by Rob Nathan
Today, there are many different ways to play recorded audio material. Digital media in various permutations abound - CDs, MP3 players and the like, but we need to pick the most appropriate technology for our purposes.
For many of our listeners this is still the analogue cassette, which is cheap and able to stand up to harsh conditions. GRN Australia has designed and built the 'Messenger' cassette player, which is a rugged unit powered by a built-in hand-crank mechanism. They are assembled by volunteers to keep the cost down.
As time and technology marches on, we endeavour to keep using the most appropriate technology available. We are currently developing a 'solid-state' digital player, again with hand-crank power. This will give greater reliability and better sound reproduction than cassette players. It will also have the ability to connect to a computer and download messages and songs in a standard format such as MP3. These are exciting possibilities that will make the Gospel more accessible to more people in the future.