pandora

Technology companies are supposed to be wide-eyed novices on Capitol Hill. I've read that they don't spread enough money around or aren't hip to the ways of Washington.

Regardless of whether that's true, this weekend saw Pandora, a struggling music service, whip up enough support among fans of Web radio to help persuade the House of Representatives to unanimously pass the Webcaster Settlement Act on Saturday, according to multiple people associated with the bill. The proposed legislation is designed to give Internet radio stations added time to negotiate a settlement with the music industry on reduced … Read more

Update at 7:28 p.m. PDT: Quotes have been added from the National Association of Broadcasters on why it no longer opposes the bill.

Web radio stations live to fight another day.

The House of Representatives has unanimously passed a bill that Web radio stations have painted as life or death for their services.

The Webcaster Settlement Act, which would allow Internet radio stations to negotiate with the music industry for a royalty rate lower than what Congress mandated last year, passed the House by a voice vote on Saturday.

Proponents of the bill had predicted a close vote. … Read more

Update at 5:50 p.m. PDT: The House actually did weigh in on the bill on Saturday, passing it unanimously by a voice vote.

Proponents of Web radio stations are predicting a very close vote in Congress on a bill that they paint as life or death.

The House of Representatives is set to vote Sunday on the Webcaster Settlement Act, which would allow Web radio stations to negotiate with the music industry for a royalty rate lower than what Congress mandated last year.

Companies like Pandora are seeking a reduced rate and say that they simply cannot afford … Read more

The congressional vote regarding royalty fees for Internet radio has been moved at the last minute to 11 a.m. EDT Saturday, according to Pandora, one of the start-ups that has been pushing for this vote in the wake of pressure from the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB).

"It has to happen tomorrow," Pandora chief technology officer Tom Conrad said in an interview with CNET News on Friday night. The start-up has put up a blog post encouraging fans and users to call their congressional representatives through the night to support the cause. "The timing issue that'… Read more

UPDATE Friday, 3:25 p.m PT: To include Pandora's letter to fans

Time is running out on a bill that could pave the way for Pandora and other Webcasters to pay reduced royalty rates, as traditional radio broadcasters are now trying to kill the legislation.

As Congress readies to adjourn, representatives of the National Association of Broadcasters are lobbying lawmakers to stop legislation that would allow anyone streaming music over the Web, such as National Public Radio and Pandora, to continue negotiating with SoundExchange, the body that collects statutory rates for the music industry.

SoundExchange and the Digital … Read more

With Congress due to adjourn Friday, lawmakers worked late Thursday evening to resolve a couple of high profile digital-entertainment issues.

A "Webcasting" bill was introduced in Congress on Thursday that would allow SoundExchange, the body that collects royalties on behalf of the music industry, to reach a settlement on royalty rates with the Digital Media Association (DiMA) after Congress adjourns.

SoundExchange and DiMA, which represents Web radio stations such as Pandora, have been at odds over the fees charged to stream music. Sources close to the talks say the introduction of the bill signals the two sides are … Read more

If you took one of Logitech's increasingly ubiquitous Pure-Fi desktop stereos and integrated one of its Squeezebox network-audio streamers, you'd probably come up with something like the Logitech Squeezebox Boom. Previous Squeezebox models had to be plugged into an existing stereo receiver or speaker system, but the Boom is the first model in Logitech's network-audio line to have the speakers built-in.

The result is a full-service Wi-Fi radio that can access a wide variety of digital music straight from the Internet or from a networked PC.

We've been playing with an early sample of the Squeezebox Boom, and so far, it's one of the best products in its class we've ever seen. That's not surprising, given that it has the same guts as the recent Editors' Choice Squeezebox Duet.

As far as abilities are concerned, the Boom pretty much has the identically impressive range of features as the Duet: the ability to stream everything from premium Rhapsody and Sirius content to freely available Internet radio, podcasts, Pandora, Slacker, and Last.fm music straight off the Web, as well as nearly any non-DRM digital-audio format from a networked PC (Windows, Mac, or Linux). (Editor's note: CNET and Last.fm are both subsidiaries of CBS.) But the Boom trades the Duet's digital and analog outputs for a pair of good-sounding stereo speakers (3-inch woofers flanked by 0.75-inch tweeters), so the entire system is self-contained.

The unit's handsome, black housing is a mere 5 inches high by 13 inches wide and 4-inches deep. It's got the same sort of bright, vacuum, fluorescent display found on the "classic" Squeezebox, which makes it easily viewable, even from halfway across the room. The control panel is pretty much a spread-out version of the Squeezebox Duet remote (itself strongly modeled on the iPod). Most functions are accessed from a single scrollwheel--depress the wheel to make a menu choice, use the nearby "back" button to reverse course. Six preset buttons are also on board for quick access to Internet radio stations of your choice. A small wireless remote is also included--it magnetically attaches to the Boom's topside (or any other metal surface) for easy locating. … Read more

Donald and Jasmine discuss the recently announced sixth-generation lineup of Archos portable media players, now portable media tablets. Plus, talk of Internet radio death knells and another way you can get your hands on free product. Listen now: Download today's podcast

Archos announces sixth-gen product lineup

Fees may sink Pandora

Zune to drop 120GB model

---iHome ZN9 Giveaway---

RULES:

1) Winners will be picked randomly and announced on next week's show

2) Only ONE entry per person will be eligible for the drawing. (We will count the FIRST entry received.)

3) You must not be … Read more

The Bandwidth music tech conference in San Francisco attracts folks from all corners of the music industry: from label owners and musicians, to Internet radio broadcasters and mobile phone software developers. This year, the conference featured panel discussions on topics such as the future of music gadgets (a subject dear to my nerd heart), developing music services for mobile phones, and the realities of running a label in today's fractured music industry.

One of the more popular themes drawing heated discussion across all panels was the idea of ditching the paid download model dominated by iTunes in favor of … Read more