Pure Digital Sensia radio goes on Facebook, Twitter

A WORLD-first digital radio that lets users access social networking sites Facebook and Twitter is about to go on sale in Australia.

The makers of the Sensia, which also has a virtual keyboard, claim it will change the face of radio.

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Pure Australia managing director Graeme Redman said the internet-connected device, which also doubles as a digital photo frame, will light a fire under sluggish digital radio sales in Australia.

“This one is the future of radio,” Mr Redman said.

“This will do for radio what the iPhone has done for mobile phones.”

The roll-out of digital radio content in Australia began this year, but has failed to capture the public’s imagination.

Along with delivering better sound, the technology uses vision and text such as traffic and weather reports, radio station competitions and music artist and track details.

Mr Redman said the arrival of the Sensia would change the radio landscape by harnessing the popular social networking phenomena and delivering it on an interactive radio with music.

Just as downloadable applications helped fuel the popularity of Apple’s iPhone, Mr Redman said social networking via radio was only the beginning.

A dedicated internet portal will allow users to buy and download applications, which may eventually include anything from tools allowing the monitoring of electricity use in the home to home security functions.

He said more interactive applications would become available, “which is an entirely new concept as far as radio is concerned”.

The unit can also broadcast FM and internet radio, news and weather and wirelessly stream media such as music stored on a home computer.

Mr Redman defended the $749 cost of the Sensia, which he said took four years to develop and compared favourably with popular digital devices such as the iPod and iPhone, games consoles and personal digital assistants.

Source: thedailystar.net