Satellite Radio

Tech On TV: Ghost Whisperer

Once again, I’m swiping inspired by Engadget’s Screen Grabs series to cover an interesting mix of tech on TV. I’ve never seen Ghost Whisperer and don’t know what it’s about beyond the title. However, I was on a call with the television playing in the background when the relatively ancient XM SkyFi and boombox (upper … Read more

Pulsar, Satellite Radio on OS X

Earlier this week, I received Rogue Amoeba‘s periodic email newsletter. Among other things, I learned they’re pretty far along on Pulsar – an OS X app that allows you to stream XM or Sirius online radio stations. (Assuming you’re a subscriber.) The software is available now as a free public beta and will run $15 at launch. However, if you happen to own any other Rogue Amoeba software (as I do) you probably qualify for a free license. This isn’t the first satellite radio app I’ve come across, but it’s certainly among the most polished and earns bonus points for supporting both services. And, like some of the others, it’s created from open source software (1, 2, 3).

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The Cost of Music

We’ve finally seen some definitive proof (above) that Sirius XM will begin charging for online streaming ($3/mo), Pandora has brought audio advertising into their web player/experience, and Apple, along with their studio partners, is implementing variable track pricing. Obviously, there’s also a sizable contingent of people who feel free to help themselves. In light of … Read more

Satellite Radio’s Dilemma ($$$)

The New York Times is out with a piece on Sirius/XM’s quest for cash. While subscriber numbers and revenue have been growing at a very healthy clip, the company is heavily burdened with debt – which they’re finding difficult to refinance at favorable terms in the current economic climate. And bankruptcy is on the table. … Read more

Dave Dumps XM (Again)

See ya, XM. I was on the fence and you pushed. Our time together has been mostly positive, but the massive lineup modifications yesterday without any advance notification isn’t the proper way to treat your customers. So I’m walking. While I fully support cost-cutting measures, such as merging Sirius & XM channels into a unified … 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.

Question of the Day: Replace Car Stereo or Add Satellite?

Today’s question, via IM, wonders how to handle the death of a car stereo. Though, it’s not quite so simple — Both the CD player and line-in jack still work, so they’ve been considering a satellite radio add-on. They don’t have a problem with the monthly fee but, upon quizzing, it seems clear they’re not … Read more

Digital Media Bytes

A periodic roundup of relevant news… that Dave hasn’t had time to cover while attending CTIA: XM now available on Blackberry: Orbitcast PlayStation Store 2.0 coming soon: PC World HP introduces 500GB $300 Linux NAS: Gizmodo Is Comcast increasing HD video compression: The Consumerist Roxio Toast update fixes TiVoToGo audio/video sync: Mac Observer Nokia N810 … Read more