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Griffin RadioSHARK Exceeds Expectations
reifman writes "Picked up a Griffin RadioSHARK (think TiVo for radio) at the Apple store this evening: It exceeds all expectations. The user experience is simple. The iPod synchronization is seamless. The RadioSHARK is a counter-attack on the recording industry and its draconian file sharing lawsuits. I'm glad to see Griffin had the balls to release this product. ."
I wish it featured an external signal input. Thing I get very bad radio reception at my place but I get near-digital quality (and free) radio through my cable TV outlet (there's 2 connectors, one for TV one for radio).
Nice gadget anyway!
-- It's always darker before it goes pitch black.
well, hate to be a bit of a whinger, but call me back when they do a DAB version for the uk- AM/FM? Welcome to the 20th Century!
When was AIFF ever more compact than AAC? Isn't it, in fact, the least compact format possible?
It's hard to be religious when certain people are never incinerated by bolts of lightning.
His glowing review almost convinced me, until I got to the end where he similarly praises the Griffin SightLight.
The SightLight is one of the most poorly-conceived products on the market. It's a light for the iSight webcam; it's a ring of white LEDs which mounts around the iSight lens to illuminate you so that people can see you when you're using the webcam in an otherwise dark room. Sounds clever, right?
Except that using the SightLight is like trying to talk to an automobile headlight two feet in front of your face. And you'd think that in return for being blinded, you could at least be seen better by the person on the other end of the conversation - but no, that's not true; for as retina-piercingly bright as the SightLight is, it does a terrible job of actually lighting you up. A face lit by the SightLight will look ghostly pale and near-dark to the person on the other end, and the user has to be very close to the light to be seen at all.
And all this for $39.95!
I returned mine the very next day, and I now approach Griffin products with skepticism.
The only problem I see with this though, is that your average geek will simply not need one of these. I have a CD changer in my car. I have my iPod hooked up to my car stereo. I'm literally surrounded by computers at work. I have a stereo at home, that my iPod and one of my computers is hooked up to.
With regard to my "music needs", I guess I'm pretty much covered. I guess this is really useful if you're into talk radio. But to me, the radio is something I use when I'm on the road and want to listen to a ballgame or when I'm working on something outside and don't really feel like listening to my iPod but want some background music. The radio just isn't something I pay a lot of attention to.
The reason TiVo is such a huge hit is that it fundamentally changes the way we watch TV. When I'm watching TV I usually do pay attention to what's on - it's not just some random background noise. I find it hard to see how this could work for radio. Except, of course, skipping commercials. That would indeed be nice (but not all that useful, since most commercial stations already do 30-minutes-without-commercial stuff).
The problem is this: I, and I can only speak for myself here, don't really care what's on the radio. To me, it's random stuff. Turn it on, listen to some music while doing something else, turn it off when you're done. TV's different: I care what's on. That's why I'm watching in the first place.
A few facts about the McDonalds coffee lawsuit.
The main thrust was that McDonalds held their coffee about 20F above most other restaraunts and numerous complaints had already been filed. It wasn't the frivolous lawsuit that many believe it to be. It actually had merit.
Select A Tenna. I have one of these, and it really works well for pulling in weak AM signals. And no physical connection required.
In the alternative, you could hook the radio output of your cable outlet directly into the audio input of your computer and write scripting software to capture it. For tuning, you'd have to hack something like a cable mouse (an IR emitter that you'd have to write software to drive with the appropriate signals to command the cable to change radio channels). A lot of work, but it could be done.
I'm curious (assuming the original writer is reading this) about how that writer would respond to Mossberg's criticism.
First, not everything on the radio is music. There are a number of NPR shows that are on while I'm at work that would enjoy listening to.
And as is usually menitoned whenever someone reviews this thing, some people enjoy listening to Howard Stern, but can't for various reasons. Now they can, at least for a year or so.
And there is plenty more talk of varying quality radio out there.
And where I live there is a space music show called Echoes. Runs between 10 pm and midnight. More often then not I'm doing something else. Now I can record it, load my iPod, and listen at work.
SteveM
I'm sure I'm not the only one that has to ask...
What the hell would you want to record off of radio today?
On a two hour long trip yesterday I heard one song that I might want to hear again. If I had been in my own car with a CD player available, I wouldn't have even thought about listening to radio.
AM talk radio is the only remotely listenable radio left and you really don't miss anything by skipping a day.
If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. - James Madison
The individual's responsibility begins where the corporation's ends. Now, I may not be the brightest bulb in the room, but I know that hot coffee probably shouldn't be in my lap. While I'm driving. And I know I shouldn't fuck with the lid on the cup full of hot coffee..in my lap...while I'm driving. This lady was stupid and it was partially her fault.
I'm not saying McDonalds was in the right, any coffee hot enough to cause 2nd or 3rd degree burns is just too hot to begin with. But people, please, use some common sense once in awhile. I don't want to live in a world where every damn product I buy comes with a book full of disclaimers and warnings. I mean, I already do, but let's not encourage the average fool and their succubus lawyers to sue more companies for things they could've prevented by using their singular brain cell before they took an action.
This is perfect for listening to college radio. The shows are the pinnacle of diversity interesting music. A lot of times they have specials on wonderful bands that time forgot.
postmodernsideshow.com
Picked it up last week, to use on Windows. Windows App doesn't have any AAC compression options contrary to the 'features' listed on the outside of the box. If they don't release this soon in a software update, it'll be a more serious case of false advertising than it already is.
While this looks like a great geek gadget for the price I find it disturbing that both the review and the Griffin site totally neglect specifications. .2 Mhz spaced spots? (tv channel 6 sound is 87.775 Mhz, audible but not properly tuned on many digitally tuned radios)
1) Does it support an external antenna?
2) How free is it from spurious responses in the presence of strong signals?
3) How sensitive is it?
4) How is the adjacent and alternate channel selectivity?
5) What's the signal to noise ratio for strong and weak signals?
6) How's the A.M. rejection?
7) How's the stereo separation?
8) How's the distortion at various modulation levels? (including a bit above 100%, some stations overmodulate)
9) Can it receive S.C.A. subcarriers?
10) Is there software support to decode E.A.S. (Emergency Alert System) messages?
11) How's the frequency response?
12) Can it tune signals at other than the usual
Granted I don't expect a low-priced receiver to use a balanced mixer, but I'd at least like to see some clue that designers put some thought into performance.
Why is this insightful? Because you aren't interested? So what? It's easy to say "radio sucks", but I can name dozens of radio shows that have followings, and people might want to record them to listen at their convenience (and skip the annoying commercials)... Howard Stern, Leo Laporte, Art Bell, Phil Hendrie, This American Life, Loveline, Matt Drudge, Jim Rome, Rush Limbaugh, Dr. Laura, Harry Shearer, Al Franken, Don Imus, Tom Leykis, etc... They're not all my tastes but they do have large followings. Plus college channels often have interesting shows playing music you wouldn't otherwise hear.
my password is private, but unchanged.
From their webpage.
...snip!...
This is very funny:
The principle that the work that one has created belongs to the creator and should be controlled by you is as timeless as it is global.
The copyright in the sound recording, i.e. the recording of the performer singing or playing a given song. This is usually owned by the record company.
"In conclusion: overrated, overpriced Mac hardware. For the same price you can get a Hauppuage product that can also timeshift television."
Have you ever owned and used a Hauppauge product? I've had a couple and to compare that crap with almost anything on the Mac (or the PC for that matter) shows ignorance or chutzpah of the first order. Then there is the odd comparison with a Linux product that can involve installing a few binaries and setting up some cron tasks. Right, that is a real valid comparison.
What I suspect you are missing is that people are willing to pay to get something that just works rather than turn the whole thing into a project or a continuing hobby. I like the CreativeLabs TiVo-like product I have for the PC but it still has some rough edges and only works for TV. When I selected it there wasn't anything at a comparable price that included a radio tuner. That was less than 5 years ago so I suspect your numbers might be a little off.