Sony eMarker

To set up the eMarker, we inserted the included CR2025 battery into the unit, connected its USB cradle to our PC, and visited the eMarker.com Web site to download and install the driver software. Then we inserted the eMarker into its cradle and followed the onscreen instructions to register the unit for the free eMarker service (a process that included checking local coverage and listing our favorite radio stations). The entire setup process took only a couple of minutes.

This sounds rather complicated, until you remind yourself that the eMarker is little more than a digital clock. When you press the eMarker's button--the only control on the unit--you aren't actually saving information from the radio, just recording a timestamp. To determine the song information, you'll need to insert the eMarker into its cradle and connect to the eMarker Web site (a process very much analogous to PDA synchronization). The eMarker site then displays playlist information from the available radio stations in your area. (Playlist information is provided by Broadcast Data Systems, which covers about 1,100 radio stations across the country. To check whether stations in your area are covered, visit www.emarker.com/coverage/index.jhtml.)

In our tests of the eMarker, we listened to a variety of pop, rock, and country stations (classical, jazz, college radio, and AM stations are not yet included) and pressed the bookmark button upon hearing songs of interest. (Unfortunately, you can only bookmark up to 10 songs at a time.) Later, we connected to our PC and the eMarker Web site, and our PC displayed various choices on screen that intelligently corresponded to songs we might have bookmarked. Thanks to eMarker's well-designed Web site, with a few mouse clicks we were able to listen to audio clips, view information about the songs' artists, and even visit online retailers where we could purchase the CD. Note that the eMarker now works with both Windows-based PCs and Macs with USB connectivity.

If you enjoy pop music and would like some help in recognizing the songs and artists that rock your world, the small, easy-to-use Sony eMarker is an inexpensive and fun gadget to connect you to your music.

Pros:

• One-button operation
• Very easy to set up and use
• Free Web-based service

• Not available in all areas
• Does not include jazz and classical station

To get started, install the desktop software (for Windows 98 or 2000), connect the eMarker to your PC via a USB cradle, then visit the eMarker Web site to register your favorite radio stations. When you've bookmarked songs, return to the eMarker Web site to see a list of all songs that played on your selected stations at the time you made your bookmark.

The eMarker service covers about 85 percent of the U.S. radio markets (coverage gaps are principally in remote and rural areas). The following metropolitan areas receive updated song playlists every ten minutes: New York/Long Island, Los Angeles/Riverside-San Bernadino, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco/San Jose, Boston, Atlanta, Seattle, San Diego, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Miami. Other large and medium metropolitan areas update their playlists every 24 hours. To check coverage, visit emarker.com, click "Check Coverage," and enter your ZIP code to get a list of stations in your area. At present, no classical, jazz, or National Public Radio stations are included in any city.

The eMarker comes with a USB docking cradle, a CR2025 lithium battery (with an average battery life of 6 months), and operating instructions.