• On GameSpot: Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto speaks out
October 9, 2007 5:02 PM PDT

Pandora: From zero to addicted in 10 minutes

by Daniel Terdiman

OK, I admit it: I'm not always the first to try out some great new technology.

Once in a long while, maybe, I'm a little behind. Like a year or two.

That's why it took me until today to finally try out Pandora, the Internet site that lets you create custom radio stations based on your music preferences.

And now I think I know something about instant addiction. I signed up, entered a single artist to create a radio station around, and about eight songs in, I'm just totally hooked.

I started playing around with the site, following cross-references and links and seeing how easy it is to create additional stations and buy the music played, and I'm completely in love.

Of course, everyone else in the world has already figured this out. But as a geek, I figure it's only fair to acknowledge the very rare--OK, very frequent--instances when I'm a little slow to discover great new technologies.

But at least I'm willing to learn. That's something, right?

Daniel Terdiman is a staff writer at CNET News covering games, Net culture, and everything in between. E-mail Daniel.
Recent posts from Geek Gestalt
Spiral Jetty, earthwork extraordinaire
Where the Transcontinental Railroad finally joined
Road Trip 2009 hits 2,000 miles near largest bombing range in U.S.
Blogging live from Spiral Jetty
Defending against chemical, biological weapons
Trying to turn the page on a Kindle
Arches and canyons and buttes, oh my!
Road Trip 2009 hits 1,000 miles in the Rockies
Add a Comment (Log in or register) (7 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
Pandora Rocks
by Eyeoftherabbit October 9, 2007 6:17 PM PDT
Welcome to the party! I only "discovered" it about a year ago myself, and while I often think Slacker is the better player, Pandora still gets a much-disputed spot on my Firefox Bookmark Toolbar...

_________
http://eyeoftherabbit.wordpress.com
Reply to this comment
i agree completely
by ctfoley October 9, 2007 6:34 PM PDT
pandora is good, slacker is great
View reply
Don't rub it in
by joseph105 October 9, 2007 7:11 PM PDT
"everyone else in the world has already figured this out"

Wrong! Pandora blocks most non-US users, including us deprived Canadians. I got addicted to Pandora about 2 months before they blocked international users from the site.

Sigh :( Please come to Canada, Pandora. I'd even gladly pay a subscription fee to access it.
Reply to this comment
I'm banned too
by Riquez-001 October 9, 2007 9:39 PM PDT
Dear Pandora Visitor,
We are deeply, deeply sorry to say that due to licensing constraints,
we can no longer allow access to Pandora for most listeners located
outside of the U.S.
Pandora On Blog
by Apella REBS October 9, 2007 7:46 PM PDT
I am glad that you have had the chance to check out the Pandora system. I have been using it and turning people onto it for about two years now. I have it streamed on my Windows Live Spaces Blog Table Talk With Apella. Feel free to check it out as it is great because readers can have music of their choice while reading or surfing the net. The player if used with a muti-window browser will play on even once they leave Table Talk With Apella so they can keep on enjoying music. Best of luck with you music and enjoy!
Reply to this comment
Also used to like Pandora . . . .
by K.P.C. October 10, 2007 5:13 AM PDT
. . . Till they blocked from listening in Japan.

What really pissed me off was during that whole stink about how
much the copyright court decided to charge internet radio
stations - I get an email from Pandora ask me to contact me
elected reprentatives to complain - Which did take the time to
do (Since I am a U.S. citizen and a registered voter).

About 2 weeks later they cut me off.
(Thanks again RIAA - for nothing!)
And they had the nerve to continue sending me emails telling
me about improvements they were making and wondering why I
hadn't visited recently. I finally email back to request they stop
"spamming" me if they're not going to let me listen.

btw - Slacker not available here either.
Reply to this comment
(7 Comments)
  • prev
  • 1
  • next
advertisement

Making sense of Windows 7 upgrades

faq The basics and the fine print on Microsoft's options for those eyeing the next operating system from Redmond.
• Full Windows 7 coverage

Road Trip 2009: Big Sky Country

CNET News reporter Daniel Terdiman takes his car full of gadgets to the Rockies and the Great Plains in search of tech, science, nature, and more.
• America's Fortress: Cheyenne Mountain

About Geek Gestalt

Daniel Terdiman, uniquely positioned to take you into the middle of another side of technology, chronicles his explorations of the "fun beat," from cultural phenomena such as Burning Man to cutting-edge aircraft to game conventions.

Add this feed to your online news reader

Geek Gestalt topics

advertisement
advertisement

Inside CNET News

Scroll Left Scroll Right