dab

U.K.'s Roberts claims first solar DAB radio

It seems surprising that no one has done this already, but U.K.-based Roberts claims to have the first solar-powered DAB radio. The aptly named "solarDAB" has UV-absorbing panels built into the top of the unit and indicates its power level on a small display.

As Engadget notes, Roberts has tried to expand beyond its usual retro designs with some bright colors, but it still looks pretty staid. A full charge is supposedly good for 27 hours, but remember, we're talking about a U.K.-based product, so solar supplies may be limited.

Pure Digital One Mini: Outdoor DAB bargain

If the Digital Radio Working Group has its way, all of us at Crave UK will need to chuck out our lovely FM receivers and invest in DAB equipment before too long. Good news, then, for PURE Digital, a DAB favorite of ours. And it's just released its new One Mini--an affordable and portable version of the popular Pure One.

It's a little monaural-speaker radio that'll go for about 40 pounds (about $79), and with an optional battery pack will serve as a decent companion to any sun-drenched U.K. picnics, festivals, or glue sniffing you've … Read more

Hands-on with the Intempo iDAB: iHate it

The iPod's lack of radio functionality is a frequent source of complaint, so Intempo has created the iDAB for the U.K. market--an accessory that clips into the the docking port of the iPod, giving you digital radio wherever you have your Classic, Touch, Nano, or iPhone.

In theory, this sounds great. The problem--well, there's a list of problems, actually--is that this thing doesn't work at all like you'd expect. You would imagine it would use the iPod's display, its headphone socket, its navigational buttons. You wish. The iDAB basically just uses the iPod as … Read more

Not all Wi-Fi radios can be a 'Chumby'

Many times when an Internet radio appears on Crave, it's from Europe or some other galaxy far, far away (unless it's the most awesome "Chumby" or "Nabaztag," of course). So we always appreciate the opportunity to note that they do exist in the States too.

Case in point: Intuit's "Grace" digital radio is a desktop receiver that promises to stream more than 10,000 Internet stations through a Wi-Fi connection without any subscriptions. It also claims to have a "low distortion, high-quality sound" with "deep bass effect" … Read more

U.K. digital radio bridges retro with future

Talk about deja vu. Witnessing the evolution of DAB products in Europe is like watching a PBS documentary on a history of the analog radio. Some of today's digital versions are starting to look like the first portable AM/FM radios of the '60s.

At first glance the MP-Sound 41 from U.K.-based Roberts Radio looked like a shiny silver Sony transistor from the days of yore. Until you see the digital screen on top, that is, which is used for something unimaginable back then: an electronic programming guide that can schedule the recording of a show up … Read more

U.K.'s 'Daisy': Wi-Fi Net radio for your pocket

We're living in happy times right now. Happy, because the Internet is no longer restricted to devices with wires. Yes, in 2008 the wireless Web is maturing like the finest cheese. Ready to exploit the growing ubiquity of a Web without wires is Intempo, whose portable Wi-Fi radio is designed to be used on the move, obviously with the intention of being used near Wi-Fi hot spots. All very well in big U.S. cities, but is it too early for the U.K.?

You'll be able to use the new radio--code-named "Daisy"--with about 6,… Read more

Hands-on with the Pure Digital Chronos II

Pure Digital's original Chronos bedside digital radio scored an impressive 8 out of 10 last year and was nominated for our prestigious 2006 Editor's Choice award. Its cute design, ease of use and good price point earned the Chronos our respect. Now we've got hold of its successor, the Chronos II.

At first glance you might not notice much difference between this and its younger brother: It's the same shape, same colour, same price, and has the same button layout. But there are a couple of changes under the hood. First, the Chronos II has FM … Read more

Net radio for the streaming n00b

Intempo's new GX01 is an attractive and affordable little networked music streamer and Internet radio device. At 129 pounds (about $271) it's a few tenners shy of the excellent Squeezebox's price tag, so it has potential to snag the interest of media-streaming newbies. The crucial thing, therefore, is ease of use--if the GX01 is even remotely difficult to use, n00bs, no matter how l33t, may pay dearly for paying less dearly.

The system's pretty pleasing to the eye and looks like something DAB specialists Pure Digital would produce--the pine finish and and single speaker makes the … Read more

'Robi' brings digital radio to the iPod

When it rains, it pours. Only a few minutes ago we were taking note of the rising trend for digital radio in MP3 players, and now we've come across something that provides just that for the iPod.

The "Robi" from U.K.-based Roberts Radio obviously isn't ideal because it requires a second device, but it'll do in a pinch if you must have a DAB tuner for the media player. It helps that the Robi can double as a remote for the iPod (thereby helping to justify having a second gadget), but it unfortunately … Read more

5,000 radio stations plus MP3s

In the midst of an evolution on steroids, the MP3 player just never seems to be comfortable in its own skin. While still suffering an identity crisis with the telephonic aspects of its personality, it's now changing once again to include digital radio, as shown recently by such stalwarts as iRiver and Cowon.

Now, Dutch company Freecom is entering the fray as well with its "MusicPal" player. which promises to deliver 5,000 radio stations as well as MP3 streams wirelessly from a PC or a Mac. It's too big to be carried around, but not … Read more