sirius
Gadgets
Sirius XM SkyDock Converts Your iPhone Into A Satellite Radio
3:59AM John Herrman | Sirius XM’s isn’t the most elegant accessory I’ve ever seen—it’s basically a standalone satellite radio receiver with an iPod connector—but it’s the only way to listen to space radio on your iPhone or iPod Touch. More »
Business
Sirius XM Gets Bailed Out By Owners of QVC, Avoids Bankruptcy Scare
1:54AM John Mahoney | Liberty Media (proud owners of Starz, QVC and a 48% chunk of DirecTV) made a last-minute deal with Sirius XM, whose impending bankruptcy would have been the second biggest Chapter-11 filing this year. More »
Business
Sirius XM Is Going Bankrupt
8:18AM Matt Buchanan | I hope you are carrying an umbrella because dead satellites are going to rain our heads: Satellite radio Frankenstein XM Sirius is preparing “a possible bankruptcy filing.” All that for bankrupcty? [NYT - Thanks Ponies!] More »
Gadgets
Sirius XM Dual Receiver Still 15 Years Away
10:00AM Wilson Rothman | Now that Sirius and XM are merged, it makes sense that we’ll get a dual tuner that picks up both flavours of satellite radio, right? WRONG. More »
Entertainment
New Sirius/XM Plans Include a la Carte Options
3:20AM Mark Wilson | We’ve already heard about the $US4 Best of Sirius and Best of XM expansion plans, but how else is the satellite radio merger changing subscription options? XM customers will now be able to subscribe to limited plans known as Mostly Music and Mostly Talk. Each offers a selection of channels for $US10. Also, on new Sirius hardware, a $US7/mo plan can get you 50 non-premium a la carte channels with additional channels purchasable for 50 cents a month. As you can see, this merger has done nothing to simplify subscription plans in satellite radio. [Sirius A La Carte via Zatz Not Funny] More »
Music
XM’s XMp3 Player: Latest DOA Attempt At a Satellite iPod
11:00AM Wilson Rothman | Having seen—and tested—the earlier evolutions of satellite radio receiver, from dashboard model to in-home unit to hip-connected recorder/player, I’ve felt like I’m judging contestants in the Special Olympics: The radio service is fine, but the gadgets aren’t really expected to measure up to other contenders in the same field. XM’s latest, the XMp3, is impressive in that it records five channels at once and records your most popular stations automatically. But it needs this functionality to make up for the fact that it depends on spotty satellite reception for content. More »
Entertainment
Best of Sirius/XM Launching October 6th
1:57AM Mark Wilson | To XM customers who’ve been jealous of Howard Stern content and Sirius customers who’ve always wanted to tune in to Oprah & Friends (a remarkably high crossover demographic we’re sure), the newly wedded Sirius/XM has revealed their cross-content “best of” packages available for US$4 a month. From what we can tell, subscribing to either offer looks to provide you with the most popular entertainment and sports channels that the other guy’s got. For a potentially incomplete list of channels in each package, read on. Otherwise, continue mainlining Apple news fix. More »
Online
Sirius-XM Merger is FINALLY Approved
10:52AM Adrian Covert | The Sirius-XM Merger was finally approved by the FCC today following a 3-2 vote by the commission. The final and deciding vote only came after both parties agreed to pay a US$19.7 million fine for violating FCC regulations. After 16 months of MTV-esque “drama” and gnashing of teeth, the US$3.6 billion merger means that subscribers of both services will now get the best of both worlds. [SF Gate] More »
Press
XM-Sirius Merger Comes Down To One Woman’s Vote
5:05AM John Mahoney | And here she is. After FCC chair Johnathan Adelstein withdrew his support today, the vote is now deadlocked and awaiting the yea or nay from Deborah Taylor, a Republican who is thought to be in favour of the merger. Something tells me a large batch of high-end satellite radio gear is now being priority overnighted to Taylor’s office to ply for her support. More »
Entertainment
