The MP3 player market has literally boomed to support nearly hundreds of models recently. At the Consumer Electronics Show this year, we were presented with unique MP3 players from far and beyond, literally. Though MP3 players are the latest buzz in the industry, hard drive players are garnering all the attention these days, thanks to Apple’s iPod. Apple’s iPod may be impressive, but it’s certainly not the only hard drive player in the market. SoniqCast is one of the new companies that have implemented unique features with a hint of Apple’s iPod looks to create a possibly better solution.

SoniqCast’s Aireo MP3 player, as you can see, looks similar to the iPod. The white physical structure with a bright LCD screen is comparable to Apple’s magical wonder. The Aireo supports the necessary functions via five buttons that are located right in the middle of the player. Although it looks more or less like a copy of the popular iPod, it’s the features that count, especially in this case.

According to the manufacturer, the Aireo features an innovative TriFi technology, which will let you access numerous newspapers, audible books, magazines, and radio talk shows wirelessly. Since the player also features a FM tuner, you will have an access to a FM radio transmission and wireless access capability, so you can deliver the audio right through your car or home stereo. For more information on TriFi technology, we recommend you go through SoniqCast’s FAQ here.

SoniqCast also claims to have anytime, anywhere access to the Internet content via wireless network. The player can find hotspots within a 200ft range and can transmit data from computer to device, Internet to device or device-to-device, all made possible due to the built-in networking capabilities.

The MP3 player has TCP/IP/WiFi enabled with a built-in hotspot finder. The Aireo is structured around the 802.11B wireless standard with capabilities to transfer files and images wirelessly. SoniqCast also claims to be working on player-to-player data sharing option, which will be made available soon.

Aireo features a USB 2.0 interface for wired file transfers, a 20GB overall capacity for approximately 5,000 to 7,000 songs, a 2.3" backlit LCD display with size around 2.6"x4.1"x.74". The size of the player makes it one of the thinnest portable audio players in the market. The player weighs in around 6.3 oz. with support for .MP3, .WMA and .WAV file formats. Aireo also has options to edit favorites playlist and a seven-band equalizer to alter the settings to your liking.

In addition to the integrated features, the player comes with a deluxe carrying case, behind-the-head headphones, power adapter and USB cable, a quick start guide, and SoniqSync content manager software.

Aireo is priced around $299, according to SoniqCast. Although the physical attributes as well as the price look promisingly similar to Apple’s iPod, the player’s unique and innovative features are what count here. If Aireo can deliver the interesting technologies and features it promises along with satisfying audio quality, it will definitely become one of the top MP3 players in the market.