Tag Archives: iPod

Where are the transistor radios?

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I’ve come across Zing a couple of times this weekend. I gather this little gizmo is still in prototype but it sounds interesting. For lack of a better word, they’re little radios that have Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios built in. The radios are used to download music and to upload data about what you are listening to. If you have one of these players, you can do cool things, like see what your friends are listening to, then play samples of those tracks, or buy songs and albums directly from the player. The first Zing-powered players should ship this year, carrying the Sirius brand.

radioAs I read about this I mentally pictured all the people I see listening to iPods. Which begs a question: Why don’t I see anyone walking around with a transistor (do they call them that?) radio? I mean, there are some really great radio programs…are we only listening to them in the car or at the office? Why? If I’m willing to stand in line at Subway with nano earbuds hanging down my face…why not listen to my local radio station?

After all, what could be easier? No iTunes to futz with and sync. Just drop your little transitor radio in your pocket and go. I’m missing something here, aren’t I?

Clyde on cover of JC Business Times

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Business TimesThe local Business Journal did a nice piece on Learfield, including a glam shot of Clyde on the cover. The reporter, David Reed, picked up on Clyde’s love of technology:

Lear’s desk gadgets, including a Blackberry, a laptop (from which he posts to his blog on Learfield’s Web site) and an iPod, show how comfortable he is with the latest technologies.

The 62-year-old techie picked up his cell phone and made a pronouncement: “I’ll guarantee you that in 18 months to two years, you’ll be able to watch every Missouri football game right here, watch it live,” he said. “We’re the company that’s going to make that happen. The university is entrusting us to make this happen for them. They don’t want to deal with a company that is going to lag behind. Our job is to be out front of the technology game.”

I might have to upgrade from my Wal-Mart Tracfone. I’d link to the story but, alas, the JCBT does not have a web site.

Podcasting a viable medium?

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There’s been considerable debate about how iPod/MP3 ownership impacts radio listening. According to Jacobs Media’s Technology Web Poll II (conducted in late February, 2006, among more than 25,000 respondents), iPods are cutting into time spent listening to radio. About one-fifth of iPod/MP3 player owners say they listen mostly or exclusively to these devices. Four in ten now split their listening between iPods and radio, while over one-third primarily listen to the radio. The survey suggests that podcasting is also having an impact. One-fifth (22%) of those who own an iPod or portable MP3 player say they’ve downloaded/listened to a podcast: Of this group, nearly two-thirds (64%) subscribe to at least one podcast, and a majority listens to most or all podcasts that come their way. [via RAIN]

Seems like there’s another report every week and the findings are all over the place. So pick the one you like.

Sat radio awareness climbs; half of teens own iPod

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According to a new study by Edison Media Research and Arbitron, both XM and Sirius have 61% awareness levels among American consumers. The research also showed some evidence of early use and interest in podcasting. Given a detailed description of podcasting, about one in ten people aged 12-plus said they had ever listened to an audio podcast, about half the number who had heard of podcasting. The podcast audience skews younger and more upscale than the general population. Nearly one in four Americans and more than half of teens own an iPod or other portable digital music player. [Billboard Radio Monitor] Thanks, Ben.

iPod Hi-Fi

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Fill your home with sound, not stereo components. Keep your music collection at your fingertips, not in countless CD cases. Change the way you experience digital music. For $349, iPod Hi-Fi delivers crystal-clear, audiophile-quality sound in a clean, compact design.

Might have to have me one of these. We probably turn our stereo on 3 or 4 times a year. I think I read that Apple has sold 10 million iPods. If 1% of them buy one of these… 100,000 at $350?