Journal LehiNephi's Journal: Gadget Feature Request #1 5
Every once in a while, I come across a situation that makes me really wish for one or another feature for some gadget. So here's my first feature request:
Device: Portable Audio and Video devices (MP3 players, DVD players, maybe even laptops and PDAs)
Feature Request: Integrate an FM transmitter into it.
I drive an old car that has a tape deck in it, so when I want to listen to the music on my MP3 player (an inexpensive 2GB Sansa), I plug a cassette adapter in. This leaves a cord draped onto the passenger seat. Now maybe this might not bother most people, but I'm an engineer, and as such have an instinctive dislike for anything so inelegant. I have an FM transmitter at home that we have occasionally used. The problem is that this transmitter, while respectably small, is still larger than the MP3 player. And it's a separate device. That's attached by a cord. So I end up with a nunchuck-style arrangement.
So let's add an FM transmitter to MP3 players. You turn on your mp3 player, tell it to broadcast on channel xx.x, turn up the car radio, and you're off. Heck, set a preset on your radio and leave the same frequency set on your MP3 player to eliminate a couple steps. Then you can put the mp3 player wherever--in the glove compartment, sitting in the coin tray, put it back in your pocket, whatever.
There are a few potential downsides:
--If the user forgets to turn on the FM transmitter, it would drain batteries faster
--Manufacturers of iPod (and other mp3 player) accessories would be pretty mad
--The FCC might not like the suddenly-increased number of FM transmitters, even if they're all very low-powered
--Added complexity and circuitry might be hard to fit into the same-sized package
--Differing radio frequencies in different countries
Your thoughts?
Device: Portable Audio and Video devices (MP3 players, DVD players, maybe even laptops and PDAs)
Feature Request: Integrate an FM transmitter into it.
I drive an old car that has a tape deck in it, so when I want to listen to the music on my MP3 player (an inexpensive 2GB Sansa), I plug a cassette adapter in. This leaves a cord draped onto the passenger seat. Now maybe this might not bother most people, but I'm an engineer, and as such have an instinctive dislike for anything so inelegant. I have an FM transmitter at home that we have occasionally used. The problem is that this transmitter, while respectably small, is still larger than the MP3 player. And it's a separate device. That's attached by a cord. So I end up with a nunchuck-style arrangement.
So let's add an FM transmitter to MP3 players. You turn on your mp3 player, tell it to broadcast on channel xx.x, turn up the car radio, and you're off. Heck, set a preset on your radio and leave the same frequency set on your MP3 player to eliminate a couple steps. Then you can put the mp3 player wherever--in the glove compartment, sitting in the coin tray, put it back in your pocket, whatever.
There are a few potential downsides:
--If the user forgets to turn on the FM transmitter, it would drain batteries faster
--Manufacturers of iPod (and other mp3 player) accessories would be pretty mad
--The FCC might not like the suddenly-increased number of FM transmitters, even if they're all very low-powered
--Added complexity and circuitry might be hard to fit into the same-sized package
--Differing radio frequencies in different countries
Your thoughts?
nearly (Score:2)
USB MP3 players can stick right in and the car mp3 player will read the filesystem.
It's not what you asked for but perhaps it's nearer what you want.
Some car radios also have built-in bluetooth ADCP profiles, so you can play your HTC smartphone media player via your car player.
FM transmitter just lacks too much; however you may want to google the "Unication Magpie" (STILL not available yet).
Sam
Probably won't happen... (Score:2)
Truthfully, I rarely use the input jack. I have burned a couple of CDs that cover my car liste
Re: (Score:2)
I'm in the Houston area, and while most of the spectrum is used, I don't seem to have too much difficulty picking out a free frequency...
Re: (Score:2)
Part of the problem might have been that I ended up with a cheap FM transmitter. IIRC, it was very cumbersome to set the transmission frequency.
It happened! (Score:2)
A USB MP3-player with FM transmitter, that looks half decent:
http://www.maplin.co.uk/module.aspx?ModuleNo=11525 4&doy=30m4 [maplin.co.uk]
The transmitter cuts the play time in half from 10 hours to 5 hours
Also these:
http://equinox-communications.com/shoppy/index.php ?act=viewProd&productId=93 [equinox-co...ations.com]
Sam