Aluratek AIRJ01F USB Internet Radio Jukebox Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)It's pretty straight-forward: it lets you listen to thousands of radio stations that broadcast on the Net. As I write this review, I am sitting here, on the US East Coast, listening to some Icelandic rock station. In the past couple of hours I browsed through radio stations based in France, the Philippines, UK and, I believe Thailand. Pretty cool, eh?
But, let's summarize:
Installation: super-easy. You stick the USB thing into the proper port and you get prompted to allow for the software to install on your computer - at least that's what Vista does.
Interface: you get 2 top-10 lists that can be expanded to top-100, by region or by genre. The tops are not too useful, unless you really believe that the number one talk station in the world is broadcasting from Bulgaria but, it's fun to have them there. The categories are usually hit and miss - you are almost as likely to find music on a 'talk' station as your are to find actual talk but... it's no big deal, believe me. The stations are also classified by Genre and Location and, within each of these, you can sort them by 'country' - not all stations have a country assigned to them and Kansas and Kenya are both viewed as 'countries'. You can include individual stations on your favorite list and you can vote them up or down. There is also a 'history' section, a 'help' section and a link to the maker of the product. Oh, the bottom of the window is reserved for advertising but, I bet, you are NOT likely to stare at the Aluratek windows while listening to the radio so it's not bothersome.
Reception: each station shows a number of bars, telephone style - 4 bars are supposed to be the clearest and no bars you probably can't get. The quality of your connection is, without a doubt, dependent of your own bandwidth. Depending of it and depending on many other factors, your connection may break from time to time or you may not be able to connect at all but, so far, I am happy with what I get.
Why I almost took out 1 star?
- The interface could be improved. What I definitely miss is the ability to enter my own little notes to the stations that I mark as 'favorites'. The way they appear now - which could be something like 'WKZR' or maybe a string of Chinese hieroglyphs - is not always descriptive enough.
To summarize: if you spend a few hundred $$ for your laptop, I can't think of any good justification for not spending $20-30 on this little device.
______________________________
October 2, 2008 Update
I learned from a related discussion thread that there are 'free' sites that allow access to thousands of radio stations with some search capabilities. http://www.vtuner.com is one of them. Some may prefer to use such a site for their radio listening and save some money. Personally, having purchased this device, I am more likely to use IT than Vtuner but this is my personal preference only.

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The USB Internet Radio Jukebox allows you to easily access more than 13,000 radio stations in over 300 countries around the world with no monthly fees. Simply insert the USB Internet Radio Jukebox into your computer's USB port and you have a world of entertainment at your fingertips via Aluratek's internet media player. You can search for music geographically by continent/country/state or by the more than 50 different available genres including a wealth of news and sports radio stations broadcast throughout the world. Once you find a favorite station whether it is from your local country or while visiting other countries around the world, simply add it to your favorites folder. You can also search for the top ten radio stations in each country or by each genre and cast your own vote for each channel. No software installation is required making this a truly plug-n-play experience. Let the fun begin!

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Aluratek AIREC01F WiFi Internet Radio - Home Theater Edition (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have had much better luck than the previous reviewer. My unit worked out of the box and has continued to work for about four weeks, with no trouble whatsoever. (I have only used the WiFi internet radio feature so I cannot comment on the other things it can do.)
I would give the unit five stars but for one concern: The Aluratek business model. The tuner depends upon an Aluratek server to set up stations. The good news/bad news is that there is no annual subscription fee.
It appears that Aluratek pays for the server out of cash flow from sales. If sales ever fall off, there goes the server, and there goes the radio. Hopefully somebody will figure out how to hack it before the server goes away.

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Aluratek's new Home Theater Edition Wifi Internet Radio allows you to easily access more than 11,000 radio stations in over 150 countries around the world with no monthly fees. Easily integrate the Wifi Internet Radio with any home theater as all receivers are supported. Simply turn the unit on and it will automatically connect to your wireless router allowing you to explore a world of entertainment utilizing the included easy to navigate remote control. You can search for music geographically by continent/country/state or by the more than 50 different available genres including a wealth of news, talk and sports radio stations broadcast throughout the world. Once you find a favorite station whether it's from your local country/state or while visiting other countries around the world simply add it to your favorites list (up to 500 stations) for easy future access. Don't be limited to what you can tune in from your old AM/FM radio anymore. Take advantage of WiFi and internet technology to free yourself to travel the world musically and have fun while doing it. You can also stream your music library from your local pc/media server or plug in a USB flash/thumb drive to read MP3's if the 11,000+ radio station weren't enough. Welcome to the world of internet radio from Aluratek and let the fun begin.

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iLuv Internet Radio with Dual Alarm Clock (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)There was so much potential although I just find myself saying "BUT" way too many times.
They emphasize the clock display is remarkably large BUT it really isn't.
It is a nice looking unit, BUT you can't appreciate how large the case is until you see it and realize it will take up most of average sized night stand.
The sound quality is quite good if you play it at 4 to 5 or higher BUT the quality goes down at the lower volume level where most people realistically would use at the bedside. I haven't found any adjustments for things like bass and treble.
Customer support is terrible. They give you a phone number BUT it just sends you to voice mail. They give you a way to send a message online for express service BUT it is not "express" or helpful. I asked some simple questions while I was waiting for the unit to ship and it took two days for them to respond. They didn't actually attempt to answer my questions at all BUT just sent a .pdf of the manual and told me to read it. Not one of my questions was answered in the manual they sent (simple stuff like does the unit support WPA2, have a place for a 9 volt backup battery, etc.). The manual is very brief and does not go in-depth on any technical details like networking. There are many menus of options on this system that are never discussed in the manual. (Update: they did send me a second email a week later that did attempt to actually answer a few of my questions, and yes, it does support WPA2 but keep on reading).
The biggest killer to me, unless customer support can't advise me otherwise (waiting to hear from them), is that any time your wireless router is turned off OR the security key does a rolling change of the key AND you are using a wireless connection to the router, the iLuv is not able to reestablish a connection on its own. It will try BUT fail. When it fails, it starts the network wizard again AND DELETES YOUR KEY/PASSWORD! You have no choice and no way of stopping it. Even if you try to bypass the wizard and manually configure things, it will wipe out all of the network settings (it keeps the station presets, etc.) and require you to redo things. Oddly, when you manually reenter the key (the same key as you inputted the first time), it will reconnect on its own just fine. If you have a "strong" key for your system (like you should to be really secure), it takes forever to re-enter in the key. You would not believe the arcane method to enter in data via the buttons on the front panel.
This means whenever your router rolls/changes the security key (this is often multiple times an hour for security reasons) the wifi connection will drop and it cannot reconnect. Additionally, any time you turn off your router for an approaching storm, have a power outage, change any setting on the firmware of your router that requires it to reboot itself, etc., you are going to need to reenter your many-charactered key. Router power downs and reboots are just a fact of life. Using a router without a password would bypass this problem BUT that approach is not smart/safe. All of my other wifi devices can reconnect without a problem, so the issue is with the iLuv radio.
This brings up anther flaw. When you plug this unit in via Ethernet (which works well), there should be a software application provided on CD from iLuv that allows you to do all of the programming via your PC versus through the keys on the front of the radio. This is a serious oversight by iLuv.
UPDATE: After about another week (some "express" service, eh?) iLuv finally got back to me in regard to my second email about the dropped wifi connection issues. This is their one_sentence answer to the wifi disconnecting problem: "This problem will not happen after reset iNT170 & re-connect to internet every time user changed the password." I am sorry, but what a lame attempt at a guess/reply after a week of waiting.
I wanted to keep this thing... BUT I just am not feeling the "luv" at this point. The industry is now on the second generation of internet radios and I expected more. Maybe iLuv will release an updated firmware to fix the flaws. The radio is being returned today :( .


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The iNT170 from iLuv is an internet radio with dual alarm clock. It allows the user to access world-wide internet radio stations via Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections. Features include powerful built-in speakers to hear your music with depth and clarity, large display for easy reading, dual alarm clock, 40 preset stations for 20 Internet radio & 20 FM radio, auxiliary line input for any audio devices with 3.5mm jack, and LCD dimmer level control (3 steps). Digital dual alarm clock features include auto time update everyday though internet, wake to Internet radio, FM radio, or buzzer, and sleep to Internet radio or FM radio. Radio features include nternet/FM stereo, PLL tuning digital tuning technology, and programmable presets for 8 radio stations.

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Aluratek AIRMM01 Internet Radio Alarm Clock with built-in WiFi (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Think about the humble clock-radio. Everybody has one. They've scarcely changed in the last two decades. They have poor sound quality. Are usually in a bedroom where radio reception can be poor--and are usually given only a crummy wire antenna sticking out the back. With some, you can play a CD, just as CDs are being superseded by other digital music. Few can access the wealth of programming on satellite. Not a twenty-first century device.
This device brings the clock-radio into the 21st Century. It connects to your Wi-fi at home, and delivers almost any radio station you want from around the world.
NPR junkies can choose from a brace of stations, and the worldwide selection is superb--let me recommend Radio National and Directions in Groove from Australia, KQED and WNYC (the AM version; you'll get AM radio in hi-fi!), Deutsche Welle in English, Radio Netherlands, and of course, the BBC. Living in a non-English-speaking country, it's a real life-line for me.
It solves an issue that has vexed me with conventional clock radios I've owned. Reception problems. With an internet radio, the signal is as strong as your home wi-fi.
No need for an integrated CD. You can play music wirelessly from your computer or a USB stick.
And for a small speaker, the sound is remarkably good. You can plug it into your hi-fi if you wish, for even better sound.
It gets five stars, but not without a couple of glitches. The radio updates the station list automatically, but if a station changes its website in between software updates, you might miss out for a while. The menus are elaborate and can be a bit complex until you get used to them--and that includes the one you use simply to turn the alarm on. And the backlighted time displays ONLY when the radio is actually on; though I expect that glitch to be fixed in a software update.

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Choose between more than 11,000 radio stations worldwide via built-in vTuner with no monthly cost Compatible with universal Plug-n-Play audio servers such as: Microsoft Media Player 11 (WMP11), Microsoft Media Connect, MusicMatch Jukebox Wireless access WIFI 802.11 b and g, Ethernet and USB 2.0 (host only) connectivity Access music fi les (MP3, WMA, WAV) stored on a USB 2.0 flash drive, MP3 player or Hard drive through the units USB port Alarm clock function with 2 programmable alarms wakes you up to internet radio, FM radio, digital music, or choice of several alarm tones

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AR ARIR200 Tabletop Wi-Fi Internet Radio with Alarm (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This radio is the same as the RCA Infinite Radio RIR200 which Amazon stopped carrying in favor of this Acoustic Research ARIR200, so I encourage anyone who is thinking about buying this products to ALSO read the reviews at the following link:
RCA Infinite Radio RIR200 Internet Radio with Wifi Connectivity and Slacker Personal Radio
In case the link does not work, put this number (a product number) into the search box: B0016OK5O0 (cut and paste because those are both O's and zeros). You can also look at the reviews for the RIR205 which is the same unit but it also includes a basic router for those who want a simple way to hook up their unit to the internet. Search for B0016OI1BY to get info on the RIR205
Some of the issues brought up in those reviews are still valid (e.g. the odd ergonomics of the controls, too bright illumination, etc.) and some issues have been fixed by firmware updates. Unfortunately, sometimes when they fix one issue in the firmware they seem to also "break" another.
I give AR/RCA credit that they are at least supporting the product with firmware updates (as of 3/2009 they have released a version during 12/2008 and 3/2009). Right now, in my experience the product is a bit buggy with the current version of the firmware and I have been experiencing some random crashes where it either locks up or reboots itself. This is a real pain because it loses the security key for the WiFi when this happens and thus it has to be reentered. There is also a base level of white noise through the speakers, even after turning the radio off, that I find annoying (hint: after going standby, turn the volume dial all the way down and it will disappear with a pffft - then spin the volume back up to the normal position so that you have volume the next time you turn the radio portion on). This unit is better than the iLuv unit I reviewed elsewhere and could be quite good if they ever get a good version of the firmware going.
One of the best resources for information on these radios is the message archives at the following group at Google groups: Acoustic Research ARIRC200 Internet Radio . Just do a search at Google Groups and you should find the group (I don't think Amazon will let me include the link, but here goes: http://groups.google.com/group/acoustic-research-arirc200-internet-radio?hl=en )


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Acoustic Research introduces the next generation of audio entertainment with the ARIR200 Wi-Fi internet and AM/FM radio. The ARIR200 gives you access to thousands of global music and talk stations with its built-in Wi-Fi and Ethernet connectivity. It features a clock radio with alarm functions that allow you to wake to your favorite music or radio stations. Activate your free account with Slacker Personal Radio to access millions of tracks, hundreds of genre stations and over 10,000 artist stations. Slacker displays the next upcoming artist and provides the ability to pause or skip at any time. Other free accounts include Personal Portal and WeatherBug to receive local weather forecasts and emergency alerts. Preset six of your favorite stations per source into the radio so that you can save and retrieve your favorite stations with the push of a button. You can connect your mp3 player or flash drive into the USB connection to listen to your personal music files or save up to 10-hours of music onto the 512MB internal memory.

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Altaz AZICR101 3.5-Inch Internet Clock Radio with Net Applications (White) Review

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(More customer reviews)I was looking for something like this for a while now but nobody made it, so I was happy to hear of the Altaz Internet Clock Radio. I was a bit worried though when it arrived. First off, it's very small which normally isn't a bad thing but with a touch screen it makes it that much more difficult to use. Also, it feels very cheaply made. Second, the touch screen. This touch screen is absolutely horrible. Even after you do the initial calibration it doesn't respond well at all. Some of the menu buttons are so small and close together you end up hitting the wrong one each time or it just doesn't do anything. Lastly, if this is supposed to be an alarm clock (which means it will be on your night stand), why the heck is the screen so ridiculously bright (even on the lowest brightness setting)? At night it lit up half of my room. I had to turn the device completely around so it wasn't facing me, so what's the point of even having it. If this product was only $20 then it might be worth it to someone but definitely not at nearly $100. Needless to say, I have returned it.

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Altaz 3.5" Touch screen Internet Clock Radio is not your regular Alarm Clock Radio. It connects to thousand of Internet Radio Stations around the world. With built-in Wi-Fi connection, you can check weather, share online photos, and other Internet Applications. Finally, you can display your digital photos from built-in SD card reader and save your favorite photos to the 128MB of internal memory. Did we mention that it is also a MP3 player too?

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Muzee USB Internet Player & Recorder Radio, over 20,000 Internet Radio Stations Review

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(More customer reviews)I love my Muzee. I received it last Christmas. I previously had my XM-PCR on my computer. Because I knew I was getting a Muzee, I canceled my subscription with XM. When I had XM on my computer, I was paying $14.95 per month. Now since I have my Muzee, it's just the opposite.
Here's the straight dope between XM and Sirius and the Muzee. With Sirius and XM, you need to pay for the equipment and subscribe to the service. Another thing about Sirius and XM is you need to use an antenna for the incoming satellite feed.
On the other hand, the Muzee is, for the most part, FREE. All you need to do is purchase the Muzee dongle and plug it into a USB port on your computer or laptop. Of course you need an active internet connection for the Muzee. Beyond the purchase of the dongle, the service and content is totally FREE. No additional software or hardware is necessary.
Another thing I'd like to mention is the fact that XM and Sirius are just limited to the channels on the satellite fed receiver. I remember the channels numbered just about 200 or so. Whereas the Muzee, since it operates from the internet, gives you access to tons more content than XM and Sirius provide. Consider this, XM and Sirius give you about 200 channels. The Muzee gives you roughly 13,000 stations worldwide. These include AM stations, FM stations, and many high-definition stations. Since no external antenna is needed, the radio signals come through clear as a bell.
I know that the XM-PCR was discontinued due to piracy. I used to use Wave Studio to record from my PCR. The Muzee has recording capabilities built into the software. You can record anything off the Muzee in WMA format. Hence, you can play it back on Windows Media Player, or convert it to AAC format in iTunes.
If you want the best radio you can find, forget the other radios you know. In fact, sell or just get rid of them, and get your hands on a Muzee. You will be glad you did.

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Tune into your choice of over 13,000 radio stations, in 50 different genres, from 210 different countries with this easy-to-use Internet radio. USB port plug-and-play technology lets you experience worlds well beyond the reach of your old radio signal. No discs or software to download; simply place it into a free USB port and check out the airwaves worldwide, record music to your PC and store your favorite stations.

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