Click to see the Chumby One unboxing photo gallery.
(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET)That was quick. A day after going on sale, the Chumby One cheerfully landed on my desk this morning. Curious to see what's inside? Take a look at Crave's Chumby One unboxing photo gallery.
The $99 Chumby One ditches the plush look of the previous model and gets a performance boost.
(Credit: Chumby Industries)The Chumby One (which is technically Chumby No. 2) officially made its way into the manufacturer's online storefront Wednesday, priced at a tantalizing $99.
For those who didn't catch the Chumby phenomenon the first time around, the gist of the thing is a do-it-all, hardware host for Internet widgets. You can use it to check the weather, update your Facebook status, browse your photos on Flickr, tune in to Internet radio, play games, and more. The original Chumby was a blast (I still use one at home for listening to Pandora), but it was a bit of a rich-kid novelty at $179.
Chumby One represents a leaner, faster, cheaper take on the original. Aside from ditching the plush Italian leather and beanbag shape of the original for the clean lines of ABS plastic, the new Chumby benefits from a faster processor (454MHz), a built-in FM radio, a dedicated volume knob, 2GB of microSD memory, and a single USB 2.0 port. They've now made it portable, too, with an optional rechargeable lithium ion battery good for an hour of use.
Many features haven't changed, which is surprising when you consider the big price drop. You still get a relatively spacious 3.5-inch resistive LCD touch screen, a 3.5mm stereo output, 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi, accelerometer control, and an AC adapter. Let's hope you can still play Quake on it.
Also, is anybody else thinking this thing is just a camera away from working as a Skype video phone? Come on developers, there's a built-in microphone, a USB 2.0 port, a reasonably fast processor--make it happen, OK?
Livio broke onto the Wi-Fi radio scene with the Livio Radio, featuring a "less is more" design philosophy that focused on Pandora's streaming music service. Today the company has announced a new Wi-Fi radio in the same vein, The NPR Radio ($200), which puts the focus on easily finding NPR content.
The backbone of The NPR Radio is the NPR menu, which is programmed by NPR and aggregates all of the company's content into a single menu, so you can easily find the NPR station you're looking for without having to know the station's call letters. Bringing up the menu is as easy as hitting the NPR button on the front panel and your saved stations pop up when you hit My NPR. You'll also have the ability to stream NPR podcasts, which is nice if you prefer on-demand listening rather than tuning in at a specific time.
Aside from NPR programming, The NPR Radio is still capable of accessing the thousands of other Internet radio stations freely available. The design and feature set of The NPR Radio is nearly identical to the Livio Radio; a remote is included, and there's an auxiliary input on the back. Livio told us that the company intends to add Pandora streaming functionality to The NPR Radio (and, conversely, add the NPR menu to the original Livio Radio), but it couldn't give us a specific date of when that functionality is expected.
If you're a techie, it's easy to be cynical about The NPR Radio; you can get all the same streams on better-featured products like the Grace GDI-IR2000 and Logitech Squeezebox Radio. Still, we can't deny that The NPR Radio's straightforward/simple approach has appeal, especially for those who love NPR's content, but are less comfortable with technology.
The NPR Radio is currently available for preorder on NPR Shop and is expected ship in November.
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Logitech)
Logitech is adding a touch-screen model to its line of Squeezebox streaming audio products. Unfortunately, the upcoming Squeezebox Touch has a design flaw (in my opinion) that will likely relegate it to the periphery of the burgeoning home digital audio market.
At first glance, the Squeezebox Touch has a lot to like. Basically, it's the trusty Squeezebox Classic, but with that model's monochrome vacuum fluorescent display replaced by a 4.3-inch color touch screen. Connect it to a stereo (or a pair of powered speakers), and you've got access to your entire home music collection (streamable from any networked PC) as well as access a wide variety of online music services--including Pandora, Rhapsody, Last.fm, Sirius, Slacker, and the full range of free Internet radio stations and podcasts. The Touch connects to home networks via Ethernet or 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, and--unlike earlier Squeezebox models--it can play digital audio files from an SD card or USB flash drive.
Sounds like this $300 model could be the one-room Sonos killer we've long been longing for--except for the fact that the touch screen is built into the base unit. That means you're stuck with either getting up and walking over to it whenever you want to change a tune or pick a new stream, or opting for the little wireless remote (which provides far less detailed control than the touch screen). Why Logitech went this route instead of opting for a touch screen remote that you could hold in your hand is anyone's guess. (Who knows--perhaps Logitech is planning to offer a Harmony remote with built-in Squeezebox functionality instead.)
We can envision the Touch garnering interest from those who want a nifty countertop music controller in the in the kitchen, or one that's wall-mounted in various rooms in the house. But as it currently stands, we're far more excited about today's other Squeezebox announcement, the $200 Squeezebox Radio. We just hope that Logitech is busy working on a successor to the Squeezebox Duet (with a Touch-like remote). At the very least, we'd like to see Logitech offer an iPhone app to control their Squeezebox line that would effectively turn any iPhone or iPod Touch into a touch-screen remote as well. Apps like iPeng and Squeemote already exist, but--unlike the equivalent Sonos app--they're not officially blessed by Logitech.
We'll have a complete review of the Squeezebox Touch when it becomes available later in December.
Logitech already owns the Editors' Choice award for Wi-Fi radios with the Squeezebox Boom, but it looks as if the company may be competing with itself for the award with the newly announced Squeezebox Radio ($200 list price).
From the initial news release, the Squeezebox Radio looks to pack most of the functionality of the Boom into an even smaller package; that means you can stream your MP3 collection plus thousands of internet radio stations and music services like Rhapsody, Napster, Pandora, Sirius, and Last.fm. It also one-ups the Boom by adding a color screen, and the capability to display album art, artist/track information, and Flickr slideshows. Logitech also mentions Facebook integration--a first on Squeezebox products--so you can share your favorite tracks with your friends.
Aside from the feature list, the Squeezebox Radio also looks to have one of the most attractive designs of any Wi-Fi radio we've seen. The controls are clearly labeled and smartly positioned, and as we've seen on the Philips NP2900 and VTech IS9181, a color display really makes using a Wi-Fi radio more enjoyable. One of the big hurdles for the Squeezebox Radio to clear is whether it can fill the duty of a full-time alarm clock. Most Wi-Fi radios include alarm functionality, but it's rare that they measure up to the reliability and ease of use of traditional tabletop radios.
The $200 price may seem like a lot for a radio, but it compares favorably to the existing competition. (Logitech will also offer a $50 supplement that adds a wireless remote and a battery pack for true cordless operation.) As much as we loved the Boom, it's hard to recommend a Wi-Fi radio that costs nearly $300. We'll save our final judgment for the hands-on review; we're expecting to get a review sample later this month. Until then, the Squeezebox Radio will be one of the most highly anticipated products for us of 2009.
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XM Sirius)
Many (but not all) of the XM Sirius satellite radio audio channels are also available online to subscribers, for a small additional fee. The browser-based service is great for listening in those places where you don't--or can't--have a satellite radio rig set up, such as an interior room of an office building (or any other room without a window). And now, XM Sirius is offering a dedicated device for listening to its online streams: the Sirius TTR1 Internet Radio.
The tabletop radio connects to your home network via Wi-Fi or Ethernet to access the satcaster's online audio service, which actually offers better quality than the over-the-air streams. The TTR1 also doubles as a dual alarm clock and has 10 presets for saving your favorite stations. The display shows the XM Sirius programming information (channel, artist, track, and so on), and it has a built-in light sensor that auto-dims the display to the room's ambient lighting, so it won't light up the room while you're trying to sleep. A standard credit card-size remote is thrown in as well.
Want to listen to something besides XM Sirius? If that's the case, the TTR1 isn't for you. It has a line-in jack for outside audio sources, but that's it--there's no support for the myriad other online audio services, including plain old Internet radio. If that interests you, we'd suggest a Grace Internet Radio (which streams free Pandora and thousands of standard Internet radio stations in addition to XM Sirius). Spend even more, and you can upgrade to the Logitech Squeezebox Boom, which handles all those services, plus Last.fm, Rhapsody, and several more services to boot.
Still, even with the TTR1's Sirius-only feature set, we can envision it being a hit for those who just want a dedicated device for listening to Howard Stern. His channels--along with nearly all of the commercial-free music stations--will be readily available on the TTR1. (Some key sports, talk, and entertainment channels are not available--consult the Sirius FAQ for more information.)
The Sirius TTR1 will cost $150 when it hit stores this fall.
Does the TTR1 interest you? Or would you prefer a more full-featured Internet radio product that also offers other Internet audio options? Share your opinion below.
Wi-Fi radios would seem to be a perfect bedside companion, but surprisingly few of them are designed to work as an alarm clock.
The Acoustic Research ARIR200 is one of few that is designed to (at least try to) wake you up in the morning, with a big snooze button on top and easy access to the alarm via buttons on the top. In addition, the ARIR200 is packed with many features not seen even on more expensive radios, including the ability to record stations to its internal memory, Slacker streaming, and weather updates--all for a very reasonable street price of about $100.
So why the half-hearted praise? Unfortunately we ran into some connectivity problems (although only at the office) and the ARIR200 tends to emit a hissing sound that's annoying even at this price. We were also disappointed that Acoustic Research didn't throw in dual alarm functionality, especially because it's available on the competing Aluratek Internet Radio.
The Acoustic Research ARIR200 doesn't have any deal-breaking flaws and the price is right, but a few critical improvements would have made us like it a lot more.
The Wi-Fi radio category has grown steadily over the last two years, thanks to greater consumer awareness and the popularity of streaming music services like Pandora. Grace Digital Audio was one of the early entrants to this product category, and the Bravado (model number GDI-IRD4400M) represents a different direction for the company.
The Bravado ditches the standard tabletop radio look, instead placing a pair of stereo speakers on top of the unit and giving the faceplate the feel of an old-school stereo component. The rest of the unit will feel familiar to Grace Digital fans, as the radio supports streaming services like Pandora and Sirius, and has access to Reciva's large database of Internet radio stations.
We were originally put off by the Bravado's $250 price tag, since that put it into direct competition with the excellent Logitech Squeezebox Boom, which offers more features and better sound. But Grace recently dropped the asking price to a more palatable $200, making it worth consideration over the other models in the company's line.
The iPod may have killed AM/FM radio for the latest generation of music fans, but the classic version of Apple's ubergadget only lets you listen to your own music collection--there's no hipster DJ introducing you to your new favorite band. Music fans still crave new sounds, and personalized Internet radio services such as Pandora and Last.fm have filled the "music discovery" gap by taking note of your music preferences and playing songs they'll think you'll like. Pandora's a great service, but--portable devices notwithstanding--it's not easy to listen to away from your PC, which is where the Livio Radio ($150) comes in.
The Livio Radio is the first Wi-Fi radio we've tested that is designed completely around the Pandora service, offering all the standard functions--like "thumbs up/down"--right on the front panel. The gorgeous design is outstanding for the price; it's easy to use and you won't find anything that looks this good until you spend about twice as much.
Its competitors will better serve audiophiles and feature junkies, but the Livio Radio hits the sweet spot for those looking for a simple, great-looking way to add Pandora to a bedroom, kitchen, or living room.
Read the full review of the Livio Radio.
Wi-Fi radios come in many shapes and sizes, but the Oxx Digital Tube is in a class of its own with its jumbo, hollow-bodied design. The Tube's unique look accommodates its built-in subwoofer, and yes, we found that the radio delivers much more bass than is common on a tabletop radio, although the overall sound quality is just about average.
Like virtually all Wi-Fi radios, the Tube offers up thousands of free Internet radio stations, but it isn't exactly easy to sort through them all on the unit's skimpy two-line LCD display. We were also disappointed that the Tube lacked any additional streaming services, like Pandora or Slacker, which are offered on competitors such as the Grace GDI-IR2000 or Acoustic Research ARIR200.
If you have plenty of room and listen to a lot of bass-heavy music, the Tube does offer up a glitch-free experience at an attractive price. However, in most situations, we think buyers will be better off with more compact competitors that offer up additional streaming services.
