Griffin Technology RadioShark AM/FM Desktop Radio with Time-Shift Recording

Rating:
Summary: Disappointed
Review: Got this thing for my mobile clinic and it cannot even get the local 50,000 watt AM station (static). It cannot receive FM transmitter from XM radio 7 feet away without major static.
Okay- so I brought it in the house- two different rooms where I have radios and OS X macs- the 50000 watt station was barely audible. Who would want to record?

I too would like to know what the jack in back is for because it needs an antenna. Another waste of money.

Oh- the software seems okay but it is moot when you can't get a decent signal.

Rating:
Summary: RadioGuppy, not Shark
Review: Griffin Technology should have called this unit the RadioGuppy, not radioShark. There are quite a few flaws that prevent this product from being truly great. Yes, the software is easy to use, and yes it has lights that are either blue or red in the fin. I noticed a few things wrong, though.

I installed the Mac version of the software and was listening to a strong, very clear station. I noticed the "Check for Update" menu item, and found a newer version of the RadioShark software was available. I applied the update, and suddenly that booming station was not nearly as strong and loud. In fact, I had to turn the volume up to achieve the same effect.

Next, when I tried via software to shut the LED off, a very weird, very annoying screech started coming out of my external speakers. I turned the light on, the sound went away. Light off, screech. Light on, no screech.

On the whole, I would stick with the software right out of the box. My perception is it was better than what the update will deliver. There may be features missing if you don't apply the update, however. I didn't mess around with the original software for very long to notice, so you may just want to skip right to the update. It's your call. I am just far too lazy at this point to clean out the upgrade and revert back to the original software.

The documentation is not complete, as well. For instance, there is a black port on the back of the "fin"... What it is used for? The manual is silent. Spartan may be a better word, as it is light on the actual mechanics and heavy on the usage of the time-shifting software. This is good news for the less-than-geeky, but rather lacking for the more sophisticated technology user.

But there is a plus side - they do include a USB extension cable right in the box in case you need to orient the "fin" away from your computer. That is a nice touch that is frequently overlooked in other products. Plus, you can send the sound file the RadioShark generates directly to iTunes to be sent to your iPod. Very, very cool and very slick. The iPod connectivity is a great touch.

BOTTOM LINE TIME : There are just a few minor flaws - like incomplete documentation - that prevent this product from being five stars. The RadioShark itself is worthy of five stars. The software is easy to use, easy to install, and overall the product works as advertised. It is up to you to judge if the original or upgraded software is the one to run with - as the saying goes, your mileage may vary. It excels at time-shifting recording, and integrates with the iPod for listening whenever and whereever you want. It might not be money well spent - the jury is still out on that - but I don't think you'll be disappointed either.

Rating:
Summary: so promising, so disappointing..
Review: I already have a couple software programs that will automatically record and save radio programming but when the Radio Shark was announced, I couldn't resist. Mac elegance, simplicity and functionality. Or so I thought. The product is solid, well made and the software is easy to use. Unfortunately, the reception is unacceptably poor in my suburban, residential area. Every radio I own from clock radios, a couple Tivoli Pal's, a built in-whole house system, mini-systems and so on receive programming easily. The Radio Shark's reception is inferior to even the lowliest of portables. I've tried everything I can think of. Coiling the USB cable, moving it to every place within reach, using a high dollar shielded usb extension cable which also allowed me to move the Shark further from the computer), using the Radio Shark's headphone input with a pair of ear buds and a minijack to rca cable (as Griffin's website suggests). Nothing seems to help. I have two other radios within 18 inches of computers and they were pretty easy to set up and receive clear, static free programming. The Radio Shark has been a huge disappointment. I should have learned my lesson after purchasing the Power Mate from this company. The Power mate (ditto for the Radio Shark) is very high quality piece of hardware from a fit and finish standpoint but the software was glitchy with a pc. Maybe it would have been better with a mac. But I digress. Perhaps if you live far from all urban and suburban interference or live on a hill with better line of site to the towers you want to receive from, the Radio Shark might be fine. For the rest of us, the Radio Shark is likely to disappoint. If you want to time shift radio programming, I can recommend two excellent pieces of software. High Criteria's Total Recorder Pro (for the pc) and Rogue Amoeba's Audio Hijack Pro for the Mac. I don't work for or profit from either comany. I use both on a daily basis. Both are rock solid. All you need to do is connect a radio to your pc or mac and you're set.

Rating:
Summary: Nifty device
Review: I bought the RadioShark to record radio programs on NPR and AM talk radio that I can't catch at their regular times. From other reviews, I understand the reception on this device is hit or miss. I live in the city, and FM stations come in and record perfectly, and sound great on my iPod. AM stations are not as good, but most annoying background noise can be improved with the equalizer. I'm pleasantly surprised with how well it works.

Rating:
Summary: Poor AM reception makes this mostly useless except for NPR
Review: I bought this hoping to record talk radio shows from AM radio. Big disappointment, as has been stated by others. If you want to record music, get something like Stream Ripper for Mac OS X and grab songs from streaming radio stations. That way, the song name and author, etc., is saved with the song. Radio Shark is not a good tool for that. And due to poor AM, it obviously doesn't help much for AM talk show junkies like me. I will use it just to record NPR (national public radio on FM radio), as its FM is passable. Its interface is very nice.
Documentation is pretty poor. There is a jack on the Radio Shark but the docs don't say what it is for. I hoped it was for an external antenna, but attaching an AM antenna to it did not good. The docs also said nothing about suggestions for improving AM receptino. I would just stay away from this for now, unless recording NPR is worth $65 to you. :-)

Rating:
Summary: Mac G5 users - wait a little bit
Review: I'm very pleased with the way RadioShark works - when it works. Sounds great and the software works fine.

But... There's a glitch with G5-based Mac computers which means that the software freaks out if the computer sleeps (even the monitor). After it sleeps, RadioShark only makes a chattering noise that sounds like a skipping CD. Restarting the app doesn't help, and unplugging RadioShark just crashes the computer. You have to restart your Mac to get RadioShark working again. Griffin says the workaround is not to let your Mac or its monitor sleep at all - not a valid fix in my opinion.

Apparently Griffin is working on a software fix. If you have any kind of G5 Mac, I'd wait until they get it figured out before you plunk down for this. Keep checking their website [...] to see when they post the G5 fix.

Rating:
Summary: it's like TiVo for the radio!
Review: This gizmo is so freakin' awesome! I can't believe I have lived this long without a radioSHARK! If you ever wanted to listen to a talk-show or interview on the radio but were trapped at work, or if you've ever listened to a talk-show on the radio and wish you had an old-style radio/cassette player to record it, this is the gizmo for you!

This works for both Windows and Mac users. I have a Macintosh G4/400 at home and it works great! The beautiful shark-fin design has glowing LEDs when it is attached to your computer via USB. In normal mode, a soothing blue glows from the fin, but when you record, the blue shifts to bright red. The software takes about 1 minute to install and includes scheduling, audio presets and file-format preferences.

You can skip commercials via time-shift recording, schedule shows in advance or record on the fly with just a click. If there is a show you want to hear at your convenience and even save for your iPod later, you can do this easily, as the preferences let you save recorded shows into iTunes and it will save in AAC format.

With just a click, you can mute the radio, seek another station, switch to the AM band and back to FM, etc. There is also a software graphic equalizer. The software is VERY easy to use and the manual is well organized, short and to the point, and easy to read for mere mortals. I wish they would make a gizmo like this to attach to the iPod itself so this could be done sans computer, but either way, I am thrilled!

Rating:
Summary: Nifty niche item.
Review: This looked as if it might never be released (more than 18 months from announcement to release), but now that it's out I have only praise for this device. Works effortlessly out of the box. Radio reception is neither better nor worse than for any other radio in my house (okay, maybe better than my clock/radio). The software is simple, too. I use it primarily for time-shifting NPR programming. It will save files in compressed format for easy downloads to my iPod.

The only caveat I have is for Windows users. The Windows version of the software is reportedly buggy (I've only tried the Mac software).