FREE RADIO STATIONS AND PODCASTS SANS COMPUTER
Television and radio broadcasts used to be free. Stick an antenna in
the air and that's still true even though much of it has now gone
digital. As technology advanced, we got better delivery methods of
those free signals such as cable and satellite TV. These methods
brought better pictures and sound, more channels, more choices, more
variety and more cost. Of course a lot of that programming like HBO
and other premium channels were never really free in the first place
so I'm not counting those. But there's still a lot of that
originally free content that you now must pay for but I guess that's
the price we pay for that better delivery service. Fortunately there
are still some exceptions out there.
Take radio for example. While it's true that technology has been
encroaching upon this traditionally free broadcasting medium with
things like HD Radio and subscription satellite radio, it's nice to
see technology throw us a freebie once in a while. If you have some
kind of broadband Internet service, there's a good chance you've
used your computer to tap into some of the many thousands of radio
stations and podcasts that put their content out online.
Most radio stations today have tapped into the fact that if they put
their local broadcasts online, they can instantly increase their
listenership to a global scale and that translates into more
advertising dollars which is their lifeblood. However, listening to
radio stations using your computer's browser isn't always easy.
There are many audio standards and if you don't have the right
software or codec installed, you may not be able to listen.
Listening this way also has other drawbacks which may tie up your
computer or at the very least bog it down. But Myine has come up
with a better way to enjoy all of this free programming and you do
all of it without a computer.
The Wi-Fi Internet Radio from Myine is a small black rectangular
unit that sports an easy to read blue LCD screen. An included remote
control lets you easily operate the device. All you need is your
Internet connection with a wireless setup and chances are that you
more than likely already have that. Just take the Myine out of the
box, plug it in and connect it to any stereo system and speakers.
That's pretty much all you have to do.
The Myine Ira (Internet Radio Adapter) connects wirelessly to the
company's servers where the online location of well over 11,000
radio stations and podcasts are maintained, and that number
continues to grow. The screen displays different menus that let you
search for content by genre, artist and more. And don't forget to
check out the New Stations category as more programs are being
constantly added. Once you find what you are looking for, you can
save the station or podcast in a Favorites folder for easy, repeat
connections.
And as I mentioned, there's no subscriptions with the Myine. Once
you buy it, you never pay for anything else. So there you have it.
The Myine gives you access to literally thousands of radio stations
and podcasts from all over the globe and the content is absolutely
free. The Myine itself costs $150 and includes everything you'll
need to get started and begin enjoying all of that free content
that's out there just waiting for you to hear.
www.myine.com
| Craig Crossman is
a McClatchy-Tribune newspaper columnist writing about computers and
technology. He also hosts the nation's longest running nationally syndicated radio talk show on
computers and technology, Computer America, heard on both the Business TalkRadio
Network® and the Lifestyle TalkRadio Network®, weeknights at 10PM Eastern
time. Visit his website at http://www.computeramerica.com |
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