Comments on: Review: Griffin radioSHARK isn’t exactly Jaws, but it’s in the hunt http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20050130/1392/ Technology, music, video, art, news, reviews and muse on the web Sat, 22 Nov 2008 04:44:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: Make You Go Hmm: » Wireless speaker music: iSplash shower power http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20050130/1392/#comment-42521 Make You Go Hmm: » Wireless speaker music: iSplash shower power Wed, 07 Dec 2005 15:30:25 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20050130/1392/#comment-42521 [...] The iSplash Wireless SplashProof Speaker System ($99.95, affiliate) reminds me a bit stylistically of the RadioShark and would be a good replacement for soap on the rope. [...] […] The iSplash Wireless SplashProof Speaker System ($99.95, affiliate) reminds me a bit stylistically of the RadioShark and would be a good replacement for soap on the rope. […]

]]> By: Make You Go Hmm: » My $800+ Mac radio http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20050130/1392/#comment-15444 Make You Go Hmm: » My $800+ Mac radio Fri, 19 Aug 2005 17:40:54 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20050130/1392/#comment-15444 [...] Since returning from vacation, and really since buying the RadioShark listening to talk radio via the eMac has been its primary function. I know, it’s a waste, but it seems at the end of the day or the weekend — at least this summer — I haven’t had much time for the Mac. [...] […] Since returning from vacation, and really since buying the RadioShark listening to talk radio via the eMac has been its primary function. I know, it’s a waste, but it seems at the end of the day or the weekend — at least this summer — I haven’t had much time for the Mac. […]

]]> By: TDavid http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20050130/1392/#comment-15431 TDavid Fri, 19 Aug 2005 17:35:46 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20050130/1392/#comment-15431 I don't run RadioShark on my Windows box (though I have tried it there since making this post) It works very good for receiving the stations in my area. I cannot hear the two stations I listen to with a regular radio, but with the RadioShark via the eMac, I can. There are also some hints to boosting the reception quality if you visit the Griffin website. As for recording to MP3. On the Mac you can choose to record to MP3 or AAC format. I realize this doesn't help those who do not own a Mac, but there are several WMA to MP3 converters out there. Yeah, kind of lame I agree that they don't allow direct recording to MP3, but I wouldn't be surprised if that's a future software upgrade if enough people ask for it. I haven't checked recently, maybe Griffin has already upgraded and added this functionality for Windows users. UPDATE: looks like I'm wrong -- it's AIFF or AAC format on the Mac. I thought it recorded to MP3 directly. My bad :( Guess I was converting those when recording stuff. I don't record shows very often, just use it to listen to live radio. I don’t run RadioShark on my Windows box (though I have tried it there since making this post) It works very good for receiving the stations in my area. I cannot hear the two stations I listen to with a regular radio, but with the RadioShark via the eMac, I can. There are also some hints to boosting the reception quality if you visit the Griffin website.

As for recording to MP3. On the Mac you can choose to record to MP3 or AAC format. I realize this doesn’t help those who do not own a Mac, but there are several WMA to MP3 converters out there. Yeah, kind of lame I agree that they don’t allow direct recording to MP3, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s a future software upgrade if enough people ask for it. I haven’t checked recently, maybe Griffin has already upgraded and added this functionality for Windows users.

UPDATE: looks like I’m wrong — it’s AIFF or AAC format on the Mac. I thought it recorded to MP3 directly. My bad :( Guess I was converting those when recording stuff. I don’t record shows very often, just use it to listen to live radio.

]]> By: Mike Jennings http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20050130/1392/#comment-10992 Mike Jennings Fri, 22 Jul 2005 10:44:24 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20050130/1392/#comment-10992 I have a mixed-platform household, but the only computer that runs continuously is on Windows. I just want to record a single weekly two-hour show and transfer it to my iPod like a podcast. This is not the product for this, despite its billing. 1) It only records to uncompressed WAV and WMA on Windows. This is astounding. I still can't get over it. 2) No background process to launch the app before the next scheduled recording. Either I launch it myself (I'll inevitably forget), or I launch it at startup, confusing my family. 3) No iTunes automation a la iPodderX 4) Reception, as noted above, is not stellar. Odd in such a large antenna. I mean, FM has been around for a while. Hasn't this problem been... *solved* by now? These are all jaw-dropping showstoppers to me. I'm completely hosed. I think I'd be better off dinking with whatever crummy system came with my ATI card. I imagine I could find the tools to automate workarounds but I bought this thing explicitly to avoid having to. Without completely rethinking the software, the only way Griffin could possibly recover with this hopeless product is to open up an SDK so some better coders can rig something more sensible up. I just can't believe it won't record to MP3. I would have paid an extra five bucks or something for a Fraunhofer license. Because right now I'm dead in the water. I have a mixed-platform household, but the only computer that runs continuously is on Windows. I just want to record a single weekly two-hour show and transfer it to my iPod like a podcast.

This is not the product for this, despite its billing.

1) It only records to uncompressed WAV and WMA on Windows. This is astounding. I still can’t get over it.
2) No background process to launch the app before the next scheduled recording. Either I launch it myself (I’ll inevitably forget), or I launch it at startup, confusing my family.
3) No iTunes automation a la iPodderX
4) Reception, as noted above, is not stellar. Odd in such a large antenna. I mean, FM has been around for a while. Hasn’t this problem been… *solved* by now?

These are all jaw-dropping showstoppers to me. I’m completely hosed. I think I’d be better off dinking with whatever crummy system came with my ATI card. I imagine I could find the tools to automate workarounds but I bought this thing explicitly to avoid having to.

Without completely rethinking the software, the only way Griffin could possibly recover with this hopeless product is to open up an SDK so some better coders can rig something more sensible up.

I just can’t believe it won’t record to MP3. I would have paid an extra five bucks or something for a Fraunhofer license. Because right now I’m dead in the water.

]]> By: Rich Cook http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20050130/1392/#comment-9960 Rich Cook Sun, 17 Jul 2005 17:03:36 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20050130/1392/#comment-9960 This product is not all it's cracked up to be. As the review on Ars Technica points out, some users such as myself have had problems with the RadioShark. I have found that it crashes my dual-CPU G5, gets stuck in loops, and is otherwise unreliable. To boot, reception is mediocre. The latest beta of the software helps a lot but it currently fails to quit and prevents my Mac from going to sleep, which wastes energy and is bad for my monitor. Maybe on the PC it works better, but on the Mac, stay away for now until you see a good rating on versiontracker.com. This product is not all it’s cracked up to be. As the review on Ars Technica points out, some users such as myself have had problems with the RadioShark. I have found that it crashes my dual-CPU G5, gets stuck in loops, and is otherwise unreliable. To boot, reception is mediocre. The latest beta of the software helps a lot but it currently fails to quit and prevents my Mac from going to sleep, which wastes energy and is bad for my monitor. Maybe on the PC it works better, but on the Mac, stay away for now until you see a good rating on versiontracker.com.

]]> By: Make You Go Hmm: » Jim Rome to start offering podcasts http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20050130/1392/#comment-7417 Make You Go Hmm: » Jim Rome to start offering podcasts Wed, 08 Jun 2005 19:21:46 +0000 http://www.makeyougohmm.com/20050130/1392/#comment-7417 [...] s” listening. I stopped paying for the streamlink subscription to the jungle after buying the RadioShark. [...] […] s” listening. I stopped paying for the streamlink subscription to the jungle after buying the RadioShark.

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