Slacker G2 Personal Radio Player Dock Review

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(More customer reviews)The home dock has been a key missing accessories. Hopefully there will be a car dock as well. The home dock provides fix audio-out so this means that the volume must be controlled by the boombox, stereo or whatever you are using to listen. It also has a variable volume headphone jack, plus you can use almost any 5 volt USB cable with mini tip to power the dock. I am using a Motorola Razr AC power adapter and it works great. If you use the USB cable included with the G2 plug it into the dock and then into a computer it will allow you to charge the G2, but also you can add mp3's or you can refresh your station.
Now with the latest G2 firmware update, you have the ability to have the backlight come on when docked and powered. You can also have the G2 only come up when a song changes which as another cool feature.
You can also use the dock without power, though the backlight will not stay on, unless you set the G2 to have the backlight always on, but you can set it to turn on when a song changes. This allows you to use the dock and also make use of the G2's battery. Always charging it without every draining the battery is probably not a good idea for long term use.
The dock is well worth the $29.99.

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Get the most out of your Slacker G2 personal radio player at home with the Slacker G2 Dock. Easily connect the Slacker G2 to your home stereo or computer speakers, and charge the player while you listen. The Dock also connects to your PC to refresh your music and transfer songs.

Charge Your Slacker G2 You can charge the Slacker G2 while it's docked. Use the G2's USB cable to connect the dock to your computer's USB port or to the G2's AC adapter.
Refresh Your Slacker G2 Refresh your Slacker stations while the Slacker G2 is in the dock. You also can listen to music while you are refreshing the stations, whether you are refreshing via Wi-Fi or USB.
Play Your Slacker G2 Through Your Stereo Enjoy music from your Slacker G2 through your home stereo by connecting the dock to the stereo. Using the included cable, just connect the 1/8-inch mini jack to your G2 and the RCA cable to your stereo input and free yourself from the headphones for awhile. A 1/8-inch mini jack to 1/8-inch mini jack is also included for use with computer speakers, etc.
Transfer Music from Your PC to the Slacker G2 You can transfer your personal music files (MP3 and WMA) from your computer to your Slacker G2 when your player is in the dock. Use your Slacker's USB cable to connect the dock to your PC, and you're all set.
What's in the Box Slacker G2 dock, 1/8-inch mini jack to RCA cable, 1/8-inch mini jack to mini jack cable, quick start guide

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Sonoro AU-4400BL Elements Audio System (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)While some may think it's crazy to purchase a tabletop radio for $250, you may think differently if you're looking for one that's sleek and stylish yet functional.
I searched extensively when looking for a modern looking clock radio for my bed side, and the Sonoro Elements Tabletop Radio was at the top of the list. While there are others out there, none are quite as sleek as the Sonoro Elements.
Unfortunately, the Sonoro Elements is not really designed to be an alarm clock radio, although it can be used as one. The large drawback is the digital time display, which is extremely small, and for those who having a hard time focusing on small numbers at 2AM, this radio is probably not for you. Lucky for me, the radio sits on my night stand only a couple feet away and I don't glance at the time very often. If you're interested in using this more for a radio and less for a clock, then all should be well.
I've talked a lot about the styling, so let's talk more about the functionality. The functions are controlled via an IPod-style dial with buttons surrounding the dial and the dial also acts as a button. Getting the hang of the sequences to change the various options may take some time, but once done, you can move pretty quickly around the settings. Turning the radio off/on is done by touching the Sonoro logo at the bottom left corner - a nice touch, although not very intuitive unless you read the manual.
The radio has a single alarm function, allowing you to wake up to a radio station or to a "beep". I have yet to experiment with the beep, but the radio wakeup works well, even allowing you to set a specific volume. Snoozing is done by pressing the large button in the center of the dial, and the snooze feature allows you to adjust the delay for the alarm to go off again. I struggle a bit in the morning to find the dial, and this is quite a bit different than a large snooze bar along the top.
The radio itself produces excellent sound quality, something you would expect for something this expensive. The bass and treble can be adjusted, allowing you to produce a deeper sound and it sounds great at low and high volume levels. Aside from the radio, you can control the dimmer for the display, although I imagine that everyone will want a bright display since the numbers are so small.
On a final note, let's talk about the "white glove" treatment. When unpacking the radio, you'll find a pair of white gloves and a cleaning cloth. The instructions tell you to use the white gloves during setup and for good reason - it's very susceptible to fingerprints due to the shiny finish. I have not needed to use the cleaning cloth because my touches are restricted to the dial, surrounding buttons, and the Sonoro label to turn it off and on. I don't think you'll find many (any?) clock radios that will ship with white gloves.
All in all, this is an excellent clock radio and is very stylish. The pricing is my only compliant, although I wish for more alarm functions, but clearly it was designed to be a minimalist alarm clock and more of a radio.

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Minimalist in appearance, the Sonoro AU-4400BL Elements audio system with AM/FM radio alarm clock and MP3 connection radiates style. In sleek black or white, wood casings are meticulously hand sprayed and polished numerous times to give them a high gloss, lacquered "piano" finish. The Sonoro logo is a unique on/off mode sensor and the LED illuminated metal ring enables intuitive control of tuning and volume. Each Elements is engineered with the Sonoro 360 degree sound technology, which combines a bass reflex tube and full-range upward facing speaker that blends right and left channel audio. The result is clear, robust sound that fills a large space. Sonoro Elements picks up excellent FM and AM reception and lets individuals pre-set up to ten of their favorite stations.

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Cisco Linksys Wireless Home Audio Premier Kit--Includes One Director with IR Remote, One Player with IR Remote, and One Controller Review

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(More customer reviews)I ordered this the day of the release and somehow received a previously opened box, someone at Amazon decided to check the system out and try and re-package it to look unopened. However it's pretty obvious when the all the plastic sleeves that the remote and extenders were packed in had torn tape and wrinkles, cords not packed right, etc., not to mention the whole box being re-taped shut.
On to the system. Well there were a lot of things to like about the concept of this system, however Cisco must have outsourced the implementation because it pretty much failed across the board.
The touchscreen is inaccurate (yes I calibrated it) and unresponsive at times, though the QWERTY screen had nice size keys you have to type slow for it to register letters properly, and sometimes it would highlight the letter showing you pressed it, but the letter wouldn't actually register in the text box. You cannot power down the remote besides removing the battery. The remote failed to find the other components even though they show up properly in the packaged EasyLink software. The remote showed 2/3 signal when 3 feet away from my Draft-N DB router, and 1/3 signal when roughly 25 feet away. Both the remote and extenders failed to access my shared music folders, and would return the message "System Busy" nearly instantly like it never even tried to connect.
On to the extender with the display. Although Cisco claims that you can setup your system sans PC software, it completely failed to do so. The use of the side buttons to control the unit through the display is cumbersome and not well planned. Since they are universal you have to press one before the on-screen graphics are displayed to show you the action assigned to each button. When you do this, the system performs whatever function is assigned to it, so it may exit or skip, since you can't see the assigned action until you press it first. The button graphics at times block the left 1/3 of the text box used for searching and to enter your network password. Therefore you are unable to change to the proper letter because you can't see what your doing. The volume scroll pad around the power button is also poorly designed, you have to touch and leave your finger there for a second before you can scroll otherwise it doesn't register the move. You also have to scroll really slow so it can keep up, oh and don't accidentally press the power button while your doing it (the scroll pad is quite small). The backlight behind the power button is also really bright and annoying especially the orange when powered off at night. If they were smart they would have put the same scroll pad from the remote which also has up, down, left, right and center click, instead of the worthless power/volume setup.
On the extender without a display, it makes no sense to ship a secondary remote with it that has anything besides power, play/pause, volume and prev/next. instead they ship a full remote identical to the secondary that comes with the displayed unit beside changing the color of the home button, it's absolutely pointless beyond the simple controls I listed above since you can't see what you're doing. Unless they expect people to memorize the interface or something else ridiculous.
Overall, after hours of wasted time all I got was some Rhapsody out of the one unit with the display, I hooked up some bookshelfs to it and it sounded good for what it is. The PC control interface was pleasing to the eyes, it displayed each zone and would show album art within each zones frame. It was also easy to link the extenders into party mode with 1 or 2 mouse clicks, however it does take 30 seconds or so for the units to sync to one-another. Otherwise the system as a whole was a great concept, but complete failure. The remote interface was simple and easy to navigate, but if Cisco can't fix the touch interface and address its sluggishness via firmware, what good is it. Cisco stripped any sort of diagnostics or manual setup from both the extender/remote menus, as well as the PC software, so when their proprietary setup doesn't work you have no work-around. I used their walk-through install (after manual attempts failed) which includes a self-diagnostic, and according to it all my components installed properly, well so it said. And yes I re-installed and tried again, I also checked that my firmware was up to date, still no inter-system com's, nor access to my music.
Well that was my experience, not too swift! For a $1,000 I expect a proper product that works as designed, not with the major failures and flaws. These days processing power is cheap enough that no new device with empty memory/storage should run so poorly, I can't imagine it handling any sizable music collection without freezing. For this Cisco wasted enough of my time that I felt compelled to type my first product review.
Please remember you mileage may vary, I hope for others sake that my hardware was in many ways defective.

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Experience your music all around your home - sounding great and at your control, without wires. The Premier Kit is a great way to start your Linksys by Cisco wireless home audio system in any two areas of your home. It includes one director/wireless-N music player with IR remote control, one player/wireless-N music extender with IR remote control and one controller/wireless-N touchscreen remote.

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Aluratek AIRJ01F USB Internet Radio Jukebox Review

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(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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Grace Digital GDI-IRA500 Wireless Internet Radio Adapter Featuring Pandora, NPR and SIRIUS Review

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(More customer reviews)The Grace Solo internet radio does a great job connecting the world of internet radio to my home stereo.
The Solo is good looking and connects simply out of the box. Plug in the power, connect the standard rca cable to your stereo, turn it on, choose your home network and within 5 minutes you are listening to Pandora or one of the 17,000 radio stations. While Grace has many models of standalone table top radios, I like the Solo because it connects directly to my home stereo (or even powered speakers). The solo even has a headset jack.
When you first take the Solo out of the box, you see the Solo internet radio tuner, a power cable, manual, remote and rca cable to connect to your stereo. It uses WiFi to access the internet. Make sure you have Wi-Fi in your home, and that it is strong in the area you put the solo. The Solo does have a built in Wi-Fi signal meter to see how strong your Wi-Fi is. So if you put it on the bottom shelf of your stereo system and notice a weak signal you may want to put it on a middle or top shelf. The Solo works with any 802.11b,g or n router and has a built in 802.11g receiver.
After you connect to your wireless network (you will need your wireless WEP or WPA password to do this) and set the time zone on the clock, the Solo remembers everything (including station presets) when you unplug it. That is nice because no one wants to type their wireless password in more than once.
Once you are set up you can start searching for stations by genre or location or type the call sign of the station directly into the radio. You can do this via the remote control or directly on the unit itself. I like Pandora. In order to listen to Pandora you have to register your radio at Grace's web site [...] . After you create a Grace account you enter in your Pandora user name and password on the Grace site and the radio is linked to your Pandora stations. Within a minute your Pandora stations are on the Grace radio in the `personal radio' folder. Pretty cool. You can create stations on the Grace Solo, although I prefer to do that on the Pandora web site. Grace plays SIRIUS and Live365 as well but I do not have SIRIUS or Live365 VIP accounts so I can't comment on that.

I really love the Grace unit. I get all my local radio stations #my FM reception is bad at my house but my favorite FM stations - most do these days - broadcast over the internet .. so I get those, Pandora, NPR and I even started listening to the BBC 4 which is kind of cool#.
Obviously I give this a 5 star. The only negative I would say is that on a few random stations they do not show the song metadata (they all show the station metadata). I'm not sure if that is because the station is not sending it or what. You get the station and song metadata for Pandora which is the most important for me. Oh - you can even thumbs up or down Pandora songs .. very of cool.

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Convenient Access to Online Music in Your Home AM and FM radio stations all over the world stream their audio content over the Internet. Grace Digital Audio's "Solo" product line of Wi-Fi Receiver and Media Streamers allow you link this massive amount of free content, as well as a variety of pay Internet radio services, conveniently and efficiently to your stereo or home entertainment system. Setup is simple, all you need is access to a broadband Internet connection and a wireless router. Acting like any wireless device, once configured to the Wi-Fi signal(s) available and its security, if any, the Solo Wi-Fi Receiver provides quick access to literally thousand of Internet radio stations and podcasts from your home stereo without having to fire up a computer. In addition, users can listen to the hottest premium online music services like Pandora, Live365 and Sirius*. Easy access to thousands of free and premium Internet radio content streams without using a computer. View larger.

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Philips NP2500/37 WiFi Internet Radio Network Music Player with Rhapsody (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)The entire problem with this player is that it does one thing really well, but has a couple of other features thrown in addition that don't work as advertised.
As a player for Rhapsody, this really rocks. The songs come up quickly, the interface is easy to navigate, and all the songs feature artwork that looks great on the small but crisp LCD. The only downside is that it requires a paid Rhapsody account, although the free month is a nice introduction.
When it comes to internet radio and streaming music as an UPnP device, this player really falls apart. The internet radio functions work well, but the connectivity is very slow compared to the Rhapsody service, and it is unable to display song information from every station. Some stations work, some don't. Also, to find radio stations you are limited to either browsing the menus, or using the number pad to enter the station's name or a serach keyword. The number pad works about as well as using a cell phone without T9, so it is functional but very, very slow.
The UPnP service for streaming music from your home computer never worked for me. I installed the bundled software, updated it from the company's website, but the music never started. I was able to find my music library, even my iTunes playlists, but when I hit "Play," the player just hung forever and never started the music. FYI, I'm running a Macbook Pro with iTunes, and I keep my music on an external network hard drive, so that may have been the issue. A search through the forums of the Twonky Media Player(used for streaming) revealed nothing helpful, and I was unable to resolve it in the time I had to review the item.
As far as the player itself, the design is attractive and should fit well with most home electronics. The screen is bright and clear, and the remote works as well as can be expected. There are no on device controls, so the remote is essential to any use of the player, but I had no problems. It was also easy to connect to the internet, although entering a wireless network password using the number pad was time-consuming.
Bottom line, don't expect it to work seamlessly as a streaming media center from your PC or Mac's music collection. If you want it mainly for internet radio, it works, but is a bit hard to use. Rhapsody works great, but again, it requires a subscription.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Philips NP2500/37 WiFi Internet Radio Network Music Player with Rhapsody (Black)

Wirelessly access 10,000+ Internet stations FREE, your music library, and Music On-Demand with a free trial from Rhapsody. Streamium is your Home Jukebox. You can access Internet music from your home country or hometown, by musical genre (rock, pop, news, sports, 80's, etc.). Your digital music is easily accessed by Streamium so you are always connected to music you already own (in addition you can leverage music from multiple PCs/Macs). Finally, you can get music-on-demand with Rhapsody (free trial included). Search thousands of titles and artists for music of your choice or play "name-that-tune" with your friends and family (by preferred genre). This network music player allows you to "free your music" from MP3 players and your computer. With easy setup you can hook-up to your home theater or home audio system so you can experience seamless entertainment with quality you are used to hearing. FullSound is a great feature built-in that brings back high-quality CD sound from your digitally compressed MP3 files. Enjoy album art from your favorite artists (from your PC/Mac, or from Rhapsody) and enjoy radio station logos and pictures that can be shown on your player. A remote allows easy music management from a distance.

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REVO Pico IR Portable Wi-Fi Internet Radio - Satin Black Review

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(More customer reviews)I have - and have had - several Internet connected Radios. This one is by far the best and a major improvement from the previous version. You easily manage your favorite stations and podcasts from the computer (Frontier Silicon Radio Portal) - or directly from the unit. It's built in rechargeable battery works for hours so it's perfect to bring with you in the house and around the garden. I also bring it when I travel as most hotels have wi-fi these days. It plays all the music on your PC that can be in your office 50 meters away. Latest edition FM radio with channel information. You can have it "hooked up" to your Hi-Fi. Finally I think the design is great. Can only recommend it.


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Pico IR is capable of accessing over 11,000 Internet radio stations from all over the World, giving you an unprecedented choice of radio content. Whether listening to samba from Brazil's Radio Caraibas, New Orleans Jazz from WWOZ or even live baseball from New York on WFAN 660. This versatile radio also provides reception of traditional FM broadcasts as well as the ability to wirelessly stream music from your PC or Mac. Thanks to its splash proof design and internal lithium-ion rechargeable battery, Pico IR can be used just about anywhere - as happy in your bedroom or bathroom as it is in your garage or garden. With Internet radio there is massive choice, no subscription charges and no international boundaries. Pico IR links to any broadband Wi-Fi connection to stream both live andListen Again" Internet radiobroadcasts. Stations are listed alphabetically by country or music type, making selection simple, and Pico's portable design means that it can be used wherever you have a Wi-Fi connection. Additionally, Pico IR allows you to play music files stored on any Wi-Fi enabled PC or Apple Mac in your home. Pico IR even doubles as a high quality portable loudspeaker system for your iPod or any other MP3 player.Compact, splash proof designInternal Li-ion rechargeable battery (average 12hr life)Includes compact remote control3.5mm headphone connectorStereo RCA lineout connectorsIn the box - Compact remote controlM-Port cable (to connect devices like MP3 players to PICO IR)240V power supplyOperating GuideWarranty Card Unit Dimensions -6.57 H x 4.13 W x 4.13 D Before you can use your Internet radio, you need the following -a broadband Internet connection; a wireless access point (Wi-Fi) connected to your broadband Internet, preferably via a router; if your wireles

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Denon AVR-4308CI Multizone Home Theater Receiver with Network Streaming and Wi-Fi Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Denon 4308CI Receiver

Strengths: Great quality picture and sound, excellent build quality, nice display, GUI interface, easy to assign/rename imputs, HD radio, 4 HDMI, 140 Watt multizone output, good value for price point.
Weaknesses: Complicated user manual, Useless remote, Faroudja vs. Silicon Optix processor
Price paid: $1,780 (2/08)from a reputable retail store. (Please do not ask which one as I was given an insider price)
Summary: After considerable research I purchased the Denon 4308CI to upgrade a prexisting Sony STRDA555ES receiver. My main desire in upgrading was to obtain HDMI connection capability and take advantage updated sound processing and 1080P upscaling. I ruled out various other comparable recievers for a variety of reasons, including heat generation as my components are enclosed in a audio rack partially recessed into a closed media room.
As a longtime Sony fan and owner of three ES AV recievers, it came down to a choice between the STRDA 5300ES and the Denon 4308CI.
I opted for the Denon over the Sony for a few reasons. The display on the Denon is much larger. It might sound silly but I like to see the information displayed on the receiver from where I'm listing to music. The Sony display was rather small. I also liked the fact that the Denon has internet streaming capability and HD Radio reception. The Sony has more HDMI hookups and a longer warranty (5 years vs. 2 for the Denon) but the Denon has increased power handling and full 1080P upscaling. Pricewise the Denon was a few hundred dollars more then the Sony but I felt that it had a more "modern" feature set.
So far after 4 months of use I have been very pleased with the Denon. Sound is fantastic and the GUI was intuitive. I disagree with some of the other reviews that I have read regarding the ease of setup. It took a little longer then I anticipated to set up but as I previously noted the GUI was fairly intuitive. I really like the fact that you can rename the inputs so when you select them from the function selection dial it will display whatever name you decide on. I prefer optical connections so I had to reassign some of the optical connections. Rear connections seem pretty sturdy. The unit gets warm but not hot after a few hours of use. Still havent taken advantage of the 1080P upscaling as of yet. HD radio signal reception is pretty strong and so far no interference despite living in a New York City Apartment building.
Harmony 880 Universal Remote works better then supplied remotes.
Video processing is excellent. I have however occasionally noted video artifacts. This reciver uses a Faroudja DCDi FLI2310 processor which is simply not as highly regarded by professional reviewers as the Silicon Optix Realta HQV processor used by Denon's flagship 3800BDCI Blu-ray player or the Silicon Optix Reon chipset used by receivers such as the Onkyo TX-NR905 and Integra DTR 8.8. However, overall picture quality on standard 1080i and 720p cable source material is excellent.
3808CI vs.4308CI? The 4308CI appeared to have a slightly more "attractive" build quality and appearance. In comparing the two models side by side before purchasing, the 4308CI simply looked better. However, HD radio, increased power handling and WiFi capability were the primary reasons I opted to spend more to purchase the 4308CI.
4308CI and 3800BDCI blu-ray combo. Have had the 4308CI and the 3800BDCI paired for the last three weeks. The Blu-ray picture is simply amazing. Will never purchase another standard DVD again if available in Blu-ray format.
Conclusion: I've been very happy with the 4308CI. It offers great sound and picture features at an attractive price point. However,if you are interested in better video processing you may want to check out the Onkyo TX-NR905 and Integra DTR 8.8 as well.

Review system components: (used in review)
Panasonic TH-50PZ750U 1080P (limited Ed)
Artcoustic DF-65's
Artcoustic DF-Multi (center)
Denon 3800BDCI (DVD)(used three weeks)
Sony ES 5 Disc changer
Sony SACD player
Monster HPS7000 Signature Series
Monster AVS2000 Signature series
Polk XM Radio Tuner


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Denon AVR-4308CI Next Generation A/V Multi-Source/Zone with Network Streaming Receiver

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

Average Reviews:

(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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Logitech Squeezebox Radio Music Player with Color Screen (Red) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am a long time owner of Squeezebox products and was pretty excited to find out about the little table top Squeezebox Radio model. I picked one up and thought I would share my thoughts.
The first thing you notice is how much heft this little player has. It is really well built and the fit and finish is superb. It has plenty of weight and solid rubber feet so that it won't skid around on your night stand or table top. The screen looks great and all of the buttons have a nice solid tactile feel. Compared to many other cheap wireless network streaming radios, this device feels an entire order of magnitude better in its construction quality. The only disappointment here is the lack of back lit buttons, for using the radio in low lighting. It's also worth noting that the entire radio has a high gloss finish that will be a magnet for fingerprints. Looks great though!
The biggest challenge for most consumers with this device will be the initial set up. You need to create an account at [...] in order to set up your new Squeezebox Radio. The device uses this connection to play free internet music services as well as download software updates, etc, to the Radio. I already had a Squeezebox account so this was not a huge challenge for me, but it might be for some people who might be confused that they need to set up an account before they can use the device. There is an option to set up the account from the device itself. Don't do this (it is slow and tedious)! Go to the website and set it up in a few seconds and then just type your login and password on the device.
Other than the laborious task of entering my full email and password for [...] the rest of the setup is very easy. The Squeezebox Radio supports push to connect wi-fi set up which is common on many newer model wireless routers. It's similar to programming a garage door opener. Simply point the Squeezebox Radio at your wireless network and for 120 seconds it will try to connect with the push to connect functionality. Then just push the connect button on your router and it's automagically all set up.
Once set up the Radio will update its firmware and reboot, a process that takes a few extra minutes. After that you are good to go.
In addition to the many built in free online services, you can also play your own music through the Squeezebox Server application. I run the Squeezebox Server application on my HP EX495 Windows Home Server but you can also run Squeezebox Server on any Mac, Windows PC or even Linux box (there are even installable distributions for many Network Attached Storage units). This allows the Squeezebox Radio (and any other Squeeze players) to access all of the music on my home network. It's absolutely wonderful to be able to take the little table top radio anywhere in the home and listen to your entire music collection.
Sound quality is very good, easily enough to fill a small to medium sized room. It gets quite loud with little to no distortion and the controls are easy to use to change tracks, change volume, etc. Wireless strength is superb. I get a full signal anywhere within about 40 feet of my router, and the radio works anywhere on my suburban property with no audio hiccups or dropouts.
In addition to the intuitive controls such as "home", "play", "stop", "back", etc, the unit also features six programmable "preset" buttons similar to what you have on a car radio. Setting these up is a bit more of a challenge than you would expect. You are supposed to be able to hold these down on any song, album, playlist, etc, that is being displayed in the radio menu and have it added as a preset. Unfortunately some items don't add correctly and must first be programmed as a "favorite". It turns out that you can only add favorites for some items (such as playlists) from the Squeezebox Server web based menu, which is quite inconvenient. I don't doubt that Slim Devices (the arm of Logitech that makes these devices) will fix this soon enough.
Other minor glitches include some weird alarm behavior (it will show the time of the alarm when it is going off but strangely won't show the current time, which is annoying if you have hit the snooze button a few times and need to know what time it is), some auto dimming issues (the auto dimming works great but gets almost TOO dim in a dark room to see the radio) and a few other very minor nits.
Slim Devices have a long history of enhancement and improvement of device firmware, so I would expect a lot of these issues to be worked out in the coming months. Additionally there will soon be a battery pack and small infrared remote for the Squeezebox Radio available as a $[...] add on purchase. Personally I think at $[...] the Radio should include these items, but considering the great sound of the radio, the high quality screen and the superb fit and finish it is justified that this device costs as much as it does.
Also worth noting is that if you have an iPod Touch or iPhone you can get the iPeng application $[...] from the Apple App Store which makes controlling and programming your Squeezebox Radio an absolute breeze. iPeng is really a must have if you have these devices and want a wonderful pocket control that works from anywhere in your home. Beats the pants off of what Sonus has to offer!
//Update 1 (Nov 2nd 2009)
Yesterday my SB Radio lost all of the preset buttons which is most annoying. It also turns out that many of the requests for fixes around the alarms functionality have not been addressed and don't appear to be scheduled to be addressed in the next release or two of the software. If your primary use will be a night stand alarm clock I would recommend holding off for now until Logitech addresses alarm functionality issues. If the issues are not resolved I will reconsider my four star rating as it should then be a three star product.
//Update 2 (May 13 2010)
Logitech has not only not fixed many of the initial annoyances with the SB Radio, but newer firmware has in fact made the product less stable and reliable. It still does an admirable job of playing your local music library if you run the SB Server on a PC or Mac in your home, but the network streaming functionality seems to be having issues and I've found the alarm to be terribly unreliable. I would now under the current circumstances rate this only 3 out of 5 stars. It's really a shame too, as the "Slim Devices" that originally brought us these problems was very open and communicative about issues and what was being done to fix them. Logitech has little interest in relaying useful information to its beta testers, err, customers and instead gives us the run around with if and when issues will ever be remedied.

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Logitech Squeezebox Radio brings a world of music—free Internet radio, subscription services, or your personal digital music collection—to any space in your home, over your Wi-Fi network.

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Sonos S5 Wireless Internet Music Player (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)Just got the S5 about an hour ago. Setup couldn't be easier. Step 1 - connect the power cord to an power outlet. Step 2 - hit the Mute and + button to get the S5 added as a new zone, Step 3 - hmmm....I don't think there is one. Just hit play and enjoy pure bliss.
This is my 4th Zone player (see my other gushing review of the Sonos system on the Sonos bundle page), and anytime my wife asks, "how many of these white boxes you really need?", the answer is always "one more".
Portability is the key feature of S5. Moving it from Kitchen to backdeck is just a matter of unplugging the power cord and replugging at the new location. It's all in one box. And the sound quality is not bad either. With all 4 zone players on party mode - some connected to very expensive Klipsch towers - I have ran around to compare the sound quality at various locations. The verdict - this little guy stacks up nicely against the big boys.
And the iPhone controller is not too shabby either. Don't see the need to buy the new touch controller (CR200).
Awesome product. Pure genius. Just get it.

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Turn your iPhone/iPod touch/iPad device or Android smartphone into the ultimate remote control. Download the free Sonos Controller app for your iPhone/iPod touch/iPad device or Android smartphone and you'll have complete wireless control of your S5 through your home's WiFi network. Scroll through songs, browse album art, tune in to radio stations and more. Plus, since you're not streaming the music from your iPhone, like you are with docking stereos, you can take calls and receive texts without interrupting the music. Get instant access to endless music. Touch a button on your device and ZonePlayer is playing music from your computer's digital music library. Touch another and it's reggae straight from Jamaica on one of 100,000 free Internet radio stations and shows. Touch your device again and you're tapped into Rhapsody , Pandora , Napster , Last.fm, and SIRIUS . "The music sounds fantastic." The New York Times Beneath its sleek all-in-one exterior, the S5 hides five independent speakers, each powered by its own dedicated digital amplifier. This means you get rich, room-filling sound that rivals or outperforms much larger, more complicated audio systems. And, because the S5 uses a 100% digital architecture, every note from top-of-the-range highs to mids and deep, true bass comes through in brilliant clarity exactly as the artist intended. Add multiple rooms of music without adding a single wire. Get a whole-home music system without spending a dime for installation. Simply add additional ZonePlayer S5 units throughout your house and the proprietary Sonos wireless network will integrate them all into a single wireless music system. You can stream the same music to all rooms or send separate streams to each unit. And you can control it all, including individual volumes from your iPhone device anywhere in the house. "The setup process is fantastically simple." The Wall Street Journal Just plug the all-in-one Sonos ZonePlayer S5 into your Internet route

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Macsense MP-100 HomePod Review

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(More customer reviews)I am extremely happy with my purchase of the Macsense Homepod. At this price I wasn't expecting much - but I was wrong.
I have a wireless lan in my home, and was attracted to the Homepod for the following reasons
1) I was looking for something could easily and occasionally switch between Kitchen and Living room. I didn't need to bring it skiing!
2) I listen to radio quite a bit, and the FM tuner was a definite plus
3) I liked the idea of an open platform with an active developer community finding ways to improve the product.
Here's whats good about it
1) It works beautifully and simply once it's set up
2) It is a solid, well thought out design.
3) I love being able to browse & shuffle-play my music in the kitchen
4) The product is being improved all the time via firmware updates
5) It's very compatible
6) The Internet Radio feature is a lot of fun, and works without a "server" PC.
Here's what's weak
1) Wireless setup was quite easy, but I did have some trouble getting the supplied server software working (I eventually downloaded MusicMatch). My problems were probably down to the fact that I'm still using Windows 98
2) The FM Tuner isn't great - OK for strong signals only
3) The built-in speakers are on a par with typical laptop speakers - i.e. useless for all but emergencies. You won't understand the quality of this equipment without connecting decent speakers (mine are modest Altec Lansing 2.1).
Summary - I love it, and I'm looking forward to more (free) enhancements in the future. It gave me a low cost entry into the world of MP3/Digital media using my existing PC, WLAN, speakers etc.

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MACSENSE MP-100 HomePod is a digital stereo component that takes full advantage of your existing wireless or wired network to stream music files stored on computers anywhere in your home or office. Simply select music residing on your computers from the LCD screen of the HomePod, and you are set.Features always-on, low-power modeIncludes built-in stereo speakers and headphone jack for stand-alone operationHost Server software runs on PC, Mac or Linux machinesFeatures 802.11b wireless and Ethernet network interface, FM tuner, USB port, built-in stereo speakers, stereo audio outputs to hi-fi system, headphone jack, 2.5 back-lit LCD, jog-shuttle rotating dial, and on-unit control buttonsOS Support -Windows 98 / ME / 2000 / XPDimensions -5H x 7W x 2D; weighs 15.3 ounces

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iLuv Internet Radio with Dual Alarm Clock (Black) Review

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(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 :( .


Click Here to see more reviews about: iLuv Internet Radio with Dual Alarm Clock (Black)

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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Cobra CIR1000A Wireless Internet and FM Radio with MP3 Input, Clock, and Alarm for Use with Broadband Internet Connection Review

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(More customer reviews)I just got this radio a few days ago. It was pretty easy to set up and use. I have wifi in my house so I am using it wireless. The sound from this little radio with a metal covered speaker is surprisingly good for music. It can be hooked up to my stereo, but I haven't tried that yet. It also has an FM clock radio with a fold out antennae on the back.
The directions explain how to get a code for the radio. Then you enter that code in a specific website on your computer and choose stations. You can group them any way you like. When you tune the radio to Favorites, your selections are there. Automatic sync. If you want to listen to a station that is not on that website, you can add it by entering the URL. There are four buttons for pre-sets. For Favorites, which I've organized by genre, you turn the main knob and press the center of the knob for each menu. There are ways to search for stations on the radio itself as well.
I wanted an internet radio because I missed certain stations that I moved away from. Now I have those and reggae from Jamaica, talk from Seattle, and I am finding new stations all the time.

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Tune in to over 10,000 radio stations world wide using your existing Wi-Fi or Broadband Internet Connection and the Cobra CIR 1000A Wireless Internet Radio. This unit allows you to listen to the New York Game in Miami, or get the latest European market reports real time in Cleveland. Easily search for stations by country, region or genre and listen live in your home or office. The CIR 1000 A wirelessly streams your music collection from either a PC or a Mac and supports Real Audio, MP3 and WMA formats. Additional features include a clock, alarm, sleep timer, an FM radio, station presets for FM or internet radio, and an 8Watt (peak) speaker for crisp clear audio quality. If this isn't enough sound, use 3.5mm headphone jack with your favorite head gear or connect to your home stereo system.

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Sony Dash Personal Internet Viewer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)UPDATED: Sony has released a software update that rolled out in the first week of June 2010. I've edited the review below to identify issues resolved in the software update. I have noticed some freeze-ups since the software update, but they've been relatively infrequent. If you buy the device new now, it will update itself as soon as it connects to the internet.The Sony Dash is marketed as a "personal internet viewer." In my opinion, it does not live up to that name. Others are more accurately calling it "glimpse internet" and "upgraded alarm clock." It's a 7-inch touch tablet designed with a weighted wedge style, meant to sit on a countertop or bedside table. Sony basically licensed or bought the Chumby OS and added its own internet video service as well as re-designing the UI a bit for the larger screen. I was attracted to this device because I liked the idea of a Chumby, but it seemed overly bulky and too small of a screen. The Dash takes all the good parts about a Chumby and adds a bigger screen and a better design.
I'm giving a lot more detail below, but to sum up: what you think of this device is largely going to depend on what you want from it. To me, this device's best tagline would have identified it as a "wake-up station"...telling you everything you need or want to know as you wake up to begin your day. My rating of this device is based on what I expected out of it: in short, a glorified alarm clock. If your alarm clock could:
* tell you weather and traffic at a glance
* have multiple alarms per day, each with their own sounds, configurable in any way you want...if you want to wake up at a different time each day, with a different tone each day, it can handle that. (Really, if you've ever used your cellphone as your alarm clock, consider everything your cellphone can do as an alarm clock...this can do all the same stuff, without ever having to worry about all the problems of cellphones as alarm clocks.)
* quickly show you a few e-mails, status updates, or photos
* let you go to sleep/snooze to a podcast or internet video
If you look at that list and think, "wow, that's exactly what I want in an alarm clock," then you're the target user for the Sony Dash. Sadly, they're not marketing it to you at all. Really, they're barely doing anything to sell this device. I've seen exactly zero ads. Were it not for Engadget, I wouldn't have even known it was available or what it was. And, stupidly, what Sony is doing is positioning this so it goes up against things like the iPad and Archos tablet. Sony should be positioning this as the best damn alarm clock in the world. That's their mistake and what will, IMO, make this device fail.
On that note, I've seen alot of reviewers poo-poo the Sony Dash by saying "oh, my cellphone could do this" or "oh, my iPad does this better". Well, your cellphone and iPad don't do what this does, because neither of those devices are meant to sit still on a bedside table. Your cellphone and likely your iPad get up and leave when you do, which makes them nearly useless as an alarm clock unless you are a single person living alone. Even if you are a single person (or if you are willing to have separate devices for each person), you'd need to buy several accessories to make a cellphone or iPad sit as nicely as this does on a surface. So, long story short, a cellphone and an iPad appeal to a broader audience, no doubt, but, this device hits a very necessary niche for which the iPad and cellphone are ill-designed.
PROS:
* Very fast and easy setup on the device -- you can use the device without going to the web, but there are quite a few apps that require configuration via the web, and the web config has issues (see Cons list)
* Design is sleek. It looks damn cool on your bedside table.
* Pleasing UI, simple to navigate
* AccuWeather weather (a plus over other weather services, IMO)
* Sits securely (can be rubbed by cat without falling over)
* Bright and colorful screen, videos look great
* Completely customizable alarms and alarm clock
* NEW IN 6/2010 UPDATE: Customizable snooze length - 1,2,3,4,5,10,15,20,25, or 30 minutes
* "night mode" that dims the screen and shows only the clock, when the next alarm is set for and the weather in black and white...though I did notice today that it's got a little "mom" that writes itself in in cursive, which is kind of a cool "surprise" bit of chrome
* Price is just about right, in my opinion. If Sony ripped out everything but the alarm clock and weather functions, shrank the screen, and got it to $99 or $79, that'd be a very nice product...would beat the heck out of the American Innovative Neverlate Executive Alarm Clock. At $199, it's less than a netbook, less than many cellphones, and far less than the Apple products that could fit this space.
* Usable touch keyboard, fine for posting to Twitter or Facebook, but I wouldn't use it to type a long e-mail
* Really good selection of default sounds loaded
* Was able to access my Amazon Video on Demand purchased videos and play them easily, and since I haven't bought anything else that does that yet (except my PCs, of course), that's a nice feature for me.
CONS:
Now for the bad news. There are three issues that, in my opinion, are near blocking issues, but the silver lining to the cloud is that all three are likely to be resolved by Sony soon, and my rating reflects my strong belief that these will be resolved soon. Still, were I Sony, I'd feel great shame to have shipped this device with these issues as they are:
* USB drives are not working yet. This is huge, because they promise this on the box, and it's the only way to access your own music from the box (no DLNA or other wireless transfer support). It says "coming soon" if you attempt to play music or view pictures from a USB drive. Were I not in love with this as my alarm clock, I'd return it based on this alone. - RESOLVED IN JUNE 2010 UPDATE - USB drives are now accessible! You still cannot set an MP3 as a wake-up alarm, however.
* The web setup is a mess. The site itself looks shoddy, like no one actually cared enough to make it look nice...and the configuration area is not easily accessible from Sony's main site. You have to go to Sony's "MyEssentials" site (a term/brand that is in no way associated with the Dash), and that site is not linked from the Sony Dash page on Sony's site, nor from Sony's main site. Logging in from Sony's main site and clicking on "my devices" takes forever to load, so I never found out if I could get to the Dash config site from there. To find the config site after the initial setup, I ended up going to [...], trying my Sony login, and then Chumby re-directed me to the MyEssentials site. Basically, the setup on the Dash itself is so simple, but as soon as you hit the point that you need to use the web to configure something, you're lost. For this reason alone, I can't recommend this for non-geeks...which sucks because if this were fixed, I could see this being a really nice gift for a number of non-geeks in my family. I mean, this is basic stuff that they blew off, and it speaks volumes to Sony's lack of commitment to this device. - IMPROVEMENT IN JUNE 2010 UPDATE - It is no longer necessary to use the MyEssentials site to configure the Dash. You can do most day-to-day aspects of configuration from the device itself, though the device will still prompt you to register on MyEssentials during initial setup. This is particularly good because it turns out that Sony STILL has not improved the MyEssentials site for the Dash, and they can't reset passwords for your registered account through the website. You have to call customer service. If you try to reset your account's password through the MyEssentials site, it sends you to the SonyStyle site, which uses a different database of usernames and thus will not work.
* No web browser...which I wouldn't care about if there were more apps or if this weren't being sold as a "personal internet viewer"...but to call yourself an internet viewer and not have a browser is just sad. Plus, this makes the apps themselves frustrating. Most of them are just ported iPhone apps, which means they assume you can click links to view more.
There are also quite a few minor issues which Sony/Chumby could resolve in the next few months via software updates:
* Not enough "apps" (really, they're widgets)...lots of popular news and info sites are not represented, and the apps themselves are not the greatest quality.
* The layout options are limited. There's only two layouts, and neither of them are satisfying. For example, there's no layout that has two app panes. You can't customize shortcuts in any of the layouts, either, so you can't (for example) make sure that the Amazon Video shortcut is the first (or only) one available. - IMPROVED IN JUNE 2010 UPDATE - 2 new layouts are available, and they definitely improved on the usability.
* Not easy to switch between "channels" (different views with different apps...for example, I have a productivity channel that has my Gmail and Gcal in it and a separate social networking channel that has all of my social networks and news feeds), takes 4 steps to switch plus a not-insignificant load time. Basically makes the channel feature useless because it's too annoying to switch channels. You're better off just loading all the apps you want into your default channel.
* No copy/paste functionality...a pain if you're wanting to post a status to multiple sites...Read more›

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Your favorite parts of the Internet customized the way you choose, available in a dash. Over 1,000 free apps can be displayed at the touch of a finger. Choose from your favorite information and entertainment content including weather, traffic, social networking, movies, music and more--pushed right to your kitchen, bedroom, or office. The Dash Personal Internet Viewer connects quickly and easily to your existing wireless network and features a vibrant 7-inch LCD touchscreen for accessing a variety of video services for online music and viral videos, full-length feature movies and TV shows. You can also listen to MP3s and Internet radio via the built-in stereo speakers, or by using the headphone jack (headphones not included).

Streamline Your Life with Free Apps The 1500-plus apps available for the Dash Personal Internet Viewer deliver the information and entertainment you want--weather, traffic, social networking, movies, music, and more--right to your kitchen, bedroom, or office.
Listen to What You Want The Dash Personal Internet Viewer is a compact audio multi-tool: listen to MP3s and Internet Radio out loud with the built-in stereo speakers, or privately by using the headphone jack (headphones not included).
Customization Customizing the Dash home screen to fit your own personal needs and style is easy. Simply choose your favorite apps and theme that you want displayed.
Access to Sony Content Get access to the best Sony has to offer: movie trailers, minisodes, music videos, game trailers, and the latest deals from SonyStyle.com.
7-Inch LCD Touchscreen The WVGA 800x480 LCD touchscreen displays crystal clear photos and video from a wide viewing angle, and automatically adjusts the display for an upright or horizontal orientation.
Simple Setup Connect quickly and easily to your existing wireless network.
Elegant and Space Saving Design The compact size maximizes counter, bedside, and desktop spaces, and the timeless design blends in with any décor.
Easy-to-Use Clock and Alarms When you enter your zip code the device automatically sets the time for you. Set up custom alarms, either one-time or recurring, with the option of waking to Internet radio stations, built-in alarm sounds, or your favorite app.5
Multi-Source Video Content Access a variety of video services for online music and viral videos, full-length feature movies and TV shows you can watch and control on the brilliant LCD.
Convenience Stream the web content you specify through Internet apps, without the distraction of a PC. It's always on, always fresh, always available at a glance without the delay of booting up your PC.
Online Photo Access and Sharing For a great photo viewing experience the Dash Personal Internet Viewer conveniently loads and displays your photos from online services such as Photobucket, or you can simply view your photos directly via USB. The touchscreen user interface allows you to set effects, rotate photos, zoom, and play or pause photo slide shows.
USB 2.0 Interface Access audio, video or photo content stored on mass storage USB devices by connecting to the USB port.
What's in the Box Sony Dash Personal Internet Viewer and user's manual.

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SanDisk Sansa Connect 4 GB MP3 Player (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've had the Connect for about a week now, and have now acquired a library of about 600 songs, about half of which I had never heard of before. I'm totally blown away by its paradigm-shifting technology.
With a WI-FI connection the Sansa Connect plays Internet radio, and if you like a song that is playing, you can download that track or album, as well as make a playlist from other songs that are similar in style. This is my favorite feature--it has introduced me to music that I would never have heard of otherwise, in genres ranging from Ambient House to Uber Indie. Before I go to sleep, I initiate the download process from the genres I like, and in the morning, I have a bunch of new tracks to listen to, which I can then play without having a WI-FI connection.
The sound quality is very good. I believe it encodes the tracks at 192K. Not as hi-fidelity as a vinyl encoded at 320K, but almost as good as a CD.
You can also recommend songs, and that will affect which songs get downloaded, as well as which songs it plays on the Internet Radio.
The user-interface is very intuitive. I can now almost operate the unit with my eyes closed.
My only complaint is that the headphone jack is right next to the USB port, at the bottom of the unit, instead of on the side.
Much of the pleasure from the unit comes the discovery of new music. If you are a "Life is the Journey, not the Destination" kind of person, then this player is definitely for you.
Here are a two features that would be nice to have:
1. download a specific song
2. playlist management: move and copy tracks to other playlists
The firmware will be automatically updated through the WI-FI connection, so hopefully they'll add these features shortly.

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Stay connected no matter where you are. The Sansa Connect MP3 player allows you leave the computer behind, and connect to any open wireless "hot spot." Play music, view photos, stream internet radio, or chat with friends using one device. In addition to 802.11g Wi-Fi connectivity, the Connect features 4 GB memory, a MicroSD slot for capacity expansion, a 2.2-inch TFT color screen for viewing your music library and photos, and an internal speaker. Measuring 2.05 x 3.58 x 0.63 inches (WxLxH) and weighing in at 2.7 ounces, the Connect won't weigh you down.




Connect With Your Friends Chat and share song recommendations with your Yahoo! Messenger friends. Talk to your friends or stumble upon other Sansa Connect users near you. See what your friends are listening to and search through recommendations that have been sent to you. Recommend your favorite music to your friends.

Share Your Photos Anywhere Explore interesting photos on the go. Access Flickr albums and photos wirelessly, or view your stored photos on an inserted microSD card.

Choose Your Format The Sansa Connect works with MP3 and WMA (both secure and unprotected) files. It also supports Microsoft PlaysForSure subscription music.

Easy to Use Add additional capacity to your player or move files to other devices using the microSD card slot. Quickly navigate your music or photos using the intuitive, easy-to-use interface. Recharge the internal, lithium-ion battery via your computer's USB 2.0 port or using the included AC adapter. The device is compatible with PCs running Windows XP (Service Pack 2) or Vista, and requires Windows Media Player 10 or later.

What's in the Box Sansa Connect digital audio player, AC adapter, USB 2.0 cable, earphones, protective case, lanyard, Quick Start guide

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Logitech Squeezebox Wi-Fi Internet Radio Receiver Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I've been wanting a Squeezebox for some time but didn't want to pay for the controller. The Logitech Squeezebox software has long been open source and has a large and very active online community that is supported by the company. I looked through their forum (http://forums.slimdevices.com/) and found that one of their senior members wrote software allowing the Squeezebox Receiver to be configured WITHOUT the remote control. A link directly to the software, as reported in a comment to a previous post, can be found at http://robinbowes.com/projects/Net-UDAP. It's not officially supported by the Logitech, but I was able to get my receiver configured with it in less than an hour.
One caveat though; you should be a bit tech savy if you are going to go this route. The software is still in beta, has not been *offically* released (by reading through the thread on this topic (http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=43722&highlight=network+configuration), mostly because the guy who wrote it hasn't had time to package it up). So, currently the software is only available through an online subversion repository, which if you haven't worked with before, could take an hour or two of fiddling around to get repository software and check out the code. The configuration itself is done via a perl command line, so windows users will need ActivePerl. Check out the documentation, it's pretty straightforward.
So if none of that scares you, this is an incredible solution for wireless streaming music from a computer to a stereo for 150 bucks.

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Logitech Squeezebox Receiver - Add on network music player for your Squeezebox Duet System

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