Dexim Touch Screen FM Transmitter (photos)

We got our hands on Dexim's DFU012 Universal Touch Screen FM Transmitter, a device that's packaging boasts the oddly worded claim of "Wirelessly to any FM radio and any audio device!" Umm...what?

After cracking open the box, we were presented with the DFU012 unit, a short 8.25-inch stereo patch cable, an instruction manual printed in 11 languages, a promotional flier for other Dexim products, and a small transparent Dexim sticker.

The unit itself features a single line monochromatic display. Wait, that's it? We have to do something to spice this review up...

Run-DMC to the rescue!

Powered up, we can see the at DFU012 features bright blue illumination for the LCD and the four control buttons. The backlight is so bright that it overpowered the screen's readout in our photos. In hand, the display is actually quite legible.

Dexim's title of "touch screen" is a bit misleading. There is a screen and there are touch-sensitive buttons around it, but we'd hardly call this monochromatic LCD a touch screen.

Users are presented with buttons for tuning up and down the FM band, and two memory buttons for saving and recalling commonly used clear frequencies.

Along the top edge are switches for power and hold, the latter of which disables the touch-sensitive face and prevents accidental channel changes. We have one quality control nit to pick: the orange indicator on the hold switch is still visible whether the unit is locked or unlocked.

The DFU012 is powered by a single AAA battery, which is not included. This aids in portability and allows the device to be truly universal.

On one edge of the unit is a 3.5mm audio output for connecting to your MP3 player of choice.

On the other is a 5-volt DC power input. No DC power adapter is included, but if you can find one that fits, your battery woes will be over.

Here, we can also see the thickness of the unit relative to an iPhone 4.

Here, we have the 3-inch-wide-by-1.63-inch-tall unit next to an iPhone 4.

After scanning for an empty station on an FM radio, users can tune the DFU012 to the same frequency and connect to their MP3 player of choice. If everything is done correctly--and there isn't any interference on the airwaves--the MP3 player's audio should be piped to the FM radio's speaker.

Of course, your mileage may vary depending on how many empty frequencies there are in your area and your skill in finding them. Without an auto-tuning function, the Dexim DFU012 Touch Screen FM Transmitter didn't stand a chance against San Francisco's crowded airwaves.