USB radio dongle

[James Fee]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.engadget.com/entry/8143838859548140/' target='_blank'>http://www.engadget.com/entry/8143838859548140/</a><br /><br /></div>"<i>We had almost given up on broadcast radio and here Avermedia goes and makes a radio USB dongle (the interface of choice these days: pretty soon you’ll be able to have anything you could possibly want plugged into a USB port). But this one doesn’t just play radio. That would be boring and a clear waste of the fact that it’s a USB radio. The accompanying software scans the airwaves and presents you with a list of available stations. It also lets you record said stations, which is most probably going to get them sued by the RIAA sooner or later even though last time we checked we were allowed to record the radio. Rebels. Oh, and they named the thing the USB Radio. Simple. Fantastic.</i>"<br /><br /> <img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/USB_Radio.jpg" /> <br /><br />I don't understand these radio add ons. I've seen them for CF cards in PDAs and PC Cards for laptops (I guess I don't listen to enough OTA radio). Now we have a USB dongle. How about satellite radio! Now that would be cool. 8)

[brianchris]

Intriguing, but does it support AM radio? The flury of other OTA radio products you mention are vastly FM only, which does us talk radio junkies NO good whatsoever. AM or XM.....now you're talking.

[Chris Gohlke]

If it were $20 or $30 would be cool as a cheap PVR for timeshifting radio.

[sundown]

I also wonder how much it would be. I'd pay $30 for it. Sometimes on the road I like to listen to the local NPR station and I never bring a radio with me in my briefcase.

[JTWise]

From the look of the company product page it appears to be FM only. So, once again, no AM love.

http://www.avermedia.com/cgi-bin/products_multimedia_usbradio.asp

[dean_shan]

Couldn't tell if it had Mac support or not. If it does I'd buy one for my notebook. I already have a radio tuner for my Windows (bundled with my TV tuner card).

[TopDog]

YES, this would be perfect for meg. Hope somebody starts selling this in Norway...

Only FM is ok for me, nobody transmits on AM up here anyway (isn't AM only mono and very noisy?) :scrambleup:

[brianchris]

From the look of the company product page it appears to be FM only. So, once again, no AM love.

Honestly......will some radio engineer explain WHY none of these computer radio cards / adapters support AM?????????? Is there a technical reason, or is it just complete short sightedness? I understand that most people listen to FM, but to consistently exclude AM is to deny that anyone listens to it, which is false.

[rzanology]

yea....am is boring. Try that for a technical answer. lol

Im guessing they are trying to market these things more toward music needs...a la Am.