Gearfuse

I always wondered why old-timey radio DJs all talked with the same inflection and same accent, yet no one these days talks the way they did. It was a very specific vocal inflection that was the signature of old-time radio and for the life of me, I could never figure out why they talked like they did.

While these days that old-timey radio voice is hard to find on any modern station, you can pretend that you have a voice for radio with this Microphone PC mod, a desktop computer made to look like an old-timey radio mic.

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The alphabet is so much fun. People love playing around with typography and lettering almost as I love “playing with my dinghy.” And by “playing with my dinghy,” I mean “flogging the walrus.” And by “flogging the walrus” I mean “spanking the monkey.” And by “spanking the monkey” I mean masturabation.

And how do I pleasure myself, you are almost positively asking yourself? By starring, luckily enough, at sexy typographical gadgets. The Radio Radio is a radio that says Radio. So on and so forth. Rinse and repeat. More after the jump jump.

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Pandora is a fantastic online radio service. While I prefer Last.fm at times because they know me better, Pandora is great whenever you want to listen to similar tunes for awhile. Unfortunately, it’s web-based so if you don’t have a laptop or PC in your living room, you’re kind of out of luck. That was, until the Livio Radio came out. This thing is designed with Pandora in mind, even featuring Thumbs-up and Thumbs-down buttons for voting on tracks. It can use Ethernet or WiFi, whichever floats your boat. And at $150, it’s priced to move. Just pray that Pandora doesn’t go belly up this time next year.

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Have parents begging to relive the ’60s with a dash of 21st century technology? Then get them this funky pillow. It has a built-in MP3 player with speakers and comes in the shape of a boombox, cellphone or guitar. They come in tye dye coloring, so if you’re trying to keep it classy, don’t go looking here. It even has a built-in AM/FM radio so they can listen to NPR. For $25, you probably won’t find a better present for Mother’s and Father’s Day.

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The AP is reporting that Liberty Media, who had previously expressed interest in Sirius-XM, has signed a deal where it’ll invest $350 million in the failing satellite radio company. This comes right in the nick of time; Sirius had $175 million in bond payments due today, which would have no doubt sent the company into Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Instead, Liberty Media is going to get 12.5 million shares of convertible preferred stock, worth about 40 percent of the company’s common stock. Additionally, two seats on the board will go to Liberty Media, giving it quite a bit of control over the company.

As for current CEO Mel Karmazin, it’s only a matter of time before he’s outta there. Since the merger between Sirius and XM, Karmazin has failed to have the company turn a profit, leading to a lack of investor confidence and a couple close scares. Let’s hope that Liberty Media can stop Sirius-XM from bleeding cash; especially from that $500 million Howard Stern deal. Shareholders, you can breathe a little easier today.

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So you’ve got the debt-riddled satellite radio monopoly known as Sirius-XM and you’ve got veteran satellite pioneer EchoStar. EchoStar is trying to buy Sirius-XM but the company keeps rebuffing its offer. As a shareholder, I believe this is not in our best interests. Sirius-XM has yet to turn a profit and while its subscriber base is increasing, short-term money solutions are becoming a key issue. Some people, like the blog Orbitcast, seem to think that the solution is a Democrat-run FCC. I think we just need more lax anti-trust laws.

Do you use Sirius-XM? Worried about losing your Howard Stern? Chip in and let us know what you think is the right thing for Sirius-XM to do.

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Your kids will be going crazy later this year, as LEGO will be coming out with its own line of consumer electronics such as digital cameras, walkie talkies and a whole lot more. Electronics company Digital Blue will partner with LEGO to create the devices, which will feature design that draws from LEGO bricks. You won’t be able to break apart your digicam or USB drive, but it’ll still look like you built it yourself.

Word is that LEGO is going full out with this electronics push, releasing alarm clocks and even boomboxes made from the good stuff. Kids and geeks should try to contain themselves. Look for these goods to hit store shelves later this year.

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So this isn’t really anything extravagant, but sometimes the best gadgets are the ones that operate in a simple fashion. This AM/FM radio has a bit of a DIY look with the old-school silver button on the top and the solar panel feeding it energy. There’s also a hand crank in case you live in Seattle or Alaska. It can’t do anything special, it just cranks out some classic tunes from the radio. Perfect for listening to WHYY whilst working at your desk. At $25, it’s a nice little bargain and a fantastic gift idea.

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If you love WHYY as much as I do and you’re down for a little DIY action, scrape three pennies from your sofa and try building this tiny radio. Full instructions are available and the electronics involved can be had at your local Radio Shack. There’s even instructions on how to make your own batteries out of vinegar and aluminum foil. Insane! You’ve got to check it out if you’ve got a soldering iron and a free weekend.

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Whether you’re a Sirius XM radio subscriber or not, maybe you’ve heard it’s dropped the punk channels. Subscribers are outraged at the fact that XM Fungus and Sirius Punk were dropped, replaced by an AC/DC channel. That’s AC/DC, all day, everyday. AC/DC? They only have, like, 17 albums.

Why wouldn’t Sirius XM replace every punk band in existence with a band like Rush? At least Rush has 18 albums. What Sirius XM is trying to say is, it doesn’t like punk and it doesn’t appreciate its punk subscribers. Attempting to raise your concerns to Sirius XM will only result in a run-around reply. It appears Sirius XM has closed the door on punk music. That’s so not punk. Evan Dorkin would not be pleased.

Sirius XM says punk is dead. Sign the petition if you disagree.

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