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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Samsung i900 Omnia Unlocked Phone with 8 GB Memory, 5 MP Camera, GPS, Wi-Fi, Windows Mobile 6.1, and MicroSD Slot--International Version No Warranty (Black) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am glad I bought this phone. I fell in love with it since I got it out of the box.
PROS:
* Slim design, executive look
* Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional (great improvement)
* AGPS. 100% accurate when you choose My Location. Associated with
google maps is an A+. (Why pay for something that is already part of the
phone...That goes for you VERIZON!!!!).
* Opera Browser works great (sorry Internet Explorer)
* Touchscreen is very responsive (if you do not want screen to vibrate,
you can disable it in SETTINGS.
* Stylus, I do not use it. my fingers do the job excellent.
* Push E-Mail. I get all my emails from work, POP accounts, Gmail, (which
is already integrated in the phone), and of course windows live
messenger.
* Video player is very good, good resolution, great audio. (One thing
I dicovered today is that I can listen to Internet radio, WOW!!)
* My 5 Faves...NOT REALLY, but keep reading, (in this case 4 faves, yes, one of the widgets lets you add 4
people you call the most just like my five faves.) I am using my Omnia
with T-mobile and this came very handy.)
* Microsoft Office, YES! you have Excel, Word, Power Point. All 3 are
mobile version, you can read and edit any documents as you wish. you
also can read .pdf files, isn't that something?? you will love this
phone.
CONS:
* I personaly, don't have any negative comments on this phone, but I will
mention one that I know bothers some people out there, that is:

NO 3G Network compatibility in the USA. This phone was made exclusively
for Asia and Europe and their 3G works on a different band. But I tell
you one thing, Internet over EDGE is very good, so I really don't care
at all about 3G speed. So keep this in mind....NO 3G in the USA.
Over All, this is a great phone. you will have to take your time to play with it to find all its features and how to make them work for you. Don't get frustrated if you don't get it to work the way you want the first time. It took me a good week to figure this phone out and now I am very excited I chose this phone. Iphone is a thing of the past, which I never had but my friends have it and some of them are not too happy with it, plus, they got stuck in a contract. Here you don't have to do that.
Thank you SAMSUNG for this phone.
I have include this link called Omnia i900 - The Whole Nine Yards
This will make you take a final decision to get this phone or not.
Hope it helps, like it helped me to get this phone
http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_i900_omnia-review-267.php
Thanks! and let me know what you think.

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Meaning "everything" in Latin and "wish" in Arabic, the Omnia from Samsung is designed to provide business users with stylish multimedia capabilities and personal mobile users with simple access to business based functions. This touchscreen-enabled phone has a large, brightly colorful 3.2 inch screen, and it includes Samsung's intuitive and easily customizable TouchWiz user interface. Other features include 8 GB of internal memory, a built-in GPS receiver, 5-megapixel camera, multi-format digital audio player, Bluetooth for handsfree communication and stereo music streaming, MicroSD memory expansion, video output to your TV, and up to 5.8 hours of talk time.
With the Windows Mobile 6.1 operating system, the Q Global supports Microsoft System Center Mobile Device Manager, which provides single-point access to line of business and corporate data such as applications, files and other information located on the corporate network. It also provides push email for immediate send and receive on Corporate Microsoft Exchange servers as well as editing of Microsoft Office documents.
This unlocked cell phone can be used with a GSM network service provider and it provides quad-band connectivity (850/900/1800/1900 MHz). It does not come with a SIM card, and it requires that you provide a SIM card for usage with your selected service provider.
When paired with a compatible 3G network that uses WCDMA 2100 MHz connectivity (found in Europe and Asia), you'll enjoy a high-speed connection offering a variety of feature-rich wireless services--from data connectivity to your office to multimedia streaming, and take advantage of simultaneous voice and data services. In the United States and foreign territories where 2100 MHz 3G networks are not available, you'll continue to receive data service via EDGE network (depending on network compatibility).
Phone Features The Samsung Omnia's 3.2-inch touchscreen as a 240 x 400-pixel resolution and a 65K color depth. It features handwriting recognition capabilities as well as an accelerometer sensor that auto-rotates the screen when shifted from tall to side profile (and back again). In addition to the internal 8 GB of memory, the Omnia can be expanded via optional MicroSD/MicroSDHC memory cards up to 8 GB in size.
Samsung's TouchWiz user interface makes entering data and text simple. With unique widgets, you can customize and personalise the way you use the phone. The quick and simple drag-and-drop feature lets you have instant access to your favorite functions at a moment's touch. A unique menu of widgets display functions such as the clock, radio player, music player and more personal elements including photos and birthday reminders. And Samsung's differentiated tactile technology also gives you tangible feedback sensation when items are selected.
Handsfree communication is easy thanks to the integrated speakerphone. This phone also provides Bluetooth wireless connectivity, and includes profiles for communication headset, handsfree car kits, and audio/video remote control. With the A2DP Bluetooth profile, you can stream your music to a pair of compatible Bluetooth stereo headphones. You can connect your laptop (either via Bluetooth or wired USB) and enjoy dial-up networking--surf the Internet, send email, and access files from a server.
The 5-megapixel autofocus camera sports a 4x digital zoom, flash, face detection, 15 shooting modes (from sports to sunset), ISO settings, and many more advanced functions. It also captures video clips (length determined by available memory), which can be displayed on external TVs and monitors using the phone's TV output capabilities. You can also edit videos on the Omnia, with functions such as trimming, audio dubbing, and subtitles.
The digital audio play provides a wide range of format compatibilities (MP3, WMA, AAC, eAAC+), and the video player offers multi-codec support for DivX, Xvid and other video formats, eliminating the hassle of file format conversions. It also comes with an FM radio with RDS, which displays the name of the currently playing song (when tuned to compatible radio stations).
Other features include:
GPS receiver, including navigation and geo-tagging capabilities
USB 2.0 wired connectivity to your PC
Messaging: SMS, EMS, MMS, personal and corporate, instant messaging
Polyphonic and MP3 ringtones
Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g)
Organizer tools: World time, currency converter, calculator, stopwatch

Vital Statistics The Samsung i900 Omnia weighs 4.3 ounces and measures 4.4 x 2.2 x 0.5 inches. Its 1440 mAh lithium-ion battery is rated at up to 5.8 hours of talk time, and up to 500 hours of digital standby time. It runs on the 850/900/1800/1900 MHz GSM/GPRS/EDGE frequencies as well as 2100 MHz 3G frequencies.
Powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 Microsoft's Windows Mobile 6.1 offers a number of handy features that make searching through email, editing Microsoft Office documents, and staying on top of your most important communications even easier. Emails can now be viewed in their original rich HTML format and now offer the ability to visit embedded links. It also includes Windows Live for Windows Mobile, which provides a full set of Windows Live services, such as the Windows Live Messenger IM application, which now enables you to chat with more than one person at one time or send a file.
With Windows Mobile 6.1, your phone will finally be able to emulate the power and features of your PC's Microsoft Office suite. You'll be able to neatly view, navigate and edit Word documents and Excel spreadsheets in their original formatting--without affecting tables, images or text--as well as view PowerPoint presentations.
Microsoft Office Word Mobile features include spell-check, Find and Replace commands, bulleted lists, text formatting, and support for tables for the first time.
With Excel Mobile, you're not just confined to editing charts: with the new Chart Wizard you can create charts quickly and easily.
PowerPoint Mobile allows you to view the full presentation, rehearse timings, check the order and any live links you may have in your presentation. You can then email comments back to the team or communicate via MSN Messenger for an immediate response.
After creating or editing a Word document or Excel spreadsheet, you can synchronize it with your PC and it will automatically be converted to the PC version.

All Windows Mobile 6.1 powered devices include Direct Push Technology for up-to-date e-mail delivery and automatic synchronization of Outlook calendars, tasks and contacts through Microsoft Exchange Server. It also offers a set of important device security and management features that include the capability to remotely wipe all data from a device should it be lost or stolen, helping ensure that confidential information remains that way.

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Grace Digital GDI-IR2550P Pandora Wi-Fi Internet Radio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Very happy with this purchase. Works even better than I expected.
Connecting it to my wireless network was a breeze. Well, using a single knob to enter my very long network key into the radio was maybe not quite a breeze, but you only do it once. Other than that it was a breeze.
The radio came with a bunch of chinese radio stations set. That was amusing for about 30 seconds. Cleaning them out and setting up something more to my tastes went quickly. There are way more choices out there than most people will have the time to explore. Fortunately it's easy to quickly find something that you'll like. And with access to Pandora (which requires extra steps (including setting up a free account with Grace Reciva (see below))) you can create stations that are tailored to your tastes.
Creating my free account on Grace Reciva to enable "premium" features was a challenge. The website didn't seem to be working too well when I first tried. Lots of "Oops, something seems to have gone wrong and we are working on it" type of messages. I tried later and it went a lot smoother. Linking my Pandora account to the radio was easy (once Reciva started working). Took less than an hour to get everything set up, with most of that time being waiting for Reciva to get their act together.
The sound of the radio is what you would expect from a radio. It won't thump your chest and shake your house. However if you want that sort of performance you can hook it up to your stereo system or a set of powered speakers with volume limited only by the power of what you hooked up. I hooked up a powered speaker system with a subwoofer that I had laying around from a past computer system. Works great.
Radio has pretty good range, but performance will depend on the quality of your wireless router.
I would recommend this unit to friends and family.

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The Grace Digital Pandora radio (GDI-IR2550p) is a combination of the best Pandora radio, Internet radio, and audio media streaming device. Simply enter in your Pandora user name and password on the Grace web site and your Grace Radio has immediate access to all of your Pandora radio stations. Now play stations, thumbs up / down or skip songs and for the first time ever pause live Pandora stations directly on the radio, remote control or the free Grace iPhone app. With the flip of a switch change from Pandora to immediate access to over 16,000 radio stations from NPR on-demand, FOX news, CNN, BBC, CBS to KROQ, over 35,000 podcast, 20,000+ On-Demand subscription streams - Free. If Sirius content is what makes your tick, simply add your SIRIUS Premium Internet radio user name and password and enjoy instant access to SIRIUS internet radio. The Grace Digital GDI-IR2550p comes with a full featured remote control with dedicated Pandora buttons, and is compatible with the free Grace remote control App for iPhone/iTouch. Listen to all your digital music inside or outside your home, with Grace.

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Philips NP1100/37 Streamium Network Music Player with 3.0" B&W Display Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)The Philips Streamium NP1100 player connects your stereo to your PC and its Internet connection, letting you easily access your digital content where you want it. No more sitting in front of your PC to listen to your music!
SETUP
The NP1100 is basically a wireless access point bundled with a simple on-screen user interface and a remote control. Setup was unbelievably easy - I plugged the NP1100 into my A/V receiver, powered it up, and off it went. It automatically detected my wireless home network and once I supplied my WPA security key, it connected itself with no problem. The unit also includes an ethernet port if you prefer a wired connection.
Once connected, it automatically updated its own software, which is good but it was a minor nuisance that I then had to re-enter all of initial settings after the update.
You'll also want to register the unit by supplying the NP1100 with your email address. This sends you a link to set up a Club Philips online account. From this online account, you can manage the various sources of media that the NP1100 accesses, which is much faster when using a full-size keyboard vs. the player's remote. Registering this way also saves you from the hassle of reading the teeny-tiny serial numbers on the bottom of the unit.
PERFORMANCE
I planned on trying three distinct media sources with the Streamium, with pretty varied results: Internet radio, my own PCs media library, and my separate Sirius online subscription.
First, Internet radio. After connecting to your network, a pre-loaded catalog of Internet radio stations becomes available. You can organize this catalog by content (talk vs. music), music genre, country of origin, language, etc. Five minutes out of the box, I was catching up with the latest ambient music from France, local artists from Argentina, news headlines from Japan (just because I could - it's not like I speak Japanese!), and even the online home of the greatest radio station ever (The Future of Rock n Roll WOXY - 97X, Oxford, OH). The amazing variety of offerings makes for a pretty big 'wow' factor.
But the variety can also be overwhelming. Fortunately, the NP1100 has a "Favorites" functionality for bookmarking your preferred sources. This favorites list makes finding your top choices very easy.
Next, I decided to tackle my own digital media library. Unfortunately, the NP1100 requires Windows Media Player 11 (WMP) as its interface to your PC. I much prefer the iTunes interface to catalog my digital music, but there's no option to use it with the NP1100. So, I had to reinstall WMP on my PC (it's included on the CD that comes with this player) and then configure it to manage a parallel library of my music. WMP is simply awful to use - rigid installation that overwrites most of your existing media preferences (e.g. it's always resetting itself as my default player for all formats), clunky visual interface, and also a stubborn determination to not accept anything that's not Microsoft-endorsed. For example, almost my entire library is in AAC file format; however, Microsoft backs MP3. So when I first tried to access my library from the Streamium, only the tiny fraction of MP3s appeared - no AAC files at all. I eventually found a WMP plug-in that makes AACs appear in its library, but I still have trouble getting them to completely function. This isn't a flaw with the Streamium per se, but their exclusive choice of partner makes the user perform a lot of runaround to meet their specifications.
Once you do get your library set up, the content functions very well. Just as with Internet radio sources, you can access your PC's media by artist, album, genre, etc. You can also send playlists to the Streamium, which is very useful for party mixes.
Lastly, I wanted to see if the Streamium could access my online Sirius subscription. I tried several different variations on the Sirius player's online address, but nothing worked. Again, the player seems handcuffed by Philips' exclusive business arrangements - out of the box, the Streamium player comes ready to work with a Rhapsody online music subscription. However, that didn't interest me and it seems that other competing services aren't allowed.
Playback quality is good - of course digital music files transmitted wirelessly aren't going satisfy any serious audiophile, but that's not the point of this device.
ERGONOMICS
The NP1100 is roughly the size of a paperback novel on its side. It has a retro-Scandanvian look with its silver housing and a clear window that encases it black-and white display. The display itself is bit disappointing. First, it's only a small portion of the unit's face - most of what you see in the picture is a black frame that surrounds the screen. Second, it's difficult to read at any appreciable angle. Since the Streamium's base doesn't allow you to tilt, you basically have to place it wherever it'll be eye-level most frequently. Third, its font sizes are all wrong and can't be changed. You can guess that they tried to accommodate people who keep the player close at hand and those who'll put it across the room, but unfortunately, the characters are difficult to read in either case.
The remote is a total throwaway. Small buttons with microscopic labels, no backlighting, etc. However, I was able to program my Logitech Harmony pretty easily to mimic it.
CONCLUSION
The NP1100 excels at delivering your digital media with convenience and flexibility. Its out-of-the-box simplicity make it a great idea for even the technologically-challenged. And its affordable price mean that finally you can enjoy your music where you really want to without being tied down to your PC.
PROS
Simple setup, even with wireless networking
Comes packaged with an amazing set of streaming content offerings
Good sound quality
CONS
Being forced to use WMP for your media library
Screen display should be bigger and easier to read
Throwaway remote control

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By connecting to both your PC and audio system, Philips Streamium network music player gives you wireless access to your PC music library, Internet radio and Rhapsody online music service. A whole world of exciting music possibilities!

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Grace Digital Wireless Hi-fi Internet Radio Tuner featuring Pandora and NPR (GDI-IRDT200) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Wow! What a sweet device this is for the even the not so techo-inclined. Installation was a breeze as there were only 2 cables to hook-up: power, and RCA jacks. I piped it into my receiver and hit the power button and bingo! it found my network over it's installed handy dandy wireless network adapter (G). It prompted me for my password, which I entered (by turning the knob, which was kind of a pain) and it connected no problem. You can also wire your connection through the network cable slot in the back, however, no network cable was included.
After that, I chose internet radio and I had choices galore. The real beauty of this device is how you can personalize it. Got a Pandora account? Pipe it through this baby with ease. How about Live365? You can do that too. Want to search the internet radio via genre? No sweat. Absolutely amazing I tell you.
I created my Grace account, added stations online and podcasts and after unplugging the device and plugging back in (yah, they tell you to do that so it updates the streams), my customization was found on the device and away I went.
Here is the absolute frosting on the cake...I'm now streaming all of my music from my laptop and external hard drive to this device! Sort by genre, album, album artist, create a queue, you name it, this thing can do it. This kills the Windows Media Center that never worked right with my 360.
Who knew you could have so much fun with a radio??

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The Grace Digital Tuner (GDI-IRDT200) is a combination Internet radio and audio media streaming device that brings all the audio content of the Internet from your broadband connection directly to your home Stereo. With it users can listen to 16,000+ radio stations from NPR on-demand, FOX news, CNN, BBC, CBS to KROQ, over 35,000 podcast, 20,000+ On-Demand subscription streams or your personal Pandora radio stations - Free. The Tuner provides not only standard RCA connections to your home stereo but also two digital out connections for the highest audio quality experience as well as both Wi-Fi and an Ethernet connection to your home broadband router. In addition to the ability to play all the Free music in the world, music files from your PC or Mac, a SD or USB drive the Grace Tuner can also access Sirius Premium Internet radio services with a subscription directly from Sirius. The Tuner comes with a full featured remote control and is compatible with the free Grace remote control App for iPhone/iTouch. Connect all your digital music to your home stereo, with Grace.

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

Average Reviews:

(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.

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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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Myine Abbee Commercial Free Music Radio with Music Lock Portable Player Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I have really struggled with this review over the last week. I really like the concept of the Myine Abbee. I think it's innovative and it doesn't try to replace the whole digital quality, buying music and downloading it onto an MP3 player or computer scene. Picture a housewife who listens to her favorite FM radio station in the kitchen for a couple of hours each day. Picture an older person who isn't necessarily computer or MP3 player savvy who likes to listen to the radio.
Here are some of the other Pros I recorded in my notes on the Abbee:
-Unit (Abbee) isn't too large, about the size of a full-size box of Kleenex. This can easily live on your kitchen counter, or on a night stand.
-Has a sort of a simple, appealing modern look to it
-Included "Music Lock" device allows you to take the music with you if you want. The system does a really good job of eliminating background fuzz that is typical of radio listening. I was surprised at how good music sounded on the Music Lock.
-Sound played out of the Abbee base is quite good for its size. It has decent base. Music played via the Aux port on the back (eg. MP3 player) isn't quite as loud, but sounds even clearer.
-When recording songs from stations that pollute the last 5 seconds of the song with song name/artist information, the Abbee handles it by quickly fading the volume out so that you don't hear it, or hear very little of it. Pretty amazing.
-Abbee has a mini-USB port on the back titled "Update", paving the way for future firmware upgrades, etc.
-Abbee can serve as the speakers for your MP3 player via the Aux port on the back.
-Abbee can also output live radio content or recorded content to your stereo system via the white (L) / red (R) RCA Out ports on the back. Concievably you could capture the outputted sound on your PC and burn it to CD's or create MP3s if you have the right hardware.
Now for the Cons, which are the reason for 3 stars instead of either 4 or 5:
-Most buttons serve multiple functions, which can make it confusing to use. For example, the "Favorite" button can be pressed to save a song from being overwritten, but if you press and hold the "Favorite" button it deletes the song. Hmmmmm
-There is no indicator that tells if a song has been saved with the Favorite button or not. If you save a song with the Favorite button but do not sync the song to the "Music Lock" portable device, it will still get overwritten.
-After my initial 30 hour recording session in which I thought 98 songs were recorded, I switched to "Play" mode. Abbee never initiated a Sync with the portable player known as the "Music Lock". I listened to several songs and then changed mode to "clock mode" to set the time. Then I changed back to "Play" mode and it said "EMPTY". All the songs appeared to be gone. I had to pull the "Music Lock" device out, and then the songs reappeared on the Abbee. When I put the "Music Lock" back in its holster, it finally started the sync process. It took about 10 minutes to sync the device. I was able to successfully switch out of the random playback mode, because I wanted to start at song #1 and go all of the way to #98 to see what was recorded. Well I was surprised to find they were numbered #65 to #98, with NO 1-64 available apparently. I pulled the "Music Lock" device out of its holster, and now the Abbee shows "EMPTY" again. This is actually by design...when you sync the Music Lock with the Abbee it actually removes the songs from the Abbee. I don't find this functionality particularly desireable.
-Abbee may be the only device in the world where the portable player has more capacity than the base unit. When the "Music Lock" is unplugged from the Abbee base unit, the Abbee will only play live radio or any songs recorded since the "Music Lock" has been unplugged. If you have 300 songs on the Music Lock, you can't get to them unless the Music Lock is plugged into the Abbee. In this day of cheap memory I don't know why the Abbee base unit can't hold more than 100 songs.
-A couple of the "Songs" recorded by Abbee were entire commercials.
-When Abbee is powered on, it defaults to "Live" music from the radio with volume set to zero, and will not let you switch to "Play" mode until you "WAIT" about 30 seconds. This is true even if you were last listening to recorded content in "Play" mode.
-I executed a Master Reset in order to test the functionality, and then I let Abbee learn for another 24 hours WITHOUT the Music Lock device plugged in, and now it looks like it has 64 songs. Nope, they are numbered 30-64. So I change over to live mode to start recording more songs. After another 5 hours I check on it and now they are numbered 51-85. Songs 51-64 are from my previous list, songs 65-85 are new, and my songs 30-50 are gone. Now I realize the Abbee can only hold roughly 33 or 34 songs and then it starts deleting the oldest songs. The User Guide states "Over 100 Songs", but that's not what I'm seeing.
-When I plug in the Music Lock device it syncs the music, which is now removed off the Abbee base unit. If I pull the Music Lock back out, I expect the Abbee base to record another 33-34 songs so I can sync it later, but it no longer records ANY music without the Music Lock plugged in. It always shows "EMPTY". So now if someone has the Music Lock player with them, the Abbee base unit is literally only a radio.
-The highest song total I have reached now after 4 days is a range of songs between 52-202. No more songs are being added. If I delete a song, then it will add a new one (eg. 203 etc.) I don't know what happened to the 500 song limit...
-The User Guide offers a URL if you need help: [...], but the only help that is available is a PDF version of the User Guide. So what you have is a "User Guide" that refers you to itself if you need additional help. ;-)
-I submitted an email to [...] on 3/1/2010 with some of my experiences and some questions, and have had no response. There is also a support phone support number which I elected not to call. (UPDATE: Email was received on 3/4 but was in my spam folder)
-One time while the Music Lock was syncing I changed the recorded song I was listening to and it got stuck in a 1 second loop for about 10 seconds.
-Another time I switched from Live Mode to Play Mode and the Abbee would allow me to scroll through the recorded songs, but it would NOT show the song number until I powered off and then on the Abbee base.
Some "Nice to Haves" that did not effect my rating of the Abbee:
-Being able to set an alarm and use it as a clock radio would be a nice feature to add.
-A small remote control would be a nice option too.
In summary, this is a really excellent and innovative idea. I applaud its inventor for inventing it, and for naming it after his wife. Behind every good man there is a great woman.
This product is so close to being really amazing. I think the USB plug in the back marked "Update" is key if Myine plans to update the firmware on the Abbee.
UPDATE: You will have a much better experience with Abbee if you initially turn on the Abbee base without the Music Lock plugged in. Set your time. Choose a station and lock it on a preset. After about 5 minutes of listening to Live mode, switch to Play mode (it will show EMPTY) and plug in the Music Lock. This will enable you to record much more than 34 songs and will insure the numbering starts at 1. In fact I now have songs recorded that are numbered 1 thru 200 and growing, so this is looking much better...

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No Commercials or DJ Talk. No Computer or Subscriptions. ABBEE - COMMERCIAL FREE MUSIC SYSTEM FOR THE HOME, THE CAR AND ON-THE-GO. The Abbee Home Speaker system has a built-in FM tuner that records songs from your favorite FM stations directly to the Music Lock portable player. Abbee automatically removes commercials and DJ chatter, so all you hear is the music.

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Logitech Squeezebox Boom All-in-One Network Music Player / Wi-Fi Internet Radio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am a radio nut (going back to the tube days)and the Squeezebox Boom is my third internet radio. I have a Roku Soundbridge R1000 and Sangean WFR-20 as well. All have their strengths, but the Squeezebox Boom is without a doubt a significant step up; it sets a new high standard in performance, capabilities, and ease of operation.
For wireless streaming of your music collection from a PC or Mac, the Boom is best. It can handle more formats (nearly anything except DRM protected iTunes files) and works well without crashes or delays. In this the Roku is #2, and the Sangean ranks 3rd(crashes and stutters a lot).
For internet radio, they all work well. The Sangean is the only one that natively handles RealAudio Streams (like BBC) but has problems with clear channel stations. All of them pick up the stations I want without problems, so I rate this a tie.
If you want to interface with online music services like Rhapsody/Pandora/ MP3Locker etc, the Boom works great, with far more capacity than the other two. The Slimdevices/Squeezebox folks also update and improve their software far more frequently than the other two, so I expect it to remain in the lead in features and available services.
In sound quality, the Roku and Boom are both outstanding, with the Sangean good, but clearly a step lower. The Roku's subwoofer seems to go a bit deeper in my room, but the Boom is perhaps a bit more smooth and musical. The Boom uses the same woofers and tweeters as the highly rated Logitech Z-10, but with better bass (because of a larger cabinet and new amp/equalizer circuitry). They both sound absolutely great and play quite loud.
Ease of initial setup: If you are starting from scratch, I think the Sangean is the easiest to set up, if you do NOT want to stream audio from your PC...that is a real hassle. Both the Boom and Roku require a bit more work.
Ease of Use AFTER set up: Boom is best BY FAR. Not only do the menus make real sense, but the illuminated controls make it the only radio you can use easily without turning on the lights. The big control knob and back lit function buttons get you through all of the functions fast.
As a Clock Radio, the Boom has more options than the others, and the display has a huge adjustment range so it will not disturb light sleepers.
All of these radios are a lot of fun. The Boom does most, and does it best.

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Logitech Squeezebox Boom all-in-one network music player with integrated speakers. Plug it in. Turn it on. Rock the house! The all-in-one network music player that combines award-winning squeezebox functionality with an integrated amplifier and speakers to deliver your digital music to any room in your home. Enjoy the music and content you love, with crystal clear sound.

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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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