Posts Tagged Clock Radios

Tivoli Audio announces PAL+ and Model 10+ clock radios, we go ears-on

Posted by on Thursday, 1 September, 2011
If those clock radios up there look familiar, it’s because their maker, Tivoli Audio, has been spitting out pretty much the same thing for the past 11 years. Their innards, at least, have changed with the times, and here at IFA the company is showing two models — the portable PAL+ and the more stationary Model 10+ — both of which hinge on support for digital radio. They’re each compatible with DAB, DAB+ and DMB, in addition to good ‘ol FM, have dual alarms and support five station presets for each band. The main difference is that the PAL+ is weather-resistant and battery-powered, rated to last three and a half hours unplugged. At 1.85 pounds it’s still heavy enough that we’d never throw it in a carry-on, but in a world where it cost less or money were no object we might take it to the beach. You could, if you were so inclined, use the included remote to navigate the UI, though there’s also a scroll wheel up top — a neat idea, we thought, until you realize pushing that button in the center to cycle through each and every menu gets annoying fast. As for the audio quality, the speakers are powerful enough that their sound could rise above the din of the show floor, but we could still hear some tinniness coming through. The pair are available now, fetching 9 (£299) and 9 (£399), respectively, which means HD radio or no, these are, still, glorified alarm clocks.

Gallery: Tivoli Model 10+

Gallery: Tivoli Model PAL+

Gallery: Tivoli PAL+ and Model 10+ hands-on

Tivoli Audio announces PAL+ and Model 10+ clock radios, we go ears-on originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 01 Sep 2011 20:50:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Chumby One: More powerful, less cushy

Posted by on Wednesday, 30 September, 2009

chumby one
The original Chumby was soft, cuddly, and cute. The new Chumby One is uptight, all-business, and commercial. I hate it.

The draw to the original Chumby was that there was nothing like it on the market two years ago. You could load it up with all sorts of pre-made widgets like YouTube, weather, news, or one you made thanks to the open source hardware and software. Sure, the upcoming One still has the original capabilities if not more thanks to the upgraded 454MHz CPU, but it doesn’t have the same crazy beanbag form factor. It’s missing something.

Not only was the functions innovative two years ago, but the design was as well. The pillow-like design had character and style. It was something you wouldn’t see at Target. But the new One model is made out of cold, lifeless plastic and will look right at home next to clock radios and cordless phones at Walmart – if it ever reaches that distribution channel of course. But anyway, the new model is expected to run $100 when it drops in a month or two.



Insignia’s NS-HD01 is the first portable HD Radio–and it’s only $50

Posted by on Sunday, 12 July, 2009
Insignia's NS-HD01(Credit: Insignia)

The price of HD Radio technology has been dwindling over the past few years, with digital-capable car stereos and clock radios priced south of $100. But Insignia’s new NS-HD01 adds two new wrinkles to the HD Radio equation. The iPod-size unit is the first truly portable (battery powered) HD Radio, and its $50 price tag makes it the most affordable HD model to date. The NS-HD01 is scheduled to hit shelves at Best Buy on June 12, but we got an early look at the unit.