C Crane Co CC2T Radio-2 AM FM/Weather and 2-Meter Ham Band (Titanium)

• Exceptional AM reception and FM/Weather/2-Meter Ham Band
• Built in Twin-Coil Ferrite antenna
• Get government issued alerts on the Weather band
• Life saving information in emergencies like Katrinas come through on the 2-Meter Ham band
• Clock alarm sleep timer headphone jack display light

If you listen to AM a lot and want a digital radio with presets, you don't have a lot of options. You can spend about $75 on the Sangean PR-D5, a very good radio, or spend about $160 on the slightly better CCR-2. I find I like the bigger speaker on the CCR-2 than I do the small twin speakers on the PR-D5. Also the big presets on top of the CCR-2 are easy to find if you're toggling in a dark bedroom and you won't push the radio over. In contrast, the PR-D5 has tiny buttons on the front and it's very easy to tip it over.

FM reception on my CCR-2 has proven to be well above average and even my weak station 89.3 KPCC comes in loud and clear. However, there is hiss on 89.3 through my earbuds, but no hiss on the other, more strong FM stations I listen to on the buds.

As far as a clock radio goes, the CCR-2 is better than the PR-D5 simply for the tip-over factor. If you're not a big AM listener, you might want to look at the Boston Acoustics Horizon Solo, which costs about $90 and has far better fidelity, warmth, and richness of any other table radio I've had and/or tested.

I suspect most people will be happy with the CCR-2. Don't take the great AM reception for granted on this strong radio. Most ferrite antennas are only about 3.5 inches or so and deliver at best mediocre AM. The PR-D5 and the CCR-2 are the only digital radios you can buy now that I know of that have a 200mm (8 inch) ferrite internal AM antenna. If you listen to AM, as I do and are looking for a bedside radio, the CCR-2 is a strong choice.

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If you are looking to get a top-of-the-line radio, this is the one to get. The only thing I can say negative about this radio is that the price is a little steep. Its not for everyone but for those serious radio people out there, get this radio. I heard there were some quality issues with the 1st Ccrane radio but they have all been resolved with this radio. It has weather, HAM, AM and FM. It also has an alarm, timer, sleep function and just about everything you need or can have in a radio except World Band. When I got this radio I was surprised how solid and heavy it feels, especially with the batteries in it (4-D cells) I got the black model (not silver) and was also surprised how good it looks. This radio also has a line out and line in jack and place for a external AM antenna. It has all the bells and whistles someone could possible want or ask for. I havent used the HAM radio function yet and probably wont too much but I hear it could come in handy if a natural disaster occurs and knocks out the local radio stations or other media. The weather channel works great and is a nice feature when you want to check the local weather. It also has a weather alert function that you can keep on and the radio will alert you if there is severe weather on the way. Again, probably not a feature you will use a lot but its great to have just in case. AM and FM work great and you probably wont find a radio that outperforms this radio or has all the features this radio has. It also has a built in light that you can keep on or turn off when you choose. I was debating on whether to purchase this radio because of the price but I am glad I did. I have it on all the time and like the timer feature because I can keep it on when I go to bed and can set it for 120, 90, 60, 30 or 15 minutes and it will turn off if I dose off at night and wont drain the batteries. Like I said, I have had this radio for about 3 months and absolutely love it. A feature I am the most surprised about, I forgot to add, is the sound quality is very, very good. I used to have a GE Super Radio III and thought the sound quality was good but this radio is even better. Well good luck if you purchase this radio and I hope this review has helped make your decision.

Read Best Reviews of C Crane Co CC2T Radio-2 AM FM/Weather and 2-Meter Ham Band (Titanium) Here

The new C. Crane CC Radio-2 is a unique product unique in that it provides exceptionally sensitive AM/FM reception, the 2 Meter VHF HAM band, Weather Band with Weather Alerting, full digital features such as memory presets, clock and timer functions and it can operate on its built in AC power supply or 4 D cells. And specifically, as of this writing, the CC Radio-2 is the most sensitive digitally tuned AM portable you can buy. It is well made and feels solid and natural to use. As an AM radio junkie I find it an especially fun radio to band scan with knowing that it will hear anything that is there to be heard plus it adds digital tuning accuracy.

I believe users of the previous CC Radio models will be well pleased with the changes and improvements incorporated into the CCR2. Those unfamiliar with the CC Radio line will find this to be an attractive quality product that provides them with excellent reception and clock/alarm/timer functions that provide them with a lot of flexibility.

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I like talk radio which is on the AM part of the dial, so I figured that I would spend the considerably extra money to get this special radio. I am very gentle with tools, so I figured that it would last a long time (and I was not planning to let anybody but me use it). A few (like 3)months later, it stopped working. Didn't drop it or anything. I was crazy busy with work, so I put it on the back burner. Finally, about 6 months later I called CCradio and told them the situation. I explained that it had happened a while ago. Their response was that there was nothing they would do about it. I could send it in (and pay for the shipping) and they would TRY to repair it, charging me a minimum of $59.95 to see if they could see what the problem was. There was no promise to fix it, just to look at it. The actual cost to repair would be whatever it turned out to be. My hundred and some dollar radio could turn out to be a two hundred and some dollar radio. No thanks.

If I buy a $30 radio, I don't expect too much if it fails in 3 months. When the radio costs $150 or so, I expect a high level of service to match the high level of pricing. They and their radio failed. I would never buy from them again.

PRODUCT UPDATE!!!!!

I recently had some free(er) time and decided to see if I could find out what was wrong with the CCR radio. It turned out that the perfectly APPEARING speaker was defective (no torn speaker cone nothing). I replaced the speaker and voila! now works again. The company still rates low with me. Poor product support is a deal breaker.

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I am glad I purchased the CC2T radio, which seemed pricey but has many more features than the 25-year-old Radio Shack model which had sputtered in my kitchen until I'd had enough and decided to upgrade. I'm a musician with plenty of experience with audio gear, and the CC2T checks out well both mechanically and electronically. The tuning knob has detents which you can actually feel and hear as you turn from frequency to frequency, the volume knob operates smoothly, and the station preset and other buttons all signal with a positive click when pressed. Even without batteries, the unit has a solid feel. You can safely lift it using the indentation the back, which has a non-slip grip pad. The battery compartment has twin latches to doubly secure against accidental dumping if you use this as a portable.

Electronic functions all check out as well. My primary use of this radio is FM, but I have experimented with the other bands and found them functional, although any useful ham radio reception probably requires an external antenna. Reception in my suburban Boston area is normally good, and the CC2T's digital tuner is picking up more distant stations that were previously inaudible. The weather alert function kicked in prior to a severe rainstorm this past month, and the resulting power-outage didn't effect the radio, which switched seamlessly to battery power. Tone controls for high and low frequency function well, and the audio is adjustable to suit music or news content. The speaker does what you would expect of a small speaker ... this ain't hi-fi, but it's very good as monaural table radios go, and you can use headphones for stereo reception.

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RCA RC150i Dual Wake Clock Radio Dock for iPod and iPhone

• Dual alarm clock radio with iPod and iPhone docking
• Wake to the radio, your alarm or your iPhone or iPod
• Features traditional snooze and sleep functions
• Wide-spaced speakers for crisp and clear audio
• Simple and functional floating design matches well with any home or office décor

DO NOT BUY. This is the worst alarm clock that I have ever owned. It worked with my Iphone for about a month. After that, it wouldn't connect to my Iphone and caused it to not work on any docking station.

Also, the volume for the alarm will not go lower than a level of 10. 10 is blaring! I do not need to be startled awake, very annoying.

Do yourself a favor and don't waste your money on this piece of junk.

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This is an OK product, a bit complicated to learn to set but my real complaint is the "Gradual Wake Up" feature. No matter how softly you set it, it will start low and blast you out of bed on radio or iPod setting. No more lying there and listening to music or news for a couple of minutes in the morning. As such, I have ditched the clock radio aspect and now only have an alarm clock. If you need to be loudly rousted from sleep,this one's for you. Heck, you can have mine, I'm sorry I got it.

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very hard to "READ" the buttons! ipod or iphone cannot be in a case inorder to charge. just very expensive alarm clock.....would not recommend.....

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GenevaSound All-in-One Stereo for CD, iPod, iPhone, Radio Line-in (Large-White)

• iPod+ iPhone Universal Dock compatible with all iPod® models. This has a 30 pin dock that will work with iPhone 4S and earlier
• CD player - slot loading, with best class laser
• FM radio with digital tuner; easy-programmable presets
• RCA plug for all auxiliary audio - e.g., satellite radio, MP3 player, Shuffle, turntable, TV, computer, wireless streamer, and more
• Stereo-mini input for all auxiliary audio - e.g., satellite radio, MP3 player, Shuffle, turntable, TV, computer, wireless streamer, and more

Previously, in my search for the ultimate "all-in-one" sound system, I purchased the B&W Zeppelin and Bose Sounddock 10 and put them head to head in my own home. The B&W zeppelin was the clear the winner of that comparison with clear natural sound that really brought out the beauty of recorded music. The Bose had more volume capability and slightly more bass in the lowest registers, but it struggled to bring out the tone, accuracy and depth of the Zeppelin and my refence system, consisting of Full range Dynaudio Towers and NAD amplification. Of course this led me to wonder if there were any other systems out there that could be better yet. This led to me to Geneva. The Geneva line of systems has been out for several years, but I had never listened to them before. Geneva has systems of various sizes ranging from S to XXL, and I went with one right in the middle, the L. When I received my Geneva L, I was immediately impressed with the packaging and the fit and finish of the product. The glossy paint was perfect and the system integrated perfectly with the brushed metal stand, an optional piece from Geneva. It was very easy to operate. I opened the wooden flap on top of the unit, plugged in my Ipod, and powered the system on. Within minutes I was listening to my playlist. Now it was time to see what this thing could do. I already had a playlist of about 50 songs encoded from my CD collection in apple lossless. This is the same list of songs that I used to evaluate my home reference system, the B&W Zeppelin and Bose Sounddock 10. I then played about 50 hours of music and full bandwidth pink noise through the system in order to break it in. I can't stress enough how much the sound changes in all of these systems during the break in process, the Geneva most of all. After listening to my playlist on the Geneva L, I was truly amazed. The sound was simply fantastic. It has the clarity and tonal excellence of the B&W with overall volume capability and deep bass that surpassed both systems. There were a couple of trouble tracks, such as Joss Stone's "Less is More" and Jack Johnson's "Taylor," which caused the Zeppelin to exhibit port noise and some loss of coherency. The Geneva L played both of those songs beautifully, at high volume, without issue. The overall impact of this system was something that completely took me off guard. Listening to these systems side by side also showed how much deeper the sound stage of the Geneva L was. In fact it projected a sound image that was nearly as wide and deep as my reference system. The Geneva did appear to have less punch with very low volume listening which may be due to less dynamic loudness in the DSP. I also very much enjoyed listening to CD's and FM radio which is all included with the Geneva L. It became obvious to me very quickly as I was comparing the Geneva to other Ipod docks that this was not really apples to apples. First, this is a more expensive product at $999, but it was also a lot more than an Ipod Dock. With CD, FM, ipod and such full range sound, the Geneva was the first system that I consider a true stereo replacement, and could easily be the primary music system in my home. It really has the sound quality, dynamics, and imaging of full size stereo system in one sleek unit with a single single power cord. This system is a unique product is an excellent value for all that it can do, and I look forward to enjoying it for some time to come. I hope this helps anyone who is on the eternal quest for an "all-in-one" system that really can do it all.

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There need be no complaints about any aspect of this system, especially sound/bass.

I play my, well-mastered/produced, CD's flat with bass/treble at "0"(listening to Dub Room Special right now)

and they all sound great. With a powerful enough amplifier, bass & treble controls are fairly unnecessary, IMO.

With each speaker driven with it's own 25W amp, there is plenty of power (some fine sounding systems do very well

with 25W per channel!). It actually sounds best with the volume turned up to about 75. No objectionable distortion.

I set my iPod equalizer to sound best with this system (an important step), which for my music is the "R&B" setting.

Full dynamic range, iPod or CD/FM. Everything sounds great and it sounds great no matter the listening position.

I took a chance with the red, not even sure if I'd like it. It's a beautiful, tough, red lacquer finish.

I've heard just about everything out there. Absolutely no regrets. No bull (and I'm no employee!).

Read Best Reviews of GenevaSound All-in-One Stereo for CD, iPod, iPhone, Radio Line-in (Large-White) Here

I own a Geneva models L and XL. I was so impressed with my original purchase of the XL that I purchased the smaller L unit for my bedroom. First of all the customer service staff was awesome during the purchase. The shipping was easy and the produts were packaged perfectly. Arrival was swift with no damage and the set up was simple for both the XL and L models. The sound of course was the primary reason for the purchase, although the units in red and black look outstanding! The finish on these units is remarkable. Believe me you will be fully satisfied with the sound quality and integrity of these products.

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1) Design: It's striking in its simple design the piano lacquered exterior complements any decor (immediate conversation piece) without clutter in a centralized component.

2) Quality: Solidly built (serious equipment) with European inspiration; sturdy and secure to ensure components are duly protected; packaging is impressive.

3) Sound: Can't be adequately described (beckons to be heard); obviously, rich and intense (imcomparably, the best iPod designed sound system on the market today) and adds a new dimension to all musical genres (even at high volumes).

4) Functionality: Clear and concise in usability; separate bass/treble to further broaden listening pleasure; remote is effortless and complete.

5) Price: Quite reasonable considering this as an investment piece (actually considering the Model XL for the sublime subwoofer addition).

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I own a black model L. If you are considering buying one, then you already know that there isn't anything like it on the market, as least in terms of pure aesthetic quality. The black lacquered cabinet is as exquisitely constructed and flawlessly mirrored as a Steinway piano or '64 low-rider.

The sound quality is equally impressive, filling my large apartment with a depth and density of sound that is the envy of my audiophile friends. But what truly impressed me was when the company sent me a replacement model after I discovered a small glitch outside of the warranty period.

I only have one minor quibble, and for that reason I didn't rate this 5 stars. The remote control has a very narrow line of sight. In some ways, it's an unfair criticism; if there were an external infrared receiver like my ugly, molded plastic Bose, I would never have bought it in the first place. Not perfect, but damn close.

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Pyle Vehicle Radio Player and Speaker Package for Home, Studio, Car, Van, Truck, Mobile etc. - PLRCS

• PLRCS20U - Auto Reverse Cassette Player (automatically rewinds); AM/FM 2-Band Radio; Anti-Theft Pullout System
• AUX Inout Front Panel; Built-In USB Port; RCA Preamp Output; 4 Channel Output
• MP3 Compatible; Auto Antenna Lead; Night Illumination
• Auto Antenna Lead 200 Watts Ouput; Cassette Player; Clock Function
• PLG6C - Non-Fatiguing Butyl Rubber Surround; High Temperature Aluminum Voice Coil; Special Electroplated Steel Basket; 40 Oz. Magnet Structure; One Pair 0.5" Tweeter; 0.5'' Silk Dome Tweeter; Neodymium Magnet

I bought this radio after researching which radios had built in usb ports and then I started looking into Pyle. Never had one before, but absolutely adore it! and this one is the one to buy, I installed it in my Toyota sedan and used the cheap factory speakers but with the awsome bass and multiple selection EQ and punch, it sounded like a million bucks, you just can t beat this product! The USB port is so kool you can plug in your flash drive or any device charge it or just play your music files. Enjoy !!

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XIOS DS Media Play ULTRA SLIM Smart TV Companion w/802.11n Wifi, Ethernet, USB, HDMI. The Official X

• Powered by Android 4 ICS and team behind XBMC who brings you the Official XBMC development platform.
• Built in 10/100 Ethernet connection and 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi connections for all your audio, video streaming demands from internet, networked or DLNA devices.
• Get the latest Internet technology on your TV including a web browser supporting the latest HTML 5, Adobe Flash 10.x, Chrome V8 and Java support.
• Support weather, calendar and hundreds of desktop widgets such as weather, calendar, clock, search, internet radio, photo album and hundreds more!
• Supports a wide range of USB peripherals such as XIOS Sence wireless motion remote, wired/wireless keyboard, mouse, webcam, card reader, digital cameras, and more

Update 01/28: Netflix issues fixed for ICS, check yt v=hdCNZrStoYg

Update 10/09: Major updates for XBMC both Linux and Android, synced with XBMC mainline, most add-ons now work without issues.

Update 8/13: XBMC Linux port released

Update 8/6: Latest GB based released with support for Bluetooth devices.

Update 8/6: More elaborate review for XBMC (most recent version has compatibility for usb pointing devices), check YT video v=6SnPveEkNPc

Update 8/5: The wifi antenna reception issue fixed, check YT video v=cQysHr8mcJg

Update 7/14: Pivos got XBMC running on the XIOS-DS, check YT video v=y4o-k1DxF5w

Pivos just released an Android based super slim box to complement its successful AIOS HD Media Center, Full HD 1080p, Gigabit Network, USB 3.0 data, Flash Reader, 3.5" SATA 2 ? Is Android really the holy-grail of media players ?! well ... read on and tell for yourself.

Unboxing:

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Check my pictures in the gallery section, a DVD used to get an idea about the size of every thing in comparison.

The retail box: though small and humble is huge compared to how small the actual XIOS is.

Package contents: No quick start leaflet included, quick start guide printed on the inner box. You get an HDMI cable (for the only output port on the box), XIOS itself, an IR remote (modest with only few buttons to navigate, change volume and turn on/off the box) and the 5V/2A adapter.

The XIOS: 3xUSB, LAN, mSD slot, power button, firmware recovery/upgrade hole, and the ONLY output is HDMI.

XIOS .. the ICS update ..

-------------------------------

The box comes with Android GB out of the box, I am not going to even bother with that GB is not meant for a big screen display, ICS is already out (posted on the official forums) and takes about 10 minutes to apply, the rest of the review is of Android ICS running on the box.

XIOS .. The good ..

----------------------------

Once ICS is installed there was no issue running MKVs up to 1080p/11GB (over wired network).

After that size, things gets pretty unstable. The majority of my rips past that size are ISOs which isn't supported any way.

YT HD is running without any issue, Flash HD is running fine in Dolphin browser (stick the preloaded 10.2).

Wireless keyboard/mouse combo works fine with the box, but there is no way to turn the box off without the original IR remote (even the motion remote doesn't have a power button) unless you reach for power button the box itself (alternatively you can install widgets from the market to reboot and turn off the box right from the home screen).

ICS comes with the latest Google Play store, app visibility is on bar with all other android devices I have owned.

Experience is as rich as you expect from any ICS based device, Plex works mighty fine additionally there is reports about limited support for webcams and USB microphones.

XIOS ..The bad ..

----------------------

Couple of inconveniences, video playback apps doesn't seem to respect scaling settings, you wouldn't notice this issue if you have a display with no over/under scanning, in which cases you can use a "screen size" setting to adjust the output to your screen size, that said, once video app loads it will automatically revert to the original scale.

Another minor is windowed playback (YT or flash in YT app or web browser), once the video starts, it automatically revert to full screen then "crops" (not minimizes) back to window size, if you would then click on the full screen button at any time you would get proper image.

There is currently no multichannel audio passthrough support (DTS/DD and their HD versions are stereo downmixed).

Some reported issues with the ICS NF app (pausing for buffering after 5 minutes of playback).

XIOS vs. AIOS

------------------

Android is what makes this box shine (and similar boxes), for example when you capture a picture/video with you Android phone while doing your grocery it gets automatically uploaded to your dropbox accounts which is then immediately accessible on your TV with your android media box.

Its not meant to be a power horse (thus lacking with higher bit rate files that the AIOS plays it without a problem), but its meant to offer a way better overall experience. Not to mention I was able to hit 13 mbps MKVs without a problem (which isn't even half bad).

So its a better device all around, but what can the AIOS do that the XIOS can't do ?..

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In a nut shell ?

Not enough power to process high bitrate MKVs (over the network XIOS panic at > 13 mbps while AIOS panic at > 25mbps)

No ISO playback support (Android thing).

No BDMV playback support (Android thing).

No DTS/DD/DTS-MA/DD-TrueHD passthrough/bitstreaming (Android kernel thing).

No output A/V outputs beside HDMI.

For those running the GB firmware and complaining about long strart ups, just move as many apps as you can from main storage to external storage.

Final words

----------------

Its really refreshing to be able to get Android on your big screen, compared to other GoogleTV devices the XIOS is priced right, comes pre-rooted with full Google Playstore access. True the ride is as rough as any other Android tablet/phone but its for sure a step in the right direction.

XIOS .. Set up .. (for the techies)

---------------------------------------------

Playback done over wired network.

Accessed SMB shares are mapped using the included CIFS manager.

All playback attempts were done using the moboplayer app.

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Sample video details of the 1080p rips that worked ..

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Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 5 frames

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 2h 26mn

Bit rate : 9 205 Kbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 800 pixels

========================================================

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 1h 17mn

Bit rate : 13.3 Mbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 1 080 pixels

========================================================

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames

Muxing mode : Header stripping

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 1h 42mn

Bit rate : 14.0 Mbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 798 pixels

========================================================

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 5 frames

Format settings, GOP : M=4, N=48

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 1h 57mn

Bit rate : 9 169 Kbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 816 pixels

========================================================

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 5 frames

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 1h 54mn

Bit rate : 8 020 Kbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 816 pixels

========================================================

MKVs that didn't work smoothly (some would require repeated buffering, others would cut and skip randomly)

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 5 frames

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 2h 34mn

Bit rate : 8 849 Kbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 800 pixels

========================================================

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 5 frames

Muxing mode : Header stripping

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 2h 11mn

Bit rate : 15.8 Mbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 816 pixels

========================================================

Video

ID : 1

Format : AVC

Format/Info : Advanced Video Codec

Format profile : High@L4.1

Format settings, CABAC : Yes

Format settings, ReFrames : 4 frames

Codec ID : V_MPEG4/ISO/AVC

Duration : 1h 27mn

Bit rate : 20.8 Mbps

Width : 1 920 pixels

Height : 800 pixels

========================================================

Buy XIOS DS Media Play ULTRA SLIM Smart TV Companion w/802.11n Wifi, Ethernet, USB, HDMI. The Official X Now

To be honest with you, I was waiting for the Apple TV Gen 3 to be jailbroken, so I could install XBMC on it. With the recent announcement of XBMC for Android, Apple's device can now be put where it belongs: A hard to use, locked down machine suitable only for playing iTunes stuff. Sorry Apple, but I've had enough fooling around with a Gen 1 unit to last me a lifetime, and your reluctance to make a device that's hacker friendly is understandable, but annoying as all get-out.

On to the Xios. It comes in a nice box with the player, remote, wallwart, and HDMI cable. Amazing it took this long for someone to include ALL the proper cables with a device, but there it is. Hookup is easy. HDMI and power to the box, HDMI to the TV, and you're off. It took me 15 minutes from UPS dropping the box on my door to playing a shoutcast stream on the TV.

While I have not had a whole lot of time to play with it, here are some observations:

A USB keyboard and mouse make things easier.

If you plan on using wired ethernet, turn it on in the settings first.

Set your TV resolution in the settings while you're there. If you don't know, leave it alone.

You'll need the mouse to accept the marketplace terms. I could not get it to work any other way.

And, link it to your current Android account (if you have one.) This allows your applications to sync.

I'm planning on playing more with it over the weekend, and installing XBMC on it as well. I'll report back when I know more.

Edit:

You have root right out of the box.

I deleted Facebook (ugh) and froze Crackle, as they wanted to run in the background all the time.

The ICS upgrade is available in the Pivos forums, but I have not applied it yet.

The remote is primarily for the media player functions; you really need a keyboard and mouse to use the desktop.

Update 1-19-2013

After playing with this box for a while, I decided to try the XBMC Linux build. It's easy to install, just drop the .img file on a small uSD card, insert it into the slot, and hold down the reset button (on the bottom) while applying power.

It's pretty much all you need. Now, I know this thing is kind of lo-powered these days, so mega-bitrate stuff may not play well. But, everything I currently have is SD, and it works great.

For anyone having trouble connecting a Synology Diskstation to one of these, either enable the uPnP media station features on the NAS (XBMC sees these no problem!) or the more tech minded can edit the userdata files in $home / .xbmc / userdata according to the methods laid out in the XBMC wiki.

Read Best Reviews of XIOS DS Media Play ULTRA SLIM Smart TV Companion w/802.11n Wifi, Ethernet, USB, HDMI. The Official X Here

If you only used the XIOS as it comes in the box, running Android 2.3 and a handful of pre-installed video players from the Google Play store, you could be forgiven for thinking it was awful. However all you need is an SDMicro card and an easily downloaded update file from PIVOS's website to turn this ugly duckling into a swan that lays golden eggs. Or is that a goose? Swans lay eggs too, though, so I'm going to let that mixed metaphor stand. Anyway, the update process takes no more than 5 minutes, and most of that time is just waiting for it to finish. The only effort is downloading a file and copying it to an SDMicro card.

Once you get the XIOS updated to run either Linux or Android 4.0, and then launch the XBMC program that is included with both, what you end up with is a stream box that can play just about any downloaded video file you can throw at it. It handles multiple audio tracks and subtitles with ease. It can work as an AirPlay target for your iPad or iPhone. It can index and catalog your collection of music, movies and tv programs. It can load files from USB devices or over the network from Windows, OSX and Linux computers. You can control the interface using a free app available in both the Apple and Google app stores. These are just the highlights, the device is capable of a lot more, both natively and through easily enabled plugins.

The WiFi performance is acceptable, and the wired performance is excellent for the 100mbit interface that it comes with. The device is so small and light that it can easily be tucked behind a wall-mounted flat screen or placed anywhere in your home entertainment center.

If you are looking for a set top stream box, and can download a file to an sdcard, you'll be very well served by purchasing this device and updating it. If you just want to open the box and have something that works straight away with no fuss, you might be better served by looking at another unit.

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My primary use is for XBMC. Before purchasing the XIOS DS I was using a laptop w/ XBMC. I was looking for something cheaper + smaller; did a lot of 'online' research of many different products, and chose the XIOS DS.

After I played with the Android GUI for about 5-10 mins (the unit came with v4.0.? installed) I dropped it in favor of Linux.

There are still bugs on the software side which is expected (it's still in BETA), however do not let that discourage you from purchasing; visit the Pivos forums a couple times and you'll see these issues are being worked on daily (there are also 'unofficial nightly builds' of the main codebase). For me it is 'exciting' visiting the forums and seeing a new build and the list of issues it fixes. For upgrading the software (and if you have a large library) I recommend purchasing a MicroSD card. Upgrading only takes about 5 mins. SSH and SCP can be used for direct management of the box and file transfers, however depending on your usage may not be necessary.

The provided remote is as described by previous reviewers (loud, sometimes unresponsive). I tested out my old Windows MCE remote and that worked better out of the box, however I still use the provided remote.

My library consists of MKVs and ISOs from DVDs and Blu-rays in my collection (sitting on a NAS box). This unit can play 1080p blu-ray rips just fine. All the video codecs I tried worked fine with the current exception of the VC-1 codec, but this is a known issue and a quick search on the forums shows the developers are aware and working on a fix. DTS HD sound is not supported (it does not say anywhere that it was 'supposed' to be supported so this is not an issue for me). DTS and less work fine.

Props to Pivos and XBMC on the XIOS DS + Linux port, this little box is great and I will be buying a few more.

Every Linux dabbler or pro will love this thing. Add a micro SD card and WinSCP into the thing and upload the latest beta linux firmware from the pivos forums then SSH into it using "root" "letmein" then "reboot recovery" and install the firmware. Then soft link addons and userdata to your micro sd card and it works great! Below is a script I made to make soft links easy. Enjoy!

========> Start copy below this line End copy above this line

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Sony MEXBT4100P Car Receiver with Bluetooth Receiver, Remote Radio with Pandora

• Integrated Bluetooth with Simple Secure Pairing
• App Remote for iPhone & Android smart phones
• Front USB in for iPod, iPhone & other USB devices
• Pandora internet radio app control
• Dynamic Color Illuminator with Sound Synchronization

I bought this unit for the family minivan recently. The wife commented how she wished she could play her Android phone through the stereo like I could (Kenwood w/aux input) so I bought the Sony. She was instantly upset claiming that it would look terrible and she could never figure out how to use my stereo. I installed it anyway with an Axxess AWSC interface so she could even keep her steering wheel controls. I used a (Metra?) install kit that included a lower pocket under the radio that gave it a more factory appearance and also eliminated the need for the radio trim plate. The included Mic was a neat little bonus, took a little to route the wire down the A pillar and over the instrument cluster but it makes the whole package just that much cooler. OK, so everything installed easily, I soldered and heatshrinked my adapter harness (Schose?) together and included the steering wheel adapter into this main harness. After the reassembly it really looked clean. I went through the menu to set everything up, paired my phone and wow, clean sound using Bluetooth from my phone. The audio setup options are plentiful, the eq presets are great and you can tweak it if you like. The display has 35,000 color options, I prefer the random fade. It also allows you to make calls from your contact list using just the radio interface. The final test was when the wife came home and I showed her how to use it. She loved it, she paired her phone, made a call, played some music and life was good. Now I am jealous and want to upgrade my aging stereo to Bluetooth!

Update: After a couple weeks my wife informed me that the clock would randomly display an incorrect time for about 5 minutes and even pointed it out when it happened so I did witness that anomaly. She also said the speakers faded in and out at times but I haven't confirmed that issue myself. Still pleased with the unit, it pairs up quickly. Unfortunately our phones will play for about 15 minutes before rebooting. This is obviously a phone issue though, re-pairing is required but pretty easy with the right widgets set up.

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I bought this car receiver last week. Its very ease to install and use, I am very pleased with the equipment. However, I have problem connecting my Iphone 4s via USB , the equipment do not recognise the phone. I have tried with differents cables and it does not works with the Iphone 4s but it work as espected with my ipod 4th generation and a pendrive. I have talked with Sony customer service as well as Apple's and none of them gave me a solution or diagnostic. Nonetheless is a very good stereo.

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Sony ZSS4IP 30-Pin iPod/iPhone Speaker Dock Boombox with CD Player

• The Universal Adapter makes sure that any iPod with a dock connector or iPhone™ will be able to connect to the ZS-S4iP.
• Secures your iPod oriPhone during transport so you can listen to your tunes on the go
• Manage your music directly from your iPod or iPhone, on the boombox itself, or with an included remote
• Secure docking compartment that protects and charges your iPod or iPhone
• Digital Synthesized AM/FM tuner with 20 FM presets and 10 AM presets

I have the white version of this out on the pool deck it doesn't get as hot as a dark colored unit would. I read all the reviews for this boombox, and I was very hesitant together they averaged out rather negative when I was shopping for it. I owned the comparable iLive boombox can't remember the model number it was very sleek and looked sort of like a cylinder. Anyway it was awful. Kept running the batteries down when turned off I had to take the batteries out when not in use. It used six D batteries and it was heavy. It had no remote and the iPod control was awkward. The sound was distorted at around the seven or eight level. It stopped working altogether after one year. I paid around $90 for it, but now it goes for around $50. I was so afraid I would wind up with the same disappointment. But anyone who wants a portable (can use batteries) CD, iPod, AM/FM radio together in one box knows that you are at the mercy of the electronics makers. There simply aren't many of them. There should be, in this day and age but almost none of them have everything you are looking for. So, as my choices were slim, I crossed my fingers and took a chance on the Sony.

Well this Sony unit is an absolute breath of fresh air. The remote actually does operate the iPod. Yes, the iPod is a little hard to see in there. But the door that holds the iPod like a cassette door does a great job of protecting the iPod and keeping it in place. It's a trade off. The sound isn't that of a Bose. It's not going to wake the neighbors it's not REALLY loud. But out by the pool I can turn it up to hear it anywhere on the deck or in the pool, and it isn't distorted. It's also much lighter than the iLive, even comparing them both without their batteries. It uses C batteries, so with the batteries the advantage increases. I think this is the very best you can do for the money. If you wanted to invest more in a higher quality system, you would still find it difficult to obtain a unit with all the features offered here. Especially, if you want to be able to listen to a baseball game with it with a push of a button. I kind of still think that the old CD boomboxes had better quality sound at higher volume and were cheaper, so I don't know why Sony can't do that today. For this reason, it isn't perfect, so I gave it four stars. Relative to other available units that offer ALL the same features, this unit would deserve five stars. If you want a versatile quality boombox, but you don't need it to blow your hair back, this is your choice!

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The features and design of this little box would have been perfect. If only it didn't sound like crap. The under-powered 2W drivers had no presence, no bass what so-ever, even though it includes Sony's meaningless MegaBass.

I love the fact that it is basically a CD/AM/FM Boombox with the ipod/iphone dock. I also love how my iphone docks and is protected by the cassette deck-like enclosure. Control with the remote was also pretty good. The overall design was quite handsome.

But at the end, the most important thing was the sound quality and this rather big unit (compared with my Altec Lansing IM7) was pathetic. Even compared with some iHome clock radios, it was pathetic. Given the other features, if it was just a bit lacking, I would give it at least a two, maybe three stars. But it was SOOOO bad that I have to give it a 1. Hopefully Sony will come out with unit just like this with a decent amp and drivers.

Sony has two other models (XDR-S10HDiP and SRS-GU10IP) that sounded rather nice, but they're not portable (does not operate on batteries). One is an HD Radio and the other just a speaker. Neither have the nice enclosure nor CD Player.

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I got this as a christmas gift to use with my iphone in my basement by my hobby setup. Being a basement, I don't need anything extraordinary or high-end. Having been a fan of Sony products I was excited to try this out. Unfortunately, I was surprisingly disappointed. The sound from this is nothing short of horrid. It has what Sony terms "mega bass." That's funny since even with the "mega bass" (which you cannot select or deselect) there is ZERO low-end to this device. The sound is very "tinny" and even a little distorted and there are no options for any tonal adjustments. It seems Sony was in a rush to be one of the first to have an "iphone" compatible boom box but didn't care to do it right. The other MAJOR PROBLEM is that if you have ANY sort of case on your phone (even a slim protective skin) it WILL NOT fit in the player without first taking the case off, every single time you want to listen to it. When you put your iphone in, it closes like a cassette player used to. If you have any sort of skin or case on it, the door will simply not close and will not play off your phone. If you really need something that will play CD's and radio and accommodate and work with your iphone, your choices are limited so if you really need all that then this may be what you have to get. If you want any sort of sound quality and don't want to take the case off your phone every time, then I would avoid this. Sony really dropped the ball on this one. The only reason I gave it a one star and not zero was that it does actually work with the iphone and can play CD's and the radio which not many other devices offer right now. But other than that, its a zero.

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...although in this case you get pretty good hamburger for your money.

What this boombox isn't: it is not a high end, ruggedly constructed unit that will fill a dance hall with room shaking sound and bass. It *is* an excellent way to enjoy listening publicly (vs. with buds stuffed in your ears) to the many hours of music on your iPod in a portable unit that not only protects your iPod, controls your iPod remotely (and the "box" itself) but can charge your iPod(when the "box" is running on AC). The Sony has been built to a price point ...the better to satisfy the burning hunger we Americans have for truly cheap goods ...and to expect more from it than you get, well, you need to change your medications. This is a Sony, but it's made in China.

If listening to multiple hours of tunes is not enough, there's a built-in AM/FM radio and, old tech here, a CD player capable of using both CD-R and CD-RW discs (the kind you'd rip on your computer). The CD player is not designed to play CDs while on the move; it has no delay memory to compensate for skips when the unit gets jostled and it won't read mp3 encoded discs either but ...that's why you've got the iPod ...dooh.

Now hear this:

Sound quality. This will not send seismic reverberations of bass frequencies through your home or be mistaken for a Billy Joel (or anyone elses) concert when played outside ...not with two 3 1/4 inch speakers driven mightly by all of two watts per channel of power. The ultimate sound quality of this boombox depends primarily on two things: how compressed your mp3 songs are on your iPod (128kbs; 256kbs; 1026kbs; etc.) and what pre-programed "EQ" setting you have selected on your iPod. The more compressed your iPod music is the crappier it's gonna sound when played over a sound system ...even a basic low power system like this one. On the Sony the only "tone" control you have is selecting the "MegaBass" option via the remote; trust me, with two watts of power there is *nothing* gonna be "Mega" about the bass. In fact, if you do select "MegaBass" and your iPod is set to some bass-heavy EQ setting, the sound will distort at relatively moderate levels ...there's just not enough power in the amps to make it work. I have found setting my 5th Gen iPod EQ to "Acoustic" and leaving the "MegaBass" option off produces a nice, full, clean sound I can play at a fairly robust level ...but then I rip all my music to my iPod using Apple's AAC encoder (mp4) at 256kbs ...your results may vary.

Best Features:

This Sony is one of the few boombox-style docking stations (and the only one I found) that protects your iPod by keeping it in a cassette-like well with a cover; all the others have your little jewel just hangin' out there in the breeze just waiting to be knocked off. For you "touchy-feely" types with an iPod Touch, the clear plastic well cover comes off and an included plastic trim piece goes on in its place ...leaving your Touch touchable.

The Sony is a truly portable iPod docking station just like a cassette/CD style unit; it even has a big handle on it to help balance it on your shoulder. The system will run on six C-cell batteries or off AC power; no, the C-cells won't recharge in unit if you install rechargeable batteries (part of the price point thing). With the unit running on AC power it will charge your iPod while it's in the docking well; if it is running on battery power it will not charge the iPod.

And it wouldn't be complete without a remote. The remote will operate all the functions of the boombox itself...and it's the only way to select "MegaBass" ...plus it will access all your iPod menus and allow you to make selections and changes (like setting one of the various EQ settings) ...at least it does on my aging 5th Gen iPod.

According to the instructions the unit is compatible with:

iPod classic; iPod (5th & 4th Gen; 4th Gen w/color display); iPod nano (1st thru 4th gen); iPod mini

iPod touch; iPod touch 2nd Gen

iPhone; iPhone 3G; iPhone 3GS

Overall, this is a nice unit. You can't drive nails with it and if you try hard enough it will break but with a modicum of care it should last awhile (at least a one hudred dollar's worth "awhile"). I'm sure there are other units that sound sweeter and have a rugged as nails construction but for a casual use, highly versatile and portable unit with some very handy features ...for the price ...this Sony is hard to beat. It may not be filet mignon but it makes for a darn good hamburger.

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I bought this to replace a very old Panasonic radio that I use at work. Since I listen to podcasts all night at work, I wanted something that I could hook my iPod up to. I'm very impressed with this radio. It's got everything I could want out of a radio now. I'm able to use my iPod. It protects it nicely while in use, and even keeps it charged up! I haven't used the tuner much, but that's not what I bought it for, so if that's what you are interested, you might want to read a few other reviews. The little bit that I used the tuner, it worked fine. Setting the presets is a bit of a challenge, but again, that's not what I'm using it for.

As far as sound quality, it's pretty good for what it is. It'd be nice to be able to change levels, but Sony has always liked to leave you with few options in that department since I first started owning radios. It's not a full blown component system with subs. It does just fine in my opinion, and I have a very very picky ear when it comes to sound.

You might want to order one of those little iPod adapter (you know, the little insert that you have to put in your dock so the iPod doesn't move around too much) since the radio doesn't come with the set like most docks do, but that's getting really nit picky.

If you're looking for something for the office, or work, or something that's easily portable for your iPod you've found it. This is a great buy.

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Archos 35 Home Connect 4GB

• The web radio evolves with Android thanks to the ARCHOS Home Connect and its 3.5 inch touchscreen
• The ARCHOS Home Connect includes two built in high definition speakers in specially designed cases for improved bass
• As the ARCHOS Home Connect is light and has an extra-long battery-life you can take the great sound with you around the home and beyond.

I fell in love with the concept of this device when I stumbled on it @ Archos' website. Unfortunately, the execution fell short, primarily in how much Archos skimped on quality of the touchscreen. If any device ever cried out for OLED (a screen technology where light is emitted by each individual pixel rather than one big back light), this would be it. In its night mode where it shows the time in white with the rest of the display black, this low-contrast backlit display still lights up a dark room enough that my wife complained about sleep quality on night 2. The display's touch response is abysmal as well for anything beyond tapping simple scrolling gestures through my music are often misinterpreted, and the display is so small that only three or four items are displayed in many lists, making it difficult to find your place again when it scrolls too much.

On the plus side, the speakers were better than I would have expected from a device of this size & weight.

If Archos thinks they needed to hit a certain price point to make an alarm clock viable, fine, but they should offer a more expensive model that's the same, just with a higher-res and more touch-responsive OLED. I still like the concept enough that I'd take them up on it.

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Boy this is a tough review to write. As an alarm clock, the Archos

1) Does everything you need to make a perfect alarm clock

2) Does them all poorly.

Where do I start? I guess with the screen, the resistive screen works OK to push buttons, but scrolling, which is a breeze on any cellphone, is an exercise in frustration here, sometimes it scrolls, sometimes it doesn't, sometimes it thinks you want to push a button.

The other major annoyance is the clock. The dimmer is too bright, so you have to point the clock at the wall otherwise it shines in you eyes. The other thing is the clock has a timeout you cannot switch off, so instead of the nice clock you can see in some screenshots, you get a dull green clock that bounces around the screen. Also, the clock is not the main screen, it's an application, so you are constantly going back to the main screen then pushing the clock application button.

The clock comes preset with appslib as the default android market. This pales in comparison to the Google market, you cannot browse for apps on you computer, and browsing on the clock is frustrating, so you end up browsing the Google market then searching on AppsLib once you have found the app you like. The Archos is compatible with the fewest apps I have ever seen, about 70% pf the apps are not compatible.

Now for some good news. The radio is fantastic, and the music app is very good. Also, and the most satisfying thing is, if you do not like the way something works, you can find a new app and substitute that. I customized my Archos as follows:

Replaced the clock app with Alarm Clock Plus. Its the same app as installed, but the market version has more options, including the option to turn off the screensaver. Added Google voice so I can listen to podcasts. Added Mortplayer so I can listen to audiobooks. Added Arctools to get the Google Market. Added Shuttle FTP server so I can transfer files between my computer and the Archos over the WiFi.

So now I have an alarm clock that is designed the way I want it, with functions I need. Thats the good news. Does that negate the poor screen navigation, lack of apps compatibility, and the too bright screen? Not sure, I have decided to keep the Archos, but as soon as someone else come out with a better android alarm clock, I'm first in line to buy it.

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I had been waiting for the release of this for a while because I thought that it would make a good internet radio and alarm clock.

First impressions are good. Immediately on unpacking and turning it on, it found my wifi network (but it, as so many other wifi gadgets only works on basic configuration routers-no 5Ghz here). It then performed a firmware upgrade.

After that, it was a case of entering in email details and logins, and it was good to go.

It has Tunein Pro-a bonus, as I was only expecting the basic version. Sound volume is good, and the quality not bad at all.

The alarm clock works fine, with lots of options.

It's rechargeable, but the battery only seems to last about 4 hours. Maybe it will improve with use. The manual warns against leaving the usb charger plugged in, but I'm going to ignore that. Having to plug and unplug it all the time when it's sitting on the bedside table being an alarm clock would be a bit of a pita.

All in all, I'm glad that I bought it.

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I love this thing. The speakers sound great and the actions are responsive. Just a few problems resistive (physical pressure based) screen and the action buttons don't light up. So if you are a gadget snob, don't buy this. It isnt a modern miracle piece of technology. But if you want a great little android stereo then you'll be pleased like me.

I have to admit there are a few minor nuisances, as with any Android device and any touchscreen device, but overall, it is about the most brilliant "clock radio" I have ever seen.

My two biggest complaints are that the little icons for home, back arrow, settings, etc., should be illuminated if possible, and I don't really like the way the USB power cord plugs into the rear; it can make the radio a little unstable. But these are minor.

Perfect size and remarkably good sound for that size. The ability to load my own music, listen to TuneIn Radio Pro, including local stations, is just what I wanted.

I can go to sleep listening to the radio or music of my choice

I can glance at the clock and see the time and temperature.

And of course it is an alarm clock.

It has a variety of apps preloaded and available, much like any Android phone does. For the most part I don't see the need to play angry birds on a clock radio or use it as an internet browser or calculator, but I suppose these could be nice options for some.

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