120 MACWORLD OCTOBER 2019
PLAYLIST REVIEW: GRACE DIGITAL MONDO+ CLASSICfive small chicklet buttons just below the
screen that switch function as required.
Other buttons take you “back”, “home” and
show what’s “now playing.” Fadul said
that’s plenty of engagement for the vast
majority of the Mondo+ Classic’s “mostly
50-plus” users. “Only a small percentage
even sign up for the free app,“ he said.
Baked-in, fast-loading audio services
also include iHeartRadio (850-plus
channels), CBS/Entercom/Radio.com
(230-plus channels) and SHOUTcast
(75,000 stations). Plus, a big batch of
BBC offerings, stuff from NPR, Calm
Radio, and Live 365.
Channel nabbing would be easier
still if the Grace OS could cross-search
and collate these content silos. Such an
upgrade is on their to-do list. A web-
delivered update will soon add Amazon
Music and perhaps Pandora to the
menu as well.
Millions of subscribers to SiriusXM radio’s
satellite-plus-streaming service (or
streaming-only pay option) will be cheered
by how easy it is to land and listen to their
favorite channels and on-demand content
on the Mondo+ Classic radio. Confusing
matters some, Grace Digital also makes the
similar looking SiriusXM Sound Station (go.
macworld.com/sxfm), which sells for $129.99.
The hitch? The Sound Station delivers only
SiriusXM’s 200-plus channels and
on-demand shows, and totally snubs the rest
of the streaming entertainment world.
For podcast fans, any and all
offerings in Apple’s podcast database
can be readily nabbed here, from
YOGAmazing, to All Songs Considered,
to Marc Maron‘s WTF chats with celebs
in his garage studio.
Looking for a white-noise machine?
The Mondo+ Classic packs in several
dozen snooze-inducing sleep sounds,
from babbling brook to chirping birds to
humming hair dryer (for real). Your choice
can be set to fade away in as little as 10
minutes or last as long as you like.This screenshot
from Grace
Digital’s
smartphone
app shows
the baked-in,
easily accessed
content
services.
Amazon Music
and Pandora
will be added
soon to this list.