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posted by Fnord666 on Monday February 20 2017, @07:24AM   Printer-friendly
from the what's-the-catch? dept.

In a speech given to the Future of Radio and Audio Symposium (PDF), Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai encouraged smartphone makers to activate FM radio chips, but stopped short of supporting a government mandate to do so:

As you know, the vast majority of smartphones sold in the United States do, in fact, contain FM chips. The problem is that most of them aren't activated. As of last fall, only about 44% of the topselling smartphones in the United States have activated FM chips, and the percentage is lower in Canada. By comparison, in Mexico that number is about 80%. So it's not just that the United States and Canada could be doing better. We could be doing a lot better. It seems odd that every day we hear about a new smartphone app that lets you do something innovative, yet these modern-day mobile miracles don't enable a key function offered by a 1982 Sony Walkman.

You could make a case for activating chips on public safety grounds alone. The former head of our Federal Emergency Management Administration has spoken out in support of this proposal. The FCC has an expert advisory panel on public safety issues that has also advocated enabling FM radio chips on smartphones. It pointed out that, "[h]aving access to terrestrial FM radio broadcasts, as opposed to streaming audio services, may enable smartphone users to receive broadcast-based EAS alerts and other vital information in emergency situations—particularly when the wireless network is down or overloaded."

Moreover, most consumers would love to access some of their favorite content over-the-air, while using one-sixth of the battery life and less data. As more and more Americans use activated FM chips in their smartphones, consumer demand for smartphones with activated FM chips should continue to increase.

I'll keep speaking out about the benefits of activating FM chips. Having said that, as a believer in free markets and the rule of law, I cannot support a government mandate requiring activation of these chips. I don't believe the FCC has the power to issue a mandate like that, and more generally I believe it's best to sort this issue out in the marketplace. For despite the low numbers, we are seeing progress; in the last two years, the percentage of top-selling smartphones in the United States that have activated FM chips has risen from less than 25% to 44%.

Reported at Chicago Tribune and Recode.


Original Submission

 
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  • (Score: 3, Interesting) by anubi on Monday February 20 2017, @10:47AM

    by anubi (2828) on Monday February 20 2017, @10:47AM (#469228) Journal

    This source says: [freeradioonmyphone.org]

    An enabled FM Chip in your smartphone can make the difference in an emergency situation by allowing you to still hear critical updates. It will also let you listen to your local NPR/APM using three times less battery and twenty times less data than streaming. Learn more at FreeRadioOnMyPhone.org. Sponsored by NextRadio app

    I am put off by "twenty times less data".

    It should not use *any*!

    It should be receiving standalone FM with no oversight by anyone on the web.

    In an emergency, cell towers are apt to be overloaded.

    If the phone can't get its "data", will the FM chip work standalone?

    If not, this is not reliable for emergency use. Its just more businesstalk to hock something up that *sounds* useful.

    --
    "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
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  • (Score: 2) by VLM on Monday February 20 2017, @02:27PM

    by VLM (445) Subscriber Badge on Monday February 20 2017, @02:27PM (#469262)

    My guess is the app author is monetizing the work by selling your use stats directly to stations or ratings companies or something.

    So three MQTT publish go out every minute with a lat/lon/frequency plus maybe your secret private stuff (FB login, email addrs, who knows)

    I have a different problem in that the local FM radio sux and is staffed by morons and the only realistic emergency situation where I live is weather related in which point I go to weather.gov which is faster than local TV and radio stations and is un-DDOS-able, even when parts of the country are having hurricanes or daily tornados weather.gov chugs along like nothing is happening so I can't imagine using FM radio.

  • (Score: 3, Informative) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Monday February 20 2017, @04:56PM

    by Scruffy Beard 2 (6030) on Monday February 20 2017, @04:56PM (#469315)

    You made me check the permissions of the "Radio" app on my phone.

    • directly call phone numbers
    • Receive text messages (SMS/WAP)
    • take pictures and video
    • record audio
    • location (precise and coarse)
    • Modify contacts
    • read call log
    • read contacts
    • read own contact card
    • modify/delete SD card contents
    • test access to protected storage
    • disable screen lock
    • find accounts on the device
    • Use accounts on the device
    • view configured accounts
    • read terms you added to the dictionary
    • change system display settings
    • modify secure system settings
    • read system log files
    • change network connectivity (insert more specific list)
    • Access Bluetooth settings, pair with bluetooth devices
    • close other apps
    • retrieve running applications
    • run at startup
    • draw over other apps
    • control flashlight
    • control vibrator
    • prevent phone from sleeping
    • write to user defined dictionary
    • set wallpaper
    • set time zone
    • change audio settings
    • read sync settings
    • read sync statistics
    • toggle sync on and off
    • access extra location provider commands
    • modify global system settings
    • read home settings and shortcuts
    • write home settings ans shortcuts
    • com.jrd.permissions.SWITCH_JRDTHEME

    ...Appears to be a back-door to me.

    • (Score: 2) by Scruffy Beard 2 on Monday February 20 2017, @04:59PM

      by Scruffy Beard 2 (6030) on Monday February 20 2017, @04:59PM (#469317)

      The explanatory note says the app has those permissions because it runs in the same process as com.tct.tctfeedbackhelper. That process is apparently supposed to run the whole phone.

  • (Score: 2) by mcgrew on Monday February 20 2017, @08:54PM

    by mcgrew (701) <publish@mcgrewbooks.com> on Monday February 20 2017, @08:54PM (#469433) Homepage Journal

    They've been advertising the hell out of the on KSHE's stream; the more streaming listeners they have, the higher their cost. The data, according to the ads, is to provide cover art and crap like that, that I really don't need when I'm listening to the radio.

    --
    mcgrewbooks.com mcgrew.info nooze.org
  • (Score: 2) by cafebabe on Tuesday February 21 2017, @01:04AM

    by cafebabe (894) on Tuesday February 21 2017, @01:04AM (#469522) Journal

    In an emergency, cell towers are apt to be overloaded.

    If the phone can't get its "data", will the FM chip work standalone?

    Don't worry. Central Licensing [gnu.org] will get the full report of your radio listening when the connection is restored.

    --
    1702845791×2
  • (Score: 2) by dry on Tuesday February 21 2017, @04:12AM

    by dry (223) on Tuesday February 21 2017, @04:12AM (#469571) Journal

    My phones FM app works fine here without a cell signal. Even works in airplane mode. Only permissions it has are microphone and storage, storage for recording the radio and microphone includes headphone from what I can tell.

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 21 2017, @05:52AM

      by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 21 2017, @05:52AM (#469592)

      Only permissions it has are microphone and storage

      Well, don't leave us hanging.
      Android?
      What's the name of the app? License?
      Pre-installed? If so, what make/model?

      -- OriginalOwner_ [soylentnews.org]

      • (Score: 2) by dry on Wednesday February 22 2017, @02:42AM

        by dry (223) on Wednesday February 22 2017, @02:42AM (#469959) Journal

        It's a cheap pay as you go Moto E, Canadian version and the FM app that came with it, about says it's a Moto app.
        It's a nice phone for the price, no carrier stuff, just stock Andriod and a couple of Moto apps.

    • (Score: 1) by anubi on Tuesday February 21 2017, @06:42AM

      by anubi (2828) on Tuesday February 21 2017, @06:42AM (#469602) Journal

      Can you share which app you are using? I am ( failing ) to use the NextRadio app that came bundled in my BLU phone. Like a lot of the other crapware, its insisting I connect to Google Services before it will allow the radio to play. So, I just do not use it.

      I wanted to stay a bit aloof with this phone before I gave it ( via Google ) too much information, as if my constant barrage of unwanted advertising in my browser in a foreteller of what to expect when I want to take or place a call.

      I have a standalone FM/AM/Shortwave ( TECSUN ) battery receiver for emergencies, but easy accessibility to AM, FM, or TV is kinda a thing of the past for me. Although I think its a wonderful idea to have a cellphone be able to act as a radio or TV receiver, I also know there are those who will profit by reining me into their corral of allowable actions and things I can use a purchased device for. Which is also the main driver for my disdain for purchased goods. Its not the price, rather its like begging Dad for the car keys instead of having my own.

      The "purchased thing" only drives on approved roads with permission, whereas the "open source thing" is like an ATV that goes anywhere.

      I have to assume its some sort of open-source thing that will just turn on the FM receiver chip, get the setup from the keypad, and route the audio to the speaker.... and nothing else.

      --
      "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
      • (Score: 3, Informative) by dry on Wednesday February 22 2017, @02:55AM

        by dry (223) on Wednesday February 22 2017, @02:55AM (#469961) Journal

        It's the app that came with my Moto E, Canadian edition sold by Fido (Rogers) About says "Version 02.02.0084 of FM Radio, Copyright 2015 Motorola Mobility LLC. All rights reserved"
        It's a nice phone for the price, no crap on it, just stock Android apps and not too many as well as a few Motorola apps. Even gets updates.

        • (Score: 1) by anubi on Wednesday February 22 2017, @05:40AM

          by anubi (2828) on Wednesday February 22 2017, @05:40AM (#470011) Journal

          Thanks... Wish my BLU phone came with that instead of this thing that seems to want to connect to someone else before it will tune to an FM station.

          When I was playing around with mine, I considered my bundled app to be a useless piece of crapware junk whose sole function was to give yet someone else control over my phone.

          Seems that marketeers are of another race... the Ferringi.

          --
          "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]