pandora

The 404 860: Where we're selling Spotify invites (podcast)

Spotify has finally made its way to the U.S., successfully striking deals with all four of the major record labels to provide a unique music-streaming service, and Wilson's already a member with a premium account. If you're weren't lucky enough to get an invite to the party, we'll be selling them to the highest bidder.

In other news, Jeff's friend brings us news about a man in China who built an iPad clone from scratch, except I already have my eyes set on a Buy.com deal for an Archos 7" Android tablet for $90 shipped! If you already have the Archos, let me know if it's worth the money, or if I should wait for Amazon's tablet to launch in October.

All this plus e-mails from the public on today's podcast!

The 404 Digest for Episode 860

Spotify lands in the United States. Chinese "hacker" makes iPad clone from scratch. Amazon to launch its own tablet in October.

Episode 860 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Get a 32-inch Vizio Internet-connected TV for $299.99

In the future, all TVs will offer Internet connectivity. I mean, who wants to pay extra for, say, a Roku box when a TV can build in apps for Netflix, Hulu, Pandora, and the like?

Vizio is ahead of the curve in that respect, with many of its models offering built-in Wi-Fi and a healthy roster of Internet apps.

Here's one of them. TigerDirect has the refurbished Vizio E322VL 32-inch LCD HDTV for $299.99, plus $21 for shipping. Or, if you order the TV through eBay, shipping is free! (Consider yourself warned: this may sell out before the … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1509: Hey, Windows Phone 7, how much does a polar bear weigh? (Podcast)

Today on the show, we discover that Windows Phone 7 does have a life in the wild -- at least one phone does, anyway. Also, Plants vs. Zombies are taking over the world and BT, Steve, and I are headed for a Tetris showdown. RIM continues to try to defend its co-CEO setup (why!?) and fans rage, rage, against the dying of the cheap Netflix plans. We direct them elsewhere: toward the studios who want so much for streaming content in the first place.

Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3) |  iTunes (320x180) |  iTunes (640x360) |  RSS (MP3) |  RSS (320x180) |  RSS (640x360)… Read more

How much are social-media companies really worth?

In the social-media industry, a company's valuation is always a hot topic. But a recent survey shows that those valuations might need to be taken with a grain of salt.

According to a survey conducted by accounting and consulting organization BDO USA, 75 percent of capital markets executives at investment banks do not believe that social-media companies' valuations can be "justified." The survey also found that 62 percent of the executives say that the chances of a second dot-com bubble "is at least somewhat likely."

However, BDO partner Jay Duke isn't so sure that … Read more

RIAA's sales numbers: A closer look

Cloud-music services have received a lot of attention over the past year and are supposed to represent the next phase in music retail. But looking at music sales from the past five years, it may be hard to understand why.

Supporters have said that cloud music services will generate a big chunk of revenue through subscription fees. The problem is that subscription-music services have been a problem for a while and the public still hasn't shown any indication that it's willing to pay to store and access music.

Last week, Nielsen SoundScan reported that overall music sales rose … Read more

Scion adds Pandora to 2012 xB's stereo

The 2011 Scion xB's premium audio system proved a disappointment, but the company has announced new stereo choices for the 2012 model. The base and upgrade Pioneer head units add standard Bluetooth and HD radio, and the upgrade brings in iPhone Pandora integration.

At its launch, Scion relied on aftermarket head units for its cars, which should have kept it on the edge of in-cabin electronics. But recent models used older electronics, and lacked feature-rich Bluetooth phone systems or modern audio sources. The new Pioneer head units add HD radio and Bluetooth audio streaming to the existing iPod support.

The upgrade Pioneer audio system features a large screen, which should make browsing music libraries easy. Both head units rely on the same audio system, with four speakers in front and two in the rear. Owners can add a subwoofer through an RCA jack in the back of the head units.

Pioneer previously announced its App Radio, offering integration with Pandora and a number of smartphone apps. … Read more

Pandora for Android needs work

If you're not familiar with Pandora, it requires you to create an account before listening to its streaming-radio content. Once you've created an account and have installed the app, you'll be able to listen to and create personalized Pandora radio stations, right from your mobile device. Just like the site, the Pandora app lets you create stations based on artists or songs, browse through its Genre stations, or fire up a Quick Mix. You can purchase any song that plays with a simple tap, or hit the info button to read interesting details about both the track … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1492: The streaming movie crack cycle (Podcast)

We are back online today and explain exactly what happened to the show yesterday when it blew up. We discuss Rims demise and the Senate passing a law making it a felony to stream copyright protected material on the interwebs while at the same time day dream about Spotify coming to the US in all of its music streaming glory.

Subscribe:  iTunes (MP3) |  iTunes (320x180) |  iTunes (640x360) |  RSS (MP3) |  RSS (320x180) |  RSS (640x360)… Read more

This Day in Tech: LulzSec hacks U.S. Senate site; Man gets sued after tweeting about wife's affair

Too busy to keep up with the tech news? Here are some of the more interesting stories from CNET for Thursday, June 16.

Clouds gather over RIM The BlackBerry maker reports $4.9 billion in earnings, below the $5.2 billion it expected, and announces layoffs starting next quarter. Shares of the company were halted just before the news hit. More

Senator renews pledge to update digital-privacy law Sen. Patrick Leahy says law enforcement concerns kept him from proposing that search warrants be required for police to learn the previous locations of Americans' cell phones. More

'Sleep' author: I don't support piracy … Read more