Filed under: Audio, iPod Family
Griffin iTrips legalized in the UK
Rejoice, British motorists! No longer will you need to cower when you spot police while listening to your iPod through an iTrip. The once illegal activity of using FM wavelengths to listen to your music on your car stereo is illegal no more, thanks to impending relaxation of a decades old law.
The iTrip and other low-power radio transmitters were verboten under the Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1949, which was this week amended to allow them after what the BBC calls "strong consumer demand". The transmitters will come off the black list on December 8th (also Wii launch day, if you're in the UK).
There is, however, still one small problem. You need to tune in the device to a spare FM channel, and these aren't so easy to come by in heavily populated areas such as London, where pirate radio thrives.
Of course, if you're driving around Congestion Charge-addled London in the first place, you're no stranger to constant struggle.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Scott F said 6:03PM on 11-24-2006
PLEASE
KILL
THAT
WOMAN
IN
THE
PURPLE
T-SHIRT.
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James said 7:09PM on 11-24-2006
I'd like to get one. Does anybody know about how well they work in Dublin?
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johnmc said 6:32PM on 11-25-2006
Um, James, Dublin's not in the UK.
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Maddles said 9:49PM on 11-24-2006
#1, what the heck are you talking about?
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Scott F said 12:02AM on 11-25-2006
#3:
To the right of the headline in this window, or the top headline in the home page, is an ad space.
At work, I use (ugh) Windows and (ugh again) FMSIE. I'm not permitted to install another browser or and adblocking filters, if such exist for FMSIE.
So I see all those ads. Well, not all. Just one. Every time I get the same ad. It's for GM cars and features a woman in a purple T-shirt jumping up and down to get my attention. She will jump forever, until the mouse rools over the ad, even if it's unintentional. Then she launches into her pitch.
I cannot stop this ad from appearing. I cannot get the animation to not play. It is more annoying than having "My Heart Will Go On" stuck in your head. (Sorry about that.)
I have begged for that ad to be pulled, as it's constant playing and touch sensitive play-trigger are unacceptably invasive and aggravating. What's the use of cookies if they don't track that I have (1) seen that ad hundreds of times and (2) not clicked on it ever? I used to recommend this site to fellow Mac fanatics. Not anymore.
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Jane said 12:25AM on 11-25-2006
This is a good change. I just don't get why it was illegal.
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Jon said 12:55AM on 11-25-2006
It was illegal because you needed a broadcasting license in order to use one, due to an outdated law.
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iFelix said 7:09AM on 11-27-2006
So it's not illegal now to use an iTrip in the UK.
However if you have ripped your CDs to iTunes and your iPod then you have broken the law in the UK, as that is still illegal!
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Arne said 8:47AM on 11-25-2006
@James: I have an iTrip. It works well for me if you stay in the Area. You need to find a free frequency. If you travel you will experience problems because of radio channels you come close to that use the frequency. I haven't tested it in dublin, but you need to find a frequency, that is 0.2 Mhz away from any other used frequency. So you need to find a 0.4Mhz gap that is unused.
I would love the idea of an frequency that is reserved for iTrips in at least the whole country.
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Sherman Homan said 11:28AM on 11-25-2006
Broadcasting rights in the UK are based on Article III, paragraph IV of the Magna Carta written in 1215.
You need to pay a licensing fee to watch TV:
http://www.turnoffyourtv.com/international/bbc.html
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S said 11:00AM on 11-25-2006
How much does Griffin pay you guys under the table to brand generic FM transmitters "Griffin iTrips" in every post? It's stupid.
Take it from me, we sell a dozen different transmitters, and the iTrip is by FAR the worst of them. Those of us who have been at the store long enough know not to let people buy them in the first place, because they'll be returning them anyway. Stick with Kensington or Monster.
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S said 11:00AM on 11-25-2006
I mean, seriously:
http://www.tuaw.com/2006/09/05/griffin-itrips-to-be-legalized-in-ireland/
http://www.tuaw.com/2006/03/03/griffins-itrip-comes-to-switzerland/
http://www.tuaw.com/2005/12/22/ipod-plus-itrip-fm-payment-system/
It only lets me do three URLs...
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Jon said 11:41AM on 11-25-2006
I have a Monster and it's awful. I was thinking of going with a Griffin iTrip specifically because of the DX mode that boosts the signal.
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Curtain said 11:42AM on 11-25-2006
Scott F, why so many anger? Where did you see woman in red?
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uncle jerry said 12:26PM on 11-25-2006
Scott F - You have two choices:
1. get a new job that will let you install something usefull on your computer
2. get a thumb drive and install the portable firefox browser on it and do your surfing from the thumb drive.
http://portableapps.com/apps/internet/firefox_portable
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TheWakeUpCall said 2:05PM on 11-25-2006
LOL! 'London: Where Pirate Radio Thrives' haha. It's not that bad geez. And London only represents a tiny area of the UK. But I am so glad anyway, I bought one yesterday on eBay.
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S said 7:05PM on 11-25-2006
Jon, if you can't get a good signal from your iCarPlay, then you've either got a broken one or you will never be happy with an FM transmitter. But I can't stress this enough... stay away from the iTrip. Kensington's got the best one:
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/6084001/wo/FMqpWEtI8dMi2IKSiC6lZUiOwaW/5.0.21.1.0.8.25.7.11.4.3
You can read the hate on the iTrip from people that own it here:
http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore.woa/6084001/wo/FMqpWEtI8dMi2IKSiC6lZUiOwaW/1.0.21.1.0.8.25.7.11.1.3
Believe me, I took returns on at least 300 of those pieces of shit after last Christmas, I'm going to make damn sure I don't have to deal with that again. We had to use crates to return them to Griffin, it was so bad.
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James Dooley said 9:38AM on 11-27-2006
Hey johnmc, I was actually aware that Dublin is not part of the U.K. Dumbass.
FYI... water is wet.
Thanks to everyone (except johnmc) for their advice. As there's no Apple store in Dublin, just dealers, I'll use the online store and get one of the ones you recommended.
Cheers!
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Jay said 6:50PM on 11-27-2006
I have an iTrip, and travel around the UK often... It works poorly as there are no empty frequencies as there are here. I leave mine home now, and rent Ford Mondeos from Hertz that have a auxilary jack in the glovebox. Save your money.
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Santa said 6:49PM on 12-08-2006
I have a Griffin and I love it. I don't live in the UK or go there but it works great in Missouri!!!
Don't try to use it in Kansas City!! It dose not work!!
Anyway, what was with the girl in the purple?? I don't see the ad.
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