iPod: The Missing Manual, 7th Edition

The FM Connection: Play the iPod Through a Radio's Speakers

If you're not a fan of wires, you can buy a doohickey that lets you broadcast your iPod's tunes over any nearby radio (not just your car's). These so-called FM transmitters have their pros and cons. True, you don't have to deal with cables or cords snarling the dashboard and they're fairly inexpensive. But the sound quality can vary—it depends on the strength of the signal—and radio is frustratingly prone to interference (static). If you live in a radio-heavy metropolitan area like New York or Los Angeles, finding a usable empty frequency can be an exercise in frustration.

Still, if you think an FM transmitter is your ticket to ride, you have several choices, among them:

• iTrip or iTrip Auto. Griffin Technology makes several eye-catching gadgets designed to pump your music from your iPod Touch, Classic, or Nano through the dashboard. The $50 iTrip (right) plugs into the iPod's dock-connector port to transmit the FM signal and uses the iPod's battery for its juice. If you want a built-in charger with your FM frequencies, consider Griffin's iTrip Auto Universal ($60). All models are at www.griffintechnology.com.

  

• Belkin TuneCast Auto. Belkin has a whole slew of products to make your iPod loud and proud, including the $70 TuneCast Auto FM transmitter that connects through the dock connector port on the iPod. The 12-volt plug keeps ...