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RadioShark Is Vaporware No More

Posted by timothy on from the no-more-sleeping-through-car-talk dept.

DLWormwood writes "Well, after acquiring a reputation for being 'vaporware of the year' from Wired News, MacCentral is reporting that Griffin Technology's radioSHARK is finally shipping. Now maybe I can finally get some sleep while Dr. Demento is recorded by my Mac late at night..."

57 of 278 comments (clear)

  1. Nothing for you to see here. Please move along. by goldspider · · Score: 4, Funny

    ...and the headline even said that it's not Vaporware!

    --
    "Ask not what your country can do for you." --John F. Kennedy
    1. Re:Nothing for you to see here. Please move along. by prell · · Score: 4, Funny

      This was never vaporware.. they were just compelled by the RIAA to wait to release the RadioShark until such time that the programming on the radio sucked enough that none of the filthy pirates wanted to jack it.

  2. ...but their site is by TheOtherAgentM · · Score: 3, Funny

    Their site is VaporWare. Anyone got a mirror?

  3. Google has cache... by jea6 · · Score: 2, Informative

    http://64.233.179.104/search?sourceid=navclient&ie =UTF-8&q=cache%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.griffintechnolog y.com%2Fproducts%2Fradioshark%2F

    --

    sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
  4. Act now! by JUSTONEMORELATTE · · Score: 3, Funny

    Now maybe I can finally get some sleep while Dr. Demento is recorded by my Mac late at night...

    At least for the 7-10 days that they're up, before Tandy sues them back into vapor.

    --
    Free gmail invites

  5. time shifting? by minus_273 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    is time shifting the new buzzword for recording?

    --
    The war with islam is a war on the beast
    The war on terror is a war for peace
    1. Re:time shifting? by ARRRLovin · · Score: 2, Informative

      http://apple.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=121917&t hreshold=1&commentsort=0&tid=176&mode=thread&cid=1 0257234

      Maybe?

      --
      -Randy
    2. Re:time shifting? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yeah, I'm time shifting a bunch of Mp3's off the internet.

    3. Re:time shifting? by DrMindWarp · · Score: 3, Informative
      is time shifting the new buzzword for recording? AFAIK, the phrase has been in use for over twenty years so it is hardly new.

      In many countries (if not all) using a VCR to copy TV programmes off-air is only permitted for the purposes of 'time-shifting', i.e. to watch a programme *once* at a later time. It is clear in this case that the copy is a temporary one that enables the broadcast time to be shifted to a time which is more convenient for viewing.

      Of couse, current technology permits 'simultaneous' recording and play-back so that one can time-shift by a period much less than the duration of the broadcast - the phrase has thus taken on a new dimension.

    4. Re:time shifting? by hackstraw · · Score: 2, Informative

      is time shifting the new buzzword for recording?

      No, it's the new word for recording then watching at a later time.

      I believe that the term is refering to the ability to be able to record in realtime, pause, and resume at any point up to "now". Thats slightly different than recording and watching at a later time.

  6. hmmmm.... by Anubis350 · · Score: 4, Funny

    radioShark eh? does it eat pirates?

    --
    "goodbye and hello, as always" ~Prince Corwin, from Zelazny's Amber series
  7. Wow, Dr. Demento. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    The pastey nerd stereotypw will never die.

    (scurries off to go watch Firefly on suped-up Tivo)

  8. If this turns out to be a dud... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...will they say the RadioSHARK has jumped the Fonzi?

  9. What is the demand for this? by no+haters · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I don't know about other people, but for me, the radio is something that helps to pass the time when I'm doing something else. I listen to the radio when I'm driving my car, when I'm cleaning my house, when I'm having dinner, occassionally. Granted, I wish I could catch "Prairie Home Companion" more often, but oftentimes many broadcasts that are one-time appearances like that are available online after the fact anyway. Do people see a strong demand for an item like this? At $70? Only available as hookup to your PC?

    1. Re:What is the demand for this? by saundo · · Score: 5, Insightful

      There's likely to be a great deal of demand for it. Sporting events broadcast by radio, your favorite DJ's zaniness, or in my case, not being able to listen to Fox Sports Radio because I'm still at work but wanting to catch Steve Czaban's show sometime later.

      The "when I'm doing something else" part doesn't change, it just makes it more convenient for me to listen to something interesting when I want to.

      --
      -- The problem with troubleshooting is that sometimes trouble shoots back.
    2. Re:What is the demand for this? by DogDude · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I agree. About all I want to listen to on the radio is Car Talk, and I can download all of those. There's really nothing compelling on the radio any more. Hell, if I want somebody else picking music for me, I use launch.com, which for $36/year, gives me unlimited, CD quality (better than radio), ad-free, DJ-free music in a ton of different formats, or as my own personal station. I think that radio's time has really come and gone.

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
    3. Re:What is the demand for this? by Electric+Eye · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Every Howard Stern fan with a computer will want this. Seriously. If Griffin is smart, they'll start taking out ads on his show. They'll sell millions of them.

      Imus fans are too old and bitter to hook anything up to their computers.

    4. Re:What is the demand for this? by gsfprez · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I want to listen to Jim Rome.

      I want to listen to John and Ken in Los Angeles.

      I can do that with this, because otherwise, i cannot listen to the radio while at work.

      there are tons of people - esp. TiVo owners - that often move their hand toward the radio knob in their car wanting to jump back and hear what was said... but then realize that they can't.

      Now, if the radio shark makes the "ga-bluck, ga-bluck" TiVo button sound - i'll pay even more for it.

      --
      guns kill people like spoons make Rosie O'Donnell fat.
    5. Re:What is the demand for this? by jalano · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I got so tired of waiting for the radioSHARK that I ended up cobbling together the equivalent; I bought a Griffin iMic and hooked it up to a D-LINK USB FM Radio (DSBR-100), now discontinued. It requires both of the USB ports of my powerbook.

      I use it to record Car Talk, Wait Wait Don't Tell Me and A Prairie Home Companion each week, which then gets burned as mp3 files to a CD-RW that play in my car's mp3 player. It's great to listen to the NPR weekend programming as part of my daily commute. It's all done with some Applescripts and cron entries in OS X. I also have scripts which change the Energy control panel so the laptop automatically turns on before the broadcast and powers down when the recording is complete.

      If I had to replace my setup I'd have to buy the radioSHARK since there are no FM USB tuners that will work with my powerbook. I hope there will be an API so I can have it write mp3 files instead of making a pit-stop through AIFF.

  10. Rhymes with Steve-O by jea6 · · Score: 4, Informative
    From their vaporized web site:
    • What is Time-Shift Recording?
      Simply put, time-shift recording allows you to pause a live broadcast and return to it moments -- or even hours -- later and continue exactly where you left off. (it's a lot like a popular TV accessory whose name we can't say...but rhymes with Steve-O.)
    --

    sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.
  11. Things that make me go ho-hummmm by Bin_jammin · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Seems like too little too late for me and radio. After the corporate buy-outs (Clear Channel, I'm looking at you) the blandification of radio pretty much turned me off from turing radio on. If I could find a station I wanted to listen to, it would probably not entice me to buy another radio to listen to it. If this product had been around 5 years ago, it would have been the latest and greatest. As it is, it's just the lastest. The tech behind it is cool, and it seems like a great product. Commercial free radio would be great, but these days it seems like the songs are the breaks in between the commercials, and not the other way around. Alas radio, you've died at the hands of top 40, and the funeral march will be performed by top selling artists. You sure do look nice in that beige suit though.

    1. Re:Things that make me go ho-hummmm by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Informative

      Well, since your username is introverted, perhaps you really don't know.
      But there has long been an open source project called StreamRipper that does this, and not only does it, but does it better than the various --and there are already quite a few-- commercial products that do the same.
      If you have the bandwidth, and hard drive space you can easily run a dozen or more consoles simultaneously all ripping 128Kbps and higher MP3 in near real time around the clock and with ID3 tags. Interestingly though, some of the tags on a certain small but noteable minority of the stations are wrong which makes you think they problably downloaded their "record stacks" off P2P. But since many of them aren't even in the US, it's a complex issue. Ahhh, complexity. That's one thing the RIAA can thank Bush for --making it all very complicated. Dear dear dear.

    2. Re:Things that make me go ho-hummmm by RPI+Geek · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Try finding a small independent radio station, or a college radio station. They tend to have good programming and the Top40 music is occasional rather than the rule. One of my favorite radio stations is 102.7FM WEQX (Manchester VT, but I can hear them in the Albany NY area just fine) simply because they don't pump out the same crap over and over.

      91.5 WRPI plays a lot of eclectic and oftentimes strange music, and they aren't corporate slaves.

      88.3 WVCR "The Saint" plays mostly hit music during peak hours, but other than that, you can hear just about anything: classical, folk, rock and rap sometimes within a few hours, especially if you're up for some sleepless night.

      The bottom line is that there are a handful of radio stations that are actually doing very well without ClearChannel's meddling. Try finding one of these because they're actually enjoyable to listen to, and you might find that it's better than listening to your music collection over and over. Or try finding a local NPR station. Or listen to any given AM station, they can be pretty damn funny sometimes, especially when they're trying to be serious.

      --

      - "Nobody came out that night, not one was ever seen. But Old Man Stauf is waiting there, crazy sick and mean!"
  12. Gettin' in line to buy one of those... by The+I+Shing · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I can't wait to get a RadioShark, record Coast to Coast A.M. every night, and then listen to the cavalcade of freaks and weirdos on my iPod while driving, walking, exercising and so on.

    For internet broadcasts, I'll still be using iRecordMusic to bring shows like This American Life and The Savvy Traveler into my iPod via iTunes on my Mac.

    Good thing that 120GB external hard drives are on sale at Office Max this week!

    --
    You are in error. No-one is screaming. Thank you for your cooperation.
    1. Re:Gettin' in line to buy one of those... by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 4, Funny

      "and then listen to the cavalcade of freaks and weirdos on my iPod while driving, walking, exercising and so on."

      What, reading Slashdot isn't enough for you?

      --
      It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
    2. Re:Gettin' in line to buy one of those... by Lumpy · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Why??

      I have been doing EXACTLY that for over 2 decades with a FM radio Tuner Card in my pc, or one of the serial port radio tuners, or current USB tuners.

      The software that came with all those devices allowed you to specify a time to start recording and a channel. convert the WAV to a mp3 using lame when finished and everything is done.

      I do not understand why people think the radioshark is anything innovative or special. It's the same-old from 20 years ago and has been available ever cince.

      --
      Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.
    3. Re:Gettin' in line to buy one of those... by pangu · · Score: 2, Informative

      How about because it does AM as well as FM? There aren't that many tuner cards that do AM.

    4. Re:Gettin' in line to buy one of those... by SlamMan · · Score: 2, Interesting

      What USB tuners? I haven't been able to find one.

      --
      Mod point free since 2001
  13. Misread by StevenHenderson · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Did anyone else read this as Radio Shack...?

  14. Version 2.0....... by ARRRLovin · · Score: 5, Funny

    .....is said to feature a "fricken laserbeam". When asked to comment on the new feature, Paul Griffin (CEO of Griffin Technologies) said, "Every 'former vaporware of the year' ( he said using finger quotes) device deserves a warm meal." He then raised his ring laden pinky to his lower lip and let out a dasterdly chuckle.

    --
    -Randy
  15. Apple Section? Why? by reiggin · · Score: 2, Insightful

    How is this an "Apple Story?" It's clearly PC or Mac, not just a Mac device. What's the reason for putting this in the Apple section of Slashdot?

  16. It Works On PCs Too... by DLWormwood · · Score: 4, Interesting
    ...though it is a bit expensive ($70) come to think of it. I still plan on getting one, however. My iMac doesn't have an audio-in, and this device appears to send the recorded data over USB. I don't have cable, so I never got a TiVo, but now I can experience something similar. Staying up late for the Funny Five wrecks my return to work on Monday mornings.

    I might start listening to more NPR too, since I've had bad luck listening to their Internet broadcasts. I better curb my enthusiasm, I'm starting to sound like a Griffon shill...

    Wow, I'm batting 3 for 3 on getting accepted submissions, anybody have a longer streak?

    --
    Those who complain about affect & effect on /. should be disemvoweled
    1. Re:It Works On PCs Too... by LinuxHam · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I might start listening to more NPR too, since I've had bad luck listening to their Internet broadcasts

      Have you checked Shoutcast lately? Remember the old days when, in order to get NPR via streaming MP3 you had to look up a station at current.org that streams in MP3? Well, after the McDonald's hieress died and donated what, a trizillion dollars to NPR, they can be found on Shoutcast with like 56 of 157628 listeners! Your troubled NPR streaming days are over. (Just checked, and they are currently at 0/96669 listeners at 56k.)

      Come on, people, get on those streams! Let's show their appreciation for this effort. No more WUGA, WPSU, WRDU, or WDET for me.

      --
      Intelligent Life on Earth
  17. More expensive by MacGod · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's cool to see this finally released. Sadly, they upped the price. Originally it was supposed to be $50US, but Griffin's site now lists it as $70. Does inflation apply to products before they actually exist?

    --
    "Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one " -Albert Einstein
  18. text, cause the site is TOAST by mrhandstand · · Score: 2, Informative

    The radio airwaves will never be safe again. The RadioSHARK adds an AM/FM radio to any Mac or PC -- but that's just the beginning.

    The RadioSHARK can record any AM or FM radio broadcast in real time. You can also program it to record a scheduled show, or to 'pause' live radio so you can return right where you left off moments or even hours before (See 'What is Time-Shift Recording?' sidebar above).

    RadioSHARK includes a full-featured application that controls all radio and recording functions. Favorite station presets can be set with the click of a mouse, and new stations can be scanned and tuned with ease. The application is also where you program Time-Shift Recording, either to take a break without missing any of a show or to record your favorite broadcast to listen to later.

    The RadioSHARK connects to and is powered by USB. The fin-shaped device acts as an antenna and can be positioned for best reception and recording. Any recorded broadcast can be transferred to an iPod or any other AIFF-compatible digital music player to replay on the go.

    RadioSHARK gives you control of how and when you listen to your favorite radio shows. Dive in today and take a bite out of the airwaves!

    --
    Always value the individual over the system. --Bruce Lee "I don't need a Sig - I have a custom 191" - me
  19. Finally! by gamlidek · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Now if only my car radio could have a cool tivo-like feature. I've often been listening to something on NPR or whatever and found myself lost in a thought for am oment only to snap back to reality missing some detail... oh man-o-man. How cool would that be? Although, it would be weird driving and constantly 'boop'ing back to listen to things you missed and I imagine that would only add to the number of bad drivers... or maybe add it to the stearing wheel...

    --
    "In theory, theory and practice are the same; in practice, they are not."
    1. Re:Finally! by killjoe · · Score: 2, Interesting

      For me it would be cool for me to record the songname and the artists. I listen to a lot of collage radio and I hear a great song but I have to leave the car before I know what it is.

      --
      evil is as evil does
  20. Yuck by bentfork · · Score: 2, Informative
    "Any recorded broadcast can be transferred to an iPod or any other AIFF-compatible digital music player to replay on the go."
    AIFF? thats so 1994

    I would rather have one of these opensource firmware mp3 player w/ radio reception / transmission

  21. The real question is... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Does it come with a laser on it's head (presumably to fend off RIAA lawyers)? :)

  22. From the site by slashrogue · · Score: 3, Informative

    radioSHARK
    AM/FM Radio with Time Shift Recording
    [ Now Shipping ]

    The radio airwaves will never be safe again. The RadioSHARK adds an AM/FM radio to any Mac or PC -- but that's just the beginning.

    The RadioSHARK can record any AM or FM radio broadcast in real time. You can also program it to record a scheduled show, or to 'pause' live radio so you can return right where you left off moments or even hours before (See 'What is Time-Shift Recording?' sidebar above).

    RadioSHARK includes a full-featured application that controls all radio and recording functions. Favorite station presets can be set with the click of a mouse, and new stations can be scanned and tuned with ease. The application is also where you program Time-Shift Recording, either to take a break without missing any of a show or to record your favorite broadcast to listen to later.

    The RadioSHARK connects to and is powered by USB. The fin-shaped device acts as an antenna and can be positioned for best reception and recording. Any recorded broadcast can be transferred to an iPod or any other AIFF-compatible digital music player to replay on the go.

    RadioSHARK gives you control of how and when you listen to your favorite radio shows. Dive in today and take a bite out of the airwaves!

    What is Time-Shift Recording?
    Simply put, time-shift recording allows you to pause a live broadcast and return to it moments -- or even hours -- later and continue exactly where you left off. (it's a lot like a popular TV accessory whose name we can't say...but rhymes with Steve-O.)

    radioSHARK also allows you to start and stop recording at any time while you are listening, and lets you schedule recording so you won't miss your favorite radio show.

    $69.99

    1. Re:From the site by dorkino · · Score: 2, Insightful

      yes but you cannot save the recordings to your computer. it will queue for a certain amount of time, basically affording you tivo-like pausing / replaying of live broadcasts.
      however, you cannot "copy off" these broadcasts and play them at a later date.

      all this thing is, is a radio with a pause button.

  23. Re: My Bad by DLWormwood · · Score: 2, Informative
    How is this an "Apple Story?"

    Mostly historical reasons, this product had most of it's buzz a year or so ago in the Mac blogspace. Also, the company has mostly focused it's marketing and products to Macs in particular. I've added a comment with some more info about the device below, since the radioSHARK page got /.'ed quickly.

    The only other category that this would have fit under was the general "Index," but my submission seemed too much like an ad to me to warrant the front page. (Yes, I've been hanging around kuro5hin too long...)

    --
    Those who complain about affect & effect on /. should be disemvoweled
  24. Why is this interesting? by Redshado · · Score: 5, Interesting

    For $70 dollars I can buy a Hauppage Win-TV FM, $10 dollars more I can add Hauppage's radio time-shifting software. So, for a net cost of $10 dollars more I can have all the benefits of the RadioShark and a TiVo, or even better, run it under Linux and MythTV/MythRadio and have it all for the same cost.

    1. Re:Why is this interesting? by LittleLebowskiUrbanA · · Score: 2, Informative

      I'd say the interesting part is that this thing is available for a Mac unlike your solution.

      --
      This guy is way out there
  25. Radio does not equal Music. by iceperson · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Some people actually listen to sporting events, local news, commentary, etc... Actually... that's all I use my radio for anymore, if I'm going to listen to music I'll play my own thank you.

  26. Linux drivers by Eric+Smith · · Score: 2, Informative

    Are there Linux drivers? If not, is the company willing to provide a spec for the USB commands to control it, so that a Linux driver can be written?

    1. Re:Linux drivers by Eric+Smith · · Score: 3, Informative

      Within minutes of posting this request, an employee of the company let me know that there will be an SDK for software developers, probably available within the next week. He also said that the device is easy to control using HID and Audio class drivers, so that a specific Linux driver is probably not necessary. Just an application. I'll order a RadioSHARK and try to write one.

  27. I want a Radio "Controlled" Shark... by Dareth · · Score: 2, Funny

    This would be the perfect thing for the beach.

    The only thing that would make it better, NO NOT FRICKEN LASERS, would be if it could have waterproof speakers and play the Jaws theme music while it swims around.

    --

    I only look human.
    My mother is a halfling and my dad is an ogre, so that makes me an Ogreling
  28. Re:Apple Section? Why? by Zebbers · · Score: 4, Funny

    Look at the picture. It's much too curvey to work with a regular pc. With those lines, it must be applelicious.

  29. is time shifting the new buzzword for recording? by dpilot · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Just in time for the Induce Act, and for some sort of chicanery to reverse the Betamax Decision.

    Has RadioShark lined itself up to be the first victim?

    --
    The living have better things to do than to continue hating the dead.
  30. A Tivo for your radio by fiannaFailMan · · Score: 2, Interesting
    Think of it as a Tivo for your radio. I'd be surprised if a product with this sort of functionality hadn't already been invented before, the ability to set a device to begin recording at a certain time has been around since VHS and Betamax was invented. It also strikes me as a bit of a novelty not having to have an internet connection to get content.

    Up to now I've been content to use the BBC's website to hear their radio on demand, but now I can have the joys of NPR, Free Speech Radio, Air America etc. whenever it's convenient. I want one of these!

    --
    Drill baby drill - on Mars
  31. Off topic but try yes.net by rdunnell · · Score: 2, Informative

    http://www.yes.net has information from a lot of major markets. If you know the general time and station you can often find the song/artist there.

    Might not apply to college radio though, unless it was a big college station.

  32. Re:How about a mobile model? by a_ghostwheel · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Why parent is funny?

    Seriously there are countless times when I missed traffic report on my 107.7 just because I was busy handling situation on the road. And you dont want to miss traffic report in Northern VA during rush hour :).

    I would have glady paid for car audio module that would handle both MP3s on CD and provided time-shifting (even 10-30 minutes for live radio will do).

  33. Re:Can it work with AirTunes? by tweek · · Score: 2, Funny

    CAll me crazy but if you wanted to listen to a radio broadcast in realtime on your stereo, why wouldn't you just tune in the station?

    --
    "Fighting the underpants gnomes since 1998!" "Bruce Schneier knows the state of schroedinger's cat"
  34. Re:Shortwave by chevyorange · · Score: 2, Funny

    I agree! I hate getting up at 4AM local to hear Radio New Zealand International.

    --
    http://homepage.mac.com/chevyorange
  35. Durrr... by Ayanami+Rei · · Score: 2, Informative

    I'll bet it's usb-audio + usb-hid device. It better damn well work on a PC or Mac. Reason being I wouldn't put it past Griffin to develop or pay for the development of a whole usb protocol and drivers that is hardened for precise timing required for realtime audio... the pre-existing standard and chipsets are the way to go... just have to write the application software that makes it easy to use. They'd use "buttons-n-dials" from usb-hid standard to control the tuner.

    Side note: Why do Mac people insist on calling it "AIFF" when they mean PCM? AIFF is a container format, like WAV, but it only comes up when they mean PCM, which is exactly what the radio transmits to the computer (usb-audio standard, after all).
    I hear "WAV" format and cringe as well.
    Did you know you can have a WAV file that contains AAC encoded data, among other things? Yeah, I bet you didn't.

    0x0000 WAVE_FORMAT_UNKNOWN
    0x0001 WAVE_FORMAT_PCM Microsoft Corporation (the common one) ... a whole shitload of other possibilities...
    0x0180 WAVE_FORMAT_MPEG2AAC Fraunhofer IIS

    Yeah... there you go.

    --
    THIS THING CAN TURN ON A DIME, MACROSSZERO STYLE ALSO FUCK BETA, ~NYORON
  36. Stern without commercials by SethJohnson · · Score: 2, Informative



    A couple of easy steps if you have a linux server.

    1. Download and install brag. It's available with RPMs for easy installation.

    2. Add this cron entry: brag -s news-server -g alt.binaries.howard-stern -a '*CF*'

    3. For convenience's sake, add this as a cleanup cron entry: mv /root/.brag/news-server/alt.binaries.howard_stern/ finished/*.mp3 /home/user/stern (customize that last path for your own installation)

    4. Oh, and this other cleanup cron entry- rm -rf /root/.brag/news-server/alt.binaries.howard_stern/ unfinished/*

    Schedule those around 3:30 your time, and have the latter entries run a couple hours later. You should be good to go with Stern each day on your iPod without commercials.

    --
    $5 / month hosted VPS on linux = awesome!