iPod FM Tuners / Transmitters - Articles / Reviews

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iPod FM Tuners / Transmitters

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Mark Korff
Kurtis
DLO & Kensington
Sep. 4, 2006

Specifications

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First Impressions

nanoTune

The nanoTune is a little more physically complex than the Kensington because it is meant to be used as a case or a stand depending on the situation. When used as a case, the nanoTune has a clear plastic cover in the front that protects the face of the nano, but still allows for manipulation of the click wheel. If you're sitting at a desk however, the clear plastic face swivels around and acts as a stand for the device.

There is a small blue backlit display at the base of the nanoTune which displays the radio station that is being tuned or transmitted. The display is readable, but only at certain angles. Unfortunately when looking down at unit in the "desk stand" position, it cannot be viewed at all.

The controls for the nanoTune are placed on either side of the unit and consist of volume buttons on one side, while the "mode" and tuning buttons are on the opposite. There is a dock connector at the bottom of the unit that makes it possible to charge/synch the nano without ever taking it out of the nanoTune. Finally, the headphone connector is located at the top of the unit.

Kensington

As mentioned previously, the Kensington wasn't designed exclusively for the nano and can be used with most other iPods. Because of this, it doesn't exactly match the size of the nano. It's both wider and thicker than the nano, and obviously does not act as a case of any sort, so if you want a little protection for your nano's screen, you'll need to use the cloth cover that it originally came with. The Kensington can still be operated perfectly when the nano is in its protective sleeve since only the on/off functions are handled through the nano.

The Kensington's display is backlit in amber, and is slightly larger than that of the nanoTune. Like the nanoTune, looking downward at the Kensington is where the display is at its weakest. It's not perfect, but a slight advantage in readability would have to go to the Kensington.

Buttons for controlling volume and radio tuning are placed on either side of the display. The "mode" button is placed above the display, and on the bottom of the unit there are four buttons used for presets. Separate presets can be used for both radio tuning and transmission. Last but not least, the headphone connector is located on the bottom of the unit, just below the second and third preset buttons.

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Page 2 of 4

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Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: First Impressions
Page 3: Testing
Page 4: Conclusion

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