Iona concept reinvents WiFi radio

The Iona ‘Cube' is a fun new concept in low-cost, Wi-Fi enabled internet radio.  In a radical departure from the traditional ‘push-button' user-interface, Cambridge Consultants' intuitive new design allows the listener to personalise the Cube to play just their favourite radio stations or podcasts. 

The Cube concept greatly simplifies the way people currently select which internet radio stations they listen to, whilst significantly reducing the cost of the radio at the same time.

According to research, the average person listens to between three to four radio stations regularly.  The Cube has been designed with this in mind.  By simply turning the Cube onto one of its four available sides, it will change to the desired radio station.  A fifth side is dedicated to the speaker and the final remaining side is dedicated to switching the radio to the ‘off' position.  The Cube can be quickly and easily customised to play a listener's top four stations.

The designers involved in this new concept wanted to keep simplicity to the maximum.  Accordingly, even the volume button has been removed.  Instead, the listener just twists the Cube to the right to increase the volume and twists to the left to decrease it.

Based on the Iona platform technology shown at CES 2007, the Cube uses a Wi-Fi connection to provide a choice of up to 10,000 stations from which listeners can customise the four sides of the radio concept, satisfying both mainstream and exotic tastes.  Customisation of the Cube can be achieved via a number of ways, including using a simple web interface.

Duncan Smith, head of consumer products at Cambridge Consultants, says, "Well designed products are such a joy to use that they turn every consumer into an evangelist. The Cube concept is so easy and fun to use that it is infectious. Consumers won't have to scroll through endless lists of stations to find their favourites, they will just have to flip the radio.  It epitomises convenience and is so simple and intuitive that everyone will be able to use it."

There is no news on availability or price, but expect more information in the new year.