Hacking the Shower

In the likely event you have migrated from radio to podcast for your audio pleasure, you probably found a speed bump in your shower: how to get your podcast into your showering routine.

If you are like me, NPR is readily consumed during my morning ablutions but I have developed a growing fascination of podcasts. As I alternate between FM and podcasts, the perfect solution for the bathroom is the SoundBot® SB510S FM Radio. Because it provides Bluetooth connectivity, I can set my mobile phone to play a podcast and the water resistant SoundBot unit affixes nicely to the inside of my shower. A suction cup ensures adherence, and the surprisingly robust sound more than offsets the showerhead, even if I toggle the latter to massage / pulse mode.

Screen Shot 2015-11-06 at 1.53.58 PMThe SoundBot battery is crazy long lasting; I have been waiting to finish this review to see how many days until recharge, and it has been well over six weeks. The manufacturer says the battery has a six hour playing time, so I guess I have been dutifully moving quickly out of the shower during the drought.

The FM scan feature let me find my local NPR station, and I could conceivably take phone calls in the shower with the hands free functionality, but I think only Donald Trump would use this feature.

The list price is $50, but I see it currently available online for less than $10. This is a great way to maximize the utility of your shower time.


Brad Auerbach has been a journalist and editor covering the media, entertainment, travel and technology scene for many years. He has written for Forbes, Time Out London, SPIN, Village Voice, LA Weekly and early in his career won a New York State College Journalism Award.

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