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Preview: Belkin TuneCast 3 FM transmitter

In brief: The Belkin TuneCast 3 is a simple, attractive FM transmitter that may be suitable for rural users and long, desolate road trips, but it just doesn't quite cut it in a big city.

I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit disappointed. In general, I shun the use of FM transmitters: The audio quality is not up to par with direct line-in or cassette adapters, and searching for an open signal is often a crap shoot. I was one of the fortunate MP3-player users to have both a CD changer and an "… Read more

FoxyTunes Planet gets music discovery right

The team behind the popular browser extension FoxyTunes is hard at work on a new mashup site that integrates the music controls of FoxyTunes with an aggregation tool to give you more information and media about your favorite musical artists and new discoveries.

Each FoxyTunes Planet artist page has several customizable widgets. There are Flickr photos, YouTube videos, albums for sale from Amazon, and even various Internet radio stations such as HypeMachine and Last.fm where you can listen to the band's other songs. If you're like me, you might be listening to a Shoutcast feed on iTunes … Read more

Find local stations (and unused frequencies) with Radio-Locator

Need to find info on anything radio related? Check out Radio-Locator. The site offers a searchable database of AM and FM radio stations around the U.S. (and the world, in fact). You can search by ZIP code (most useful) or state, or look up specific stations by their call letters. If you search by ZIP code, you'll get a list of all the stations that should be accessible in your area, along with distances and signal strengths and hyperdetailed information on the stations themselves (the owner's address and phone number, FCC license info, programming genre, transmitter location … Read more

Harman's auto audio gem

Harman Kardon unleashed its nifty Drive+Play 2 for gadget-loving drivers everywhere. With an impressively simple setup (you can hook it up in a couple minutes sans tools), you can have a single interface for everything from your iPod or Zune to your phone or satellite radio. The 3.5-inch color display is easily mountable on your dash with screws or adhesive, and a 2.4GHz wireless control knob lets you navigate the very iPod-like skinnable menu system for "distraction-free browsing."

The system is powered by a cigarette-lighter module that doubles as an FM transmitter, line output, and … Read more

Swiss Army iPod accessory

Convergence among devices is one thing, but it's happening with accessories as well. The Duracell PowerFM ($79.99) from Battery-Biz is three iPod Nano (1G and 2G) add-ons in one: an FM transmitter, a protective silicone case, and a battery pack.

The transmitter sends your iPod's audio out to any FM radio receiver within about 8 feet via a user-selectable frequency, while the lithium-ion battery pack doubles the life of your iPod's built-in battery. The PowerFM isn't hideously obtrusive, and a pass-through port on the bottom lets you hook up other iPod accessories that use the … Read more

Whatever it looks like, we don't want it

We'd been staring at this photo for awhile, trying to figure out what it looked like. Then it dawned on us: an ice cream maker. (We could have said a toilet, but that might be rude.)

Having solved that burning mystery, we then turned our attention to a more useful question: Does anyone really need an iPod FM transmitter specifically designed to fit in a car cup holder? The answer then came in a post by Newlaunches, which reported that the "Trinity" is made by the same company that gave us the "Lumi Flasher." Need … Read more

MP3 watch can play on car stereos

We know what you're thinking: Another MP3 player, this one built into a watch. Big deal.

That's what we thought at first too, until we looked a little closer this "FMP3 Watch" from Tokyo's RareMono Shop, which we learned of through Gizmag. What caught our eye is this USB-equipped watch's ability to record audio from a variety of sources with or without a computer, then play it back wirelessly through your car stereo and other systems with an FM transmitter controlled on the wrist.

And, unlike some other watch devices, it actually tells time.… Read more

FM transmitter: Made for Sansa

SanDisk's quick rise to No. 2 in U.S. MP3 player sales has spurred the creation of a fledgling accessories market, including the introduction of the first speaker system dedicated to Sansa e200 owners. Now you can listen to your tunes in your car--without the need for a generic, or worse, a Made for iPod FM transmitter--using Maximo Products' Car FM Transmitter and Charger, model number SAN-360.

This in-line-style FM beamer can tune into "all FM frequencies" (88.1 to 107.9 MHz), includes 3 presets, and can actually search for open frequencies. It also boasts "… Read more