The methods by which we receive
audio content just keep on
expanding. In fact, there are so
many ways to get free music and
Podcasts it’s hard to keep up. And, if you think about it, it’s
a wonder that any service that charges for content will be able
to keep its head above water.
One of the free categories bubbling up is internet radio which
gives you incredible flexibility and some interesting tools.
Let’s say, you’re going on a trip to Poland, like my editor
Biggs. You can tune in and listen to the local radio, find out
about the weather, traffic and even political issues. You can
receive all the information that any local resident can get, and
that makes the world a smaller place. Yes I know, this is
already available to anyone with a computer, but that isn’t too
convenient or very portable. I think that’s a significant reason
why it’s been overlooked by many.
It Does what?
The Phoenix, a WiFi, AC/DC portable internet radio runs on four
AA rechargeable batteries (included) or with the switching power
supply (240-110W AC input). Embedded 802.11 b/g WiFi, the
Phoenix streams music from non-subscription Web-Radio sites.
Content can be streamed in WMA, AAC, Real, WAV and AIFF formats.
You can also play your MP3 content using a USB stick or via WiFi
and just use the Phoenix as a player.
This wireless digital content stereo player comes preloaded with
300 URLs, but that’s just a start. Users can go to Com One’s Web
site to get URLs of about 7,000 more radio stations for the
Phoenix. Additionally, you can use the Com One site to add
stations not in Com One’s database by keying in a station’s URL.
One of the reasons this works is the embedded software that
makes for an easy connection to Com One’s internet-based service
distribution platform. You can get firmware upgrades over the
air either by hitting the update button, or they will come
seamlessly at two week intervals all via WiFi.
What’s it got?
The Phoenix has an alarm clock, eight preset radio station
buttons and a charger. The unit has two stereo speakers (4 cm
each), a 2 x 2 watt amplifier and weighs less than two pounds.
They improved the digital sound quality with Bass Boost and
spatialization enhancer technology. You also have the ability to
plug into any stereo system via the 1/8” (3.5mm) stereo
headphone jack. If you want, you can have Bluetooth connectivity
with an adapter offered through Com One. There are cool
features, like the ability to bookmark your favorite songs or
stations for quick access.
The Phoenix is based on the Intel PXA270 processor, clocked at
300MHz. It boots Linux for 8MB of flash, and has 32 MB of RAM.
Com One choose Linux because of its “open environment” and its
many available open-source libraries. This enabled Com One to
build the Phoenix without outside assistance. It has a USB host
port supporting USB devices and USB Bluetooth transceivers.
White back-lit graphics display with 6 lines (128 x 64) pixel
monochromatic LCD screen. Battery life is about 4 hours; short I
know, but WiFi sucks…err requires a lot
of power.
Plug
it in already
I
install the rechargeable batteries and plug it in. I know I have
a good WiFi hotspot in my apartment, so I try to activate the
radio. I put it on search and try to lock on to a WiFi signal.
First attempt failed, it locked into the search mode. So I do a
hard reboot (took out the batteries) and on the next attempt I
get the list of WiFi spots and it connects to my router. Then, I
select the automatic connection mode. (DHCP), and when it’s
searching there is a blinking blue light, when it locks-on the
blue light is steady. There is a WiFi signal bar on the LCD much
like a cellphone and my signal varies between two and three
bars. Now, I’m connected, and by pushing the music icon I get a
list of radio stations. First station is an open source Reggae
station which is broadcasting at 32kb/s. It sounds ok, not
great, but then I put on another station at 128kb/s and the
sound quality is much better. The whole process took about two
minutes. The next day when I push the number one preset button
the radio is playing music in less than 10 seconds.
I
go to the website to update the radio. I sign up, log on and go
to the station page; once there I see various different
categories (country, city, genre, etc). I choose new stations
and within moments those stations show up on my radio. The site
isn’t as user-friendly as I’d like, but it is still in Beta. I’m
listening now and it sounds pretty good, but the speakers are
small so for a bigger sound I hook it up to my stereo. Now we’re
talking, the sound is clean and robust.
Even though the Phoenix is still in Beta, I think the portable
aspect is the right ingredient for success. Also, seamless
firmware upgrades will keep this product improving. Of course,
we will see hardware upgrades as new units come out. I suspect
in the future there will be more ways to get content on the
player. The sound on the Phoenix is what you’d expect from two
small speakers; not bad, but certainly not audiophile quality. I
congratulate Com One, and I like their thinking. This might just
work out.
原文出处：：
http://crunchgear.com/2007/07/12/com-one-phoenix-wifiip-radio-review/
