The Anker Soundcore Wakey that I’ve been using over the past few weeks has truly impressed me. As someone who hates clutter, especially wires, the Wakey’s easily one of the best alarm clocks I’ve ever had.
Ion Audio might not be a name that you immediately know when it comes to speakers. But that may change with their announcements for CES 2019 since they seem to be leaning hard into both cutting-edge offerings as well as the nostalgia for the days when radio was still an exciting concept.
It’s not often that I see a device that brags on having a built-in CD and DVD player, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t times when I wish I had easy access to both. Take a look at the Radionovelli 4G Radio; it’s an FM, DAB, and internet radio with 4G connectivity, a 7″ screen, and more!
Amazon just added a Sirius XM skill allowing users (All Access or Streaming Subscription required) to listen to SiriusXM channels on any of their Amazon Echo devices. SiriusXM joins existing music services Amazon Music, Spotify, Pandora, iHeartRadio, and Tunein Radio as music integrations that work on Amazon Echo devices.
Amazon has one of my favorite portable police scanners – the Uniden BCD436HP – for an all-time low price. If you have nightmares of owning an older model police scanner and struggling to find the right frequencies, you’ll be happy to know the days of manually programming these receivers are over.
One announcement I have been waiting for is from Como Audio. After seeing a clip from Electronics Legend Tom DeVesto’s two new products, I’m fully anticipating purchasing one of the smartest music systems to date. Tom DeVesto has invested most of his adult life making a mission of getting music to music lovers in any way he could, and that continues with the launching of the Solo and Duetto from his Boston-based audio company, Como Audio. The first of Como Audio’s products are the “Solo” and “Duetto”, which are designed solely to make the consumer have all of the music…
Looking for a last minute gift for that person who’s so difficult to shop for? Check out the Electrohome Retro Alarm Clock Radio! It features a white LED digital clock face, motion activated night light & snooze function, gradual wake up lighting, dual alarm with weekend cancellation, and more. You can pick up this neat bedside clock for $34.99!
We’ve reviewed internet radios in the past, and the Sugr Cube is similar to those, but it also does much more. It can stream music directly through your router’s WiFi from sources such as Tunes music, Pandora, BBC radio, 8Tracks and Douban FM, and you can transfer hundreds of songs from iOS, Android, PC and Mac devices to it.
Kev has a small hand-cranked emergency flashlight; I reviewed it years ago, and it has become an inside joke how he won’t travel without it. At least he’s always prepared! It took just one look at the Slive-4U Self-Powered AM/FM/WB Radio with Flashlight & Phone Charger for Kev to say he wanted it if it really works.
Software defined radios are radios that are defined, primarily, with software. What does this mean? That means instead of needing a circuit to do the job, a portion of what the radio normally would do has been replaced by software. Want a different mode or even a frequency? Update the software. This has forever changed how radios are built.
Nissan North America has just announced that it has signed an exclusive partnership deal with Apple and its new iTunes Radio. From now until the end of 2013, Nissan will be the first automaker offering iTunes Radio in its vehicles in the upcoming 2014 Nissan Rogue, the new 2014 Versa Note and the LEAF electric vehicle. Citing the Nissan brand as also being known for its innovation, Nissan North America Vice President of Marketing Jon Brancheau said in a press release the company is proud to support iTunes Radio from the very beginning and they see it as a huge…
Many times when we discuss Eton we refer to their excellent line of outdoor-focused emergency radios, with flashlights, phone chargers, and solar panels all built-in so you can be in touch no matter what is happening in the world. Eton doesn’t just want you to be on top of the weather when you are out in it, they want you to be able to track “climate events” from the safety of your own home. And while we all have smartphones and a ridiculous number of weather apps at our disposal, Eton offers the ZoneGuard Weather Alert Clock Radio, a stand-alone…
Geneva Sound markets the Geneva Sound System Model XS as “the world’s first portable audio system with true Hi-Fi sound”. That’s a pretty daring claim to make and one that can easily be dismissed as a good bit of hyperbole. Does this Bluetooth speaker whose design is inspired by the classic travel clock, truly sound like something much bigger and more expensive? We couldn’t wait to get out hands on one and find out. We did get one for review, and were immediately impressed by the sturdy leather-like clamshell case. It really does look like the travel alarm clocks of…
For a couple of years or more, there has been constant speculation about when we would see an ‘iRadio’ service from Apple, with some more reasonable speculation that by capitulating to streaming price demands they might have something by this June. Google has also been rumored to be working on a similar service, though more of an ‘on demand’ service like Rdio or Spotify than the Pandora-alike service Apple is reportedly working on. Well, today at Google I/O, they announced Google Play Music All Access. The service is pretty much identical to Spotify and Rdio, but is unique in one…
When Superstorm Sandy hit last fall we, like so many in our region, were left without power. For Elana and me that meant no heat, no light and no water. (Yes, we live in New Jersey and have well rather than communal water.) The outage also meant we had no way to recharge batteries. Thankfully I had anticipated this happening and prepared by charging all of my various external batteries. I do, however, wish I had had the Eton FRX3 Hand Turbine AM/FM/Weather Alert Radio. The Eton FRX3 Hand Turbine AM/FM/Weather Alert Radio is an all-purpose, rechargeable weather alert radio…
Hurricane Sandy knocked out power for much of New Jersey, and at our house we lost power for about a week. Unfortunately, it was the same week we were scheduled to move out, so we found ourselves doing all the last minute packing in the dark. Luckily we weren’t totally on our own, as my handy Etón emergency radio kept us happy with music, a flashlight, and the chance to top off a smartphone once in a while. Basically, it was the first thing we grabbed when the power went out and the very last item we packed. So I was…
One of the things I most love about the Libratone Zipp is its ability to play music directly from my iOS and OS X devices. It is a small convenience but one that I have come to truly appreciate. Now Sonos has added some similar functionality. As an email this morning explains… The latest software upgrade helps you play even more music, quickly, in deep, richly textured HiFi sound. Sonos now plays your iTunes® music direct from your iPhone®, iPad®, or iPod touch® anywhere there is a Sonos speaker or player. No more syncing your Apple® mobile device with your…
For those individuals like me who have just started using the latest Microsoft OS incarnation that is Windows 8 on their PCs, Slacker announced the official launch of their music service supporting Windows 8. The free Slacker app is designed such that it takes advantage of the new tiling and UI aspects of Windows 8, multitasking, and even the Share charm feature. In Windows 8, apps like Slacker don’t flip to the “old” Windows 7-style desktop but are integrated into the Windows 8 UI, providing a fluid, seamless experience, particularly if you’ve set up Windows 8 with a Microsoft Live…
Every now and then a product comes along that not only meets your expectations but actually exceeds them. That’s the case so far with the Libratone Zipp AirPlay Wireless Speaker. Sure, it has a cool, unique look. And sure, the fact that you can change the wool covers then, in seconds, have a speaker that looks completely different is very cool. And sure, it has AirPlay. All that is true, but what really makes this speaker stand out is its Play Direct and its awesome sound. Play Direct means you can stream great audio wirelessly even when you don’t have an…
Here at Gear Diary we have a bunch of Slacker Radio fans. For me, aside from listening to my massive iTunes collection, Slacker is my ‘go to’ spot as they offer on-demand streaming content as well as a great array of preset music stations. Recently they also introduced highly customizable ESPN radio stations, and now they have teamed with ABC Radio to launch new ‘Lifestyle’ stations. These stations are called Men’s Life and Women’s Life, and offer targeted content for each gender. But if that sounds limiting – as it did for me – rest assured that you get the…
This past year Sarah and I have been very lucky. While our town did flood, it only necessitated the power being out for around 15 hours. Many of my coworkers and friends north of us had it much worse, with power outages lasting anywhere from 24 hours to 5 days! Unfortunately, the modern world isn’t really conducive to going off-grid. Cell phones need juice, you need access to the news, a clock to see what time it is, and of course, an alarm clock if you plan on heading to work! That’s where having a radio like the Eton Axis…