An Internet Boom Box!!
by Gary Woods

Over the next year, expect to see the Internet boom box arrive as a product category for mid to high-end music fans. Handfuls are already out, including products from Linksys and Philips.

At the heart of an Internet boom box is a wireless or wired Ethernet connection, so you can tune in to thousands of Internet radio stations, as well as music-for-hire services such as AOL Radio or Rhapsody. This is great for streaming music in the backyard, but not so good on say, the beach.

There will be times when you can't connect to the Internet for music. The ideal device, therefore, will also have at least an AM/FM radio tuner. Also, it ought to have a line-in jack to play music from an external MP3 player. Or it could just have a player for MP3/WMA discs.

Currently there are a few Internet boom boxes but not a flood, and they require a wall outlet for power. The most complete is the Philips MCi250 Wireless Broadband Internet Micro HiFi System ($280). Then there is the Linksys Wireless-B Music System WML11B ($150).

Probably the most interesting units out there are the satellite radio boom boxes which aren’t constrained by proximity to access points. Among them are the Audiovox SIRBB1 ($100) and the Delphi SKYFi ($100). These units work off of batteries and each needs a plug-in satellite tuner module ($100, plus $10 to $13 monthly).

See you on the Beach!!

If you have any suggestions or questions for me please drop me a note at garyandlaury@santabarbaraproperties.com or see my column on the Internet at http://www.santabarbaraproperties.com or call me at (805) 729-0910