Podcasts, satellite, and Internet radio, on the other hand, are essentially more convenient updates to old terrestrial radio. While each has shortcomings, such as subscription fees and portability issues, their existence is a blow to the relatively stagnant world of traditional radio. These technologies, along with a lack of choice resulting from media consolidation, have made the form rather unappealing to contemporary consumers.

Fortunately, technology is also working toward the advancement of radio stations. Some of the more savvy representatives leaped on the Internet early, streaming their content far beyond the bounds of traditional broadcast. Hi-def radio also offers an interesting choice for listeners still loyal to their favorite stations, making poor sound quality and radio static a thing of the past.

Another interesting option has also been springing up recently in a big way: Wi-Fi radio. Using products from this new category, listeners are able to listen to terrestrial radio stations, Web radio, and podcast worldwide, via the convenient form factor of a standalone radio. ComOne's Phoenix Wi-Fi Radio is a prominent early entry in the field. As one of the first units to pop up, it naturally showcases a lot of the technology's potential, while suffering some first-generation hang-ups.With a list price of $249.00, the Phoenix is hardly cheap. The radio is not especially pleasing design-wise, either--think low-end Altec Lansing iPod dock rather than Bose. A small screen located between the two front speakers displays information in monochrome, with slow-moving block text scrolling on the bottom. The sound also leaves something to be desired; it's akin to a run-of-the mill clock radio. I'd recommend the system more for users looking to listen to talk radio rather than to music listeners.

The syncing process is fairly straightforward. Plug the unit in; it runs on AC or rechargeable AA batteries (included)/ Then locate your Wi-Fi network on the screen. The system features WEP input for secure networks. Warning: The process may take a couple of tries, even with a reliable network, but you should get it to work eventually. The system will then prompt you to set your time zone.

Next up, using the navigation keys, you can choose stations to listen to, set as alarms, or assign to one of the eight presets. The Phoenix has about 24 stations preloaded. Locating further stations is a manner of visiting them ComOne's site, creating a login, assigning it to you radio's serial number, and then entering the station or podcast's stream URL, testing it, and assigning it to your radio. Once you've assigned a station, it should appear on the Phoenix in a matter of moments. Registering the product also ups the ante to 400 stations throughout various metropolitan areas.

In terms of selection, nearly anything available online with a compatible document type can be streamed. All the options I tried, including three domestic stations, the BBC, and a handful of podcasts, could all be streamed to the device. Searching around for some of the correct URLs took some detective work, though. Not all stations are eager to give that away (I'm looking at you, KCRW).

The Phoenix Wi-Fi Radio is a harbinger of a potentially terrific (if somewhat niche-y) technology. Being able to set my alarm to a podcast of "This American Life" or the live stream of KZSC--my all-time favorite radio station--has a tremendous amount of appeal, given the mundane nature of the conglomerate-controlled alternatives.

However, the unfortunate glitches and steep prices will likely be enough to deter widespread adoption. Once the technology has been around, though, it's bound to help a lot of people rediscover what they loved about radio in the first place.