iPod Radio Remote: The perfect podcessory
For years iPod owners have emitted the whimper, "Please Apple, let us have built-in radio." But Apple has refused to budge. Now, with the launch of the iPod Radio Remote, there's Apple-endorsed radio for your iPod
Apple has finally answered the shrieks of the radio-loving iPod owner and officially sanctioned this, the £35 iPod Radio Remote. This podcessory is a remote-control unit for your iPod with an integrated FM radio. Just about every MP3 player out there has a built-in FM radio -- like the Sony NW-E507, the Creative MuVo Micro N200 and the iRiver U10 -- but not the market leader, the iPod.
For some, it has always been a mystery why Apple has never integrated FM radio with the iPod. Perhaps Apple thought that an aging and temperamental technology like FM radio would have little appeal to the technorati. In the age of the podcast, the wired generation is more likely to collect their favourite radio shows in a non-linear, on-demand format, rather than be held to the whims of radio schedulers. Clearly there is a market for the old FM transmissions after all though, and Apple has made this small concession.
Stopping short of actually including the relatively small FM circuit inside the iPod itself, Apple has given all generations of iPod users the option of listening to FM radio. The iPod remote includes a pair of Apple headphones with a shorter cable to compensate for the length added by the iPod Radio Remote. Expect a full review soon. -CS