Apple’s released another little bit of coolness, Airport Express, with Airtunes.

For just $129, you get a little box about the size of a deck of cards that plugs into the wall, has 802.11g built in (wireless ethernet), an ethernet port for creating a bridge, USB port for connecting a printer, and a 1/8″ mini-jack for connecting your stereo. Couple this little device with a copy of iTunes 4.6 running on your mac and all your tunes can be served up to a stereo or pair of powered speakers. Tuck the thing in your suitcase and you’ve got wireless in your hotel room.

It also serves as a wireless extender, extending the range of your wireless network. Slick, small, elegant. While I may have been contemplating a SliMP3 or a Roku, this is less expensive, better integrated, and more functional. I like the competition’s LED display and ability to control it from a remote control, but, truth be told, that’s not a huge deal, and I’m sure people will be making little control units (like a modification to Synergy) to control your streaming iTunes mac remotely from another mac.

Here’s the scenario: my Dual G5 in my office has my music library, so it’ll be the streamer for this little gem. But the stereo is in the living room, next to the big screen. So why can’t either of the powerbooks control the song selection and still stream it from the G5? Should be built into iTunes (and probably will be, someday), but I know some enterprising garage-based engineer will tinker together an applescript or two that’ll do the same. I might do it, given a little time.

Anyway, cool little device. Ships in mid-July, according to the Apple Store.