Com One Phoenix IP Radio

The major electronics manufacturers have not yet caught on to WiFi radio. That leaves us with a selection of kit from smaller companies to fuel our habit.

In the main this is a good thing. Firms dedicated to WiFi radio can produce exceptional products, driven by a passion for the medium, and a desire for quality. Once in a while though, not having the backing of a global corporation can prove to be a problem. Let’s take a look at the sad story of Com One.

Three years ago, when WiFiRadioReview.com was just a glint in its creators’ eyes, there were very few WiFi radios to choose from. MagicBox were one of the pioneers in the UK. In the USA we had Com One.

The Com One Phoenix first appeared in late 2007 and it was quickly a success. Reviews gushed about the new phenomenom of WiFi radio and the Com One Phoenix was seen as a forerunner. Crunchgear was impressed with early versions and particularly the promise of regular firmware updates.

We reported on one of those promised updates in May 2008. The Com One blog was still announcing updates as late as early 2009, but then in April something bad happened. An upgrade to the Com One service platform was completed, but it appeared to have created a few side-effects.

“Some users have lost their preferences (presets and catalogues’ customization) during the migration. Our tech team is fully mobilized on the subject and is currently struggling to solve the problem,” said a post.

This message, reportedly from the Com One product manager painted a picture of a company with problems.

“Com One is trying to reduce its marketing effort regarding the Phoenix Wi-Fi radio, as an outcome of the global business climate. …Nevertheless, the company remains in an healthy situation, potential customers can continue going on com-one.biz to purchase our product and we will provide all the necessary support to our customers.”

As some point after that it appears that Com One gave up on the Phoenix. By July frustrated Phoenix owners seemed to have lost hope that the issue would be resolved, or that Com One would even reply to their pleas.

“Sadly and clearly, you and your company have abandoned those who bought your product and placed their trust, not to mention their hard earned money, in you,” said one comment. ” The lack of commitment from your company is extremely disappointing and, as one who wrote reviews praising the product when it first came to market, I feel betrayed.”

So where is Com One now? We have scoured the web looking for any evidence that they still in operation, but we have to conclude from the complete silence in their own blog and forums that they are not. The Phoenix seems to have disappeared from stores and all that is left is the ghost of a website for a company that only three years ago was a pioneer.

WiFi radio is a new and exciting medium, but while it remains a niche market consumers will always be vulverable to purchasing products from companies, like Com One, that don’t have the stamina to survive.

Have you bought a Com One Phoenix recently? Are you an employee of Com One? Let us know by posting a comment below.

Com One Phoenix IP Radio

Com One has added some useful new features to its Phoenix WiFi radio.

The new upgrades and interface are user-friendly, the database of podcasts is growing, and the ability to self-provision new stations from a personal web management page has gained favour even among the most critical of radio listeners.  A new Arbitron/Edison Media Research study shows that Internet radio is rapidly gaining popularity, particularly among college graduates who listen to radio at work. Overall, the portion of full and part time employees listening to radio via the Internet has grown 12% to 20% in one year’s time. Among college graduates who listen at work, 30% are listening most often via the Internet.

The portable Phoenix Internet Radio combines the listening choices from the Internet with the convenience of a traditional clock radio that includes preset station buttons, Snooze and Sleep modes, rechargeable AA batteries, plus automatic software upgrades. The Phoenix radio keeps getting better and better! Recent firmware upgrades provide improved Wi-FI quality and stability with a WPA connection that is 25% faster than the previous version and with an enhanced dynamic network bandwidth manager. Plus, a unique new “My Network” feature allows you to access UPnP music sources present on your home network or computer through Windows Media Player.

The Phoenix Radio also has the ability to network and access the music stored on your computer, and to send audio output to your favorite hi-end audio system or speakers via wired analog connection or wireless Bluetooth adapters. All you need is a broadband connection and wireless gateway like a Wi-Fi router.