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MP3 player

PC-to-hi-fi music streaming specialist Slim Devices yesterday introduced its latest networked MP3 player, Squeezebox.

The $299 unit incorporates an 802.11b wireless adaptor but also supports wired Ethernet. Server software installed on the host PC allows Squeezebox to reach out across the airwaves and grab MP3, CD audio and WAV files and pump them through you living room hi-fi. The device sports digital optical and coaxial outputs, as well as standard RCA jacks and a headphone socket.

Squeezebox has its own two-line bright LED display, so there's no need to connect it to a TV before you search through your music archive for the album or track you want to hear. The unit is operated using a bundled remote control.

Unlike many similar solutions, Squeezebox's server software runs on a broad array of systems, not just Windows XP. Mac OS X, Linux, BSD and Solaris are all supported by Slim Devices' SlimServer code, too. The latest release, version 5.0, now features tighter integration with Apple's iTunes. It can also stream to other networked PCs running players, including iTunes or WinAmp.

SlimServer 5.0 is available as a free download. Released under an open source licence, the source code can be downloaded too. ®