NASA equipped every astronaut with the device from Apollo 7 onwards. In 1969, Sony launched Sony TC-50, a compact cassette recorder. The Trinitron was the reason that Sony had been the world's largest TV manufacturer in terms of annual revenue until 2006. In 1968, Sony launched the legendary color television set, Trinitron. In 1961, Sony launched the world's first compact transistor VTR, the PV-100. And in the same year, Sony made another innovation by releasing the world's first non-projection type all-transistor and portable television, Sony TV8-301. Sony established Sony Corporation of America, the company's first subsidiary in America, in 1960. Sony also launched the world's first integrated circuit radio, the ICR-100 in 1967.įollowing the first success in American consumer market, Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo changed its name to Sony in 1958 as people outside Japan struggled to pronounce the original name. As a result of the popularity of transistor radios, which empowered privacy and individualism, the way people listen to radio or music has changed forever. market and launched the new industry of consumer microelectronics." By the mid-1950s, American teens had begun buying portable transistor radios in huge numbers, helping to propel the fledgling industry from an estimated 100,000 units in 1955 to 5,000,000 units by the end of 1968. University of Arizona professor Michael Brian Schiffer, PhD, says, "Sony was not first, but its transistor radio was the most successful. The word soon featured in English dictionary. The company marketed the radio as "pocketable", a Japanese-style English word the company came up with to highlight its portability and pocket-size. The following year, 1957, Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo came out with the TR-63 model, then the smallest (112 × 71 × 32 mm) transistor radio in commercial production. In May 1956, the company released the TR-6, which featured an innovative slim design and sound quality capable of rivaling portable tube radios. Featuring six transistors, push-pull output and greatly improved sound quality, the TR-72 continued to be a popular seller into the early sixties. They followed up in December of the same year by releasing the TR-72, a product that won favor both within Japan and in export markets, including Canada, Australia, the Netherlands and Germany. In August 1955, Tokyo Tsushin Kogyo released the Sony TR-55, Japan's first commercially produced transistor radio. While most Japanese companies were researching the transistor for its military applications, Ibuka and Morita looked to apply it to communications.Īlthough the American companies Regency Electronics and Texas Instruments built the first transistor radio as joint venture in 1954, it would be the Ibuka's company that made them commercially successful for the first time. Bell Labs agreed to do so while recommending Ibuka to produce Hearing aids using the transistor, then a popular application for the technology, suggesting that it would be difficult to apply the technology to radio. He convinced Bell to license the transistor technology to his Japanese company. In the early 1950s, Ibuka traveled to the United States, looking for a market for the company's tape recorder, and heard about Bell Labs' invention of the transistor. We assessed these radios based on their consumer review ratings and features like number of channels, emergency power options, durability, portability, and more.Sony's former yeadquarters in Shinagawa, Tokyo We relied on our previous reporting on portable radios, and researched expert reviews from publications like Gear Junkieand Rolling Stone. Two-Way: Motorola Talkabout T800 Two-Way Radios.Emergency: Midland ER310 Emergency Crank Weather AM/FM Radio.Waterproof: Sangean H201 Portable AM/FM/Weather Alert Waterproof Radio.Bluetooth: Tivoli Audio Model One Bluetooth AM/FM Radio.Stylish Design: Eton Elite Traveler AM/FM/LW/Shortwave Radio.Great Value: Sony ICF-506 Analog Tuning Portable FM/AM Radio.Whether you’re looking to keep things traditional with a barebones AM/FM or upgrade to something with a few more modern conveniences like Bluetooth, here are some of the best portable radio options. We selected a variety of portable radios, including emergency radios, two-way radios, weather radios, and even small tabletop radios that’ll look good in your home too. But if you enjoy trekking out into the backcountry, or just want additional security when the power goes out, you should consider having an AM/FM radio on hand. With the rise of streaming services and Bluetooth and Wi-Fi in seemingly every device, a good old-fashioned portable radio may not be on your radar anymore.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |