Frontier Silicon lancia il microDAB. Piccolo ma vecchio?

Il nuovo modulo Frontier Silicon "Vega" è il cuore pulsante del più piccolo ricevitore DAB al mondo, il Goodmans GHDAB101 (solo 7x4x2 centimetri). Le specifiche dicono che due batterie tripla A assicurano dieci ore di autonomia in DAB e 15 in FM/RDS. Non credo però che il piccolo ricevitore digitale sia compatibile con il DAB+, quindi non capisco bene il senso di questa corsa alla miniaturizzazione. Vega sarà presentato all'IFA di Berlino a partire dal 29 agosto.

Frontier Silicon ‘Vega' module powers Goodmans GHDAB101, world's smallest handheld DAB radio

London, 7 August 2008: Frontier Silicon has announced that its module is at the heart of a new DAB radio just launched by Goodmans and now available on the market. The new GHDAB101 is the world's smallest stand-alone DAB radio currently available - measuring just 69.5 x 44 x 21.4mm and weighing only 48g complete with earphones - and is already available in retail channels.
The new pocket-size DAB radio from Goodmans is based on Frontier Silicon's Vega FS4051 personal DAB/FM radio module, which is a miniature high performance DAB/FM-RDS radio printed circuit board (PCB) module that requires only keymat, case, battery and headphones to produce a complete end-product. Products based on Vega require just two AAA size cells to provide over 10 hours of DAB radio use or 15 hours of FM.
Christian Corney, Buying Director for Goodmans, said, "The UK has a strong market for DAB radio, so it was important for us to utilise the best-in-class technology to drive our own product strategy for the handheld sector. Frontier Silicon's expertise in DAB audio combined with its ability to produce market-leading technology for portable products at low cost made it the perfect choice for us."
"The introduction of this tiny stand alone DAB radio at a very competitive price point will give the DAB market a real boost." commented Steve Evans, VP Sales and Marketing for Frontier Silicon "The Vega platform utilises our expertise to offer the sensitivity and .power consumption that will make this a compelling product for the handheld market"
The Goodmans GHDAB101 packages Vega into an ergonomic case designed to slip easily into small pockets. It is provided with high-quality headphones, which double up as an aerial, and a simple but versatile user interface featuring seven front-panel buttons to cover all functions; a blue backlit display shows station name (for both DAB and FM-RDS), volume level, mode, favourites icon, signal strength and battery level. The GHDAB101 will be available from Argos and other major retailers.
Frontier Silicon will be demonstrating Vega and other new products at the IFA Consumer Electronics Fair at Berlin, 29 August - 3 September. To make an appointment, see http://www.frontier-silicon.com/events