A ring-shaped AirPlay-enabled speaker from Philips Home Audio has received FCC approval. The Philips Fidelio DS3801W has Wi-Fi 802.11g with WEP and WPA/WPA2 security. A powered USB port supports playback from most Apple devices, and a 3.5mm audio plug supports other .mp3 players. The Fidelio DS3801W requires a 12V, 3.0A power supply which is included.
Philips at IFA introduced three new audio docks meant to work with portable Android devices like smartphones and tablets. They are largely Android versions of Philips' iPod docks, with the same hardware other than the connectors being micro USB instead of Apple's Dock Connector in this case. The AS111 is the smallest of the three, with the AS351 larger but also made to go mobile thanks to a battery compartment, and the AS851 the largest and offering the best sound.
Both AirPlay and Thunderbolt may be prohibitively expensive for a large number of device makers for either to become mainstream in the near future, sources rumored Friday. AirPlay wireless audio streaming allegedly adds as much as $100 to the price of an audio system since it involves more than just introducing Wi-Fi. Costs were getting lower, iLounge heard, but even Philips' Fidelio system costs $230.
Royal Philips Electronics (Philips) unveiled several new products in its line portable media players and accessories at CES2011. New additions to the Fidelio family of docking stations include the Fidelio Lifestyle Docking Speaker DS8550 and Fidelio Primo Docking Speaker DS9010. The Fidelio DS8550 is a portable speaker that the company claims will dock any iPhone or iPod as well as the iPad. The speakers can be controlled remotely by an app or the device's own remote. A five-hour rechargeable internal battery and A2DP Bluetooth connectivity make the DS8550 a truly portable speaker solution. It is also accepts input from a 3.5mm stereo jack.
Philips has officially launched its Apple-endorsed Fidelio line-up of iPod/iPhone docks. They include the DS9000, DS8500, SBD7500, DS3000 and DS1100. The DS9000 is the flagship, offering compatibility with all iPhones released to date and the vast majority of recent iPods.
