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Slacker Radio 2.0 for iPhone to feature station caching, out 'soonish'
Ever since Slacker Radio decided to flee the hardware business, we've been looking forward to bigger and better things from its mobile apps. If the hands-on that Dave Zatz got with the version 2.0 software for iPhone is any indication we won't be waiting in vain, either. The big news here is station caching: that's right, users will soon be able to store music for off-line access, whether you're listening on a plane or in a dead zone. Exactly how many stations (and for how long) you can store is currently a mystery, although the reviewer said it took about 20 minutes to cache six stations, with each one being good for at least a couple hours playback. In order to take advantage of this, you will need to purchase the Slacker Radio Plus package, and you'll have to wait for the app to be approved by Apple, which could be a couple days from now -- or it could be never, depending on Apple's mood.
Sirius XM app for Android 'coming soon'
iPhone and iPod touch users may have had a Sirius XM app for close to a year now, but it looks like Android users will soon finally be able to get in on some mobile streaming as well. While there's still no specific launch date, the app is apparently "coming soon," and looks to be mostly identical to its iPhone OS counterpart, complete with support for streaming over both WiFi and 3G. Somewhat curiously, however, Sirius XM seems to be saying that the app will only be available for the Droid and Nexus One, although that's a bit puzzling considering they're not the only Android 2.1-ready phones with fast processors (if those are indeed the only requirements). Full press release is after the break, and you can sign up to be notified of the app at the link below.
Mini Countryman to be first production car with internet streaming radio?
BMW's Mini brand is getting a little bigger soon, with the Countryman bringing a taller stance and some AWD to the party, but that won't be the only exciting addition to the mix. The Countryman will be the first Mini to offer Mini Connected, an infotainment system of the likes of Sync or MyFord. This one naturally features iPhone/iPod integration and all that jazz, but most interesting is the so-called "web radio function" that will allow internet radio streams to be beamed right into the car. Stations must be selected from an "extensive" database, so it remains to be seen whether your favorite speed metal stream will be included, but more importantly Mini isn't saying just how those bits and bytes will get to the car. Will a USB modem be required? Will Mini charge a monthly service fee? Maybe you'll just need a really long Ethernet cable? We'll find out when it gets a full unveiling at the Geneva Auto Show next month.
Logitech Squeezebox Radio review
Everybody knows internet radio is a hit when you're at your computer. Away from your computer? Not so much. Getting your streams into your living rooms, bedrooms, and semi-detached servants quarters is rarely easy, and rarely fun. Logitech's Squeezebox series has been one of the most seamless ways to make it happen, and with the Squeezebox Radio it gets even better. It's cheaper and prettier than the Boom we enjoyed this time last year, and, a little more fun too. How much fun? Join in and see. %Gallery-74514%
Logitech makes Squeezebox Radio and Touch official
Logitech has finally released info on its upcoming additions to the Squeezebox lineup, and we're happy to share it all with you, dear readers. First up is the FCC-approved Squeezebox Radio, sporting integrated speakers and a 2.4-inch LCD upon which you can view playlists, peruse Facebook recommendations, and even squint at Flickr slideshows. On the higher end is the Squeezebox Touch, with its 4.3-inch touchscreen and outputs to connect directly to your home entertainment system. Both feature 802.11g wireless enabling them to suck tunes of all sorts (including Pandora, iTunes, Sirius, and various internet streams) straight from a Mac, Windows, or Linux machine, but only the Touch will be able to play tracks directly from USB drives and SD cards. The Radio will be shipping by the end of the month for an MSRP of $199, while the Touch (which would look perfect next to your Harmony 1100) is destined for a December release and a higher price of $299 -- despite it having already started shipping in some places. Full press releases after the break.
Tune into iPhone radio apps
Streaming radio apps for the iPhone/iPod touch are exploding in 2009. TUAW favorite Pandora was updated to 2.0 a couple of weeks ago, but it's hardly the only game in town. Back at Macworld, Chris Pirillo showed me StarPlayr for the iPhone, which lets Sirius and XM Radio subscribers access stations via the iPhone. The app isn't available right now, but it'll hopefully be in the App Store soon. Chris demoed the app extensively on his own site and having seen it in person, it is really impressive. Even with the crappy 3G signal we had on our trip to Cupertino, the stations streamed in at nice quality and there was an option to buy a track or album directly from iTunes. XM and Sirius both offer some great stations for talk radio and sports fans, and to me, that's where these types of streaming apps really shine. Pandora and Last.fm aren't the only streaming radio services around, AOL's SHOUTcast Radio [iTunes link] app debuted in the App Store a few weeks ago and it'll stream your favorite SHOUTcast stations in up to 128k streams (go to Settings on your iPhone, select SHOUTcast and select "allow high-bit streams"), favorite radio stations, search for artists (though the currently-playing artists is a bit delayed) and peruse the extensive SHOUTcast index. More below...
TUAW Faceoff: Pandora vs. AOL Radio
When the App Store first launched last Thursday, I saw Pandora and AOL Radio and immediately wondered if they would work on my first generation iPhone using EDGE. The quick answer is yes, however, you do make some sacrifices in one of the applications. Read my full review below to get the full details. About Pandora (Download Link)Pandora is a part of the Music Genome Project and allows you to create "stations" of your favorite artists. Pandora then pairs those artists to others you might like and plays an unlimited playlist based on your favorite artists. Pandora tracks your likes and dislikes and will play songs based on those results. Pandora lets you find new music for free, and who can argue with that?%Gallery-27449%About AOL Radio (Download Link)AOL Radio is a CBS Radio partner that provides online streaming radio stations. Unlike Pandora, AOL Radio is a true streaming radio station in the sense that you can play local stations which support in-audio advertising. AOL Radio can use the location feature in order to find CBS affiliate stations that bitcast near you.%Gallery-27450%User InterfaceBoth Pandora and AOL Radio follow a similar user interface design: they both look like the iPod feature on iPhone/iPod touch. Both of the interfaces are nice, however, I have the same gripes for both. The volume controllers in both seem to be independent of the iPhone's volume controller. This can cause the audio to be distorted if you turn it up too much in the applications themselves since you can use the volume buttons on the side to control the audio volume as well. Secondly, I would love to be able to quit the application and have the audio keep playing (I know, this is an Apple/SDK restriction, but it would still be nice). You can, however, lock the phone and keep the audio playing (which is a nice feature). Both applications allow you to purchase the currently playing song from the iTunes WiFi Music store. AOL Radio also provides a link to find out more about the currently playing song on AOL Radio's site. WiFi (or 3G) vs. EDGE UseWhen you are playing the music over WiFi (or the 3G cell network), you get awesome audio quality. Both applications seem to provide audio quality that matches that of purchased iTunes songs. On EDGE, however, AOL Radio falls short by providing very low quality audio (I would guess 56k audio). However, Pandora on EDGE seems to maintain good audio quality when you have a signal that is greater than 2/5 bars.So, who wins?Since both of these applications are absolutely free and have equal pros and cons, I would recommend downloading both to see which one fits you the best. If you are on a 3G iPhone, both will work well no matter where you are (assuming you're within 3G coverage). However, if you have a 2G iPhone, you might prefer Pandora because it provides better audio quality over EDGE. You can download both applications by clicking the download links above. Disclaimer: The Unofficial Apple Weblog and AOL Radio are both owned by AOL.
Terratec's NOXON 2 radio / music server now does iPods
Joining the hordes of other fine music servers out there that have caved to the silent iPod demands, Terratec's latest has ponied up the ten-percent in order to boast about iPod compatibility. The NOXON 2 music streamer sports a stylish white, silver, and black motif, a top-mounted iPod dock, USB host port for connecting flash drives and external HDDs, optical audio output, headphone jack, streaming internet radio sans a PC, FM tuner, a wireless remote, built-in in Ethernet, and WiFi to boot. The device also supports OS X, Linux, and several flavors of Windows, 802.11b/g, 802.3(u), UPnP, WEP, WPA / WPA2, and a plethora of audio formats including MP3, M3U, PLS, OGG, AAC, WAV, and WMA. Notably, this unit actually packs its own 2.1 speaker system if you're on the go, which consists of a three-inch "subwoofer" and a pair of 1.5-inch tweeters, leaving us all to wonder where the integrated mids are. Still, such a convenient little streamer won't run you cheap, as Terratec apparently feels this thing is worth a whopping €349 ($473).[Via Slashgear]
Terratec's NOXON 2 music server now does iPods
Joining the hordes of other fine music servers out there that have caved to the silent iPod demands, Terratec's latest has ponied up the ten-percent in order to boast about iPod compatibility. The NOXON 2 music streamer sports a stylish white, silver, and black motif, a top-mounted iPod dock, USB host port for connecting flash drives and external HDDs, optical audio output, headphone jack, streaming internet radio sans a PC, FM tuner, a wireless remote, built-in in Ethernet, and WiFi to boot. The device also supports OS X, Linux, and several flavors of Windows, 802.11b/g, 802.3(u), UPnP, WEP, WPA / WPA2, and a plethora of audio formats including MP3, M3U, PLS, OGG, AAC, WAV, and WMA. Notably, this unit actually packs its own 2.1 speaker system if you're on the go, which consists of a three-inch "subwoofer" and a pair of 1.5-inch tweeters, leaving us all to wonder where the integrated mids are. Still, such a convenient little streamer won't run you cheap, as Terratec apparently feels this thing is worth a whopping €349 ($473).[Via Slashgear]
Linux-based Audiobot Pro broadcasts your own radio station
Streaming internet radio through the home most certainly isn't new, but Tables Turned is making good use of its name by flipping the sequence in reverse and allowing users to create their own radio stations and blast them back to the web. The aptly-named Audiobot Pro is a Linux-based device which enables customers to "distribute audio to radio stations and music venues." Made for those who adore simplicity, you simply connect up an audio source and it "automatically records, formats, and uploads MP3 recordings to any website." Moreover, it can also broadcast an actual internet radio stream for others to tune into, and each Audiobot operator can control the device by inserting their own "uniquely encoded USB key into the front of the device." Don't expect to crank up your own pirate station without a bit of up-front costs, however, as the Audiobot Pro will set you back $1,200 right from the start.
Senators pushing for more limitations on internet / satellite radio recording
It seems that satellite radio just can't catch a break, as the RIAA and its indirect constituents apparently have a perpetual target set on crippling services associated with recording content. Yet again satellite radio (along with internet radio) is under fire, and this time a number of senators are pushing "rules embedded in a copyright bill, called the Platform Equality and Remedies for Rights Holders in Music Act," which could "restrict listeners' ability to record and play back individual songs." Furthermore, the act calls for streams to be laced with "reasonably available copy-protection" so that timeshifting material becomes next to impossible (and illegal, too), and that portable recording devices such as the much-debated XM Inno and Sirius S50 would no longer allow "automatic recording." The reasoning stems from a belief that satellite / internet radio should still be a "passive experience," presumably forcing us to look backwards rather than forward in radio technologies, and proponents of the agenda somehow insinuate that enforcing these rules will curb "music theft." Unsurprisingly, the RIAA "applauded the effort and urged Congress to make passing the legislation a top priority this year," while most everyone else on the planet (including spokespersons for XM and the Home Recording Rights Coalition) is balking at what would potentially make satellite / internet radio less accessible to desiring consumers. While we've no idea how quickly action will be taken on these newly surfaced guidelines, we can all rest assured that our representatives will devote every waking hour to this here issue until it's finalized and implemented, at least if the RIAA has anything to do with it.
