Lala Opens Music Locker and DRM-free MP3 Store

There’s a new music store in town named Lala.com. TechCrunch and many others are calling it a possible game changer or revolution in music sharing/buying. I was pretty skeptical of the concept at first, but after trying it out I’m pretty impressed. It has potential to be a very nice service as a HTPC plugin, too. … Read more

Samsung Blu-ray Deck Gets Netflix and Pandora

While some appear content to sit on the sidelines, Netflix and Pandora continue their digital living room encroachment. Both streaming services are now available to the Samsung BD-P2550 Blu-ray player (~$400) via a firmware update. Netflix’s standard def library (over 12,000 movie and television titles, according to NewTeeVee) is free to existing DVD rental subscribers … Read more

Pandora lands on Chumby

Regular readers probably know I’m a Pandora fan and iPhone owner. In fact, I’ve mentioned looking for a clock radio and/or speaker dock to enjoy both in the bedroom. And I often joke that I don’t need an Internet-enabled Chumby widget station ($180) precisely because I have an iPhone with cradle. However, I may be … Read more

The New Satellite Radio Plans

While it’s still a bit early for unified radio hardware, the Sirius XM merger has initially resulted in some programming cross-pollination, lower tier themed lineups, and an a la carte pricing plan.

The Slacker G2 Review

When Slacker’s G2 Internet “radio” launched I found myself impressed with the hardware redesign, but figured I wasn’t in need of an upgrade. My Slacker unit functions basically identically to the G2, and I’ve never minded the size. Why spend the money for a shiny new toy I don’t need? Then my G2 review unit … Read more

New Slacker G2 Portable Audio Player

Pandora competitor Slacker introduces their second generation Internet “radio” today. We spoke with VP Jonathan Sasse about the new device.

Slacker Radio coming to Blackberry

Some of the Slacker crew is here in DC today and, while I couldn’t swing a meeting, we did carve out time for a brief phone call. Basically, much of what Mari loves from her Slacker Portable hardware will be ported to the Blackberry platform next month. Unlike Pandora‘s mobile solution, Slacker copies playlist songs down to a device. Though you’ll obviously need a network to populate your mobile, once loaded, you’ll be able to listen on the subway or plane without worrying about connectivity. The basic ad-supported service will remain free, and an ad-free premium service will also be offered. RIM’s serious about reaching beyond their traditional business-oriented base by bringing the noise multimedia (also see TiVo).

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