Many thanks to Chenzhi with Choyong radio who shares the following update:

Hello Thomas,

I hope everything is going well with you.

I’m writing to you today as I want to let you know that the LC90 has just released its 4.7 firmware version. Based on user feedback so far, there haven’t been any unexpected bugs. You can upgrade it now: you’ll need to insert a TF card no larger than 32GB and use OTA to complete the upgrade. The 4.7 firmware includes many new features. What might interest you most is the addition of Podcasts and ChatGPT. I’ll briefly go over the new features in this upgrade—it might make this email a bit lengthy, but I hope you’ll enjoy the updated LC90. Once again, thank you for your support for Choyong.

The following are the details of the upgrade:

1. RDS Functionality Added

Integrated the ability to receive RDS signals, LC90 can now display PS (Program Service), RT (Radio Text), PI (Program Identifier), and PTY (Program Type) information. All of this information will be displayed on the screen at same time.

2. SSB Bug Fix

The bug in the SSB mode has been fixed. Now, both USB and LSB tones can be played normally, and the “pop” sound when adjusting the frequency in SSB mode has been eliminated.

3. Podcast Feature

The Podcast feature has been integrated. Currently, Choyong’s Aggregator includes over 10 million podcast episodes, categorized into 18 genres including news, music, sports, and more (additional genres may be added in the future). All podcasts will be updated automatically every day. Excellent programs from Spotify and Apple Podcasts can be found on the LC90, and you can also use voice search to find your favorite podcasts.

4. ChatGPT Integration

LC90 now includes ChatGPT’s speech-to-text engine, along with optimized search result matching algorithms that greatly enhance the accuracy of voice search. This feature can be used to search for radio stations and podcasts. ChatGPT has even more powerful capabilities, and while I cannot yet fully predict how these features will help LC90, if you have any ideas, please let me know. I will adding them in the next update.

5. Indian Radio Decoding Function

Due to the advanced encryption protocols used by Indian radio stations, the previous version LC90 can’t play some stations due to compatibility issues. This issue has now been resolved, and all Indian radio stations can be played normally.

6. Subscription Function for Radios and Podcasts via Choyong Website

In version 4.7, you can directly search for radio stations and podcasts on the Choyong website and push them to your devices. The interface is user-friendly, and Choyong’s Aggregator now includes over 50,000 radio stations and 10 million podcasts, all of which can be easily searched and Subscribed.

7. Account Management and Synchronization

Version 4.7 allows devices to be linked to your email account. Once linked, you can remotely push programs to the device and sync your saved content to all of your Choyong devices. In 2025, Choyong will launch a series of new products, including Car internet radios, Trackers, Desktop radios, Hi-Fi internet radios, and Portable outdoor internet radios (with excellent sound quality, but no support for regular radio functions). All these devices can be managed with the same account.

Thank you, Chenzhi,  for sharing details about this update which includes features we’ve never seen baked into a shortwave radio!