Apple Adds AirPort Express
Apple's new AirPort Express base station hangs from a power outlet and bridges to existing AirPort or AirPort Extreme networks. It includes audio, USB, and Ethernet connections in its slim form. It can stream iTunes music from a Mac or PC. It's rated to support 10 users instead of the 50 for the higher-end base station models.
It weighs seven ounces, and Apple is billing it also as a portable access point. It has a universal power adapter, meaning it can work with any electrical standard given an interchangeable plug. The unit ships in mid-July for $129.
Audio is streamed using a lossless encoder, and it's encrypted between the machine running iTunes and the base station to prevent copying. Each copy of iTunes can control a single set of audio output at a time, so if you have several sets of speakers or stereo, you can use different machines to control those different speakers on the same network.
This base station replaces the more expensive $200 AirPort Extreme Base Station model. The two higher $250 AirPort Extreme models are still available, but are now targeted really at schools and business with their more advanced features.