Slacker Radio on the Motorola Droid.
(Credit: Slacker Radio)It's been about a month since we got a peek at the first generation of the for the Android platform. We liked what we saw. On Thursday, other Android users can also cast their own vote about Slacker Radio 1.0 for Android by downloading it for free from the Market application on their Android smartphone.
Like Slacker Radio on other mobile platforms--and also similar to other streaming radio and music discovery apps like Pandora and Last.fm--the app lets you stream music from pre-programmed genres and stations, or from stations you set up yourself online. You'll be able to view album art and bios, block a song or vote it a favorite, and skip ahead--this is limited in the free version and limitless in the premium upgrade. Like what you hear? You can share a link to that station on SlackerRadio.com via e-mail, SMS, or MMS via .
Upgrading to the premium Radio Plus subscription service brings you song lyrics in addition to those unlimited skips and no ads.
While the upcoming version will more or less mirror this Android build, Slacker Radio on Android makes one feature unique--the Now Playing home screen widget that shows you what's playing now. The widget, which you install by giving the home screen a long press and selecting Slacker Radio from the Widgets list, is embedded with pause, skip, favorite, and blocking controls. However, it currently lacks the capability to change stations.
Motorola Droid owners can also grab Slacker Radio in the Verizon channel of the Android Market. Slacker Radio has optimized the Android app for the Motorola Droid, HTC Droid Eris, HTC G1, and HTC MyTouch.
Note: Last.fm and CNET share a parent company, CBS.
Correction: Updated 11/6 at 8:25 am. You can share a link to a station from Slacker Radio for Android, not a link to a particular song.
Start configuring Twitter from Slacker.com.
(Credit: Slacker)At the CTIA Wireless conference (see all stories) this afternoon, Slacker Radio showed off its new applications for Android, BlackBerry, and Windows phones. Unfortunately, Slacker isn't sharing a time line for those release dates. That's not to say we'll walk away empty-handed. On Wednesday, Slacker will turn on Twitter integration, so registered members can tweet songs they're listening to in real time.
Know up front that this is a limited service that Slacker will flesh out later with those updated smartphone apps they teased us with. Think of the Twitter feature as a working preview.
Using a new feature, tweet your tunes from Slacker Radio.
(Credit: Slacker )Starting tonight at 9:00 p.m. PT, a Twitter box will appear on the Community tab of Slacker.com. (If it doesn't, wait a few minutes and try again.) After signing into Twitter, you'll be able to configure Slacker to auto-tweet any combination of the following: whenever you change or play a station, a favorite song, a banned song, or a banned artist. According to Slacker, when the Twitter integration appears on those future Slacker Radio apps, you'll be able to manually tweet any of the above from the mobile interface so you won't bludgeon your buds with your musical taste, no matter how impeccable it is. Until then, it's automatic tweeting or nothing for you.
After integrating Twitter, Slacker will look to other social networks, such as Facebook and MySpace.
While Slacker's new Twitter integration gives cell phone rockers and crooners the chance to share streaming ditties within the Slacker Radio experience, it's not the only service to tangle with Twitter. Here are six more ways to tweet your musical faves.
In mid-July, Verizon began automatically pushing Slacker Radio to BlackBerry Storm phones. Starting Tuesday, Verizon's partnership with Slacker Radio begins extending to BlackBerry Tour devices in its U.S. network as well.
As part of the agreement, Slacker Radio will hook into Verizon's V Cast store (which itself taps the Rhapsody catalog), giving BlackBerry Storm and Tour users the capability to purchase one of 4.5 million songs.
Slacker Radio's streaming music player competes heavily with similar Internet radio services, particularly Pandora.
(Credit:
Slacker Radio)
Don't have a streaming radio application on your BlackBerry Storm yet? If you're a Verizon user, all you have to do to get one is wait.
On Thursday, Verizon started rolling out the Slacker Radio application to every BlackBerry Storm user in its U.S. network. The free version of Slacker Personal Radio App will appear as an icon on the Storm home screen. Those who would rather opt out can hide the button and ignore the service.
In addition to discovering and rating songs, Slacker's edge on BlackBerry is its ability to cache stations for offline listening. This is particularly useful when traveling through weak Wi-Fi areas or dead data zones that would make streaming music a challenge.
A hook into Verizon's V Cast service, which itself taps the Rhapsody catalog, gives BlackBerry Storm users an opportunity to buy one of the service's 4.5 million songs without interrupting the tune's playback.
Verizon will begin pushing the Verizon version of Slacker Radio app to BlackBerry Storm users over the air Thursday and will continue to do so in waves. Slacker Radio operates a two-tiered service. The free, basic streaming service pushed to the phones can be upgraded to a premium subscription, Slacker Radio Plus.
(Credit:
Slacker Radio)
Music lovers, this week's CNET Crave giveaway is for you. This time, five lucky winners will receive a yearlong subscription to Slacker Radio Plus, which Slacker is offering to CNET readers in celebration of having its service on the BlackBerry named an April 2009 CNET Editors' Choice winner.
To win, you don't have to have a BlackBerry or use Slacker Radio. The prize is good for Slacker's streaming-Internet radio in all its destinations: on the Internet, BlackBerry, iPhone, Slacker's portable G2 player, and on the Sony Brazia TV, Logitech Squeezebox Duet, or Logitech Squeezebox Boom.
Slacker's premium Radio Plus service nixes the ads and includes song lyrics, a new Mini Mode, unlimited skips (versus a six-skip limit per hour, per station), and unlimited song requests (versus 20 per station).
So, how do you attempt to win a year of Slacker Radio Plus? Good question, and a perfect segue to lay out the basic rules. Don't skip these, or you may not win.
- Age. You must be 18 years of age or older.
- Register as a CNET user. Go to the top of this page and hit the "Join CNET" link to start the registration process. If you're already registered, no need to register again.
- Leave a comment below. You can leave any comment you want. If it's funny or insightful it won't help you win, but we're trying to have fun here, so anything entertaining is appreciated.
- Leave only one comment. You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter more than one comment, you will be automatically disqualified.
- Register for Slacker Radio. You must have the free, basic Slacker Radio account to win Slacker Radio Plus.
- Winners will be chosen randomly. The five (5) winners will receive one (1) year of Slacker's Radio Plus service. Approximate retail value is $50 based on a $3.99 per month subscription fee.
- If you are chosen, you will be notified via e-mail. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
- Entries can be submitted until Monday, May 18, at 12 p.m. EDT.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENT OF ONE OF THE 50 UNITED STATES OR D.C., 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AT DATE OF ENTRY INTO SWEEPSTAKES. VOID IN PUERTO RICO, ALL U.S. TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS AND WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Sweepstakes ends at 11:59:59 a.m. EDT on May 18, 2009. See official rules for details.
Good luck. Now may the entries begin!
(Credit:
Slacker Radio)
When Slacker Radio first introduced its streaming Internet radio app for the BlackBerry, it only worked on standard BlackBerrys running version 4.3 and above. Starting Wednesday, the free app gets touchy-feely with a brand new version for the BlackBerry's touch-screen Storm.
Slacker Radio for the Storm brings with it everything we loved on the Curve and Bold, including its best feature ever, caching a song to play offline later. It also throws in some touch-screen specials, like support for landscape mode.
The app still serves U.S. customers only on the BlackBerry and iPhone.
To get it, go to www.Slacker.com from the BlackBerry browser.
Related stories:
First Look video: Slacker for BlackBerry
How to cache Slacker stations on BlackBerry
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