Similar to iRadio, uSirius lets people stream Sirius Satellite Radio to their iPhones over Wi-Fi or EDGE (and shortly, 3G). Reader Brandon says that anyone can try this out for free for three days before registering, and that it works great over both connection types. Our own Benny Goldman went nuts when he saw this, so you Sirius fans should go equally nuts when you load this on your phones. But in a, you know, less hairy way. Grab it on Installer.app. [Thanks Brandon!]
For most of us, the deciding factor against getting satellite radio are those pesky subscription costs. Now Sirius has just signed a deal with Automobili Lamborghini to offer the car customers free lifetime service of Sirius. One word of caution: The deal starts with the 2009 Murciélago. So make sure you don’t buy a 2008 Lamborghini only to find yourself jacked with huge, unexpected fees. AU: I’d very much doubt that this is for Aussies, but if anybody out there is looking to buy a 2009 Lamborghini, feel free to let us know.
[Edmunds]Thanks Frank!
It’s not official yet, but FCC Chairman Kevin Martin (one of five relevant votes) has decided to allow the merge between Sirius and XM satellite radio providers. However, there are a few caveats that the companies would need to accept–but it’s all good news for the consumer.
Sirius’ update to its Starmate line, the Starmate 5, is currently in front of the FCC for testing, and it looks like it might have a little trick up its sleeve. The gadget includes the standard abilities to pause, rewind, and replay up to 44 minutes of live radio, a memo feature to store up to 30 favourite artists or songs and a wide-angle 5 line display, but it also might just have the ability to play XM radio stations as well.
newVideoPlayer("siriusdominoes.flv", 475, 376); The Pitch A cleverly conceived journey through the history of sonic media (though, regrettably, the creators don’t include the phonograph cylinder). Cassettes, 8-track cartridges and CDs are lined up like so many dominoes, all tumbling with a mighty clack. The surprise comes toward the end, when a crashing jukebox sets off an iPod chain reaction. All those perfect things fan out before a seemingly mammoth Sirius Stiletto 2, which the narrator touts as revolutionary: “Everything else falls short.” So is Sirius’s revamped portable player really about to give the iPod a run for its money? Or are the headphoned masses (Howard Stern aficionados excluded) not yet ready to pay monthly subscription fees?
In a raft of announcements, Sonos today confirmed the existence of the $US99 ZoneBridge 100, and launched two more PC-free music-store options on the system, including Napster and Best Buy’s new Digital Music Store.
The long-lobbied-for XM/Sirius merger is starting to pick up some optimistic vibes from Wall Street and analysts, who are beginning to think it might just happen. In fact, one analyst group, Cowen & Co., not only says that the odds are the “best ever,” they’re wagering on FCC approval before Dec. 4, possibly as early as next month. Of course, analysts’ words are far from gospel, but the mood toward the merger seems much sunnier than it did months ago, so keep your ears open. [Orbitcast]
The honkin’ GM Sirius box, which replaces the XM box currently found in most XM-enabled GM cars 2003 and newer. This new Sirius box is compatible with about 8 million cars on the road. There are boxes from Directed that do the same for Hondas, Toyotas and Lexus autos, too.
Sirius’ SCV1, also known as Sirius Backseat TV, is their latest product that receives three channels of TV programming as well. The three channels—Nickelodeon, Disney and Cartoon Network— are all geared to keep kids entertained in the backseat while you’re listening to regular Sirius music in the front seat. The SCV1 brings in 130 channels of audio, and works in 4:3 aspect ratio in just about any car with an on-board rear-seat video monitor. Retails in the fall for $300. [InfoSyncWorld]
In the midst of all this guff about the Sirius Satellite Radio-receiving Stiletto 10, 100 and the new Stiletto 2, speakermeister Polk Audio decided to announce its miDock portfolio, a speaker dock especially made for the portable receivers. It runs on either AC power or AA batteries, and the company says it folds flat, making it easy to carry on the road. Like most docks of this ilk, it’ll charge up that Stiletto, and has a remote control, too. It’ll be available in October for $129.99. [Polk Audio]
