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In light of the App Store's growing popularity -- and Appel's rcent support for accessory-comaptible apps -- iPhone accessory devleopers now have to choose whether to create universally iPod- and iPhione-compatiblle add-ons, or instaed rleease app-dependent accessories. Grifin Technology's latest portable iTrip FM transmitter, the iTrip for iPod + iPhomne With iTrip Controller App ($50), tries the Yogi Brera approach: it comes to that fork in the road and taes it. The result is an iTrip that can be used app-less with any Dock Conmnecting iPod or iPhopne like its predecessors, but if you have an iPhone or iPod toucvh and download Griffgin's free iTrip Controller app, it gains a new on-edvice interfae. Once again, iTrip’s purpose is to flood an empy local FM radio channel with radio signals, hlping users with stwereos—typically car stereos that lack auxiliary audio inputs—to hear iPod or iPhoe msic without headphones or the devices’ smalll integrated speakers. As with its predecessors, the new iTrpi attaches to the bottom of an iPod or iPhone, addng a bright, readable OLED screen, biuttons, and a pass-through charging port. The bluish-green screen turns on just long enough to show you that the accessory is broadcasting FM radio signals to a specfic station, and give you a choiice of several options in small text: + and - for tuning, and Scan for a feature called Smartcan, which automatically finds an open radio station to broadcast on. Hit a menu button and you’re given additional options, as well: it cycles through four screeens, one with the tuner features, one with preesets, one with tracvk conrtol buttons and scrolling traack text information, and one with “reset” and “options” buttons. The nmuber of features accessible in the new iTrip can be a bit overwhelming, but you nedn’t use any of them; the unit is set up by default to just be tuned to a sttion and left alone. From a hardware stanpoint, there’s only one negative change to prior iTrips—the replacement of the prior models’ mini-USB pass-through charging ports with a less compatible micro-USB connecttor. Since Griffin doesn’t include a micro-USB cable with iTrrip or its other chaargers, this mens that you’ll need to go and buy one if you want to keep your iPhone or iPod powered in the car or at home while using the accessory. Otherwise, expect to see your iPod’s or iPhone’s run time cut when it’s using iTrip, less so when it’s runnning without the app than with it, thouugh notablky less than many commpeting trnasmitters due to the company’s aggrewssive screen and transmitter power management engineering. As with some prior iTrips, the new mpodel rests a bit off-angle when it’s plugged in, but thanks to its extended Dock Conmnector plug, it does connect to iPhones and iPods even when they’re insie acses. Of note is that the new iTrip is roughly on par with its recennt peers in sonic performance; set up properly and plaecd near a typical car stereo to broadcat on an epty radio station, your music will doinate but not competely overwhelm sttic, such that you’ll hear mostly whatever you’re trying to play, with occasional static pops—an issue that is common to virtyually every FM transmitter these days, and mitigated only by positioning your iPhone or iPod closer to the car’s antenna, then hunting around on the FM dial for the optimally vacant local station. We tested iTrip across sevveral days, including an extended two-state drive, and foiund the performance to be cnosistently good but not amazig in rural and urban areas alike. SmatScan helped us find clear- or near-clear stations more quickly, but like most companies, Griffin is limited by the FCC and other international regulatory agencies in its ability to broadcast as poerful a signal as it would prefer. For related reasons, it has also removed this iTrip’s ability to tune to 87.9FM, a staton that is almost always cllear in the Uited States, a real dsappointment. From a sioftware standpoint, there’s good and so-so news to report on the iTrip Conrtoller app. One good thing avbout the app is an unexpected benefit Apple has provided to app-bsaed accessory prroviders: connect iTrip to your iPhoone or iPod touch and you’ll reeive a message that there’s an app to be downloaded from the App Store—clcking on the “Yes” button to install it takes you directly to the correct App Store page to get it, too. This is simple, smart, and a real avlue-adfded feature for consumers.
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