WiFi  Radio

The ten models pictured represent only a small fraction of the number of Internet Radios available to world wide web listeners in the 2nd decade of the 21st century.   These particular ones are also part of a group numbering 50 or more that all have one feature in common.  They all include Music Tampa in their web radio list now totaling somewhere around 17,000 stations.  And this network is relatively small, compared to others, also availble on sets like these, and many, many others.  Shoutcast Radio for example now boasts a system numbering near 50,000 world wide.  Then there is a new breed of internet based operations penetrating the mainstream alternate media like Pandora, AOL Radio, AccuRadio,, AOL Radio, and who knows how many others.  It can probably safely be said that web-savy listeners have 100,000 or more options available.  MTB is just one fish in a huge sea.

Music Tampa Bay has been looking for a simple pocket sized portable internet radio for some time, one that is capable of picking up WiFi signals and providing access to stations from all around the world.  Importantly, the ideal set would include the capability to program specific stations, such as Music Tampa Bay, into the tuner.  This mighty mite fills the bill, and then some.  Marketed on-line through Sears, Wal-Mart, Amazon, and other major retailers, it is priced nicely below $100 and offers a variety of features.  First among these is sort capability by region, country and genre.  MTB is listed in the Alternative category.  30 stations can be preset from an automatically updated list in the neighborhood of 17,000 stations, and if a station is not in their system, it can be added with little difficulty.  There is even a standard broadcast circuit for listening to local FM radio.  This particular model is sold under the Mutant name, though the manufacturer re-brands it under several different names for resellers around the world.  Two known re-branded models are sold under the names Epoq and Full-Join, probably in Europe or Asia, or both.  USA based user support is reportedly available, though no attempt has been made (yet) to confirm this, or verify the quality of service.  The radio boosts a decent speaker that provides decent volume from a rechargeable battery, and headphone quality can be considered to be excellent in both the FM and Internet modes.  Setting up the unit is not as simple as turning a broadcast model on for the first time.  Calibration of WiFi signals and scrolling through a tiny display to enter alphanumeric characters, especially for secured network passwords, can all be challenging.  Presumably selecting alternate unsecured WiFi at public locations like Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's and Tampa Airport does not require quite so much detail, though this feature has not yet been tested as of this report.  Controls are fairly simple, with a number of menus to navigate before the thing starts playing, but once it does, its a whole new world.  There's magic in picking stations from all around the world, and all original music by local Tampa Bay artists too, all the time.   Take look at the wide variety of Internet Radios available on the Listen page on this website.  There are about two dozen available from Sears alone with prices ranging into the several hundred dollars.  There may be as many as a hundred different models to choose from on the market today.  The Dawn of the Web Radio Age is here.