CES 2014: Vizio announces a pair of portable streamers

Best known for its TVs, Vizio today announced two new devices designed for portable audio streaming. The Portable Smart Audio devices feature 7- and 4.7-inch touchscreens. They run the latest KitKat version of Google's Android operating system and they use a WiFi connection to link to the Internet.

In a press release today, Vizio said it chose WiFi for the primary audio connection rather than a Bluetooth link to a smartphone to avoid interruptions from incoming calls, e-mails, text messages or other notifications.

Equipped with 802.11n, apps can be downloaded and accessed whenever the portable device is connected to WiFi. When out of wireless range, users can also play content from their smartphone or tablet using Bluetooth, or utilize the portable smart audio's on-board memory for local playback of their favorite tunes. The devices also have a USB port for additional storage expansion.

Vizio said prices for the streamers will be announced "closer to product availability."