Downloading music for your portable media player from the internet is something for your father's generation. The consumer who is truly focused on ease of use and wants to have the latest music on his player rips off a radio station.

Enters the SP-103 by Sumitronics of Singapore. The device records music to your mp3 player from the radio at night while filtering out commercials and the DJ-chatter. The device will be launched at CES in Las Vegas in January.

The idea of getting songs from your favourite radio station on your mp3 player seems appealing. The consumer gets fresh content without much effort, with the device filling up while the owner is sleeping. And although I have my doubts about the legality of the music you record, there is hardly any risk of running in to the copyright police because there is no internet connection involved.

The SP-103 has some setbacks however. The device's design for starters reminds of the post World War II era of zero percent appeal, 100 percent functionality. And at a price of $299 you can buy a lot of music from the iTunes music store before this device is worth the investment.