If you’re a fan of the extra radio channels you can get on digital radio, note that there’s now a cheap way to get DAB in your car. Pure has brought out the Pure Highway. Requiring no special installation, it’s powered by the cigar lighter and sticks onto your windscreen like a satnav device and rebroadcasts DAB stations onto a free FM frequency that your existing car sound system can tune into. You can also pause and rewind DAB. Great idea, and available online for under £70. Available from Empire Direct

Don’t ask why, but for some reason a Brian The Brain has found its way into our recording studio. Brian, a chatty kid’s bedroom toy, featured briefly in Show 22.

If you want to find our more about this combined kid’s companion and interactive database, see our Brian The Brain Review.

We’re hearing reports that BT is phasing in a release of a new version of BT Home Hub firmware, version 6.2.6.E. This updated version of firmware includes the following improvements:

• Change default Hub Manager access password from ‘admin’ to your unique Hub serial number
• Force admin password change when first accessing the Hub Manager (if still at default value)
• Remove Remote Assistance feature from Hub Manager
• Move all sensitive Hub Manager information under admin password protection
• Add protection against web scripting hacks
• Some improvement to reliability when using WPA wireless encryption
• Various minor Hub Manager interface changes including rebranding of ‘BT Total Broadband Wi-Fi Community’ to ‘BT FON’
• Fix problem that after hiding SSID and re-enabling it, some computers might no longer see the Hub
• Fix problem that setting Wireless MAC address filtering (ie ‘New stations are allowed via registration’) causes the Hub to reboot

If you’re a Home Hub user, check out our Audio Guide to the Hub

UK radio firm Revo has launched the world’s first ever combined DAB, FM receiver and Internet radio, that’s also ready for the new DAB+ standard. Called the Blik RadioStation, this can also stream your music from a PC or Mac using Wi-fi. The brick-shaped Blik is available now, offering offers well over 9,000 stations. The Revo Blik RadioStation is available for £150 direct from Revo.

This month, we’ve seen two new HD channels go live on Sky Digital…

Sky Channel 140 - Channel 4 HD
Sky Channel 286 Luxe TV HD14

Just to let you know… a new episode of FrequencyCast , the UK’s online TV and Tech radio show, has just been released.

FrequencyCast Show 21, released on the 1st of December, covers the following topics:

• News Updates: Plans for a Freeview expansion and HD on Freeview, Sky’s having a Freeview picnic, an update on the US writer’s strikes, plus news of some Top Up TV changes, 4oD’s free player and some mobile Hoff.
• Archive Your Media: Carl and Pete explore how to get your audio cassettes, 7″ singles, VHS cassettes and photos safely archived digitally - something to keep you busy over Christmas.
• Two phones: We look more closely at the phone that offers free calls, plus we don’t review Apple’s iPhone.
• Other goodies: A wi-fi gadget that vibrates at 40,000, plus you can get your hands on the Knight Industries 2000.
• Your Questions: Broadband on trains, wi-fi broadband, DAB+ radios, on-demand TV, plus HomeSight and XDA Orbit fixes.

You can download Show 21 direct to your MP3 player, listen online, or view the show notes at http://www.frequencycast.co.uk/cast21.html

 

 FrequencyCast Show 21 [28:08m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download