Mac Monday Review: Griffin Radio Shark

Today we have the Radio Shark for PC/Mac by Griffin up for review. To put things simply, it is an AM/FM receiver for your computer, that allows you to listen to your favorite radio stations anywhere. All you need is a spare USB socket to plug it in.

The first thing you’ll notice about the Radio Shark is the design of the actual product. In my opinion, Griffin has done an excellent job for something as simple as a radio receiver. The shark fin shape of the product can fit on any desk or workspace, without looking out of place. Also, the Blue lights that are on the side can be simply switched off, or set to a pulsing effect. Read more after the jump…

The USB cable runs from the back of the product, so it is very easy to turn the Radio Shark around so that you can get the best reception.

The Radio Shark has a pretty good built in antenna. I was easily able to move it around a little and stop that annoying feedback from poor reception. Also, if you find yourself stuck in a  basement, or if you have relatively bad reception where your desk is, but you know that it will work by the window for example, Griffin provide a little antenna that will pug into the back. I think this is pretty cool, as I know some people will find it hard to pick up a clear broadcast from their favorite stations, so this could help them out a lot.

So, you may be thinking, what’s the advantages of this over a normal Radio? Well, first of all, it is portable. As I mentioned it runs off of your USB ports, it can be used anywhere providing your computer or notebook has a power source. So if your one to travel around with your notebook, this could be an option for you as well. Also, the player that is included in the installation disk is very cool. Not only does it allow you to set the stations using your mouse (so no more fiddly dials to play with) but it also allows you to Pause/Rewind/Record live Radio. The Radio Shark default setting is to automatically store the previous 30 Minutes of radio. This is only temporarily stored so that it isn’t taking up your hard drive . This allows for the user to simply rewind for things they missed, or just if they want to listen to something again. This is one of the features I really liked on this product.

Also, with your recordings, you can either set it to transfer to iTunes automatically, or open it in iTunes yourself. This allows for you to listen to your recorded show on your iPhone or iPod. You can also set a recording schedule on your Mac/PC, so that your favorite shows are automatically recorded for you to listen to at a later time. Obviously, for this to work, your Mac/PC must be turned on and the Radio Shark must be plugged in.

Overall, I really do like this product. While some stations do offer online versions of there shows, not all radio stations do this. This product really does everything you expect it to do and more, that is why I am going to be giving it the Editors’ Choice Award. This product is really worth a look into if you find yourself listening to the Radio quite a bit.

You can purchase the Griffin radio SHARK 2 directly from Griffin for $49.99

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