Smart Home Blog

I told many times that Nokia’s Internet Tablet is the best product produced by famous Finish company. It can help a lot when you need cheap but attractive and power solution. As example, let’s see the Folio Music Server from Pinnacle Audio. The N810 with pre-installed Pinnacle Audio software becomes a control panel for the music server and allows to users control music playback without PCs or TV screens connected to it. Watch the N810 on the video below in action.
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Squeezebox Touch

Squeezebox Radio

The success Logitech’s lineup of networked audio players Squeezebox was expanded by two new devices – Squeezebox Radio and Squeezebox Touch.

The Squeezebox Radio allows to listen free Internet stations, subscription music services like Rhapsody, Napster, Pandora, Sirius, LastFM and audio files from the network shares including DRM-free iTunes Plus downloads. It sports integrated amplifier, speakers (woofers and tweeters), 2.4-inch 24-bit color display to show album art, track and station information and photos. The radio supports both wired (10/100 Mbps) and wireless (802.11g) connections. Additionally it’s equiped with auxiliary input to connect iPod or any MP3 player. The Logitech Squeezebox Radio Accessory Pack which includes a battery pack and IR remote will be available separately. Using battery pack you can easily move the Squeezebox Radio in any place you want. Even without power cable. The Squeezebox Radio will be available in the U.S. and Europe beginning in September for a suggested retail price of $199.99. The Accessory Pack should be available later, on November for $49.99.
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Polk Audio introduced its new SurroundBar line on the CES 2009 in Las Vegas. It packs four 2.5-inch treated composite bass-midrange drivers, along with two 13mm polymer dome tweeters that provide a high-frequency response out to 22 KHz. It also features Polk’s own SDA Stereo Dimensional Array Technology.

Together with SurroundBar Polk offers wireless subwoofer. It’s really good addition because the weak point of surround bars is bass. So, subwoofer will solve that and consumer will be able to add high-end sound to his or her flat panel.

The new Polk SurroundBar with wireless subwoofer is expected to ship this month with MSRP $499.

[via CEPro]

Systemline announced its new MusicServer SMS3-160. Featured by 160Gb hard drive it allows to store up to 300 albums at the highest (uncompressed) standard or more than 40,000 songs at 68kbs bit-rate. Three independent stereo audio outputs allow simultaneous independent access to any one of three different sources – CD, HDD or Internet Radio. Additionally, the SMS3-160 can use file storage in the same network or you may attach your MP3 player to the USB port on the front panel. Included CDR drive allows to record music stored on HDD to CD.

You can control the SMS3-160 via a Systemline Modular Touchscreen, a TV or the front panel display.

Suggested selling price is £1250.00 inc vat and it is available now from authorised Systemline dealers throughout the UK and overseas.

[via HiddenWires]

British company Pinnacle Audio presented its an ultra-high-fidelity, hard-drive-based music server – Athenaeum. It may store about 9,000 CDs with lossless compression. So, you’ll enjoy a rich, rounded sound.
The main unit uses embedded Linux and features four hot-swappable hard drive bays, with modules available from 160GB to 750GB. The Athenaeum has web based user interface which developed with AJAX. So, it’s possible to control the server from any PC with modern web browser. The system comes with Nokia770 as control panel (resently I already blogged about two projects which also use Nokia770 as remote control: moodSeer and Linux Media Center). However, the Athenaeum can be integrated with proprietary whole-house audio control systems from Crestron or AMX (the additional software modules are needed for that). Moreover, direct serial port commands allow an easy integration into any control system.
Additional touted features include:

Ability to import existing digital music collections, gleaning meta-data from ID3 tags and filenames
Windows filesharing

• Compatible with iPods and other portable music players
• Automatic CD ripping when CDs are inserted
• 24-bit, 96kHz DAC
• 22Hz-22kHz,-0.4,-0.4dB claimed frequency response
• 104dB (A-weighted) (D/A)100.4dB (A-weighted) (A/D) claimed dynamic range
• 0.002 percent claimed THD (total harmonic distortion)
• Control system (Crestron, AMX) library modules provided
• Serial port and API allow control system integration
• 430 x 450 x 135mm

It seems that the Pinnacle Audio Athenaeum music server is available not there are not any words about its price.

[via LinuxDevices]