Your Phone Has an FM Chip. So Why Can’t You Listen to the Radio? • Hacker News Board

Re: Your Phone Has an FM Chip. So Why Can’t You Listen to the Radio?

#31

Post by spacehome » Tue, Jul 12, 2016, 6:48 AM UTC

siddboots wrote: post #2

What's going on with Wired? This page has an autoplay video ad below the article text and an anti-AdBlock full-screen subscription nagger that pops up a few seconds after page load.

I'm running NoScript, and I saw no anti-AdBlock or video. It's becoming increasingly clear to me that NoScript is the only reasonable way to browse the web today. Random websites can't be entrusted to run javascript in a way that's not hostile to my interests.

Re: Your Phone Has an FM Chip. So Why Can’t You Listen to the Radio?

#32

Post by monochromatic » Tue, Jul 12, 2016, 6:49 AM UTC

tux1968 wrote: post #15

siddboots wrote: post #2

What's going on with Wired? This page has an autoplay video ad below the article text and an anti-AdBlock full-screen subscription nagger that pops up a few seconds after page load.

If you happen to be using Firefox, setting the config variable: media.autoplay.enabled To false, disables auto play media everywhere.

Thanks, good tip. That should probably be the default, but oh well.

edit: I just realized it also affects youtube in an annoying way (have to skip ahead a bit or the video won't play at all). Would be nice if I could whitelist that.

Re: Your Phone Has an FM Chip. So Why Can’t You Listen to the Radio?

#33

Post by codezero » Tue, Jul 12, 2016, 6:49 AM UTC

siddboots wrote: post #2

What's going on with Wired? This page has an autoplay video ad below the article text and an anti-AdBlock full-screen subscription nagger that pops up a few seconds after page load.

How's this for strange: I got a modal popup Thank You for not using an adblocker... so, distracted all the same.

Re: Your Phone Has an FM Chip. So Why Can’t You Listen to the Radio?

#34

Post by zenexer » Tue, Jul 12, 2016, 6:50 AM UTC

To anyone who's been able to get this to work: can the radios be tuned to arbitrary frequencies, or are they restricted to entertainment? A cheap, unlocked Android phone would make for a nice police scanner. Trunking could likely be handled via an app.

Re: Your Phone Has an FM Chip. So Why Can’t You Listen to the Radio?

#35

Post by OJFord » Tue, Jul 12, 2016, 6:50 AM UTC

geocar wrote: post #8

OJFord wrote: post #3

Wow, news to me. News that people in the USA can't, that is! I won't say it's a particularly common thing to do, but here in the UK you certainly can listen to FM radio on your phone, provided you plugin earphones to be uses as an antenna.

I'm in the UK and I have an iPhone. How do I do this?

iPhone may or may not have one, or may be locked just as it is in the US. I've never owned one.

On Android though a majority have a built-in FM radio app, and more available to download on the Play store.

You could have a look in the app store (make sure it's not lying about being FM and using your data) but if not maybe it's only possible if you jailbreak, or not at all.

Re: Your Phone Has an FM Chip. So Why Can’t You Listen to the Radio?

#36

Post by tudorw » Tue, Jul 12, 2016, 6:51 AM UTC

siddboots wrote: post #2

What's going on with Wired? This page has an autoplay video ad below the article text and an anti-AdBlock full-screen subscription nagger that pops up a few seconds after page load.

2008

Re: Your Phone Has an FM Chip. So Why Can’t You Listen to the Radio?

#37

Post by techsupporter » Tue, Jul 12, 2016, 6:55 AM UTC

WalterBright wrote: post #19

I just bought an internet radio for my stereo (yes, I'm that old, I have a stereo). I was surprised to discover it also had a wire in the box that turned out to be an FM antenna. I thought with internet radio, who needs an FM tuner? (all the local stations have streaming URLs) Turns out I actually like it. It's handy when the internet fails, or when you're nearing data caps, or just want to run it all day without int…

Which box did you buy? I wish I could find one that does Internet streams and HD Radio that didn't cost a kidney...

Re: Your Phone Has an FM Chip. So Why Can’t You Listen to the Radio?

#38

Post by hguant » Tue, Jul 12, 2016, 6:59 AM UTC

zenexer wrote: post #34

To anyone who's been able to get this to work: can the radios be tuned to arbitrary frequencies, or are they restricted to entertainment? A cheap, unlocked Android phone would make for a nice police scanner. Trunking could likely be handled via an app.

You can buy radio cards that can scan police (and, well, all) frequencies for much less than an android phone.

https://sites.google.com/site/policescannerhowto/

Re: Your Phone Has an FM Chip. So Why Can’t You Listen to the Radio?

#39

Post by smegel » Tue, Jul 12, 2016, 7:00 AM UTC

Australian here, also find it bizarre that this is a problem in the US.

Biggest problem I have in my Android phone requires the head-phones to be plugged in to listen to FM...as it acts as the aerial.

Re: Your Phone Has an FM Chip. So Why Can’t You Listen to the Radio?

#40

Post by Frondo » Tue, Jul 12, 2016, 7:00 AM UTC

WalterBright wrote: post #19

I just bought an internet radio for my stereo (yes, I'm that old, I have a stereo). I was surprised to discover it also had a wire in the box that turned out to be an FM antenna. I thought with internet radio, who needs an FM tuner? (all the local stations have streaming URLs) Turns out I actually like it. It's handy when the internet fails, or when you're nearing data caps, or just want to run it all day without int…

It's funny, I really like listening to a number of local stations for the variety of music I get introduced to; but somehow, the fact that there is a real person curating it makes me enjoy it. Listening to spotify, it doesn't do it for me. Something about having someone come on, make a little human conversation, that's part of the experience for me. Algorithms don't cut it.