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CEO: Fully Merged Sirius XM Devices To Hit Shelves In Q1 2009
Posted by Matt Hickey at 1:00 PM on August 9, 2008
When Sirius and XM finished their merger dance it was said that they would be able to offer interoperable radios—that is units that work with the full lineups of both XM and Sirus—within a year of the merger. Then they told the FCC they'd have devices within nine months. Now Mel Karmazin, CEO of the new merged company, has said that we can expect merged receivers "a number of months" before that deadline, likely in the first quarter of 2009. This is both good and bad news for the consumers. It's good because they'll get the full benefits of the merged systems, but it's bad because to get those benefits they'll have to purchase another receiver. Karmazin also said that "a la carte" radios—those that would offer a full lineup of either XM or Sirius and individual channels from the other service—will be here for the holidays, but we'd hold off.[OrbitCast]
Samsung has been pioneering efforts to improve performance of SSDs in operating systems, working with Apple to integrate ZFS reading and writing to the next version of OSX Server. This means a 128-bit file system with faster data throughput and lots of other fun things that make servers run better. This also means Apple is taking SSD technology seriously, as it has already dropped the price of the SSD upgrade for the MacBook Air—the only current MacBook to ship with an SSD option—to US$599 from US$999. We likely won't see SSDs across the MacBook lines yet, but this means it could be in the cards. [
If you're a fan of the current crop of 
The Freewheeler speaker features a frequency response of 52 - 21,000 Hz, a 112dB output, a built-in FM receiver, a battery life of 8 hours and a wireless range of 656 feet-- but I'm having trouble figuring out what makes it worth US$21,000. Is it the fact that it is roughly the size of a Mazda Miata tire (only thicker) and can be rolled around? Because I'll be dammed if I'm paying that much for something I have to push. Still, 8 morons 
After Netshare was pulled 
I like Duck Hunt, but I don't like being mocked by an overweight dog because I'm not the next Solid Snake with a light gun. Laser Shot's HT Complete home theatre hunting sim offers all the game hunting one can handle without causing self-esteem issues. Sure, it 
This clock, made by Greg Blonder from a Lego Mindstorms set, is an homage to the slide rule. It's super simple to read; the upper rule tells the hours and the lower tells the minutes. They move independently, and the stationary window shows the time. This update to a retro gadget is kind of hypnotising to watch, even if it takes up about a foot of shelf space. As much as we like this, we're wondering when Greg will come out with an abacus Lego clock.
The ElectraFlyer C is a carbon fiber-shelled mini plane that runs on electricity, and it also looks like a lot of fun. It's a mash-up of a commercially available glider body and a lightweight battery and motor/propeller assembly. It can fly for 90 to 120 minutes at up to 145kph, and you can recharge it in about six hours from a regular 110 volt outlet for about 60 cents. Oh, and it's received its airworthiness cert, meaning it's perfectly legal. [
The 2008 Olympics have 
As anyone who has seen the Matrix will tell you, an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) can wreak havoc on electronics. You may also know that an EMP is a byproduct of a nuclear blast--which is why the Navy has handed over US$7.5 million to L-3 Services, Inc. to build an EMP generator. The device is not going to be used as a weapon, instead it will be used to test the resistance of military systems to specific EMP levels as a preventative measure in the event that a nuclear weapon is detonated in US airspace.
The Gadget: The Mint 220 Digital Music Station, which acts both as an iPod dock, but also as a wireless speaker system that syncs via USB dongle to your Mac or PC. Comes with wireless remote and uses the 2.4GHz spectrum to beam music up to 45 feet/15 meters.
Earlier this week, the NYT put together a timeline of the 
Musical doorbells are annoying enough, but what if you gave your visitors the freedom to express themselves creatively? That's exactly what designer Li Jian had in mind when he came up with the Pianobell. Unless you are friends with a lot of talented musicians, I don't see much of an upside here. On the other hand, it could be amusing to torture your FedEx guy with a bizarre form of performance anxiety. Fortunately for him, the Pianobell is only a concept at this point. [
If you and your DVR are having trouble keeping up with all of the 
Until I loaded up this realtime Global Disaster Alert Map operated by the International Disaster and Risk Conference, which tracks biological hazards, chemical spills, fires, volcanoes, earthquakes and epidemics, I earnestly thought that it had been a pretty good day. I was wrong, and I will not be so naive as to drop my constant cynicism again. [
Handy if you want to hit on a cute waitress at a decent sushi bar or the French exchange student pulling shots at your usual coffee place with horrible abortions of their native tongue, Google Translate is now optimised for the iPhone. It stores your most recent translations on the phone so you don't need to stay connected if you can get by with just a few canned lines. All mocking aside, we actually think it's pretty cool, at least when what it comes up with is comprehensible. [
We desperately need you to settle an ongoing debate for us. When you refer to 
Presenters at Black Hat revealed that most, if not all, of Windows Vista's security features can be taken out with a single browser exploit, using Java and .NET to execute malicious code. What really makes this a killer, is that it is based around Vista's fundamental architecture, not a specific security flaw, and can be executed with any browser vulnerability. As researcher Dino Dai Zovi told 
Summer has gone fast hasn't it? Hard to believe that many of you will be heading back to school sometime in the next few weeks. That means it's time to get on a schedule and prepare yourself for another semester of boring lectures, homework and tests. Sure, there is a lot of fun to be had--but the party is going to come to a screeching halt when you get out there into the real world. That's why you have to apply yourself now so you can get a good job when all is said and done. Either that, or you have to learn how to cut corners more effectively. Since this is the 
Developers have told 
The limited-edition Pokemon DS Lite was actually released in Japan back in 2006, but is just now showing up in a Gamestop ad in the US. The flashy, surprisingly mature paintjob features Dialga and Palkia, the two Pokemon—Pokemons? Pokemen?—from the Diamond and Pearl covers. It looks to come with a nice bundle, including carrying case, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon DVD "special," a poster of Grovyle and a Pokemon t-shirt. I prefer the even artier 
According to Boy Genius Report sources, the BlackBerry Thunder looks set to hit Verizon on October 13 as the BB9530. The tipster also sent an 
Thinkway Toys's Pixar desk accessory/lamp/toy/thingamabob has a Luxo Jr. that moves and illuminates exactly like in the movie. As you can see in the video, you can activate it with a motion sensor and a remote control, a key ring in the shape of the the ball. It's cool for a piece of plastic, but I wish it really was a full-scale robot version of the iconic Luxo lamp that Pixar used in their second short. Hopefully we will have one of those next decade. A flying one. With lasers. And antimatter torpedoes. [
During a few of my college summers, I worked in a real estate office making various marketing materials. And browsing through the books of pre-made ads--endless catalogs full of countless tacky self-promotions that included lightning bolts and big game animals--you'd see things like these "3D" pop-up business cards...but nothing quite as bad. Unless your job is selling pop-up business cards, we can't really recommend them for use. [
Sanyo's just expanded their lineup of rechargeable batteries to include Cs and Ds, two sizes Jesus can't wait to get his hands on. They're rated as being rechargeable up to 1000 times, which is quite a few sessions of whatever it is you're doing with C and D batteries. There's also a new charger for these, and all of the above will be released September 12. Stock up on a few for the inevitable zombie invasion. [
The Gadget: Lenovo's ThinkPad X200, the leeettlest member of their 
When I picture a Lego PC in my head, I see a vivid red, yellow and blue case topped with a small army of minifigs and maybe a pirate ship. But this Lego PC looks nothing like that childhood dream machine, unless you want your kid experimenting with knives and hard alcohol by age 7. Assembled from 1238 total pieces costing roughly US$140, the case even features an easily removable side panel (that doesn't require complete deconstruction) for future component upgrades. And since it's Friday and you have nothing more pressing to do at work, here's a time lapse video of the guy building the system in his pajamas:
While this might look like your standard, old-school tape recorder and microphone, it's actually a breathalyser. As I see it, it can be used in two ways. The first, is to trick drunks into getting a breathalyser by telling them you want to hear them sing. The problem with this method is that if someone is willing to sing into this thing, you already know they're wasted. The other use for this would be to have a singing contest, with extra points being awarded for how drunk you are. I mean, if you can sing well while drunk, you should get props, right? [
Yesterday, an analyst said that according to his sources, HTC is not having a jolly good time developing their Android headset, and it's probably going to be delayed 'til 2009. "Not so!" says HTC. They say that his facts do "not match the facts" and you will damn well see their Android phone by the end of 2008, which'll make them first to market with one. Glad that's cleared up! If you believe HTC, anyway (and we really want to). [
While we're waiting until tonight to see NBC's delayed rebroadcast of the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games, we can show you some of the most beautiful images from the event. An incredible full-field scroll, projection sphere and LED suits transcend to create what looks to have been one of the, if not the, most stunning mass displays of lighting technology in history. Read on for the full jaw-dropping gallery.