RCA RIR205

In a market dominated by radios where style is often prized over substance it is a surprise to see the latest offering from RCA. With a design that would not have looked out of place in the late 80s (but not in a cool retro way), the RIR205 tabletop internet radio is not going to leap out at you as you browse the shelves of your local electronics store.

This is unfortunate because this ugly duckling has a few USPs that need attention.

As well as the obligatory streaming of 10s of thousands of radio staions you also get an FM/AM radio, Slacker-style song tagging and 512 of internal storage so you can record up to 10 hours of music.

For $149 this is a bargain, but you are unlikely to want to give it pride of place anywhere apart from a dark shelf in the kitchen or hidden on top of the fridge.