the passionate ailurophile

Several years ago, I signed up to do online polls for Harris Poll Online. Every so often, they email me the link to a poll, and I can do it or not do it. For each poll I complete, I earn points that can be used to get FREE STUPH.

Last year, I got this cool pair of binoculars. Today, Mister Mailman came forth with this iPod whosit (pictured here). It’s designed to transmit the sound from an iPod or other audio device to any FM radio. I selected it because I want to be able to listen to the iPod in the car through the speakers (so that we can both hear it). When we still had the Escort, it had a cassette tape player, and I had one of those whosits where one end plugs into the tape deck, the other in the iPod, and that makes it play through the car speakers. But our new Focus doesn’t have a tape player, so I can’t use that tape whosit anymore. So, when I was browsing through the FREE STUPH collection at the Harris Poll site, and I saw this whosit, I said, what the hell, I have enough points, so I sent for it.

Anyhoo, it came today. I had to put one AAA sized battery in it (not included, but I was able to get one instantly from our Hugh Jass Drawer O’ Batteries). Then, all you do is choose a radio frequency (it works for 88.1-88.7), plug it into the audio device, turn on a radio to 88.whatever, and you’re good to go.

Here in the house, it works on 88.7. This thing might not work for you if the entire stretch of 88 point whatevers are being used by actual radio stations. But usually, this lower frequency is not used, so it should work for most people.

What I REALLY love, though, is that it can also make your stereo speakers double as computer speakers. Now I will NEVER have to replace my computer speakers ever again, after the wires get chewed on by cats and such…I’ve lost count of how many speakers met their demise that way. The stereo speakers are set up in a way where cats CAN’T get to them, something I really can’t do with the computer.

So I plugged this little whosit in the speaker plug on the back of my computer, and fired up iTunes, and YES! Audio from the computer now comes through my stereo speakers! I will NEVER have to buy computer speakers ever again!

I have yet to try it in the car, but when I do, I’ll let you know how that works. But even if it doesn’t, I’m VERY happy with using it in the house.

If it does work in the car, Mike is getting one, too (when I save up more HIPoints), as well as an MP3 player of his own. Sorry, the video iPod is MINE! Do you know how many blog posts I wrote to pay for THAT? But he does like to listen to music in the car while commuting, and this would be easier than messing with CDs or listening to annoying commercials on the radio. This whosit will work with ANY MP3 player, not just the iPod. As long as it has a standard headphone jack, it’ll work.

I have computer SPEAKERS again! And I paid not a dime this time! Happy, happy, joy, joy!