8. The Logitech Squeezebox Duet

By Don Woligroski

While we don’t yet have PCs controlling every aspect of our homes, and can’t yet call out orders to an unseen robotic servant to carry out our every whim, the dream of a fully integrated digital home creeps ever closer. We’re always seeing new products that offer more and more convenient functionality for home entertainment enthusiasts, and an excellent example of this is the Logitech Squeezebox Duet.

The core concept is so ridiculously simple it almost seems natural: a remote control for your digital music – select the music source on the remote, be it a specific song title, an Internet radio station, or whatever your heart desires, and it’s instantly played through your home audio system.

Having a portable wireless remote so you can select whatever music you wish to hear from any room in your home seems so sensible that it’s hard to believe everyone doesn’t have one already; and Logitech’s Squeezbox Duet is so feature-laden, it’s hard to believe it’s not refining a concept that’s been in our homes for years. With a 2.4" color LCD display and a solid control interface that gives an obvious nod to the iPod, the Squeezbox Duet is one of those slick and functional pieces of technology that, once you’ve used it, you wonder how you have ever gotten along without one.

Of course, everything has limitations and the Squeezbox Duet is no different, as it is unable to playback DRM-laden music files. But if you can see the potential of the Squeezbox and your collection of music is DRM-free, Logitech’s remote control might be just the thing to scratch the itch you never knew you had. At an MSRP of $400, it’s something your favorite music loving dads and grads might really appreciate.