Slashdot Mirror
Apple Rolls Out AirPort Express, AirTunes
das writes "Apple has introduced AirPort Express (specs), a palm-sized, portable 802.11g base station with 10/100 ethernet, USB printer sharing, and analog and optical audio output, for connection to a stereo system or powered speakers for streaming your music collection via 'AirTunes.' It supports multiple profiles for easy use at multiple locations It can plug directly into the wall as a "power brick", or use a longer power cord, similar to the newer PowerBook AC adapters. AirTunes requires iTunes 4.6, expected to be available soon."
Just hope my neighbors get 'Airtunes' within a reasonable timeframe...they took forEVER to get a wireless router. Some people are so lazy...
An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
I don't need it, I can't afford it...but it's just so cool. Sigh. Apple really got their foot in the door when I got this PowerBook.
Where is my credit card?
Itunes Remote $59:
s pml
http://www.keyspan.com/products/homepage-Remotes.
>the UI is frankly much better than iTunes anyway (especially if >you have a LOT of music
Cough. To each his own I guess....
This'll be badass with my shreddin air guitar!!
I also reply below your current threshold.
... there comes a point where all this convenience is deadly to fat guys like me. I'll just stick with putting a CD in my stereo, thanks. North America has so much convenience we're all dropping dead. I even have a remote control to turn on my Exercycle from the couch, so my wife thinks I'm excercising when I'm actually watching Smallville reruns.
I'm not normally an irrational zealous dickhead, but I figure "When in Rome..."
dude, you're getting a squeezebox
Ironically, the word ironically is often used incorrectly.
Now my question is is why do people slam Apple for creating products that only work with their products? No one slams Microsoft for creating software that only works with their products. Why is this?
Because Apple hasn't been declared an illegal monopoly which has abused its market position on several occasions in both the US and Europe.
Given one hour to live, the student replied: "I'd spend it with professor FP who can make an hour seem like a lifetime."
Or maybe it's short for "Lying Apple Makes Excuses".
Read the EFF's Fair Use FAQ
"Hookers are Free!"
Those are called "Sluts"
Trolling is a art,
Those tiny white earbuds become tiny white pains in the ass if used for any period of time, and I like to hear the phone ring while I'm working.
You're supposed to stick them in your ear.
A programmer is a machine for converting coffee into code.
Mail them and ask them to write it into the DVD player app. They listen, it's kind of scary.
yeah, mpg123 and winamp really do have a better gui then iTunes...
or are you saying that there are no good music player UIs out there at all?
And I was getting so psyched last night because I got my Via EPIA board loaded up with Fedora and XMMS, and could finally stream my favorite streaming audio site, albeit with Ethernet cable (Wi-Fi was on my project plan), and pipe it through my office stereo.
And this little beauty will plug right into the wall socket by my stereo for a lot less money, less hassle, etc.
Anybody wanna buy an EPIA, slightly used?
(DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN DAMN......)
--- The American Way of Life is not a birthright. Hell, it's not even sustainable.
> It's most likely the only AP that was designed for portability (correct me if I'm wrong)
Heck, this is Slashdot - people correct you when you're right.
Keep in mind that right now, they are not advertising this as a plain audio-out device. You won't necessarily be able to play your DVD to your AirTunes device. This is an output for iTunes only. So surround-sound is overkill even for audiophiles. Overkill for everyone except Flaming Lips fans.
There are no trails. There are no trees out here.
Dear Apple,
Please stop making so many little, cool geek products. I'm running out of money.
Love, Norm
OK, why spend money on this when you can build an analog oscillator hooked to your computer and using frequency modulation to broadcast your computer's sound over AM radio waves??? I have done this so that way I can listen to my good music outside with a cheap radio. I don't know what AirTunes costs, but my method is very cheap. In fact, it's so awesome you can set it up to broadcast over any frequency! I bet the FCC wouldn't be happy about this, but my signal isn't very strong.
Yeah, and AAC/MP3 -> digi optical does...? You're not going to be playing audio CDs in your powerbook if you care about this sort of thing, because after all, you've got a $1k CD player, right?
Yeesh, you audio weirdoes...
Please help metamoderate.
You're supposed to stick them in your ear. Ahh... I thought the clerk said your rear!
"Was it a millionaire who said 'Imagine No Posessions?'" -- Elvis Costello
So THATs what those things are for! I wondered why the sound was so weak and muffled...
Urge to post... fading... fading... RISING!... fading... fading... gone.
Just for the record, you could also plug headphones into the mini-jack, though I find it somewhat unlikely that people would be interested in plugging there head directly into a power outlet, which is the impression you would get with this device.....
Funny. After reading some of this discussion (your comment excluded), I honestly couldn't think of a better idea right now.
The next comment I write will be ready soon, but subscribers can beat the rush and see it early!
Perhaps we'll see the combination of AirTunes software with Garage Band? The new AirGuitar software should really liven the party up.
I can get a device that connects my stereo to an 802.11 network for $25? Where? I'll buy ten.
Why yes, I AM a rocket scientist!
AirTunes has an amazingly powerful remote. It's called a Powerbook (must be purchased separately...). ;->
May i remind everyone of the "ipod-mini effect". Since all /.ers think that this will sell extremely well, i think Apple have made a serious mistake in releaing the AirPort Express
That's the first time I've heard Apple get dissed for selling something too inexpensively. You just can't please people. ;-)
Read the EFF's Fair Use FAQ
I'm tired of different PLUG per device. I have a large 12VDC power supply powering a couple switches, a soekris and a couple other things. I now seek out 12VDC things.
Many things that use less than 12V DC run just fine at 12V DC I mod quite a bit of bunk to POE and always overestimate voltage drop. My rule of thumb is 5 - 9V devices go to the 12V power supply.
In other news today, Apple's .mac servers were given an unexpected stress test today as the Salling Clicker site, hosted on Apple's .mac servers, received a surge of hits from links from slashdot.org.
.mac sites are said to be hosted on Apple's own xServe hardware running MacOS X Server. Sales of Apple's server OS and hardware are expected to rise over the next few days.
The story on slashdot.org had discussions regarding Apple's new AirPort Express that allows users to play iTunes libraries via AirPort wireless networking to their home stereos. Readers questioned just how people would control the music, not wanting to walk from their couches to their PCs to change the song playing. Many suggested Salling Clicker, a product that allows Bluetooth enabled phones and PalmOS devices to act as remote controls for PCs running MacOS X.
Steve Jobs was overheard laughing, "Slashdot Effect?! What Slashdot Effect??!! HA!"
Analysts were telling investors to buy Apple stock, as slashdot readers are expected to be in awe of this resistance to the infamous Slashdot Effect. Apple's
Bill Gates was seen crying in a corner late today. He was babbling incoherently about innovation and how no one could ever need their music piped over WiFi networking to their home stereo. He later showed off his birthmark "666" and suggested that people would prefer Microsoft's innovative solution that would only allow users to listen to music over their stereo system if they paid additional money to the record labels. "I'm sure users will understand paying $1.00US a minute to listen to their music wirelessly"
In related news, RIAA members have begun campaigning for Bill Gates to become the next president of the United States.
Not to mention, what's the gimmick of this device? Play music over your wireless LAN and through your home stereo.
If they're close enough to sniff my WLAN, then they're going to be hearing my music anyway. Trust me. =)
± 29 dB