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Dish adds Pandora to Hopper Whole-Home DVR system

James Trew — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:56:00 EST

Tired of walking from room to room, bringing your Entourage with you via your minty fresh Dish Hopper? Well, now you can sit down, relax and enjoy a hot cup of your favorite tunes from the same box. Dish has introduced the popular Pandora music service into its Hopper Whole-Home HD DVR System. So, you'll be able to pull up tracks, create playlists and all the usual recommendation delights you've come to expect from the personal radio service. We'd normally make Pandora's Box about this time, but we're already knee deep in the Jane's Addiction back catalog...

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Dish adds Pandora to Hopper Whole-Home DVR system originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 Apr 2012 09:56:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DirecTV and Pandora join forces, let you jam out via connected HD DVRs

Edgar Alvarez — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:39:00 EST

It looks like DirecTV's got more than just college hoops on the brain: it's just announced a new hook up with Pandora. The newly minted agreement will let you access your favorite tunes via DirecTV's fresh 1080p guide on connected HD DVRs -- and, yes it's free. Additionally, you'll be able to search for artists, songs and browse through different genres, as well as set up jam stations to your liking. Those of you interested in blasting Boyz II Men playlists from your DVR, can do so by simply hitting that Menu button (on your oversized remote) and heading over to the Extras section where the musical goodies await you.

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DirecTV and Pandora join forces, let you jam out via connected HD DVRs originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 08 Mar 2012 19:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pandora rolls out HTML5 redesign to everyone, drops 40 hour listening cap

Brian Heater — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:24:00 EST

Remember that Pandora redesign that we told you about, way back in July? Well, it's finally done testing, and is ready to bring its HTML5-based goodness to the Internet radio-loving masses. The revamp offers up a number of new features like improved socialization, easier station creation and additional information about artists, including lyrics, bios and larger album art. Coolest of all is the ditching of the 40 hour music listening limit for non-premium users -- a welcome change in light of similar announcements from MOG and Rdio.

Pandora rolls out HTML5 redesign to everyone, drops 40 hour listening cap originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pandora Radio's HTML5 redesign hands-on

Brian Heater — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 12:47:00 EST

Earlier this week, Pandora announced that it would finally be dropping its longtime support for Flash in favor of HTML5. The move is one piece of a big redesign for the site, one which will begin rolling out to Pandora One (the $36 / year premium version) subscribers in pieces, as part of a limited testing period before being made available to the service's entire massive user base.

The timing could have been more ideal, of course. A day after the announcement, Spotify quickly grabbed the attention of those following the online music industry by formally launching in the US. It's important to note right off the bat, however, that these two services are not really direct competitors, in spite of how some might spin it. Spotify is an all-you-can eat subscription service, making it more akin to the likes of a Rhapsody and Napster. Pandora, on the other hand, is built largely around passive music discovery. You log-in, you enter an artist, and you let the music come to you. This redesign takes that ease of use to a whole new level. Check out our impressions below.

Gallery: Pandora redesign hands-on

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Pandora Radio's HTML5 redesign hands-on originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 16 Jul 2011 12:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pandora ditches Flash, opens up the HTML5 box for redesign

Brian Heater — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:09:00 EST

Looks like Adobe has lost yet another ally to the silky smooth allure of HTML5. Internet radio service Pandora has traded in the once ubiquitous Flash for the increasingly adopted web standard, citing, among other things, the ability to lop precious seconds off the site's load time. The upgrade is part of a major redesign for the service, said to have been inspired by the company's own iPad app. The old features are largely intact, but many, like Twitter and Facebook integration, have been revamped. The update will be rolled out to Pandora One subscribers soon, in something of a limited testing mode, with other users following later. Those with browsers that aren't fully HTML5-friendly will still be able to access Flash features as backup.

Pandora ditches Flash, opens up the HTML5 box for redesign originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 13 Jul 2011 13:09:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grace Digital adds color displays on new Solo Touch, Bravado X, and Mondo WiFi radios

Darren Murph — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 06:00:00 EST

Can't say we had the best of times with Grace Digital's Allegro, but the dawning of a new year means the dawning of a new effort. Three efforts, in this case. Poised for an official unveiling next week at CES, the outfit's new trio of internet radios have all been upgraded with color displays. Up first is the Solo Touch, a $249.99 device with an expansive 4.3-inch touchpanel, bundled remote, Ethernet connection, RCA outputs and a headphone jack. Stepping down a notch, there's the Bravado X ($179.99), which offers a 2.7-inch color display, RCA in / out and a USB connector. Finally, the $169.99 Mondo packs a 3.5-inch color display, a full-on alarm clock (with snooze!) and a USB port of its own. The whole lot can be controlled via a free iPhone app, and they're each capable of tuning into iheartradio, Pandora, Sirius XM, WeatherBug, CBS Radio, MP3Tunes and more. Now, off to Vegas to see if those user interface quirks have been cleared up...

Continue reading Grace Digital adds color displays on new Solo Touch, Bravado X, and Mondo WiFi radios

Grace Digital adds color displays on new Solo Touch, Bravado X, and Mondo WiFi radios originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grace debuts GDI-IR2550p WiFi radio with built-in Pandora controls

Donald Melanson — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 07:58:00 EST

It may not exactly be one of the biggest "firsts" around, but Grace Digital Audio's new GDI-IR2550p WiFi radio is apparently the first such radio to pack built-in Pandora controls on the radio itself -- the company's earlier Digital Allegro only had controls on the remote and accompanying iPhone app. Unfortunately, Grace has paired that somewhat unique feature with a radio that seems to have confused retro good looks with bland and dated -- that same four-line LCD used on every other Grace radio doesn't help things either. If that's not your primary concern, however, you will get a decent range of features from the radio, including support for a slew of other internet content besides Pandora, streaming music from your Mac or PC, the aforementioned iPhone app, and all the usual alarm clock functionality you'd expect from a desktop radio. Look for this one to set you back $169.99.

Update: Looks like this is just Grace's first of the sort -- this here Livio device did the same thing last year. For shame. Thanks, Brandon!

Update 2: Livio CEO Jake Sigal has now weighed in on the matter on his blog. For its part, a rep for Grace Digital Audio tells us that while the Livio radio was indeed the first with thumbs up and thumbs down buttons for Pandora, the Grace radio is the first "that has thumbs up/down plus the play/pause function on the front panel, iPhone app, and remote control."

Continue reading Grace debuts GDI-IR2550p WiFi radio with built-in Pandora controls

Grace debuts GDI-IR2550p WiFi radio with built-in Pandora controls originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 07:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grace Digital's Tuner Wireless Radio & Media Player adds internet radio to existing stereos

Darren Murph — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:54:00 EST

So, we've two main issues here. One, who in their right mind would pay $219.99 for a device that still requires a dedicated stereo in order to play back the internet radio streams that Grace Digital's Tuner Wireless Radio & Media Player delivers? And secondly, who would want to put up with Grace Digital's thoroughly lackluster UI? If you can't grok the grumbling, the aforementioned company now has a slender new component it'd love to stick on your shelf, with the device shown above able to stream WiFi radio content from 30,000 stations, Pandora, iheartradio, Sirius, Live365, MP3tunes and a smattering of other sources. It can be wired up via Ethernet or used over 802.11g, with composite, Toslink and coaxial digital audio outputs around back. There's a 4-line backlit LCD for displaying not nearly enough metadata at once, and there's even a remote thrown in for those looking to build out their collection. It's available now if you're feeling the itch, though we'd suggest you get that checked out before blindly indulging.

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Grace Digital's Tuner Wireless Radio & Media Player adds internet radio to existing stereos originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:54:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Grace Digital Allegro review

Sean Hollister — Thu, 06 May 2010 12:05:00 EST

Dedicated internet radios have always been niche products; when you can get all the same content on your desktop, laptop or even smartphone, it's hard to see the point of relying on WiFi. Without a traditional FM antenna, ~~they're~~ many are chained to your network -- if not your wall -- and the lack of keyboard input for setup and channel search furthers their plight. Even so, there must be something to it, as this gadget category refuses to die, so we thought we'd give one promising newcomer a good, thorough try. The Grace Digital Allegro caught our attention with a packed feature list (including Pandora) and a clean, mobile design. Did it enthrall or disappoint? Find out after the break.

Gallery: Grace Digital Allegro WiFi Radio hands-on

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Grace Digital Allegro review originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 06 May 2010 12:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pandora sets its sights on in-car music streaming

Donald Melanson — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:07:00 EST

Pandora has already come a considerable way from its rather modest beginnings, but it looks like the company unsurprisingly has some even grander ambitions for the near future, including a variety of options for in-car music streaming. That word comes straight from Pandora's Chief Technology Officer, Tom Conrad, who told attendees at the SF Music Tech Summit that the company is now working with various car manufacturers (including Ford) to better integrate Pandora music streaming into vehicles. That will apparently first come in the form of in-dash or hands-free controls to let folks use a docked device running Pandora and then, "within a few years," evolve to include full-fledged Pandora services built right into various in-car entertainment systems. Details are otherwise a bit light, but Conrad reportedly hinted that he'd have more to say at CES.

Pandora sets its sights on in-car music streaming originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Dec 2009 22:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VUDU brings Pandora, Picasa and Flickr to connected HDTVs, promises more apps soon

Darren Murph — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

And you thought HDTVs were made for watching TV. VUDU has today slung its (admittedly paltry) library of applications over to its television partners, making both Picasa and Flickr access possible through LG and Mitsubishi sets with integrated VUDU software. Of course, all of this was already available to those relying on one of VUDU's dedicated set-top boxes, but it's always nice to have everything wrapped up neatly within the display itself. In related news, Pandora streaming is also available on VUDU-infused Mitsubishi panels, though for whatever reason, LG has "requested that only free TV and games be available on their devices." All bummers aside, the company has asserted that even more internet apps will be released to VUDU customers in the coming months, so make sure hold 'em to their word.

Filed under: Displays, Media streamers, Set-top boxes, LG, Mitsubishi

VUDU brings Pandora, Picasa and Flickr to connected HDTVs, promises more apps soon originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VUDU brings Pandora, Picasa and Flickr to connected HDTVs, promises more apps soon

Darren Murph — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: HDTV, Home Entertainment, Software

VUDU brings Pandora, Picasa and Flickr to connected HDTVs, promises more apps soon originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ask Engadget HD: How can I get internet radio in my home theater?

Richard Lawler — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:30:00 EST

Despite how much money and time is spent on the display in your home theater, sometimes you just want to kick back and listen to some music. While SACD or DVD-Audio might get it done for some, a craving for more selection or just letting someone else pick the songs has lead our friend Reginald to seek internet radio in his home theater, we'll let him explain:

"I have been looking at internet radio that I want to stream through my wireless network so it can be picked up on my home stereo. I have DirecTV that can pick up the network as well as a PS3 that also can see the network.

Would a program that runs on the PC be the best way to go or should one get a special tuner that is placed at the AV Receiver that connects wirelessly to the network be the best way to go."

So, can one of his networked devices double up as a streaming radio source or would a new receiver with the feature built in be the way to go? Let us know what setup works for you.

Got a burning question that you'd love to toss out for Engadget HD (or its readers) to take a look at? Tired of Google's blank stares when you ask for real-world experiences? Hit us up at ask at engadgethd dawt com and keep an eye on this space -- your inquiry could be next.

Filed under: Ask Engadget HD, Other hardware, Receivers

Ask Engadget HD: How can I get internet radio in my home theater? originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The future of Ford's SYNC starts on May 26, future of US auto industry still uncertain

Tim Stevens — Wed, 20 May 2009 08:49:00 EST

If you were around for our 2009 CES coverage you might have caught our ears-on demonstration of the future of Ford and Microsoft's SYNC technology, which delivered traffic, directions, and weather over a Bluetooth-tethered handset -- no monthly fee or even a data plan required. It was said the update would be included in 2010 Fords, which is still true, ~~but owners of older models can also get in on the fun~~ with an update coming early next week (installable via thumb drive). That's hot, but even hotter is talk of what's planned for the next update: internet radio, and Pandora is on the short list for hopeful inclusion. Have you streamed in a Ford, lately?

Update: As pointed out by commenter ericr34, it actually sounds like owners of earlier SYNC cars may not be able to get in on all this goodness. Here's to hoping that Ford enables pre-recession car buyers to experience the upgrade fun.

Filed under: Transportation

The future of Ford's SYNC starts on May 26, future of US auto industry still uncertain originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 20 May 2009 08:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pandora-lovin' Livio Radio sports 'thumbs up / down' controls

Darren Murph — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:01:00 EST

Much like digital photo frames, the whole internet radio sector is getting really, really tired. Thankfully, a little known company by the name of Livio is breaking in to spice things up. The simply titled (and classically styled) Livio Radio is the first and only dedicated device to offer Pandora's signature "thumbs up, thumbs down" controls on both the front panel and a remote, and while we suppose Pandora will be plenty for most of the targeted customers, it can also tune into a comprehensive list of other validated internet radio stations from around the world through Reciva. Outside of that, functionality is indeed limited, but Livio designed this thing to be a simple WiFi mix tape of sorts, not a bona fide home audio player. Naturally, all that's required to get tunes streaming is an AC outlet and an internet connection, so you can feel free to leave your PC / laptop at home. It's shipping now directly from Livio for $150, and the full release is after the break.

Gallery: Pandora-lovin' Livio Radio sports 'thumbs up / down' controls

Continue reading Pandora-lovin' Livio Radio sports 'thumbs up / down' controls

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Audio, Wireless

Pandora-lovin' Livio Radio sports 'thumbs up / down' controls originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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