I then downloaded version 1.03 of the radioSHARK application for Mac OS X, and version 1.1.6.0 for Windows XP, installed them, and was on my way. I have gotten into the habit of ignoring installation CDs for products like this, preferring instead to check online for the latest versions. Shaped like a shark fin, it has three curved plastic panels in the side that light up when the unit is plugged in. It takes but a fraction of a second to change stations, and the signal responds immediately. The basic yet intuitive software interface includes frequency and volume sliders, along with band, seek, and record buttons. It is a very cool-looking device, to boot. Listening to the radio with the RadioShark is as simple as flipping a switch. Along with the radioSHARK receiver came an installation CD and a *gasp* printed manual. There is a single, 4ft-long white USB cable emanating from the rear of the unit. It is a semi-glossy white plastic with a metal base. The unit itself measures about 7-1/2in x 4in x 2in. The radioSHARK was smaller than I had imagined. Finally, it appeared on the market in late 2004, and Griffin was kind enough to send us a review unit. However, like so many new products, release dates kept slipping and slipping. I could also listen to the radio play-by-play of the Chicago Bears on my Mac (instead of putting up with the insipid TV commentary so prevalent these days) while watching the broadcast in another window. I was thinking the radioSHARK would be the perfect product for me to record shows that I so often miss: This American Life, The World, and Prairie Home Companion on NPR, and Mac, Jurko, and Harry on the sports-talker. When working in my office at home, I often have NPR or the local sports-talk station (WMVP ESPN Radio1000) tuned on my cheap, ten-dollar radio. It supports any PC or Mac with a free USB port on Windows XP or Mac OS X 10.2.8 or 10.3.įrom the time I first heard about it, I wanted one. It cannot be used to listen to satellite radio or broadcasts streamed over the Internet. It can timeshift live recordings, be set to regularly record a program, or simply used to listen to live radio on either the AM and FM band. The basic premise of the radioSHARK is this: TiVo for radio. Griffin also makes a whole host of accessories for the iPod as well as the iCurve laptop stand. I never got much use out of it, but I thought it was one of the coolest-looking products with its brushed-metal surface and pulsing purple light. I owned one of their PowerMates for quite some time. Griffin Technology has been known for coming out with cool accessories. The radioSHARK from Griffin Technology falls into that category for the second reason. Sometimes it?s because of the styling, other times because of the functionality it promises. System requirements: USB 1.1 port, Windows XP, Mac OS X 10.2.8 or higherĮvery so often a product comes out that catches the eye. With AAC, you can record at one of five different bit rates, from 64 to 320 Kbps, and at one of three different quality settings.Manufacturer: Griffin Technology ( product page) Right now, the only options are AIFF and AAC. Once you’ve set a recording time, you can give your scheduled recording a name, choose which station RadioShark should record, and select what audio format you’d like to have your recording saved in. I do wish that repeating recordings could be set at other specific intervals, such as every half hour. Recordings can repeat hourly, daily, weekly, on weekdays, or on weekends. You can schedule repeating recordings, too. Despite the annoyances, I was able to schedule recordings rather easily. We barely noticed this because there are no check boxes or other tip-offs that denote these as changeable options. You can toggle the AM and PM options in 12-hour mode, but to do so, you need to click on AM or PM. For example, the application can display time in either 12-hour or 24-hour clock mode. Scheduling a recording with RadioShark is fairly straightforward, though not as easy or elegant as it could be. Clicking on the TS button slides out a drawer, below the main window, containing “time-shifting” playback features that let you pause and rewind the live broadcast in case you need to step away from your Mac or want to listen to something a second time. To schedule a recording for a particular station at a particular time, or to play back those recordings, click on the Sched button. Most important, if you click on the Rec button, the RadioShark starts recording what you’re listening to. Buttons allow you to switch bands and find the next strong signal. A slider along the top lets you change frequencies, and a second slider lets you adjust the volume. The main RadioShark application’s interface is a metallic, iTunes-style window.
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