Gizmodo: Sirius,

New Sirius/XM Plans Include a la Carte Options

Mark Wilson — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 13:20:00 EDT

We've already heard about the $4 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 $10. Also, on new Sirius hardware, a $7/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]

XM's XMp3 Player: Latest DOA Attempt At a Satellite iPod

Wilson Rothman — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 21:00:00 EDT

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.

If that's not enough acknowledgment of frailty, it has an microSD slot for you to add your own memory—and your own tunes. And although Best Buy says it's a Pioneer-branded player, these things are all developed by XM, and then licensed to CE companies when they need a branding boost. So it's not like the brand is any guarantee of actual Pioneer DNA.

If that's not bringing you down enough, it costs $280 before the 8GB memory card and XM monthly fees. Sorry, XM, but the revenues isn't charging a lot of money, but getting people to pay it. Good luck with that. [PopSci; Best Buy]

Best of Sirius/XM Launching October 6th

Mark Wilson — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 11:57:00 EDT

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 $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.

The Best of Sirius on XM
•Howard Stern (Howard 100, and Howard 101)
•Martha Stewart Living Radio
•Sirius NFL Radio*
•Sirius NASCAR Radio*
•Playboy Radio

The Best of XM on Sirius
•Oprah & Friends
•NHL Home Ice*
•The Virus
•Public Radio featuring Bob Edwards
•The PGA Tour Network
•College Sports and NBA

Anything you see missing? [orbitcast]

CEO: Fully Merged Sirius XM Devices To Hit Shelves In Q1 2009

Matt Hickey — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 23:00:30 EDT

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]

Sirius and XM Officially Married, Now Sirus XM Radio

matt buchanan — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 15:35:10 EDT

With the FCC's approval, Sirius and XM had a shotgun wedding over the weekend, and is now officially Sirius XM Radio, with over 18.5 million subscribers (technically XM is a subsidiary of Sirius, making it the wife, I guess). Let the promised savings and awesomeness begin. [InfoWeek]

Sirius-XM Merger is FINALLY Approved

Adrian Covert — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:52:55 EDT

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 $19.7 million fine for violating FCC regulations. After 16 months of MTV-esque "drama" and gnashing of teeth, the $3.6 billion merger means that subscribers of both services will now get the best of both worlds. [SF Gate]

XM-Sirius Merger Nears Approval, Comes Down To One Commissioner's Vote

John Mahoney — Wed, 23 Jul 2008 15:05:45 EDT

And here she is. After FCC commissioner Johnathan Adelstein withdrew his support today, the vote is now deadlocked and awaiting the yea or nay from Deborah Taylor Tate, a Republican who is expected to approve the merger so all of this can finally be over and done with (something tells me a large batch of high-end satellite radio gear is now being priority-overnighted to Taylor's office to make sure everything is greased appropriately). If you're a subscriber, not a whole lot will change once the deal is finalized and the two merge parts of their programming, but you'll need new gear to take full advantage of any new subscriptions once the merger is wrapped up. [WSJ via CrunchGear].

uSirius Streams Sirius Satellite Radio to Your iPhone

Jason Chen — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:40:00 EDT

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!]

Dealzmodo: Free Sirius Radio With Purchase of Lamborghini

Mark Wilson — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:00:00 EDT

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. [Edmunds] Thanks Frank!

FCC Chairman Backs Sirius/XM Merger

Mark Wilson — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 08:26:00 EDT

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.

1. The company(s) would need to freeze prices for three years.
2. "A la carte" options would need to be available within three months of the merger.
3. 8% of their airspace (24 channels) would need to be dedicated to noncommercial and minority programming.

Also of note, the FCC has leaked that Sirius and XM have agreed to open manufacturing on the radios to all companies, creating more marketplace competition (and hopefully some better tech). It's looking more and more like this deal is gonna happen...sometime. [NYTimes]

Sirius Starmate 5 Coming With XM Support?

Elaine Chow — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 13:00:00 EDT

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 favorite 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.

Though the function to grab sweet sounds from its partner-to-be isn't listed in the Starmate 5's spec sheet, a memo between a testing firm and the FCC authorization staff hinted at Sirius XM interoperability. In a letter asking the testing firm to do another bandwidth test, the FCC said that it "used the satellite radio signal coming from either XM or Sirius."

If the hint means what we think it means, the Starmate 5 could be the first hybrid satellite radio receiver out on the market — kind of a bold move, considering the FCC isn't even thinking about voting on the merger until late May or early June. [Electronista]

XM/Sirius Merger: What Happens to My Current Radio?

matt buchanan — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:30:58 EDT

The XM/Sirius merger is all but rubber-stamped. Obvious question: Will this new hybrid with cheaper, shinier programming come in on my current gear? Yes and no. If you keep your old radio, XM customers will keep getting their XM stuff with the added goodness of Sirius programming, and while Sirius people will get their same batch, plus the fresh crunch of XM content. You'll need a new best-of-both-worlds radio that's still in development to take advantage of one of the two a la carte packages that'll be offered, however. It'll hit the market after the merger's got its last i's dotted and t's crossed. [Image via Flickr]

XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You

matt buchanan — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:25:54 EDT

XM and Sirius just cleared the largest (and longest) hurdle on their path to getting all conjoined: The Justice Department officially okayed Sirius's $5 billion buyout of XM. They said that the growth of mobile broadband "made it even more unlikely that the transaction would harm consumers in the longer term," squashing arguments from radio and broadcasting groups the merger would be anti-competitive. The DoJ thumbs up makes the merger more likely to happen, which Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin has repeatedly promised will make for cheaper, better programming.

Next stop is the FCC. Chief Kevin Martin is vocally hot on competition, so he'll probably squeeze them pretty hard on following through, though he's likely to take the same stance as the DoJ: The environment's so scrambled right now, a single satellite radio company isn't really going to harm consumers. And if they do raise prices and start sucking, people have plenty of other options to abandon them for. On the other hand, they were both already on life support, so this jolt might not be enough to fully re-animte them. [Breitbart]

Hype Sheet: Sirius Plays the Bones, Yells "Domino!"

Brendan I. Koerner — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 12:15:00 EST

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?

The Spin Sirius is at a major crossroads right now, as it tries to seal its merger with XM—a merger which still awaits that all-important regulatory approval. Part of Sirius's rationale for why the merger should go forward is that there's plenty of competition nowadays from a myriad of sources—a satellite radio monopoly, the company argues, won't be harmful because consumers can also get their music fixes from online music vendors and portable devices. Sirius wouldn't mind a bit, however, if it had a healthy share of that portable market, which is currently dominated by thin rectangles that store files. The Stiletto 2 can do that, too—though the internal memory is piddling at 2GB—but the product's real hook is the Wi-Fi streaming of Sirius programs. There's also the nifty ability to store 100 hours of shows, a feature which makes the Stiletto 2 resemble an audiocentric DVR. Good stuff, though your mileage will vary according to how much you value Sirius's core properties—Stern, of course, but also the NFL and NASCAR.

Counterspin Aside from the lack of memory in which to store MP3s, the Stiletto's chief fault may be the fact that its radio capabilities are tethered to Wi-Fi. Isn't an appreciable amount of portable music listened to while on the go? So while you're roaming, if I understand things correctly, you're basically stuck with your stored music; it's not until you settle down in one place that you can listen to the satellite channels.UPDATE: My bad, I misread the specs. The 802.11g capabilities are only for when you're out of satellite range. Thanks to all the commenters who noted my goof. Pretty neat, but is that enough to convert non-subscribers? Especially seeing as how Sirius doesn't seem to be subsidizing the Stiletto 2 very much—just $30 off the MSRP, plus a month free if you sign up for a one-year subscription. That just doesn't seem like the kind of deal that's going to lure folks into giving portable satellite radio a try, now, does it?

Mission Accomplished? Sirius is right in one sense: the future of music may well be rental. The current 99-cents-per-song model is going to have problems once access to the celestial jukebox goes under $10 per month. What Sirius is offering is a step in that direction; the only problem is that with radio programming, you're still at the mercy of the DJs. On top of that, does Sirius have any plans to stream via 3G networks? That seems like a mammoth technical challenge, seeing as how we're only just now getting reliable web access for mobile users. ~~But until Sirius can cut itself free from Wi-Fi,~~UPDATE: See above. Wi-Fi is backup only; my error. Apologies. In any event, Sirius is probably going to be preaching to the choir with the Stiletto—a choir that, more often than not, is going to have first encountered satellite radio as an automotive feature.

Hype-O-Meter 6 (out of 10). The Stiletto 2 is still too expensive and too light on internal memory to break big. But it's an interesting step in the right direction, toward the next generation in portable entertainment. My hope is that, at the very least, this will push Apple and Microsoft to move more quickly on perfecting mobile downloading of media. When I hear a song I like while out shopping for sneakers, by golly, I should be able to download that song right then and there—and I don't want a service provider telling me, "Sorry, we don't have that one." Someday...

Brendan I. Koerner is a contributing editor at Wired, a columnist for Slate, and author of the forthcoming Now the Hell Will Start. His Hype Sheet column appears every Thursday on Gizmodo.

American Express My WishList Post-Black-Friday Super Deals Go Live Nov. 27

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:00:44 EST

We just got the advance word on the American Express holiday My WishList deals, running from November 27 to December 13. If you recall, Amex sells certain hot products for super cheap in very limited supplies, but you have to go to the site and try to buy it on a certain day (and yes, with an American Express card). It's really just a game, because demand always comically dwarfs supply. But there are other products that go on sale immediately, and are available at low but not necessarily insane prices until they sell out. And they always sell out. Before you go and shoot your wad during the Black Friday frenzy, you might want to check out this year's lineup, edited down to the most Giz-appropriate selections (i.e. no spa retreats or studded mini clutches):

Remember, the first four products are going for ridiculous prices, but because of this they are only available on a certain day, in a certain timeslot:

Panasonic 42" 1080p HD Plasma TV
Available on My WishList: November 30
WishList Price: $700 (Retail Price: $1,999)

Dell XPS M1330 Notebook
Available on My WishList: December 3
WishList Price: $900 (Retail Price: $2,079)

Xbox Elite Game System and Five Games
Available on My WishList: December 11
WishList Price: $300 (Retail Price: $649.99)

BMW K 1200 R Sport Motorcycle
Available on My WishList: December 4
WishList Price: $5,000 (Retail Price: $17,000)

The rest of the products below will apparently be on sale until supplies run out; some deals might look similar to Black Friday pricing, while others may be crazy low. Have a look:

Denon Soundbar
WishList Price: $743.99 (Retail Price: $1199.99)

TiVo HD DVR with Service and Wireless Adapter
WishList Price: $399 (Retail Price: $538.98)

Audiovox 8" Picture Frame
WishList Price: $108 (Retail Price: $159.99)

Olive Opus N 250GB Pure Audio Server
WishList Price: $700 (Retail Price: $1,499)

Canon HD Camcorder with 40GB HDD
WishList Price: $500 (Retail Price: $1,299.99)

Helio Ocean with 6 Months Service
WishList Price: $400 (Retail Price: $1,249)

Rock Band Special Edition for Xbox
WishList Price: $50 (Retail Price: $169.99)

Nintendo DS Lite with Two Games
WishList Price: $160 (Retail Price: $199.96)

Toshiba 10.2" Portable DVD Player
WishList Price: $230 (Retail Price: $349.99)

Ultrasone iCans iPod Headphones
WishList Price: $99 (Retail Price: $159)

iStorm Wireless Speakers for iPod
WishList Price: $140 (Retail Price: $199.99)

Sirius Stiletto 2
WishList Price: $279 (Retail Price: $399.99)

Magellan Maestro Portable GPS System
WishList Price: $390 (Retail Price: $599.99)

To see if you can master Amex's wicked little game, visit the official website. [Amex My WishList]

Afternoon News: XM-Sirius Merger Gets Serious, Gas Pumps Lie, and Mice Now Fearless

Benny Goldman — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:35:57 EST

• XM and Sirius shareholders approve merger, next stop: the FCC. [AP]
• Gas pumps that measure 1/1000th of a gallon really just trick you into thinking you're getting more gas. [Gadget Lab]
• Scientists genetically engineer mouse that isn't afraid of cats; rodent homicide rate expected to spike soon. [Pink Tentacle]

Sonos Launches ZoneBridge Plus Napster and Best Buy Music Stores

Wilson Rothman — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 06:00:00 EDT

In a raft of announcements, Sonos today confirmed the existence of the $99 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 cute little ZoneBridge is actually the best part of the news to me: rather than paying for a $350 ZonePlayer to connect to your router (which may be somewhere that will never need music), you can drop $100 to start the connection. As we told you earlier, ZoneBridges will also be good for fleshing out the mesh network in big-ass homes.The addition of the two music programs means that the Sonos now has a heady number of music-source choices. Both Rhapsody and Napster offer free anonymous no-credit-card one-month trials, so you'd be dumb not to try out both for the duration before making a decision. I've traditionally favored Rhapsody, but Napster is coming in $3 lower, at $10 per month, so that's going to make it a contender.

The Best Buy Digital Music Store is a Rhapsody-powered service that will cost $15 per month and won't have a free trial. However, it is a way for Best Buy to promote Sonos systems in the store, so I guess it has its purpose. Sonos also has Sirius and Pandora on the dial, for still more options. At some point, does it get too crowded in that Controller? I am starting to wonder. [Sonos]

An analyst at Cowen & Company is pegging ...

Matt Buchanan — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 16:07:48 EDT

An analyst at Cowen & Company is pegging the chances of the XM/Sirius merger netting government approval at "70 percent plus," with a saucy number cruncher at Citigroup putting the odds at 69 percent. Regardless, it's a sexier picture for pro-merger folks than it was several months ago. [Orbitcast]

Wall Street, Analysts Beginning to Bet on XM/Sirius Merger

Matt Buchanan — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 12:45:29 EDT

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]

Sirius's Extremely Budget-y $40 InV2 Receiver and Other Bits From The Show

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 19:11:42 EDT

Did you know Sirius makes a $40 receiver called the InV2? Unfortunately, it won't work with docks, but you can't argue with that price. On top of that bit, you saw a lot of major gear today from Sirius's show—the new Stiletto 2, the Altec Lansing dock, the Polk dock, the Sportster 5 with color screen and the Backseat TV system for kid video programming.

And in case you were wondering, the fuel finder shot above is a new feature from the Sirius Traffic software found in in-vehicle navigation systems from Alpine (shown here), Eclipse and Panasonic. [Sirius]

Box Converts XM-Ready Cars to Sirius-Ready Temples of Howard Stern

Brian Lam — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 19:10:44 EDT

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 Satellite Tuner Brings Satellite TV to the Car

Jason Chen — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 17:01:57 EDT

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]

Hands-On Altec Lansing's SR4021 Stacking Sirius Speaker Dock

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 15:41:07 EDT

Today, Altec Lansing was at the Sirius line show in New York, showing off a new attractive creation. It's a speaker dock, the $149 SR4021, that fits all dockable Sirius radios, including the Stiletto, Sportster (shown), Starmate and Stratus lines. Its mandatory subwoofer contains most of the audio electronics; you can hide it somewhere or leave it on the floor, but if you think it's sexy—and you just might think it's sexy—Altec designed it to stack with the speaker dock itself, as shown in the gallery.

Polk miDock Portfolio Dock Hooks Up With All Stilettos

Charlie White — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 15:00:00 EDT

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]

Sirius Stiletto 2 Grope and Gallery

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 14:30:07 EDT

I'm not ready to swap out my 80GB iPod, but the new Stiletto 2 is the best looking, best designed portable satellite-radio player I've yet seen.

We've already given you a rundown of the specs, but probably the coolest new attribute is its MicroSD card slot. There's no limit (yet) as to the capacity you can use to amp up the onboard storage. The slot is stashed under the battery, because Sirius doesn't think you'll be passing those tiny memory cards around. Also new are 802.11g for Sirius' internet audio stream up to 128Kbps, and redesigned car and speaker docks, shown with details in the annotated gallery below.

Sirius Stiletto 2 vs Original Sirius Stiletto

Wilson Rothman — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 14:06:14 EDT

How much smaller is the new Stiletto 2 from Sirius? See for yourself, because I just shot it alongside its predecessor. Notice that the older unit has the chunky extended battery. That's because it takes the extended battery on the old Stiletto to get the same battery life that the new one gets right out of the box: 4 hours of live satellite radio, 10 hours of Sirius Internet Radio over Wi-Fi and 20 hours playback of stored content.

Sirius Stiletto 2 is Officially Official

Mark Wilson — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 11:00:21 EDT

Hinted not so long ago, the Sirius Stiletto 2 is the official sequel to Sirius' first portable player, the Stiletto. As with the new Sportster, the Stiletto's feature set has remained basically unchanged, keeping the Wi-Fi and SD MP3 playback of the original, while now supporting up to 100 hours of program recording. The big difference here is that the Stiletto 2 looks much skinnier, like, one whole ass cheek was lopped off, skinnier. As for other details, like battery life and actual size (not just my eyeball measuring tape), we don't yet know. The Stiletto 2 will be available this fall for $349. Full feature list after the jump.

* SIRIUS and more on the go: enjoy SIRIUS radio PLUS your own personal MP3 music library anywhere
* Radio Replays: automatically stores hours of fresh programming
* Schedule recording: record up to 100 hours of your favorite shows or programs
* Wi-Fi connectivity: listen to SIRIUS Internet Radio over almost any accessible Wi-Fi network
* One-touch recording: quickly store up to 10 hours of individual songs from SIRIUS
* Expandable memory: add micro SD memory to accommodate your MP3 music collection
* Bookmark songs: tag favorite songs to buy using a compatible online music service
* SIRIUS Replay™: pause, rewind and replay up to 60 minutes of live radio
* Easy navigation: surf channels or media files on the fly
* Advanced audio processing: improved bass and customized listening environments
* Personalized Sports Ticker: real-time updates of your favorite sports
* Sports Alert™: track your favorite sports team and race driver
* My SIRIUS Studio™: upload and manage your MP3/WMA files
* Parental controls: easily lock and unlock channels
* Custom performance: add accessories to maximize the experience
* Complete kit includes radio, earbuds, headset antenna, battery, AC power adapter, PC cable and My
SIRIUS Studio™ software

Sirius Sportster 5 Goes Color

Mark Wilson — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 10:15:26 EDT

With Sirius' new Sportster 5 their dockable line has finally gone color. Featuring both a color display and a customizable backlighting to match your dash, the new Sportster is sure to offer hours of heated discussions over the merits of various schools of color design. Other than that, upgrades seem scant. The unit will offer 16 more minutes of recording (now you can record up to an hour of Sirius broadcast) but otherwise the same FM transmission and other (Fill in Special Feature)™ stay intact. Look for the Sportster 5 debuting this fall at $169.99. Hit the jump for the feature list in full.

FEATURES:

* Large multi-color display: easy viewing and use
* Selectable colors: match your dash lights and mood
* SIRIUS Universal docking capability
* SIRIUS Replay™: pause, rewind and replay up to 60 minutes of live radio
* FM transmitter or stereo audio output to connect your vehicle's radio
* FM preset function: allows you to store the best FM frequencies in your area for optimum integration
* 30 presets: enjoy fast access to your favorite channels
* S-Seek™ Alert: so you won't miss your favorite artists, songs and sports
* One-Touch Jump™ button: direct access to local traffic and weather, or your favorite channel
* Personalized sports ticker: real-time updates of your favorite sports
* Rotary tuning knob: surf channels on the fly
* Sports Alert™: track your favorite sports team and race driver
* Parental controls: easily lock and unlock channels
* Alarm clock w/snooze: wake up to your favorite channel
* Complete vehicle kit includes radio, dock w/suction cup mount and vent mounts, remote control,
vehicle power adapter, magnetic mount satellite antenna and FM extender antenna

Sonos Picks Up Sirius Radio Streaming

Adrian Covert — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 06:00:00 EDT

Sonos announced today that their Digital Music System, which wirelessly streams music across a house, has updated to System Software 2.3 and features Sirius Satellite Radio in addition to the Pandora and Zune services. Any Sonos system connected to the internet can subscribe to Sirius, which offers music, news and talk radio. New Sirius subscriptions cost $12.95, while current Sirius subscribers can upgrade their account to work with the Sonos for an additional $2.99. A 30-day free trial is also offered in the package so you can decide if Sirius is worth the hype. We're just glad it's not XM.[Sonos]

Sirius Stiletto 2 and Sportster SP 5 Coming Soon?

Jason Chen — Fri, 03 Aug 2007 15:08:00 EDT

Straight from the mouth of Jim Meyer, Sirius' President of Operations and Sales, comes this quasi-announcement of the Sirius Stiletto 2 and Sportster SP5:

We are preparing for the launch of some new after-market products, including a new wearable product, Stiletto 2, and a new Sportster SP5. Stay tuned for more details on these exciting new products next month.

We now believe that Sirius has reached market share parity in the wearable category and we expect to be the leader with the introduction of the new Stiletto 2 this fall.

Seeing as there haven't been any announcements, featurewise or otherwise, on the Sirius Stiletto 2, Jim's mention of the player is probably an unintentional slip. We just hope that the second edition fixes all the horrible headphone requirements the first version had. [Orbitcast]

Sirius Radio Posts $134.1 Million Loss

Brian Lam — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:46:49 EDT

And that's a GOOD thing. Last year, this quarter, they lost $237.8 million. The improved performance was attributed to a half-million new subscribers, which helped revenue grow 50%. Oh, just let them do their little get-together with XM already. Clearly, they are eating shit while people go out and buy MP3 players. [NYTimes]

XM CEO Hugh Panero was expected to step down ...

Brian Lam — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 18:48:55 EDT

XM CEO Hugh Panero was expected to step down after the Sirius merger, since Mel Karmazin was slated to be CEO of the new two headed monster. Now it's official. Here's hoping the soulless bot-DJs go next. [PR Newswire]

XM and Sirius Promise Cheaper A La Carte Offerings if Merger Deal is Approved

Charlie White — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 13:15:00 EDT

Picking and choosing your favorite stations on XM and Sirius Satellite Radio might be a delightful result of the merger between the two companies, at least that's what the companies are saying will happen if their proposed deal goes through the FCC gauntlet. That's just the beginning, too, because the companies add that their subscriptions will cost 46% less. Here are a couple of examples the companies announced today.

How about 50 channels of your choice from either XM or Sirius for $6.99 per month? The two companies also say you'll be able to add additional channels for 25 cents apiece. This is a far cry from the $13 a month Sirius and XM subscribers are paying now.

The companies are gunning to get this merger done before the year is out, and they're trying to calm down complaints that the result would be a monopoly, leaving a company that could charge whatever it wanted for its one-of-a-kind services. One thing we're wondering, though: What's going to keep this monopoly service from raising its prices as soon as it gets regulatory approval?

We're now paying $13 a month for Sirius Satellite Radio, and find that to be an excellent value, considering the high quality of its radio stations and high fidelity of its signal. For $6.99 per month, we're thinking this new service would be irresistible. No wonder old fogy radio companies are opposing this merger so strongly. Bring it on. [Reuters]

RIAA Wants the XM-Sirius Merger to Hinge on Their Demands

Adam Frucci — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 11:57:05 EDT

Say, we haven't heard from the RIAA in a little while. What are they up to? Oh, evil you say? So nothing new. The latest offense is the RIAA mounting a court challenge to force satellite radio companies XM and Sirius to pay them more in licensing fees and not allow users to record songs they hear.

You know, like how when people learned how to tape songs off the radio in the '80s it almost killed the industry. They're trying to avoid another disaster like that. The RIAA is using the proposed XM-Sirius merger to get their anti-consumer message out there, requesting that the whole approval process hinge on their wishes. It's all about you, isn't it RIAA? So selfish.

You've got to love the fact that the RIAA is throwing their weight around to put pressure on a couple of companies that actually get money from music fans. Why work with them when you can send legions of flesh-eating lawyers after anyone who tries to build a successful business model around music? [News.com]

Satellite Radio Receivers Already Capable of XM & Siruis?

Mark Wilson — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 11:52:21 EDT

In highly technical communications to the FCC, a man named Michael Hartleib makes a strong argument for the possibility of current satellite radios becoming interoperable—or gaining the ability to switch between Sirius and XM as easily as traditional radios do AM and FM. A firmware download could be all that's needed to upgrade the players...that is, if XM and Sirius followed FCC regulations and produced interoperable receivers in the first place. From the way Hartleib tells the story, XM and Sirius are more interested in selling you newer, "dual-mode" tech...

"Dual-mode" allows both signals to be downloaded to a radio at once, as if you were receiving AM and FM concurrently. But that difference—between needing or not needing to switch between music providers—would not be worth the cost of upgrading components to most consumers.

Let me make this one clear to Sirius and XM: if you offer me both services through the stuff I already own, you have a much better chance of up-selling my subscription.

[orbitcast]
We stole their nice picture, too.

NAB's XM/Sirius Satellite Radio Merger Poo-Pooing Debunked

Matt Buchanan — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 09:30:19 EDT

According to a new study by Arbitron and Edison Media Research, the National Association of Broadcasters' fears of a merged satellite radio company unfairly competing with terrestrial broadcasters are mostly unfounded, since digital radio listeners actually listen to more traditional radio than everyone else. The NY Times writes that "The data suggest that, generally speaking, fans of digital radio are seeking to supplement, not replace, traditional radio."

Moreover, Arbitron exec Bill Rose told the Times, "Heavy users of digital media don't think, 'If I'm doing this more, I'm doing the other thing less.' "

This directly contradicts what NAB President David Rehr wrote in a letter to the chairman of the House Judiciary Antitrust Task Force in March: "Simply put, every person who listens to satellite radio is one person not listening to a local radio station..."

Isn't there a way to let the customers decide what they want? If the XM/Sirius lovechild is as horrible as Rehr makes it out to be in his anti-monopoly spiel, they'll simply quit paying for it, and look for programming elsewhere, won't they? This study implicitly backs that up, beyond its more obvious conclusions. When it comes to media consumption, perhaps people are just little bit smarter than you've giving them credit for, Mr. Rehr. – Matt Buchanan

Digital Subscribers Like Free Radio, Too [NYT]

NAB President: XM-Sirius Merger "Not About the Consumer"

Matt Buchanan — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 21:40:30 EDT

Today, Sirius CEO Mel Karmazin hit Capitol Hill again to tell a Senate committee that the proposed merger would bring "more choice, lower prices" to consumers since it's trying to compete with a larger ecosystem that includes traditional radio and MP3 players. Yet at NAB '07 yesterday, NAB President David Rehr told attendees that it "certainly would not be in the consumer's benefit."

His full remarks on satellite radio after the jump.

This next clip is Mel Karmazin, familiar to some of you as the CEO of Sirius satellite radio, testifying before Congress recently. As you will see, he is attempting to define moving from two companies to one company as a merger, not the duopoly to monopoly that it is.
And on this point, Mel and I agree.

This merger will not be approved.

No matter how much Mr. Karmazin and everyone else at Sirius and XM use the word, it is not a merger they seek. It is a monopoly. It is a government sanctioned monopoly.

Now some of you might not be aware I am an economist by training. I ask you, when has a monopoly ever served the interests of the consumer?

In 1997, when the FCC authorized two nationwide satellite radio operators, it specifically prohibited them from merging. The bad business decisions of XM and Sirius — should not be rewarded with a government bailout in the form of a monopoly.

This certainly would not be in the consumer's benefit.

It will be a huge consumer headache because the companies use two different technologies which are not compatible with each other. Like beta and VHS. No, this is not about the consumer. It is not about advancing technology. It is about lining the pockets of financiers and corporate executives.

A monopoly is a monopoly is a monopoly, and we at NAB will continue to adamantly oppose it.

But as Orbitcast points out, NAB has "a long history of lobbying in Washington against the development of satellite radio." Its intense opposition—detailed at length in Orbitcast's post—bespeaks its vested interest. In September, speaking about satellite and internet radio, Rehr said he had "news for our competitors: 'We will beat you - as we have beaten those change agents in the past.' "

Of course, everyone has vested interests even as they spout that they're only acting on your behalf. Whether or not the merger is truly anticompetitive or totally consumer friendly remains to be seen, though if Karmazin keeps his word, it's looking more like the latter. – Matt Buchanan

The NAB: A history of hypocrisy [Orbitcast]

Nappy Headed CBS Execs Fire Imus, Satellite Radio His Next Stop?

Brian Lam — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 15:50:02 EDT

You probably heard from a non-Giz news source that Imus has been canned for basically doing what he's been doing for the last zillion years. I'm not defending him, but I do feel scared that maybe I'll get fired for calling the Designers of some ugly gadgets a poo poo head. Anyhow, do you think he'll head to sat radio, where the verbally wild roam free?

Would you stop reading Giz if I start telling more Chinaman jokes?
–Brian Lam

CBS Fires Imus [SFgate]

Coolness Roundup on Sirius: Downloading 1080p?

Charlie White — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 13:00:00 EDT

Why can't we just download 1080p movies already? The Gurus of Cool sort out the coolness from the lukewarm, talking about what it'll take to reach this holy grail of home theater on the next Coolness Roundup on Sirius. Join Gizmodo's Charlie White along with Stephen Schleicher of Sci Fi Tech on Sirius Stars 102 tonight at 12:30 a.m. Pacific, where you'll get the skinny on phat HD resolutions, and find out when high-rez may not even be necessary, according to experts at SMTPE and THX.

If you're not a Sirius subscriber, catch the Coolness Roundup podcast here, or join the guys for a drink in the Coolness Lounge, where you'll get recommendations on the best music, movies and television shows.

Show Notes [Coolness Roundup]

XM Infotainment Vehicle: Lots of Info, Little 'Tainment

Matt Buchanan — Fri, 06 Apr 2007 11:00:07 EDT

XM was showing off a "Concept Infotainment Vehicle" at its Auto Show booth (next to Sirius's, natch). Basically, it was an SUV outfitted with a integrated pack of XM services: Weather, ParkingLink, and voice controls were the main showing points.

It was also demoing in-car video, but the XM rep said not to expect it for a while because they're unsure of how viable it would be and rolling it out would commit them to the service for years, even if it was flop, chewing up tons of bandwidth.

The screen uses touch controls, but in actual production models it will be built into the dashboard rather than stuck up on the windshield, so it will be much easier to reach. Rundown and gallery of the "info" features after the jump.

The point of XM Weather—besides sating Weather Channel junkies—is to give you an idea of what kind of conditions you're driving into, and offer alternative paths if you want to avoid minor inconveniences like rain or tornadoes. All the data's live (obviously) and has an impressive amount of depth and customization options, in terms of what data you want to see and how.

ParkingLink tells you how many spots are left in a parking garage in a given location, though for now the only garages in the database are those owned by Standard Parking Corporation. Not exciting, but useful.

I obviously can't show you any pictures, but the voice controls seemed to work well enough—as long as you had key words in the phrase, it seemed to sort out of the fluff of normal speech to get at what you wanted, though the woman's robotic tone and the weird modem dialing sound in between responses has got to go.

– Matt Buchanan

New York Auto Show [NY Auto Show]