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Abstract

A method and system for implementing an Internet radio device for receiving and/or transmitting audio information over the Internet. The Internet radio device can be implemented as a stand alone electronic radio device which is coupled to the Internet or the Internet radio device can be implemented as a software package operable on a host computer system. The Internet radio device does not require a browser for interfacing with other Internet transmitters ('Internet radio station transmitters'). The Internet radio includes a graphical user interface (GUI) with which a user can interface in order to receive audio radio programming from an Internet radio station transmitter. The radio device receives a list of Internet radio station transmitters that are registered with a chaincast manager (CCM), also coupled to the Internet. The GUI renders this list to the user. The user can sort or select from this list based on desired language, country, or station names. To hear a radio program, a user can select a station from this list. Data received by a radio device can be retransmitted in chaincast mode from the radio device to other radio devices that want to listen to the same radio program. In Ham radio mode, one radio device can select another radio device to be the 'radio station,' in which case a communication channel is opened between the radio devices so that voice and/or other digitally encoded information (e.g., video, HTML documents, Web pages, multi-media, etc.) can be exchanged between the radio devices. In this mode, the GUI contains a 'transmit' button or key. The radio device may also be configured for receiving secondary information content (e.g., advertisement, emergency information, community information, etc.) to be rendered independently of the radio broadcast information content.

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First Claim