""You may not know it," reports NPR's Emma Bowman, "but most of today's smartphones have FM radios inside of them. But the FM chip is not activated on two-thirds of devices. That's because mobile makers have the FM capability switched off. The National Association of Broadcasters has been asking mobile makers to change this. But the mobile industry, which profits from selling data to smartphone users, says that with the consumer's move toward mobile streaming apps, the demand for radio simply isn't there." But FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate says radio-enabled smartphones could sure come in handy during times of emergency. So, is it irresponsible not to activate the FM chips? And should it's-the-app-way-or-the-highway Apple follow Microsoft's lead and make no-static-at-all FM available on iPhones?" /
I find it quite interesting that when you buy a phone they have the tracking on but not the radio. I think half the people or more that own phones could care less about the radio. They would find it annoying. If it comes in a tweet then it is news. I think radio will be gone in the future. People like their Sirus and stuff like that. Radio has commercials which many dislike.
Actually, the technology in modern Cellphones, is such, that the SAME ChipSet, that runs the Cellular Radio, is used to access the FM Radio Band, if desired. What is missing, is the Firmware, that defines the FM Radio Band, and Protocol, as Operational. ALL these ChipSets are really, is just SDRs and what they need, is to define the FM Band and Modulation, in the firmware, that drives that ChipSet.
Can someone explain why transistor radios are so expensive? Occasionally I will find an old one cheap at a yard sale but if you go to buy a new one they are pricey compared to a regular radio.
Mostly they are more expensive, for two reasons: 1. It takes MUCH more, and bigger computing Power to decode Digital Audio from the newer digital AM, and the coming digital FM, than the old Analog Systems. 2. Al the manufacturing of these products has left the USA, and the market has pretty much dried up for just a Plain Jane Pocket Radio, when an iPod iPad, or iPhone (or MP3 Player. Android Phone, or whatever) carry all the tunes one could want.
No offense, but I think there's always a cost. Not only do you have to listen to the commercials, which are all programmed to make listeners feel inferior if they don't buy things all the time, but you're also bearing a hidden cost, which is that the music and news and the DJ's patter are also programmed to make you want to buy things all the time. The biggest cost is that the whole broadcasting system is set up to make you believe that other people know more than you and are happier than you and smarter than you - and once the listeners accept that notion, they lose the ability to think for themselves and act for themselves. My 2 cents. William Warren
Well, one of the beauties of getting older, we reach a point where one really doesn't care what other people may think, we are arrogant enough to know we actually do know more than most of them. Furthermore, we simply do not buy stuff the advertisers are hawking because we actually are wise enough to know we really don't need it. And lastly, we have become curmudgeonly enough that it actually is enjoyable to tell the advertisers, "f*ck you" by not buying.... wait maybe that's enjoyable because that's about the only F'ing we get anymore...no... wait... hmmm... I'll have to ponder that some more. Nevermind. Happy shopping. AT