While most of us think that the only option for having good, Internet-based music at home is either playing it from your crummy computer speakers or buying a nice smartphone-compatible speaker dock, the people over at Q2 Wi-Fi Internet Radio have come up with something else. Instead of using smartphone-based apps or your computer, the Q2 Cube ($130) uses a Wi-Fi network and four personally-selected Internet radio stations to create a simple and easy music solution.
The small, square speaker lets users set a radio station for each side of the cube,using motion control so that users can change the station by simple flipping the cube to a different side. It might seem silly to only be able to access four different stations, but think about the actual radio in your car — chances are you probably switch between four (or fewer) stations to hear something that strikes your fancy. We wouldn’t want this as a main stereo system in our homes, to be sure, but it’s a solid portable option to get some tunes going and would be great in areas like the kitchen or a kids room.
The setup is simple and users can select their four favorite stations from tens of thousands of streams available from all over the world. Once you’ve chosen your stations, things couldn’t be any more simple. Flip the cube onto different sides to change stations, and tilt the Q2 up and down to adjust the volume. Simplicity isn’t always a bad thing.
