Cutting the Cord is a series of posts you will see over the next few weeks that explore the different ways you can listen to Internet Radio besides sitting in front of your computer.

Cutting the Cord, Pt 4: G-town Radio on Your Walkman or Boombox

The 2007 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas introduced two new products that could greatly improve the mobility and access to Internet Radio.  Both devices use WiFi signals to connect to websites with audio streams.  This post takes a closer look at both.

Sandisk Introduces Sansa Connect

Flash memory company SanDisk unveiled its Sansa Connect MP3 player with 4GB of built in memory along with a slot for a memory card.  Compared to hard disk players or even other flash based MP3 players the Sansa Connect is light on storage space.  What diminishes the significance of low storage is the Sansa's WiFi capability.  Using the 802.11g WiFi standard the Sansa Connect can use any open WiFi access point to listen to Internet Radio or subscription music services.  It can also play music or display picture files stored on a local computer.  The Sansa Connect is expected to arrive in retail markets in March 2007 at a price of $249.99.  While the price pushes it out of reach for many people SanDisk has raised the bar for what portable music players should do.  Expect competitors to follow suit with cheaper, better products in the months to come.

Component Makers Bring the Future of Internet Radio

Frontier Silicon introduced the Chorus 2i chip set at this year's CES.  The chips enable devices to receive analog and digital radio in addition to Internet Radio via WiFi.  Devices ranging from alarm clock radios to boomboxes and stereo tuners could carry the chip set.  The company expects devices carrying the Chorus 2i to start appearing this summer for prices below $100.

Meanwhile, Cambridge Consultants, Ltd. has created the Iona chip set.  The Iona only has WiFi capability (no analog or digital radio) but was engineered to have a $15 bill of materials as well as low power usage.  Cambridge is positioning the product as an add-on for existing music players that don't have WiFi capability.  The company expects products with the Iona to start appearing in time for the 2007 holiday season.

By creating components that could be used by any equipment manufacturer the future for Internet-enabled Radios is wide open.  Expect to see a wide array of products at multiple price points in the coming year.  Some may be incredibly creative solutions while others are awkward and ineffective.  One product could dwarf all others (like the iPod did) or the technology could seep into our lives in multiple products that creates a new standard for audio delivery.  Either way, the push to deliver information and entertainment over wireless networks will further the reach and importance of mediums like Internet Radio.

See also:
The Revolution Will Now Be Mobile
Cutting the Cord homepage

Cutting the Cord is a new series of posts you will see over the next few weeks that explore the different ways you can listen to Internet Radio besides sitting in front of your computer.

Cutting the Cord, Pt 3: G-town Radio on Your Stereo

Your computer allows you to listen to radio stations from anywhere in the world.  It also stores your mammoth mp3 library you have lovingly compiled over the years.  Ironically, what most computers don't do so well is play music.  Most pc speakers are tiny, tinny pieces of crap.  Sound cards are getting better all the time but do they sound nearly as good as your home stereo, or even your car stereo?

As WiFi networks in the home and in public places continue to grow products that leverage this access are slowly starting to appear in the market.  The goal of many of these products is to bypass your computer when listening to music, looking at pictures or watching movies.  The biggest limitation of internet radio has been you could only listen while sitting at your computer.  Socializing around the cluttered area you shoved your computer just so you could listen to the new songs you downloaded was never appealing and may never have to happen again.

One company is already delivering products that bring internet radio as well as your music library directly to your stereo system or anywhere in your house you would have a portable radio.  Roku has created the Soundbridge line of stereo components (pictured above).  Soundbridge players are stereo components you connect to a receiver or powered speakers.  They use WiFi to retrieve music files directly from your PC.  Turn off your PC and they can still connect to the internet to play internet radio stations from anywhere in the world (using your WiFi router).  The newest Roku addition is the Soundbridge Radio (pictured below).  This tabletop device is a self-contained radio with speakers and sub-woofers that can play internet radio anywhere in the house.  It also has an AM/FM receiver, alarm clock and station presets (for broadcast & internet radio).  The Roku products range in price from $129.99 for the low-end Soundbridge component to the $399.99 Soundbridge Radio.

The capabilities of these products is an exciting breakthrough in increasing the reach of internet radio.  While the price may be prohibitive for many the promise of newer, better, and cheaper products looms on the horizon.  New products were unveiled at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas that indicate this is true.  We’ll take a closer look at two of these in the next installment of Cutting the Cord.

See also:
The Revolution Will Now Be Mobile
Cutting the Cord homepage

Alice Coltrane, 69, died Friday in Los Angeles.  John Coltrane's wife and member of his band (replacing McCoy Tyner on piano), Coltrane went on to release her own records after John's death.  She collaborated on several compositions with Pharoah Sanders and Joe Henderson.  Her deep faith in Hinduism took center stage on her solo work as she created spiritual, hypnotic music featuring harp and piano along with sax, drums and bass.  Two excellent albums to experience her unique sound are Journey in Satchidananda and Transcendence.

(L.A. Times Obituary)
(Pitchfork Listening Guide)

Turn G-town Radio on each Sunday and leave it on all day.  Sunday programming digs a little deeper into the G-town libraries as you hear sounds you won't find on the radio.

Every Sunday at 7 PM Selecta Sensistar of the Royal Majestic Sound brings you a new edition of On The Frontlines featuring conscious roots and culture reggae / dancehall / and hip-hop from the Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Trinidad, Europe, U.S, Africa and beyond.  For more info and playlist for the show check www.myspace.com/rrroyalmajesticsound.

Every 2nd Sunday Dev79 & Starkey are back with Seclusiasis Radio.  The first show of 2007 is going to be a sick one. They've got one of dubstep's hot rising talents, DJ Distance, with an exclusive DJ mix and interview and also an interview with the one, and only, krak-tastic CX Kidtronik. And of course your hosts Starkey and Dev79 will be dropping that deep urban underground flavor throughout. 

Cutting the Cord is a new series of posts you will see over the next few weeks that explore the different ways you can listen to Internet Radio besides sitting in front of your computer.

Cutting the Cord, Pt 2: G-town Radio in Love Park

As most know, Philadelphia is creating a wireless network to allow access to the internet anywhere in the city as well as help to bridge the digital divide preventing lower income families from broadband internet access.  Earthlink, the network vendor, is currently building its first test area north of Center City with hopes of reaching the entire city by October, 2007. What many may not know is that free wireless access has been available in various public spaces in the city for well over a year.  One of these places is JFK Plaza, a.ka. Love Park, at 15th and JFK Boulevard. (The others are the Reading Terminal Market and the Pennsylvania Convention Center)

In a continuing quest to find new ways people can listen to internet radio I visited Love Park to test its WiFi network and listen to G-town Radio.  One afternoon in late December I brought a Dell Latitude laptop with a built in wireless card with me to Love Park.  After booting up I found multiple wireless networks within reach of the plaza.  A sign posted at the entrance to the park (pictured at left) gave instructions about how to connect. None of the available networks matched the instructions.  Figuring the sign must be out of date I pressed on trying to logon to the various networks.  After failing to connect to a network called Free Public WiFi I was successful with FeatherFreeByEarthLink.  The connection was a bit sluggish compared to wired DSL but far better than dial-up (not to mention free and outside).

Once online, connecting to G-town Radio and requesting an audio stream was as easy as doing it at home.  The connection was clear and aside from occasional buffering never dropped out.  It's not particularly remarkable to listen to internet radio on a laptop through a wireless internet connection in a coffee shop or cafe but doing it out in the open is.  Once the WiFi network is completed this will be possible all over the city.  While you will need a paid account to connect everywhere places like Love Park will always be free.  The free locations will only grow in the new year.  Another provision of the project is that each city councilperson will be allowed to designate free WiFi areas within their district.  Those with good ideas on locations should contact their councilperson today.

One final note about the growth of public WiFi and internet radio.  As these WiFi networks pop up nationwide expect to see new products to take advantage of the ubiquitous access.  WiFi capable mobile phones are already appearing and don't be surprised if devices designed especially for listening to internet radio replace lugging your laptop around.  The technology seems to be here and products should appear in the near future.

In the next installment I will look at some ways to cut the cord in your own home and listen to internet radio on your stereo or anywhere in your home.

See also:
The Revolution Will Now Be Mobile
Cutting the Cord homepage

This Friday, January 5, G-town Radio is very excited to bring you a seriously insane special deluxe edition of the Rap de Rap Show.  We will re-broadcast a 50 minute mix by DJ Jaguar Skills and Lord Basis Supreme called 1979-2006: A Hip-Hop Odyssey - 800 Tracks In A 48 Minute Mix.  Yes, that is correct, 800 tracks in chronological order covering the history of hip-hop in a way that has never been done before.  It goes down fast so turn this up loud and listen close.

The mix jumps off at 4 PM today so don't be late.  As always, tune in today at 2 PM for two hours of the funk with the Funkstables.  Fridays sound best on G-town Radio.

Get more info on the mix (including the complete track list) here.