BT Internet radio: Voyage into the unknown

We're sure you're all cutting edge technophile and have been podcasting for ages, but there are still plenty of people content with the 'wireless' on a Sunday afternoon. These people should get with the programme, quite frankly, and what better way to introduce them to the joys of MP3 and digital radio than through this BT Voyager? It looks just like a normal kitchen radio, but will sneakily connect to your PC, go on to the Net and then stream live radio without anyone even realising what it's up to.

If you put aside the very real* possibility that all this modern wireless technology is frying our brains like a cranial microwave, the Internet functionality is integrated well into this deceptively simple box. The software on the PC is easy to use, and once it's set up it will hide itself in the Windows background. You can then set up your favourite Internet radio stations and press buttons on the radio to tune in, which takes about 5 seconds per station. It'll also play MP3 files and FM radio, and it'll take a standard stereo input (for your iPod or MiniDisc player, as long as you buy an adaptor) and rather cleverly, it will play any normal CD from your computer's disc drive.

Any problems? Well, the level of interference made it unusable when we first turned it on, and even when we'd changed channel we still heard FM-style crackling every few minutes, so this is definitely cheap and cheerful rather than hi-fi. It'll take batteries, but eight C-size batteries is excessive and the overall build quality feels a little too plasticky for our liking. On the other hand, we reckon Grandpa Crave would be able to set the Voyager up (with just a little help from us). We saw Advent calendars on sale the other day, which means Christmas is well and truly approaching -- if this sounds like an interesting gift then it's available from the BT Shop now, priced at £100. -GC

*that is, incredibly unlikely