Friday, March 17, 2006
Kensington Pico FM transmitter for iPod mini review
Well Apple went from the iPod to the iPod mini to the iPod nano. So what do Kensington do when they release a product smaller than the nano? They call it the Pico of course! Kensington’s latest release for the iPod range is a tiny FM transmitter that compliments the nano very well indeed. Don’t let the nano design fool you though, the Pico is compatible with any modern click-wheel iPod with the standard bottom dock connector. Available in black or white, the nano is the preferred recipient though with its slim profile making it a perfect partner.
Using the Pico is very simple, you just plug it into the iPod and the screen will switch to the tuning display. This is the standard ‘OK to disconnect’ dialogue on the iPod but with the current broadcast frequency from the FM transmitter added. If you are happy with this, just push in the small jog switch on the transmitter and the iPod then switches back to playback mode. At this point you will be able to pick up the iPod music on the frequency selected using a nearby radio. If you are not happy with the current frequency, just press in the jog switch again and then tap down to select the alternative preset frequency and then press it in again to listen. If you experience interference or the preset matches a station you already receive then you can enter the tuning mode and just tap the jog switch up or down to select a frequency of your own choice. Should this new frequency prove ideal then you can hold the jog switch either up or down for a few seconds to store this new preset.
When you are finished using the Pico, you simply just pull it out. Things don’t come any easier than this. The beauty of the Pico however is that it uses the iPod screen which makes it seem like a very well engineered and seamless device. It would be great if it was possible to control the transmitter using the click-wheel instead of the jog switch at the side however this simply is not an option and I’m therefore guessing it is impossible in a third party device. This is a shame really because even though the control method is simple, it doesn’t feel highly robust or provide any real form of feedback although there were certainly no operational issues with it. The transmitter is powered by the iPod battery which is either a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. While it means you only have one battery to keep charged, there is no way of charging the battery in use as there is no dock pass-through connector.
Performance is good; with a full battery on the iPod a range of a metre will still remain good audio quality but placing the iPod closer to the receiver brings out a high sound quality. The sound at this close range is quite clear and almost entirely free of audio artefacts like static and doesn’t sound too far away from a wired connection. This holds true while out in the car and is a great way of broadcasting the sound from your iPod for others. Be warned though that as soon as you start moving further from the receiver, the sound quality falls away very quickly into a noise of static and interference so choosing a good frequency is paramount to get the most from this device. I would be very happy with this setup as the source of audio entertainment for a house party for example although it would be better if you could wander around the room without the fear of degrading audio quality; you really need to leave the iPod very close to the receiving system for this to work satisfactorily.
Durability seems assured with the good all-round construction, save for the slightly muddy feeling jog switch and things are certainly rugged enough to keep in a pocket until required.
If you are in the market for a very portable FM transmitter for your iPod, especially the nano, then the Kensington makes a great choice. No cables or power supply means this can be carried anywhere and used easily in the house or out and about. More details are available from the Kensington website. UK users will have to hang off though for the results of new directives governing the use of such transmitters. Until such times as legislation is agreed, these will be unavailable for purchase in the UK.
Using the Pico is very simple, you just plug it into the iPod and the screen will switch to the tuning display. This is the standard ‘OK to disconnect’ dialogue on the iPod but with the current broadcast frequency from the FM transmitter added. If you are happy with this, just push in the small jog switch on the transmitter and the iPod then switches back to playback mode. At this point you will be able to pick up the iPod music on the frequency selected using a nearby radio. If you are not happy with the current frequency, just press in the jog switch again and then tap down to select the alternative preset frequency and then press it in again to listen. If you experience interference or the preset matches a station you already receive then you can enter the tuning mode and just tap the jog switch up or down to select a frequency of your own choice. Should this new frequency prove ideal then you can hold the jog switch either up or down for a few seconds to store this new preset.
When you are finished using the Pico, you simply just pull it out. Things don’t come any easier than this. The beauty of the Pico however is that it uses the iPod screen which makes it seem like a very well engineered and seamless device. It would be great if it was possible to control the transmitter using the click-wheel instead of the jog switch at the side however this simply is not an option and I’m therefore guessing it is impossible in a third party device. This is a shame really because even though the control method is simple, it doesn’t feel highly robust or provide any real form of feedback although there were certainly no operational issues with it. The transmitter is powered by the iPod battery which is either a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. While it means you only have one battery to keep charged, there is no way of charging the battery in use as there is no dock pass-through connector.
Performance is good; with a full battery on the iPod a range of a metre will still remain good audio quality but placing the iPod closer to the receiver brings out a high sound quality. The sound at this close range is quite clear and almost entirely free of audio artefacts like static and doesn’t sound too far away from a wired connection. This holds true while out in the car and is a great way of broadcasting the sound from your iPod for others. Be warned though that as soon as you start moving further from the receiver, the sound quality falls away very quickly into a noise of static and interference so choosing a good frequency is paramount to get the most from this device. I would be very happy with this setup as the source of audio entertainment for a house party for example although it would be better if you could wander around the room without the fear of degrading audio quality; you really need to leave the iPod very close to the receiving system for this to work satisfactorily.
Durability seems assured with the good all-round construction, save for the slightly muddy feeling jog switch and things are certainly rugged enough to keep in a pocket until required.
If you are in the market for a very portable FM transmitter for your iPod, especially the nano, then the Kensington makes a great choice. No cables or power supply means this can be carried anywhere and used easily in the house or out and about. More details are available from the Kensington website. UK users will have to hang off though for the results of new directives governing the use of such transmitters. Until such times as legislation is agreed, these will be unavailable for purchase in the UK.
