Movement underway lobbying for adding non-app based radio to smartphones

[oleheat]

I'd be willing to pay a small fee to get this activated....In the event of an emergency, this could be a really great way to get vital information to more people....internet services, cell towers, and TV stations can be knocked out during natural disasters; radio is sometimes the only way people in the affected areas can receive news....This seems like a no brainer- especially when we are one of the few (if any) developed countries where this service isn't currently available standard issue.


Yeah, yeah- I know...."Just get a radio." But why not do this? One less thing to have to keep batteries for, IMHO....

Hope it happens.



http://www.radiorocksmyphone.com/default.asp

 

[Leadfoot]

cell towers can be knocked out during natural disastershttp://www.radiorocksmyphone.com/default.asp

How do you think the radio gets transmitted to the smartphone? They would have to build an FM tuner into future phones for this to work.

 

[Sugarbug]

How many spare batteries do you have for your phone?


I'll take a handheld AM/FM that takes AA or AAA over something on my phone that is just going to kill it unless I have a means to recharge it.

 

[Leadfoot]

How many spare batteries do you have for your phone?

I have a Chevrolet Silverado I use as the spare battery on mine.

 

[Sugarbug]

I have a Chevrolet Silverado I use as the spare battery on mine.

Lol. Fair enough. For my DC adapter to work I have to turn the key on. Not a viable solution and I'm too lazy to wire something directly.

 

[oleheat]

How do you think the radio gets transmitted to the smartphone? They would have to build an FM tuner into future phones for this to work.

According to what I heard yesterday on the local FM station pushing this, the FM radio chips are already in most smartphones; the carriers won't activate them simply because they will stand to make nothing off them since the radio would no longer be part of their data plans.

Maybe they're incorrect.

But that's what they said.

 

[oleheat]

How many spare batteries do you have for your phone?


I'll take a handheld AM/FM that takes AA or AAA over something on my phone that is just going to kill it unless I have a means to recharge it.

I have several car chargers, a solar charger, and a charger that runs off of AA batteries, FWIW.

Plus, one of my best buddies is an electrical guru, so I'd find a way, anyway.


But Hell- In MY case, if the power is out long enough to where my cellphone battery itself dies during the ordeal, we'll probably be at the point of widespread canibalism, anyway, so.....

 

[Cochise]

How do you think the radio gets transmitted to the smartphone? They would have to build an FM tuner into future phones for this to work.

My HTC Incredible 2 already has a built in FM receiver. There is nothing preventing them from doing what oleheat suggests, technologically speaking, but it would probably raise the price of the phones considerably to put a AM or FM transceiver in them.