ITunes expands music streaming options

Apple's iPod becomes more of a home entertainment platform

Apple has expanded the number of remote audio systems where users can play music stored on a computer system from one to three.

The company's Airtunes technology enables the streaming of music from a computer to an audio system or self-powered speaker set in a different room.

The technology requires one of Apple's Airport Express Wi-Fi base stations to be hooked up to the stereo. Users were previously allowed to use only one remote stereo system.

"For Apple, this is another major step towards creating a fully digital home, " said Ian Fogg, an analyst at Jupiter Research covering personal technology.

"I suspect that sales of Airport Express will take off if Apple markets this feature a little more prominently."

Consumers can now set up a main room where music is played, or transmit it to all connected speaker systems in the home.

But Fogg warned that the technology requires a universal remote control that would allow the owner to control the media player from anywhere in the home.