Digital tuner and waterproof!

...i could not find the item on Target....witch item did you buy?

[DarkCloud]

Well, my Nokia phone 8310 has it...i dont think it will drain your battery that fast..and further more i got my Nokia phone for less than 150 USD (i live in Malaysia)..so price is not the issue here..if nokia can bundle it together for kinda reasonable price..why cant sony?

:cool:

[tifosiv122]

Originally posted by edeab220
I remember there was a Springboard module available for the Visors that would make the Visors capable of being an AM/FM tuner. It was very nice, but expensive.

As far as I know it was never released.

Erik

[SprSaiyan8]

Originally posted by tabjo
I have been keeping my eye on this web site http://www.ibizcorp.com.

They have a compact flash radio and are coming out with sd radio. Anyone else have any information on this feel free to reply.

Thanks for the link
that cool but are they going to have one for the clie ????
http://www.ibizcorp.com./pocketradio.html

[tabjo]

I sure hope so, that is why I'm keeping my eye on this web site.

[mrdeucie]

Originally posted by *YellowRose*
But, then again, it might be a 'useless feature' for a lot of people ~ if it adds expense, I REALLY don't see the point. I'm not one who would find it useful (and I love CarTalk too!).


I for one agree. I wouldn't find it useful at all. I don't care for a radio on my phone or my PDA.

[tabjo]

I e-mailed iBIZ and asked if there were any plans for a MS fm radio and here is the reply.


Thank you for your e-mail to iBIZ Technology. The idea of the pocket RADIO in a memory stick version is something that we have begun initial drawings on. I'm not sure when this product would be coming to fruition, but I would assume it would be a minimal of 3-4 months if we do end of developing it. Please continue to check our website for any updates we may have on such a product. Thank you again for your e-mail. Please let me know if there is anything else I can provide for you.

iBIZ Technology Corp
www.ibizpda.com

[killah fury]

I wish a FM radio tuner was built in to the Clie... a radio tuner chip would be incredibly cheap and would further enhance the Clie as an entertainment device.

[dphar]

I would use the radio as well...not just cartalk but i am an npr phreak!

[FreefallX]

i saw a pic in egear that had a possible sony fm mem stick, i could be wrong though

[aryaba]

TV Tuner and FM radio built into my clie. I'm loving it! But don't make an FM tuner on a Memstick...leave that for my memory.

[mvfrancisco]

gotta have AM too... absolutely need an AM radio. I'd even be willing to put up with the larger heft of the NZ if it had a built-in AM radio tuner.