I read a couple of posts about the HomePod from Macsense [a company that sells lots of Mac add-on products they design].

Seems Macsense have redesigned the [so-so] product they announced at MacWorld SF in January and now it looks to be a much slicker product.
It was a finalist in "Best of Comdex" earlier this month.

They dropped the original designs Firewire port and now, with built-in 802.11b wireless and Ethernet networking and a USB 1.1 Host port [to attach external storage devices to], its kind of what the Rio Receiver could have been updated to, if that product had been a success.
I note that the software client [e.g. Pc based remote-control ala Charcoal Grey's Web add-on or Tony Fabris' VB based remote control app for Windows Pcs] can run on Linux, Macs and Windows Pcs as its written in Java.

What also interests me about this device is that its Linux OS based, and programmable using software from GlooLabs. Gloolabs are offering developers a "developer version" of the Homepod, which is the actual HomePod along with full documentation etc for the platform and source code for some applications.

I guess Macsense [and Gloolabs] are hoping that this will be the "iPod" for the "wireless masses" - who knows, but its interesting product.

Its a pity the [backlit, graphical] display is so small at 124 by 64 pixels. That was what the Rio Receiver had, and that product was designed a few years ago now.