Return of the radio: Old wine in new and improved bottles

The advent of the radio was one of those technological innovations that changed the world forever. But it didn’t take long for this mode communication and pop entertainment to be outshined by television and cinema. Today, the radio belongs to the golden past. Or does it? If we rely on statistics alone, most Indian households, primarily in the rural sector, still depend on the radio for their daily dose of news and entertainment. More interesting than that, though, is how radio technology is making inroads into the urban realm of digital entertainment. In the past few months, a number of tech firms have unveiled their own versions of digital radios, which come loaded with all the new-age features, including Bluetooth connectivity and SD-card sockets. Here’s a list of portable audio gadgets that prove that the age of the radio is far from over.

The retro-style Saregama Carvaan is a portable digital audio player which comes with in-built speakers and 5,000 pre-loaded evergreen Hindi songs, by legends like Kishore Kumar, R.D. Burman, Gulzar, Mohd. Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar and many more. The device also gives users the option of tuning into their favourite FM channels, and accessing their personalised playlists via smartphone, USB cables or Bluetooth. The digital radio comes with a rechargeable battery that last for up to five hours. Carvaan is a lightweight gadget, which means it can prove to be an excellent travelling companion. The device comes equipped with a jog-dial that can help you select songs from its vast audio library. There’s also an LCD display at the front, which is another standout feature. Saregama Carvaan is priced at Rs 6,990.

Portronics POR-141 is a light and palm-sized portable speaker that weighs merely 1.8kg, and can be carried anywhere with ease. The device also comes with the feature that allows users to play multimedia content. The internal memory can be expended up to 32GB, via a SD cards. POR-141 also supports FM radio playback, so users can tune into their favourite FM channels and enjoy the music. The device also has external numeric keys, to input track numbers or FM frequencies. The POR-141 also supports customized external SD cards and personalised playlists. A user-friendly button at the front makes it simple to switch between saved music and FM radio. Users can create multiple folders in their SD cards for easy management of songs. The device comes with a built-in antenna for better FM frequency pick-up. Portronics POR-141 is priced at Rs 1,299.

Pure Siesta Rise is a digital radio and clock which enables users to listen to their favourite DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) radio or FM stations. It also lets users store up to 20 presets of saved music. The device is not only a radio but also an alarm clock, with three diferent alarm settings. Siesta Rise features a CrystalVueTM display with auto-dimming which cam match the lighting of the device with that of the room. The device is equipped with an intelligent clock which automatically adjusts the radio’s internal clock according to digital broadcasts. Besides, there is a USB socket here, through which users can charge their mobile phones or a tablets. You can also save up to 20 FM channels and digital music for quick access to songs. The device comes with a set of built-in high-fidelity speakers. More, Siesta Rise comes with a pair of handy headphones. It is priced at Rs 6,800.            

ZOOOK ROCKER

Zoook Rocker is a 3-in-1 device that combines a boombox, a 32W Bluetooth speaker and a digital radio all in one package. Zoook Rocker comes with two specially angled speaker drivers with a heavy bass range. The volume of the device can be controlled with your smartphone or through the volume control buttons. It comes with rechargeable batteries and an easy to carry handle, which adds to the portability. Zoook Rocker is powered by xBass technology and dual passive sub-woofers so that users doesn’t miss out on ultra-low frequencies. It also features an FM radio and comes with a USB flash drive, LCD display screen, TF Card, plus a nifty hands-free call feature.