Squeezebox streams MP3s

Slim Devices today introduced Squeezebox, a wireless networked MP3 player with built-in display that streams music from a computer to any stereo or home theater system. The company also released SlimServer 5.0, an open-source application that powers the Squeezebox wireless network MP3 player.

is a $300 compact device that can stream digital music or MP3 internet radio; integrated 802.11 wireless and ethernet networking; high-quality digital outputs to connect to any home theater or stereo receiver, as well as standard RCA outputs; support for MP3 and uncompressed WAV and AIFF; and a 1/8" mini-jack for headphone or powered speakers: "The player is small enough to fit in a stereo cabinet, on a shelf, or on a bedside table. Multiple players can play independently or be synchronized to provide an affordable whole-house audio solution."



Squeezebox's interface allows users to browse quickly through your whole music collection via the included infrared remote control or web browser and offers a large, built-in fluorescent display that displays the song title and other related info.



Slim Devices also released SlimServer 5.0, the open-source software that powers its Squeezebox wireless network MP3 player. SlimServer runs on Windows,
Mac OS X, Linux, BSD, and Solaris, and is available as a free download. SlimServer streams the user’s music library to Squeezebox or the original
SLIMP3 and offers integration with iTunes with access to Smart Playlists.
In addition, SlimServer streams the same music collection to any remote
computer--connected via the Internet or LAN--running software MP3 player, such as WinAmp or iTunes.



Other features include MP3 Internet radio support, an alarm clock, automatic import of iTunes playlists on both Mac and Windows, ID3 tag import, a plugin architecture for extensibility, and support for multiple synchronized players. SlimServer 5.0 can also convert other file formats to MP3 on-the-fly, allowing iTunes AAC files to be played from SlimServer running on Mac or Windows (requires installation of free third-party LAME encoder).

by MacNN Staff