Audio4cast

A while back I wrote that Internet radios are an excellent gift idea for this Christmas. Internet radio is hot, and it’s sure to be something that they don’t already have. With that in mind, and in celebration of Cyber Monday, the largest online shopping day of the year, here’s a list of Internet radio devices that you might want to consider:

Logitech’s Squeezebox gets excellent reviews from several sources including Marketwatch and the Boston Globe. It’s basically a wifi receiver that connects to your stereo or speakers and can stream Internet radio as well as allow you to access music on your computer through your stereo system. Two versions, the Boom and Duet offer some different options and prices ranging from $300 to $400.

Logitech

The Roku Soundbridge offers much the same functionality – I have one that’s several years old, and it’s connected to our stereo and accesses our computer wirelessly to enable us to stream through ITunes. Programming it was not very easy at that time, I suspect it’s improved a lot since then.

If you would prefer a true “tabletop” Internet radio, rather than a bridge that enables the stereo to stream via your computer, there are a bunch of choices as well. The Tangent Quattro is made by Reciva and interfaces with the Internet radio portal at www.reciva.com, which is often updated.

Chumby

My personal favorite is the Chumby. The Chumby is a tabletop Internet radio that accesses your Internet connection and can stream any station as well as access other online content. For about $180 you can have one in your choice of four colors.