We have written a couple of stories about the coming of WiFi radio--aware of the fact that it has been coming for more than a couple of years now. Several companies have put WiFi connectivity into a device that looks similar to a DAB digital radio and uses this connectivity to stream Internet radio broadcasts. To date, however, WiFi radio has been not much more than a niche market.
The reason we have written a couple of stories on a very thin niche market is that we sensed that things were changing--and in the last few months they seem to have changed with WiFi radios from several manufacturers coming to market. Among the companies offering WiFi radio are Acoustic Energy, Broadband Instruments, BT, Bush, Com One, MagicBox, Roku, SanDisk, Terratec, Noxon and Torian. Now there is a new website for WiFi radio enthusiasts--the WiFi Radio Review--which also offers a newsletter with news about this growing field.
Yes, as the Digital LifeStyles's reviewer writes about the latest WiFi radio offering from Acoustic Energy: "Currently this is a Christmas present for the geek in the family not your aging maiden aunt." But this is about to change.
For more on WiFi radios:
- see Eliot Van Buskirk's Wired report
- and WiFi Radio Review page for reviews of a few recent models