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Sirius XM
Sirius XM iPhone App Lacks Howard Stern, MLB, NFL and NASCAR
The Sirius XM iPhone app requires a $3/month subscription, but it's missing a few notable channels. From the company: "Some select programming, including MLB® Play-by-Play, NFL Play-by-Play, SIRIUS NASCAR® Radio, and Howard Stern, will not be available on the iPhone and iPod touch. Listeners will continue to be able to access that programming through the platforms they are currently offered on." We can understand removing any semblance of premium content from the service, but ending a sentence in a preposition is unforgivable. [iPhone Savior and Modified Logic] -
satellite radio
The First Fuzzy Shot of the Sirius iPhone App
The Sirius XM iPhone app hasn't arrived as quickly as predicted, but according to CEO Mel Karmazin's PowerPoint presentation, it's at least in the final stages of planning. More » -
Sirius XM
Sirius XM Radio To Finally Stream on iPhone This Spring
Ok, for reals this time. According to AP, the troubled satellite radio provider will finally push out their XM radio app for the iPhone / iPod Touch sometime this Spring. [Yahoo] -
xm sirius
Sirius XM Is Going Bankrupt
I hope you have an umbrella because dead satellites are going to rain on our heads: Satellite radio Frankenstein XM Sirius is preparing "a possible bankruptcy filing." All that for bankrupcty? [NYT - Thanks Ponies!] -
iphone apps
Sirius Satellite Radio iPhone App Could Come Within a Week
Sources close to Orbitcast have revealed that Sirus is finally submitting their uSirius StarPlayr to the App Store this weekend. Once accepted, subscribers will be able to enjoy Sirius XM on their iPhone. More » -
Sirius XM
The Complete New XM Sirius Channel Listing (Sorry XM Fans)
The spawn of the XM Sirius fusion emerges tomorrow, and Orbitcast has picked up the complete channel listing for XM subscribers that goes into effect in less than 24 hours. It's fairly grim for some diehard XM fans—a lot of rock stations have been erased (bye bye punk channel) or are being replaced by Sirius pseudo-equivalents. Hit the jump for the full list, but it might not be pretty. Makes those new la carte XM plans sound pretty good, right? More » -
satellite radio
Sirius XM Dual Receiver Still 15 Years Away
Now that Sirius and XM are merged, it makes sense that we'll get a dual tuner that picks up both flavors of satellite radio, right? WRONG. More » -
satellite radio
New Sirius/XM Plans Include a la Carte Options
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] -
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xm
XM's XMp3 Player: Latest DOA Attempt At a Satellite iPod
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 » -
XMp3
PopSci Gets Grubby Paws All Over Upcoming XMp3 Satellite Radio Player
All we have is a blurb in Popular Science magazine this afternoon, but it would appear there's a first look of sorts going down today with the XMp3. The portable device is an XM Radio player that can record up to five satellite stations at once. "Other portable players save only one channel," PopSci notes, "but the XMp3 can decode five incoming streams to snag multiple songs whether it's in the dock or in your pocket." That's it for now. Expect more soon or whenever XM decides to give up more info. [Orbitcast] -
siruis/xm
Best of Sirius/XM Launching October 6th
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. More » -
xm sirius
CEO: Fully Merged Sirius XM Devices To Hit Shelves In Q1 2009
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 xm radio
Sirius and XM Officially Married, Now Sirus XM Radio
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
Sirius-XM Merger is FINALLY Approved
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]
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XM-Sirius Merger
XM-Sirius Merger Nears Approval, Comes Down To One Commissioner's Vote
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]. -
xm for iphone
uXM For iPhone Streams XM Satellite Radio
The same guys who made uSirius for jailbroken iPhones are back with uXM, which does exactly the same thing except with XM. An XM subscription is necessary, but you'll be able to listen to your stations on the toilet, in the office, in the office toilet, or even at Starbucks—anywhere where you can get a decent connection. Never be alone with your thoughts again. [iSmashPhone] -
satellite radio
FCC Chairman Backs Sirius/XM Merger
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. More » -
vampires
XM and EMI Settle Portable Recording Radio Lawsuit
XM Satellite Radio and EMI Music have settled the lawsuit over the recording of digital songs by XM users. Nobody knows the terms of the deal, but it probably involves virgins and kittens' blood. [Reuters] -
satellite radio
Sirius Starmate 5 Coming With XM Support?
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. More » -
xm
BlackBerry Users Get XM Radio, Excuse to Take Phones Into Bathrooms For $7.99 a Month
I used to sleep through class by tuning my cellphone's FM radio to a classical station, sitting in the back, and putting a jacket over my face, so this XM Radio on BlackBerry is pretty spectacular news. All you need is a BlackBerry 8800, 8700, Pearl or Curve and $7.99 a month. You'll get 20 "exclusive" XM channels (list after the jump), and you can download the app here or text "XM" to 47201. Time for a nap. Since this uses the phone's regular data connection, you hopefully won't be forced to wear giant ridiculous looking headphones in order to get reception. More » -
what it means to you
XM/Sirius Merger: What Happens to My Current Radio?
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] More » -
satellite
XM/Sirius Merger a Go: What It Means To You
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.
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roundup
Afternoon News: Harry Potter Is Too Close for Comfort, DirecTV Breaking Promises?, Best Buy's Profits Soar and More
• Daniel Radcliffe, a/k/a Harry Potter, just bought an apartment in Manhattan. Coincidentally, it's only four blocks from our NYC headquarters. Luckily we have our own Dark Lord Balthazaar to protect us from his spells. [Gridskipper] More » -
roundup
Afternoon News: XM-Sirius Merger Gets Serious, Gas Pumps Lie, and Mice Now Fearless
• XM and Sirius shareholders approve merger, next stop: the FCC. [AP] More » -
cellphones
Alltel just launched the MOTOROKR Z6m, Motorola's musical slider, that comes preloaded with a unique option: XM Radio Mobile for cell phones, delivering 20 streaming XM channels for $8/month. [Alltel] -
satellite radio
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] -
merger mania
Wall Street, Analysts Beginning to Bet on XM/Sirius Merger
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] -
breaking
XM's XpressRC Features Color Screen, Preset Channels, Instant Replay
In spite of having hardware partners, XM still develops its products in-house, which explains why every XM product has the same basic look and feel. The XpressRC, technically from Delphi, marries the color screen you've seen on the Samsung Helix/Pioneer Inno product with the XpressR-style split screen for browsing without losing "now playing" info. More » -
xm
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] -
promising the world
XM and Sirius Promise Cheaper A La Carte Offerings if Merger Deal is Approved
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. More » -
jerks
RIAA Wants the XM-Sirius Merger to Hinge on Their Demands
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. More » -
busted
Satellite Radio Receivers Already Capable of XM & Siruis?
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... More » -
satellite radio
XM To Rebroadcast Original D-Day Radio Broadcasts
XM is doing something really unique next week and I can't wait to listen. Beginning Wednesday, June 6, XM is going to air the original radio news bulletins from NBC Radio for the D-Day invasion, in real time almost exactly how the reports were heard 63 years ago. It will begin at 12:41 am Eastern time on Channel 4, The 40s, to correspond when the actual first reports were going live. More » -
satellite radio
XM Offering Two-Days Credit for Downtime
After all of the downtime shenanigans, XM is making it worth your wild, your 87 wild cents. All you have to do is call up their customer care number (800-967-2346), complain and XM will credit you with two days' worth of service, which equals 87 cents. More after the break (including a sweet video). More » -
satellite radio
XM Back at Full Strength
That's right, kids. It was a long day yesterday at the XM headquarters, but everything seems to be up and running with all of the repeaters and SAT1 back online and at full strength. Here is the official word from earlier today:"We quickly identified the problem and are working hard to return to our normal levels of service. The problem occurred during the loading of software to a critical component of our satellite broadcast system, which resulted in a loss of signal from one of our satellites. We expect normal service to resume midday today (eastern daylight time)."
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satellite radio
XM is Down, Blame Opie & Anthony (not really)
Some shit is going down at XM today. Apparently one of the satellites has lost its downlinking capability and XM is currently working to resolve the issue. Our buddy Ryan at Orbitcast is also reporting that repeaters are down due to a "software upgrade." Some have heard that it may be fixed within hours or it may not be fixed until days, but XM is officially saying:"We are experiencing a temporary degraded performance issue, which has affected some of our customers. We expect to return to normal service levels this evening."
If you have a long commute home, you may want to load up the iPod with podcasts and tunes or burn a CD. Check out this cool Frappr map to see if your area is affected. More » -
secretary sex
People Smash XM Receivers in Response to Opie & Anthony Suspension
People are going bonkers about The Opie & Anthony show being suspended—so bonkers that they are even smashing their XM receivers and canceling their XM service. According to a Digg member XM is now offering three to six months of free service if you call and cancel because of the O&A suspension. Even if you aren't a normal O&A listener this could be a good way to get some freebies and show XM that they are douchebags. More » -
baseball
Dealzmodo: AudioVox Xpress XM Receiver, $6 AR
Baseball season is going strong (go Rangers!) and there is no way to catch all of the games unless you have XM (or one of those insanely overpriced TV packages). Buy.com has the AudioVox Xpress XM receiver for $6 after $54 of instant savings and a $30 mail-in rebate. The rebate is only valid for new subscribers. The receiver includes everything you need to get started, including an integrated FM transmitter, DC power adapter, mounting brackets and antenna for your car. The rebate is valid through June 30 and shipping is free. More » -
thin
Alltel Gets Super Thin Samsung Wafer With XM Radio Mobile
Alltel's not usually known for getting cutting-edge handsets, but it may be time for that to change as the slick-looking Samsung Wafer SCH-R510 heads their way. The phone has some interesting features, with the celltop widget system, XM Radio Mobile, Axcess TV and Axcess mobile Guide. More » -
portable media
Audiovox Express EZ XM Receiver is Pretty, Cheap, Functional
The Audiovox Express EZ XM receiver is the little brother to the Expressr receiver. This little guy is smaller, cheaper and in my opinion, prettier, than the Expressr. It has a simple user interface with a large display screen, three buttons and a do-it-all control knob. This device will be available in June for a cool $70. More »


































