Ericsson's first cordless Internet Radio, the H100, will be available in the US by the end of the year, bringing wireless internet audio to the home. The new radio, which is a joint co-operation between Ericsson and the MTVi Group, uses the wireless Bluetooth technology to allow the radio to access the internet without the need for a computer PC link.

The portable radio is battery-powered and can be positioned up to 100 metres away from the Bluetooth access point, which connects to the internet using broadband technology, such as ADSL. The radio can also be connected via an Ethernet cable to an existing broadband modem.

There are shortcut buttons on the unit to allow the listener to browse and select stations, and save favourites to presets. The radio will also enable users to build up a music archive and access sound files over the internet or from a nearby computer.

The unit comes with built-in stereo speakers, a headphone jack and phono outputs so that the sound can be fed through a conventional hi-fi system. There's also an alarm clock that can wake the listener with a preset radio station or sound file.

Lars Lindberg, Vice President and General Manager of Ericsson Home Communications, said:

"Increasingly, the way we connect to the internet in the home will not just be from a computer, but from a range of small to medium-sized products."

Kerbango player incorporates an AM/FM radio

3Com's acquisition of Kerbango last year, manufacturer of the world's first standalone internet radio, has led to the launch of the brand new Kerbango Internet Radio. Like the Ericsson H100, the Kerbango lets listeners tune in to thousands of internet radio sites, separated into categories such as music, news, sport, talk and more. The radio needs a broadband internet connection, such as ADSL, and a power socket.

The Kerbango has stereo speakers, an AM/FM tuner, alarm clock and stereo output jacks for linking the radio up to an existing hi-fi system. However, it is not currently available in the UK.

Philips FWi1000 searches for stations by genre, location or language

Philips has also announced the arrival of the InterNet FWi1000 hi-fi system, the world's first combined hi-fi system to include access to internet radio. The system allows uninterrupted streaming of radio stations over the internet, using a broadband connection such as ADSL.

The InterNet FWi1000 offers more than 1000 radio stations through an 'always-on' connection, so that it's possible to listen to any station at any time. The system allows stations to be sorted by genre, location or language for flexibility and customisation. The unit can also display the station name and the artist and title while the music is playing.

The system also has a 3 CD changer and a 220 watt amplifier, and uses Philips' curiously-named wOOx bass-enhancement technology. The hi-fi can also be used to play MP3 files stored on a PC, and is upgradeable to allow new features and audio functions to be downloaded to the radio. The radio will be available toward the end of the year in the US.

Andy Mintz, senior vice president and general manager of Philips Consumer Electronics in North America, said:

"It is estimated more than 3.5 million college students listen to streaming audio each week. Other studies show that internet radio usage has more than doubled since 1999. The market has enormous potential and Philips has a terrific product, in the FWi1000 to offer to this audience."

For more information, see the following sites:
Ericsson
3Com
Philips

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