Look at the flat top and connect the dots -- I'd bet money that this is going to be a TransferJet device.

I've been using AirTunes for years now, and loved it, but you have to be cool with buying into the Apple ecosystem. You'll have to install iTunes (which some people hate due to bloat) and then buy the ~$100 airport express devices which will let you stream to any equipment with a line in. If you've got an iPhone I'd definitely do this since the (free) Remote app is awesome.

Having said all that, Windows 7 has 'play to' functionality built into the media player. Most people would cringe at the mention of Windows Media Player, but this is pretty cool, and more importantly, it's built around a standard (DLNA 1.5) which means more devices from many other companies can play along (like the PS3 or Wii, many different mobile phones, other computers in your house, maybe even linux and mac clients one day . . . ). DLNA lets you stream movies and music and also lets you play to remote speakers like AirTunes does. And, there's an iPhone app to control that too, although not as snazzy.

I've been using, and loving, the Apple ecosystem, and I own an iPhone, but I'm moving forward into the wonderful world of standards-compliant gear: I've gotten a Philips Streamium unit on deep discount on Newegg, and I play to it just fine using Windows media player. . . eventually I'll move from WMP to Banshee or something like that once DLNA is supported. The upside of all this is that it works as well as AirTunes and I have many more products to choose from. As far as I can tell, there is no downside -- I recommend any gear that supports DLNA (1.5).

please pick me

woot

Sony + Google : Amazon + Microsoft + Yahoo : and then Apple on it's own?

Makes sense in a way -- Apple is rumored to be moving into the eBook space, all three have competing music stores, and all three have competing set top boxes (Xbox, PS3, AppleTV) and all three have handheld PMPs and mobile OS's. The only missing piece here is that Sony/Google doesn't have a desktop OS. I've been saying this for a long time, but Sony needs to embrace Ubuntu more whole-heartedly (to effectively have it's own OS) and push OpenGL based game development (to break free from Windows). Sony has great hardware, but by sticking with Microsoft they are holding themselves down -- unable to fully customize the software side to match their hardware.

gah. How do we even know if we win?

my lord this is the sweetest thing you've ever given away, and I want it!

me?

yar

One for me?