A TiVo for Car Radio

I don’t know about anyone else out there, but after using TiVo and now a cable DVR for a few years, I’ve gotten so used to pausing and rewinding live TV that when I’m in the car and miss a song or news item I catch myself reaching for a rewind button that doesn’t exist. Well, the European Space Agency is working on the problem for me, it seems. The group has developed a prototype car radio that can do all the things your DVR can — pause, rewind and time shift on the radio dial.

The cache memory will most likely be flash-based to avoid problems from bumpy driving, and all of it is tied into a satellite beaming down radio signals, but instead of an antenna buyers will have to install a small satellite dish. Sounds like a roadblock to me, but considering the group is saying it will be more affordable than current satellite offerings like XM and Sirius, it probably has a shot at taking off. Plus, I won’t miss the score from last night’s game while driving to work anymore.

[ESA Satellite Radio Promises PVR-Like Features, DailyTech]