Description

Zradio is an easy-to-use radio that uses nullsoft's shoutcast technology to receive streaming audio system.

It has a convenient graphical interface, with sliders for the tuner and volume and buttons to access preset stations. It uses skin to have different screen configurations. You can graphically configure the stations and assign the stations to the memory buttons.

You must have Internet connection to connect to a Shoutcast server.

Zradio is a front-end for the Audio nullsoft's audio streaming technology. It does not have any MP3 file, or saves it in any media.

How to use

Once you start Zradio in your Zaurus, you will see the main window, with three areas.

Display area

This area shows to total time you have been using the radio, the time you have been listening to the current track, the station name and the track name.

The information about the station and track names is dynamically retrieved from the Shoutcast server. This information scrolls in the screen, so that the text can be displayed in a small area of information.

If you click in the display area, you will see a menu with the following options:

Play list Takes you to the play list window. Please see details below.
Change the skin Allows up to select a different skin

Slider area

This area contains two sliders: one for the tuner, another the volume.

Tuner slider Use this tuner to set the station to listen. Stations can be added dynamically and can be associated with memory buttons. You can see the station name by dragging the slider control with the stylus. If you have a large number of stations configured, it can be hard to tune a specific stations. In this case, use the right and left arrow to tune the station.

The text above the slider shows the station number. You can set the slider to 0 to mute the radio. The radio starts at tuner 0, which means you have the move the slider to another station (or press one of the memory buttons) to listen to a radio.

Volume slider Use this slider to control the volume of the radio. Move the slider to the right to increase the volume or to the left to reduce the volume.

Preset button area

This area contains buttons associated with some preset radio stations. Use these buttons to configure your favorite stations. Press one of the button to listen to the station preset. To associate a station with one of the buttons, press the button M, then one of the other buttons.

Play list window

This window presents an area to configure a radio station and the list of radios already configured. To add a station, enter its URI in the test field, in one of the following formats:

for example,

205.188.234.161:8036

To get the station URI, point your Internet browser to www.shoutcast.com, and find the station desired. Then click on the button 'Tune in' in front of the station you want, and save the file (extension .pls) to your machine. Open this file, and look for the entry File; the URI is the information after the label 'http://'.

Once you enter the information, Zradio attempts to connect to the server. If it succeeds, it retrieves the radio information and adds it to the list. If it fails, it shows an error message.

This window also shows all the stations configured. If you click in the '+' sign before the station name, you can see the connection information.

If you select one station and press 'Play', Zradio will start playing this station.

If you press 'Close' to close this window and go back to the main window.

FAQs

I can't hear any sound.

After you tune in one of stations or press one of memory buttons, the Zradio connects to the Shoutcast server. Wait a few seconds, because Zradio connects to the Shoutcast server and it can take a while until the server starts sending the stream.

I don't know which station is associated with which tune number.

You can scroll through the stations without removing the stylus. The Zradio shows the station name above the tune slider; after you find the station you are looking for, you can release the stylus.

How do I mute the radio, without leaving Zradio

There is no way to mute the radio in this version.

I don't see the track name in the display area

This information is retrieved from the transmitted stream. If it is not sent, as in most of the spoken stations (for example NPR radios), it shows a 'No String Title given' message.

I could hear a station yesterday, but today I receive a "Host connect error"

Some servers change the server list of URI frequently. In this case, you need to go back to www.shoutcast.com, find the station and get the new URI.

Reporting a problem

You can report a problem and make a suggestion by sending an e-mail to:

support@tropicsw.com

Adding another skin

You can define different skins to use with Zradio. If you want to create your own skin, please check the following web site:

http://www.tropicsw.com

Where can I find the latest version?

The latest version is available in the following web site:

http://www.tropicsw.com