transmitters
Gadgets
Greenhouse FM Transmitter Brings Music Streaming to Your Obese iPod nano
8:00PM Haroon Malik | The fat, fun-loving iPod nano just got music streaming capabilities, all thanks to the Greenhouse FM transmitter. The streaming device looks rather swank, and is available in five complementing colors, including metallic black, silver, red, green and blue. It will allow you to chuck out your tunes to any free radio station, by tuning the transmitter into the free station using the plus and minus buttons either side of the display. More »
Vehicles
Alpine eX-10 Bluetooth Hub and iPod FM Transmitter For Your Car
12:48PM Jennifer Hooker | Like the Venturi Mini, the eX-10 includes an FM transmitter, along with support for the A2DP stereo Bluetooth profile, and can pair with up to four devices simultaneously. However, the Alpine device ups the ante by packing in an iPod cable and a larger display (but sadly it’s not a touch screen). We also liked the fact that the eX-10 has a detached mic that clips onto your visor for clearer calls. However, we’re skeptical about the device’s remote control interface and think that the remote just begs to be lost. The hub simply connects to the cigarette lighter and can be mounted to your dash with the built in suction cup. The Alpine eX-10 should be available in about three weeks and will retail for $200. [Alpine] More »
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Belkin TuneBase FM Finds the Best FM Frequency
3:30AM Jason Chen | Compatible with pretty much every Apple player except for the iPhone, this Belkin TuneBase FM has ClearScan technology, which searches all FM stations and finds the least-used one for you to broadcast your tunes on. It’s $89, has a docking station, and plugs neatly into your car’s cigarette adapter. Of course, even with the cleanest FM station, you’re still going to run into some interference, which is why we still recommend the $10, 1995 method of using a tape adapter. [Belkin] More »
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Kensington LiquidFM Transmitters Seek Clearest Channels, Transmit Track Names and More
4:10AM Wilson Rothman | Today Kensington introduced its LiquidFM line of FM transmitters. The top tier products have QuickSeek, the technology the company first launched in May: with the touch of a button, it will find the three cleanest frequencies for you to set your radio on. The LiquidFM Deluxe for iPod ($99) will not only transmit the music to your car stereo, but the artist and track names, which show up on any RDS-compatible car radio. The standard LiquidFM for iPod will cost $79, and will have everything but the QuickSeek and cool text transmitter. (Frankly, I think I’d spend the extra $20—even if you don’t have an RDS radio, you never know if your rental car will, and FM transmitters are best for rentals anyhow.) Naturally, in addition to the iPod transmitters (which of course charge the players through the 30-pin connector), Kensington has two products for other MP3 players. The LiquidFM Plus for MP3 Players ($69) has both 3.5mm and 2.5mm jacks for recent music-playing cell phones, and the QuickSeek technology for finding the clearest channels. But its extra trick is a “pass-through” USB jack on its cable that can be used to charge your phone or MP3 player. At the bottom rung, there’s the LiquidFM for MP3 Players ($49), with every Plus feature except the QuickSeek and the USB jack. More »
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DLO TuneStik Keeps Your Hands at Ten and Two
4:40AM Seamus Byrne | DLO’s TuneStik FM transmitter and remote makes sure you can still control your iPod even while passing up the LeBaron going 60 in the left lane. It’s similar to the DLO TransDock Deluxe, which we’ve tested and thought was great, but eschews the iPod dock and charger for just an FM attachment. The end result is pretty similar. You get a steering wheel-attachable remote and an FM transmitter on the bottom of your iPod. You do lose the ability to charge your iPod at the same time, and the LCD screen showing the FM frequency, but it’s about half the price at $59. – Jason Chen Product Page [DLO] More »
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Belkin Site Makes FM Transmitters Slightly Cooler
12:02AM Seamus Byrne | I hate FM transmitters for iPods, but I think Belkin’s new service might make me hate them a little bit less. The company today launched a website that tells you what FM stations are the cleanest (i.e. least active) in your area. I’d like to see this combined with Google Maps, so that I’d know when and where to switch channels along an 800-mile road trip. Of course, this is Belkin’s tacit acknowledgment that the better bet would probably be frequency-hopping FM transmitters like the newly announced Kensington QuickSeek, which we told you about. Still, it should be helpful. My Best FM Stations provides various options in each vicinity, so that if pesky pirates ever pop up on the airwaves to feed you some truth, you’ll have somewhere else to turn. – Wilson Rothman My Best FM Stations [Belkin] More »
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