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CUE Radio Preview


Tue Apr 25, 2000 - 1:45 AM EDT - By James Hromadka

CUE Radio

How would you like to have a pager that can be local or nationwide that has news alerts and email alerts and is an FM radio to boot? With the CUE Radio you get all these things. CUE recently updated its website with new information on their CUE Radio module. The price of the CUE Radio has not been finalized yet but should be less than $100; it is currently slated to ship sometime in May. The CUE Radio module will come in three different colors: Blue, Ice, and Graphite initially.. Below is a preview of what you can expect.

Here are the services that are available for the CUE Radio:

FM Stereo (No charge) - Listen to FM broadcasts from a preprogrammed list of stations, and there is an option for multiple cities in your play list.
Traffic Alerts (60.00/yr) - Receive traffic alerts over an FM network of 600 radio stations across North America. When the light on the CUE Radio flashes, push the radio button twice and the traffic alert will appear on the Visor screen. You can also program the traffic alerts to be route specific. Select the appropriate traffic route on the map for your city located at cuetraffic.com. Follow the instructions to place these in the Visor and you will then receive traffic alerts only for your specific route.
Personal Messaging ($15/100m local, $49/100m nationwide) - Receive text messages on either a nationwide or a local basis. Nationwide service covers over 98% of the population of the US. Local service is offered to over 500 cities across North America. Purchase a prepaid MessageCard on the CUE Radio website to obtain the messaging services.
e-mail Alerts (included in Personal Messaging) - Receive wireless notifications of important e-mails on the CUE Radio. Your Visor screen will display the subject, sender, and first 40 characters of the e-mail. You can filter messages so only important e-mails are transmitted.
Weather Forecasts (No Charge) The CUE Radio also receives local weather forecasts in 500 markets on an hourly basis. Keep in touch with the latest weather conditions and enjoy the most advanced radio in America. News alerts are free. In combination with your Handspring Visor.
News Alerts (No charge) - Receive headline news reports every hour on the CUE Radio.

Here are the technical details on the CUE Radio:

CUE Radio Specifications
Frequency Range:	87.5-107.9 MHz, Data/Audio
Subcarrier Format:	57 kHz MBS
Audio:	Full Stereo audio out
RF Input Range:	98 to +20 dBm
Sensitivity:	4uV stereo
	0.001 BLER @ 15 dBuV (RBDS) w/Earphone antenna
Data Rate:	1.2 kbps RBDS
Physical:
Power:	+2.5 vdc
Weight:	2.7 oz.
Card Type:	Springboard Compatible Module
Audio Output:	3.5 mm stereo mini-plug jack
Operating Temperature:	-10°C to +55°C
Connector:	Handspring Standard Springboard - 68 pin

Overall this looks like a very promising module. Not all of the features are available in all cities, but you can check out the traffic section for a list of upcoming cities.