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That article can be interesting for all who would like to have budget multi-room music system. The system uses Logitech Squeezeboxes as front-end and Squeezebox server as back-end. The Squeezebox server can be run on any Windws/Linux/Mac OS X PC. So the author bought compact, low power and fanless HP T5530 Thin Client PC. Plus two flash drives – 1GB for OS and 64GB for music. Sure, 64GB is too small for the large media library. But it can be extended by internal or external HDD.

The author chose Debian as OS for Squeezebox server. It offers a simple way to install Squeezebox server from the SlimDevices repository. Everything should work out of the box – just add your Squeezebox device to the local network and specify the IP of the Squeezebox server.

Nice DIY project. I’d like to just add a few notices here. Squeezebox server can be installed on NAS or router. If you already have some you don’t need to run detached PC. Also you can use Nokia Internet Tablets – Nokia770, N800 or N810 with adopted SlimSkin to control your music system more efficient and comfortable as well as iPhone.

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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It seems that next generation of Logitech Squeezebox will have4.3-inch color touchscreen to control music playback. Not sure that this is a real device because there is no any word on the Logitech’s site about such product (remember, the same situation was with its Squeezebox Boom). But I like that conception. More over, according to tentative spec, Logitech Squeezebox Touch will support host USB to playback music directly from the flash-drive. The rest specification includes:

• Audio formats: MP3, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, WMA, Ogg Vorbis, AAC, Apple Lossless, WMA Lossless, APE, MPC and WavPack supported through transcoding
• Support for MP3, Ogg Vorbis, and WMA formatted Internet Radio streams Wireless interface
• True 802.11g wireless networking
• One-touch setup (with compatible WPS-supporting routers)
• Support WPA Personal, WPA-2AES, and 64/128-bit WEP encryption Ethernet interface
• Connects to any 100 Mbps or 10 Mbps network (with Auto MDX)
• USB host connector for accessing music and photos via USB drive or USB key
• SD card slot for music and photos
• Supports sampling rates up to 24 bit / 96 kHz
• Stereo analog (RCA), headphone jack, digital optical, and digital coax output
• 4.3-inch 24-bit color LCD with capacitive touch screen
• Ambient light sensor to adjust display brightness according to environment
• Infrared proximity sensor to detect presence

The price of Logitech Squeezebox Touch is about €330. Will wait for official Logitech announcement.

[via Zatz Not Funny]

Logitech has announced Squeezebox Boom – “all-in-one” version of its popular network audio player Squeezebox. It’s equiped with an integrated amplifier and high-performance speakers. Basically, the Squeezebox Boom provides the same features as Squeezebox. But it doesn’t need additional speakers. The Squeezebox Boom supports many on-line music services such Pandora®, Rhapsody™, Sirius®, Last.fm™, Slacker™, MP3tunes, RadioTime, Radio IO and Live365. I liked Squeezebox. And I like its ‘all-in-one’ version too. Using a few boxes and LinuxMCE it’s easy to build multi-room audio system.

The new Squeezebox Boom will be available in September at $299.99.

[via eHomeUpgrade]

After buying Slime Devices Logitech added support to the online MP3tunes Music Locker service for its Squeezebox. MP3tunes Music Locker is a service which allow to you store your music content online. So you’ll able to listen it anywhere where Internet connection exits.
Now with Sqeezebox you can play music from your PC and from MP3tunes Music Locker as well.

A premium MP3tunes Music Locker costs $39.95 a year which includes unlimited storage space, bandwidth and device access (you also get a two month free trial period with that).