Tags are pretty big when it comes to finding and sorting information, what more digital songs when you have a huge collection in your home and want quick access to a particular tune within the minimal time possible. For those who tune in to HD Radio devices instead, they will soon be beneficiaries of the “tag” feature, enabling them to KIV songs heard on the radio for later purchase via iTunes. Of course, this advancement is available only to selected HD Radio devices from JBL and Polk Audio, so judging by the names alone, you can be sure that neither device will come cheap.

According to iBiquity Digital that developed HD Radio (which essentially pairs both AM and FM radio signals with a single digital signal), this new technology provides CD-quality sound that enables radio operators to provide a vast array of channels of programming using just a single frequency. For example, you can have both live traffic updates and text information at one go. Currently, HD Radio is being used or tested in countries throughout South America, Europe, and the Pacific Rim, as well as Canada and the United States. Polk Audio and JBL have already released some devices that feature the “Tag” button. All you need to do is press the button whenever your ears tune in to a song that you like. Subsequently, you dock your iPod (yes, there are iPod dock connectors integrated into these HD Radio devices) in order to transfer information concerning tagged songs. Once your iPod is hooked up to your Mac, it will automatically transfer such information to the Tagged playlist in iTunes, where you can then preview, buy, and download the song in one painless procedure.

Both Polk Audio’s I-Sonic Entertainment System 2 and JBL’s iHD will support this new feature. The former will be available at both retail and Apple Stores this October for $499, while no pricing details are available concerning JBL’s iHD.

Source: PC World