Tag: RADIO

If it takes hours to download files on your Wi-Fi network, you might want to try clearing out some of your furniture and turning off your radios. According to a new study from Bristol University in the U.K., wireless connections can be "significantly slowed" by interference from electronic devices, or by physical barriers, like walls, doors, and other household items. The study, led by Prof. ...

The memories of 2010's viral stars still remain fresh and frustratingly ingrained, but a 'Net newcomer named Ted Williams has arrived to help expunge any thoughts of ephemeral heroes like Antoine Dodson, Sad Keanu and the Old Spice Guy. Discovered on the side of the road by a Columbus Dispatch reporter, the homeless and gifted Williams has instantly attained iconic status. A video detailing ...

The majority of Americans still rely on television as their primary news source, but, according to a new study from the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, the Internet is gaining ground. In a Pew national survey, 66-percent of all Americans cited TV as their main source for national and international news, down from 74-percent three years ago, and 82-percent in 2002. The Internet, ...

A truly beautiful design object joins exquisite aesthetics and purpose, while also questioning (or embracing) the way living things interact with the material world. The "Union" radio successfully marries utility and art, but then does something particularly tricky; despite being a functioning art piece, it also comments on Lebanon's political discord without being overtly partisan. Designer ...

December may be months away, but it's never too early to start thinking about what you could buy your favorite alcoholic uncle this holiday season. Instead of grabbing yet another handle of his special medicine, though, you might want to consider getting a bottle that'll keep on giving -- something like, say, a Wine Bottle USB Speaker and FM Radio. As Coolest Gadgets explains, the bottle ...

While FM radio will likely soon be replaced by Internet radio services, a panel of experts at the Great Escape music conference in the U.K. recently argued that disc jockeys will both endure and evolve. According to the Guardian, more streaming radio services, like Dabbl, Playdio and Mixcloud, will launch in the near future, but many listeners will still look to DJs for guidance through that ...

When's the last time you actually sat in your room or office and listened to FM radio? Be honest. Thanks to Internet radio services like Pandora, it's probably been quite a while. According to The New York Times, drivers, too, could inch further and further from traditional radio as automakers and car stereo manufacturers partner with mobile devices and Internet radio. The obvious draw here is ...

Have you ever dreamed of launching something into space? If so, a satellite engineer claims it's more of a possibility than you might think. According to Make, Song Hojun created an affordable do-it-yourself satellite system and wrote a book, available on Google Books for free, that tells other amateur space enthusiasts how to do the same thing. We won't bore you with the nuts-and-bolts of the ...

Liberal talk radio station Air America has had nothing but trouble since it arrived on the scene in 2004. The station was meant to be the progressive answer to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and other conservative radio stars. Yet, either progressives aren't as interested in listening to hyperbolic affirmations of their points of view, or liberals (outside of Michael Moore) just don't know how to ...

A new poll from the Pew Internet and American Life Project shows that Internet news sources continue to command more U.S. readers than both local and national newspapers. The Web overtook newspapers in 2008, and has only lengthened its lead, with 61-percent of adults saying they get at least some news online. More important than the Web's growing popularity as a news source, though, is how ...

As many city-dwellers know, it's hard to scrap together even a few seconds of cell phone service in underground metros or subways. But a student barely old enough to drive has just invented a new device that can send text messages from well below the surface. Los Alamos, New Mexico's 16-year old Alexander Kendrick won the 2009 International Science Fair for developing a cave radio device that ...

Part of being a professional is knowing how to separate work and play. For example, if you're a network systems administrator that's interested in extraterrestrial life, you shouldn't search for signs of it while on the clock. Unfortunately for Brad Niesluchowski, common sense is illusive. According to the Arizona Republic, Niesluchowski resigned from his position with the Higley Unified School ...

In the battle to keep listeners from turning that dial, some radio stations are ditching traffic reports. The trend is largely a result of the struggling economy, which has forced stations to downsize, and of technological advancements that allow people to instantly access information with their GPS units or smartphones. According to USA Today, the top-rated pop station in Los Angeles, KISS ...

Radio frequency identification tags (RFID), which appear in items like credit cards and passports, have long been susceptible to hackers looking to steal personal information. Still, RFID tags are used in many ways -- from tracking a shipment of clothes to automatically opening a doggie door. But a breakthrough from a group of University of Arkansas scientists might just ease the minds of those ...

Believe it or not, digital media and iPods aren't the most popular way to consume audio entertainment. In fact, it's not even close. The most popular source of audio media, according to the Council for Research Excellence (PDF), is good ol' broadcast radio. According to the study, which followed around 300 adults in five U.S. cities, some 77-percent of Americans listen to some broadcast radio ...