Satellite Radio Archives - Page 4 of 9

Breaking: DOJ Permits XM & Sirius To Merge

After a long 13 months, the DOJ has finally approved the proposed XM and Sirius merger. Keep an eye on Orbitcast in the coming hours and days for continuing coverage. (Concessions…? FCC?) After a careful and thorough review of the proposed transaction, the Division concluded that the evidence does not demonstrate that the proposed merger … Read more

Another iTunes Subscription Rumor

I admit it. I’m lazy. Even though I’ve purchased and ripped hundreds of CDs (plus those DRM-encumbered iTunes), I still prefer someone else program my playlists. In fact I’m an iPhone owner who (mostly) forgos the audio iPod functions, opting instead for the (jailbreak) iRadio streaming application. Or my XM subscription via Helix or computer. … Read more

Mac OS X XM Dashboard Widget

I recently discovered a very nice XM gadget for Windows Vista, but wondered if a Mac OS X equivalent existed. Well, Google showed me the way to Tim Glenn’s XM Dashboard widget. It’s not as polished as the Vista gadget, but works fine in streaming music via your online XM account without going through a … Read more

XM Vista Gadget

I may not always adore my Vista media center, but Microsoft got it right with the sidebar. And I just learned about a worthy XM gadget over on Addicted to Digital Media. I’ve only played with ((XM Online Radio)) a few minutes, but it’s a keeper – the widget is simple and works well. In … Read more

XM Gives Away Programming On iTunes

Follow me along a brief web journey… Browsing the newly redesigned CrunchGear, I read Blake’s holiday gift suggestions that lavished high praise on Griffin’s Evolve Wireless Sound System, leading me to XM’s site to find out if they’re still ignoring us Helix/Inno customers in need of an integrated speaker solution. While they’re offering a $30 … Read more

All Kinds of Sirius

Sirius unveiled a whole slew of new devices and services yesterday. Three in particular caught my attention:

Stiletto 2

I’m a gadget guy and I like portables, so the WiFi-enabled Stiletto appeals to me. I found the first generation slightly too large, so this 25% size reduction has resulted in a sleeker package. Both Stiletto models outshine my XM Helix in the beauty department, and more importantly, they offer a couple of home docking solutions. Interestingly, Steven Chalker, the only person I know who regularly used a Stiletto intends to sell it and stream Sirius to a TMobile MDA instead. (Was Zing was involved with v2? Surely not v3…) Expect the Stiletto 2, with souped up Altec Lansing headset, to ship this fall @ $350.

Dave’s New Ride: XM Everywhere

I finally got around to upgrading my car, though my driving is way down since I started working from “home.” But having recently picked up XM’s portable Helix, it was a no-brainer to add the $7/mo for a family plan unit. Let me tell you, it’s so much nicer to have built-in satellite radio without … Read more

XM Gets A Second Chance

My level of crankiness seems directly proportional to my caffeine intake, and I’ve been cutting back… Perhaps that’s why XM is also getting a second chance this week.

One of the reasons I canceled my satellite subscription last year was due to the encroaching ’80s pop onto some of my favored niche stations (Chrome, Groove). Not that I have anything against ’80s pop (my musical tastes are both eclectic and poor), but I thought the (selling) point of satellite radio is to provide unique content not commonly found on FM… Why would they dilute these musical genres?

Well before killing my sub, in January 2006, I emailed the station programmer at Chrome and this is how it played out: