23
Apr
2012
What HiFi: New from Sony is the CMT-V75BTiP all-in-one audio system with built-in iPhone/iPad dock, CD player and DAB+ radio. The speakers use Sony’s patented Magnetic Fluid technology which means they don’t need a damper, so they can be super slim. (more…)
25
Nov
2011
Pocket-Lint: Pure has dominated the airwaves with its radio rich line up for quite a while now. The company has plentiful different products that offer all sorts of takes on the conventional radio. Everything from DAB bedside action to in car tuners is catered for. (more…)
01
Apr
2010
What HiFi: The controversy over digital radio rumbles on. After the Lords communications committee called for an analogue radio scrappage scheme, now comes news that the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has banned an ad claiming that digital radio doesn’t suffer from signal interruptions, unlike analogue sets.
The radio campaign, by the Digital Radio Development Bureau, had a voiceover that was intermittently interrupted with interference. The voiceover said that interference was an issue when listening to “conventional analogue” radio. Read more…
04
Mar
2010
The Guardian: Chip-maker Frontier Silicon has shown a demo version of a new software system that provides one menu for both FM and DAB digital radio stations so users don’t have to think about the technology, just the content they want.
A new generation of radios could make it simpler for consumers to choose their station by name, regardless of whether it broadcasts on digital DAB or analogue FM or both. Listeners could then choose by content, without having to think about the different technologies used for broadcasting.
In a demo of the prototype at Frontier Silicon’s office in London yesterday, an off-the-shelf Roberts EcoLogic 1 radio was upgraded via a chip swap, given a factory reset, and then set to scanning for stations. It picked up the local DAB stations first, then the FM stations, and sorted them into alphabetical order. After that, you could scroll through all the available stations on its single-line display. It was simple, and it worked, even on a low-end radio. Read more…
07
Jul
2009
TechDigest: The future of DAB radio took a bit of a kicking today when Germany and Switzerland’s commercial radio stations refused to invest in developing the DAB system to replace existing FM/AM transmissions.
Their argument was that it didn’t make financial sense to do so.
The news has big repercussions for the UK and the rest of Europe. The Digital Britain report stated that the government would “work with our European partners, including the European Commission, to develop a common European approach to digital radio”.
Well, it seems like all of the European partners aren’t interested in coming to the party. The move could also be bad news for consumers. DAB radios are already much more expensive than their analogue brethren and the lack of a Europe-wide market is hardly going to help the cause.
Car manufacturers are also less likely to include DAB radios in cars if they’ll only get maximum usage in selected countries. The whole DAB scenario has been a bit of a shambles from the start really.
Some DAB radios in the UK- reportedly as many as 9million – won’t even work if/when the system gets upgraded to the superior DAB+ system. Campaigns such as Save FM argue that there is no need to take radio digital anyway – with many people arguing FM audio quality is, in fact, superior. The rise of internet radio also raises questions for the need of a digital radio network.
02
Mar
2009
Ubergizmo: This DAB Digital Radio design looks set to be a permanent kitchen fixture if it were ever to be released in real life.
Designer Anton Webb has taken into account the potential hazards in a kitchen, ranging from wet to greasy fingers, food smudges as well as the wayward vegetable or food item.
The DAB Digital Radio design aims for a minimalist approach right from the get go, featuring a rubberized weighted base, splash-resistant design, enclosed speakers and battery operation for a more hardy form factor in its environment.
Nice to know the large buttons are touch sensitive, allowing to to use your elbows if your fingers are currently too busy to be used. A black LCD display with vertical scrolling text support rounds off the list of features.
20
Nov
2008
T3: Yes, it’s essentially a glorified radio/alarm clock, but the Roberts iDream does offer a little bit more than the traditional FM reception and nasty buzz alarm.
Being Roberts, DAB is a shoe-in, with FM RDS thrown in too for back-up. You can also opt for your own playlist – an iPod dock offering playback through the substantial speakers, as well as a boost to the battery for the following day.
You can get up to your own tunes too. That included remote should save you having to stretch for the ‘snooze’ button too.
10
Sep
2008
Techradar.com: The problem with portable DABs is that the battery life on DAB radios to date has been pretty poor.
Roberts is making a concerted effort to address this problem for DAB listeners on-the-go, launching four new portables that it claims “offer unbeatable battery life.”
The ecologic 1 features a built-in battery charger that conveniently recharges the radio’s batteries when plugged into a power socket. Features-wise, the radio packs in the standard 10 station pre-sets, automatic clock and idiot-proof up and down tuning buttons.
The ecologic 2 also packs a built-in battery charger. At the top end of the range the ecologic 3 claims to offer 120 hours battery life while the Gemini 21 offers an awesome 150 hours of battery life.
01
Sep
2008
Macworld: Pure has entered the internet radio market with a new product called Evoke Flow that combines internet radio, DAB radio and media streaming with an online radio portal.
While internet and DAB combined radios are nothing new, it is the Pure Lounge portal that sets the Evoke Flow apart from other systems.
Because the Evoke Flow is hooked up to your home network via WiFi, you can use the online portal to add channels and remove channels, plus sign up for podcasts and organize media streaming.
Any changes you make in the Pure Lounge online portal are instantly recognized on the device itself. The portal works in both directions so any changes you make to the Evoke Flow are also added to the Pure Lounge.
22
Aug
2008
PC Advisor: Pure Digital has launched the Evoke Flow, a DAB and internet radio with Wi-Fi technology that allows users to enjoy internet radio without being tied to a PC.
Utilising the styling of Pure’s Evoke 1-S, the sleek black device features touch-sensitive controls, a black chrome trim and an OLED display. It will broadcast DAB and FM radio stations through its 3in speaker. Alternatively, the integrated Wi-Fi connectivity allows users to stream audio stored on their PC or enjoy internet radio stations, listen again content and podcasts through its online media portal The Lounge.
A search function located on the Pure Evoke ensures internet stations can be accessed quickly and efficiently without having to scroll through hundreds of station names. Search topics include country, language and genre while the My Favourites facility ensures stations can be stored in the device’s memory.
15
Aug
2008
TrustedReviews: It’s a brave move to make the step from software to hardware, but web radio specialist Radiopaq looks to have managed it with ease.
With the ‘Rp5′ the company has produced a high end DAB, FM and Internet Radio device which certainly looks the business both visually and technologically.
At its heart is a touch sensitive LCD which smartly mirrors the Radiopaq.com interface and a clever sync system means whatever preferences users make either online or with the device will show up on the corresponding system.
Like Radiopaq.com, the Rp5 is also capable of playing any radio station that broadcasts online from around the world while a predictive text search simplifies finding stations especially when combined with option to filter via country, genre or language combined with an unlimited number of favourite presets.
26
Jun
2008
T3: Pure has gone all puny on us, and announced a compact version of the popular PURE ONE digital radio, the imaginatively named the PURE ONE Mini.
Despite its shrunken size Pure One Mini doesn’t scrimp on either audio quality or features, containing many of the bells and whistles you’d find on a larger DAB device.
Strapped onto its tiny frame are 16 presets, a USB port and textSCAN, a feature that allows you to pause the radio and view information displayed as scrolling text.
You can also listen to your tunes guilt free, as the ONE Mini is a part of PURE’s EcoPlus range of products that that keep the eco-warriors happy. Listen to music and help save the world at the same time. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon.