In what is perhaps Slacker's first step in offering its music service on third-party devices, the company has partnered with RIM to bring a mobile Slacker application to RIM's line of BlackBerry smartphones. The app, which will be available in October for free, will essentially turn the mobile device into a Slacker Portable Player--it works in largely the same way as the firmware on the player. More details after the jump.
(Credit:
RIM/Slacker)
The first step is to log onto the Slacker Personal Radio Web site and create a list of favorite stations from more than 100 professionally programmed options, which range from dance and hip-hop to gospel and comedy. You can also save any of the more than 10,000 artist-based stations as well as create your own custom stations using a blend of artists. You can then select up to 40 of your saved stations for transferring to the BlackBerry (the number of stations/songs depends on the device's memory card). Then, you'll need to connect the device to sync your favorites over USB. However, that could be the only time you ever need a hardwire connection to Slacker, depending on how often you want to swap out the actual channels.
Once your stations are saved on the device, getting new music is a completely wireless process. If you get sick of any channel's rotation, a few easy clicks will allow you to refresh the station over Wi-Fi or your cellular network. The new songs are then cached in the BlackBerry's memory so you can listen to the new music without keeping an open connection--and without having to reconnect to your computer. There is also an option to stream stations that are not saved on the device; again, either Wi-Fi or the cell network will suffice for this feature, though Wi-Fi will likely offer a more hiccup-free streaming experience.
As with the Slacker Web service and device, the BlackBerry app will feature Heart and Ban buttons (in the form of onscreen soft keys). Users will have the option to pause playback and skip tracks, but will not be able to reverse through the playlist. Best of all, the service continues to be completely free--paid for by a reasonably limited smattering of audio and visual ads--unless you elect to pay $7.50 for the Premium service, which does away with the ads and skip limits, and adds the ability to save songs in your library. Hopefully, this announcement is just a glimpse of things to come from Slacker.
Updated at 2:30 p.m. PDT with Microsoft comment, and additional photos.
A reader found the 120GB Zune for sale at Fry's for $250 Thursday.
(Credit: Joe)A reader was casually perusing the aisles of his local Fry's Electronics today hoping to buy an 80GB Zune. To Joe's surprise, he found the only-recently-confirmed 120GB Zune there, right below the Product Red 80GB version.
There were "about six" of the 120GB versions that he could see, but no new signage advertising it, he tells CNET.
He paid $250 for the device.
A Microsoft spokesman confirmed that this is "just the beginning" of the rollout of the newest Zune, and more retailers in other regions will start offering the device over the next few weeks.
(Credit:
Joe)
(More pics after the break.)
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Microsoft's 120GB Zune gets by the FCC.
(Credit: FCC)The FCC's Web site let us all in on a little Microsoft secret Monday: the company is working on a 120GB Zune.
A report detailing a test performed by the government agency in mid-June shows a picture of the portable media player, which looks identical to the 80GB version of the device. It doesn't appear that there are any other spec changes besides the larger hard drive capacity.
At 120GB, that puts Microsoft neatly between Apple's largest-capacity iPod offerings. Apple has an 80GB and a 160GB iPod Classic, and doesn't participate in the 120GB category.
And although the report has plenty to say about radiation test results, it offers nothing about any prospective release date or price.
If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.
(Credit:
Creative)
Good advice if you're Creative and Goliath is a fruit-branded company from Cupertino. So adding more sauce to the Apple pie is yet another third-party accessory, albeit a decent-looking effort, hot out of Sim Wong Hoo's wonder emporium. First glimpsed at CES 2008 back in January, Creative's TravelSound i80 speaker for the iPod nano (3rd Generation) is an extension of the i50 for the shuffle (2nd Generation). If you liked the latter, you'll probably like the former since Creative's roots are after all rooted in audio. Think Sound Blaster and Zen audio players. So sound-wise, we can assume it's more than sweet, particularly since it's powered by four independent micro drivers and a digital amplifier.
Design-wise, this latest TravelSound acts like a tight-fitting sheathe that you slide your nano into. The built-in rechargeable Lithium-polymer supplements your iPod's power, and can charge both once plugged into the USB connection on the speaker, giving up to 15 hours of playback. The speaker stand allows the speaker to tilt at an angle for viewing of photos and videos on the nano. A USB wall charger and pouch are included.
Though we'd love to know why the product team leapfrogged from the i50 to i80, we're even more confused by the PR reply that this really ought to be called the TravelSound (model i80). So how come the TravelSound i50 isn't (model i50)? We were hit by more Apple-inspired mind games when we asked about Asian availability prior to writing this ("typically we don't disclose specific countries").
We do know it'll be retailing in Singapore for S$129 at Creative and online stores from early April, in just one color--silver metallic, take it or leave it. There also appears to be a volume control on the speaker, from the pictures. Ultimately, it's whether nano owners are convinced enough to tune in to a Creative-branded speaker amidst a raft of similar third-party offerings.
(Source: Crave Asia)
Dell said it would be doing some interesting things this year, and lo, it has: the company announced Monday it will purchase Zing Systems, maker of streaming audio technology.
Zing currently licenses its technology to SanDisk, for the Sansa Connect, and Sirius, for its Stiletto 100 product. Privately held Zing Systems is based in Mountain View, Calif., and all 120 of its employees are expected to be retained by Dell, said David Frink, a spokesman for Dell. Other details of the transaction were not released.
(Credit:
Zing Systems)
After almost 20 years of very few acquisitions, Dell's latest streak of buying three companies in a matter of weeks--SilverBack Technologies, ASAP Software, and now this--probably qualifies as a shopping spree. But Dell says it's all part of the plan laid out earlier when it announced it would be expanding its retail offerings.
"We're looking at companies that can expand our capability to provide great product experiences," said Frink. "We think this is a company that can provide a great technology and entertainment experience."
Though it axed its own Dell-branded MP3 player earlier this year, Dell currently sells several different brands of portable media devices, including the Sansa Connect, as well as devices from Creative Technology, Samsung Electronics, Sony, Microsoft and Archos.
Delphi has officially launched the portable XM receiver it quietly announced last month. Marketed as "the first Micro SD Compatible MP3 Satellite Radio" the SkyFi3 is a lightweight unit (65 percent smaller than the SkyFi2) with a built-in receiver that can be used in concert with the Live Wearable "antenna" headphones (a $49 accessory) for true portability. It's near impossible to track down a photo of these 'phones (I've tried here and here), (probably because they're big and dorky).
However, the SkyFi3, with its big-buttoned interface, big and bright 9-line 2.8-inch display, and vertical and horizontal flexibility, is ideal for car use. It ships with a car dock kit and will be available December 1 for $229.
The device can record up to 10 hours of satellite radio and store songs in the unit's built-in flash, and it includes a Micro SD slot that allows you to play back MP3 and WMA files. Like the SkyFi2, this version can pause live recording and rewind 30 minutes of content. Additionally, the SkyFi3 features a strong FM transmitter.
I played with an early unit and noticed its lightweight build and good button layout. The screen is nice and big, but you'll have to do without the luxury of color and station graphics. As mentioned, you'll have to get the special headphones in order to listen to live XM between your house and car. The battery life of 90 minutes of live XM is pretty weak, but then, this is not supposed to replace the MyFi (or Samsung's Helix or Pioneer's Inno). It may not be the smallest or fanciest satellite radio receiver/recorder/MP3 player out there, but it does a lot for the price. Look for our full review of the SkyFi3 in the coming weeks.
(Photo: Delphi)
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