I’m a big fan of the Pandora Web radio service because it provides a personal listening experience and new music discovery. Pandora uses your musical tastes to mix new artists with your old favorites.
On Wednesday, a new standalone Internet radio player was introduced that spotlights Pandora among thousands of other available Internet stations. The new Livio Radio (right), sold for $150, comes from Livio LLC, a subsidiary of the Michigan company that makes the delightful and recently reviewed Ira Wi-Fi Internet Radio.
Like the Ira product, the Livio Radio works with a Wi-Fi connection. But this bigger tabletop model also can be connected to the Web via an ethernet cable. The Livio includes a speaker, while the Ira was designed to work with a user’s existing speakers.
The built-in controls on the radio and on the remote control include “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” buttons reminiscent of the Pandora interface. These controls help users fine-tune their musical choices while listening to Pandora.
This is not the first device besides a computer that plays Pandora, of course. You can use Pandora on several smartphone models, including the iPhone, BlackBerry and Windows Mobile devices. Also, you can play Pandora on other gadgets, including the charming Chumby Internet alarm clock and a new Blu-ray player from Samsung.
If you like Internet radio and the Pandora service, I suspect you’ll like this new entry. (Thanks for the tip Don)
