Small device with one of: ethernet, wifi, USB.
Device boots and logs on then plays whatever music streaming stations have been set up: pandora, rhapsody, last.fm, etc.
Device uses low-power FM to broadcast whatever is streaming so people can listen via their existing stereo gear.
Device programmable from computer when plugged in to USB or network. So device should do DHCP to get on network.
Device will have no buttons nor display. Possibly could have on/off switch, network activity LED, broadcasting LED. Also possibly a button to cycle through pre-programmed profiles (effectively changing the streamed content).
Make money on the hardware. Make it "open" so others can modify and upgrade the firmware.
This should be much cheaper than the all-in-one boxes for $150+. $200 wifi radio.
This FM transmitter is $70.
This transmitter with a multitude of adapters is $99.
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Add-on subscription (or free for one year, or supported some other way) service to manage the device online from a web page. Allow "channel" change and subscribing to data feeds that will be read over the radio. A full-scale daily programming set up by the person.
For example, stock market data every 15 mins, music from some channel the other times, alerts read out for certain things (stock price changes...), weather in the morning on the hour...
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Costco is selling "Creative Labs Sound Blaster SB1170 Wireless System for iTunes Transmitter & Receiver" for $199.99. Includes USB stick with antenna, and receiver with speaker. Streams " iTunes music, Windows Media, Internet Radio or any audio from your PC".
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
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