“Spotify has yet to become popular with artists because artists don’t see the financial benefit of working with Spotify,” McGuinness believes. “That’s partly the fault of the labels, and the labels partly own Spotify.” Details of exactly how much Spotify pays each label and each artist per play are closely guarded secrets, though previous leaks have suggested the balance is tipped decidedly in the direction of record labels.

According to insiders, Spotify and rivals like Rhapsody are forced to agree to huge upfront payments along with payout deals based on the biggest income of either minimum subscriber fees, per-play costs or total company revenue. Each label can insist on the best terms of all the negotiated deals their counterparts have arranged.

In the end, “damned by faint praise” seems the most apt description for the U2 manager’s attitude toward Spotify and other streaming services. “I see no reason why the Spotify model should not be part of the future, it is essentially honest so it’s to be encouraged. I’d like to see it adopted everywhere, quite honestly” he concluded. However, as to whether Spotify is “a means of monetizing distribution for product or is it promotional?” McGuinness asked himself, “at the moment I’m inclined to treat it as promotional.  If we have to choose where to put records on their debut we’re unlikely to give it to Spotify. I’d rather give it to a DJ on a great station.”

Pandora has announced hat its Halloween themed section is now available to listen to. There are eight different Halloween themed stations to choose from. The selections include Halloween, Halloween Party, Spooky Symphonies, Children’s Halloween, Ghostly Grooves, Witch House, Goth, and Industrial.

Apparently, there is enough music for anything from a kid’s Halloween party to sound effects for your outdoor spooky display for trick-or-treaters. You can listen to the music right if you have an account.

Android was always intended to find its way into more than just smartphones and tablets, and Archos has taken Google’s advice. The Archos 35 is a compact, lightweight touchscreen radio, with stereo speakers and a 3.5-inch color display, offering both local playback of photos, music and video – there’s 4GB of internal storage and a microSD card slot to boost the total up to 20GB – as well as 50,000 streaming radio stations courtesy of the TuneIn app.

Build quality is a little on the plasticky side, but the benefit is that it’s surprisingly lightweight despite the integrated battery. Ports include a 3.5mm headphone socket and microUSB port for charging/syncing, while there’s WiFi b/g/n to get online. A webcam on the front can shoot stills and video, as well as be used with video calling apps, but they’ll need to be available in the unofficial AppsLib download store since there’s no Android Market access.

As for the Archos 35 Smart Home Phone, that looks like an Android cellphone but in fact is a DECT handset for use around the house. Nonetheless, it has a front-facing 720p HD camera for video calls (over WiFi), together with the Android browser and email client. It’ll also work as a remote control for the Home Connect radio and the Archos 80 G9/101 G9 tablets, useful if you’ve got the latter two slates plugged into your HDTV via HDMI to play back Full HD video.

Archos 35 Home Connect & Smart Home Phone hands-on:

Both run Android 2.2.1 Froyo with some custom apps. The Archos 35 runs a 1GHz OMAP3630 single-core processor, though it falls behind Froyo smartphones of the same speed in terms of real-world performance. As for the DECT phone, Archos isn’t saying exactly what processor is inside, but we were mightily unimpressed with both its responsiveness and its touchscreen performance. Considering basic Android handsets can get both of these factors right, we’re hoping Archos’ teething pains are down to these being prototypes rather than evidence of what we’ll see on store shelves come September.

An internet radio does make sense – at $149 we can imagine it being a neat addition to a nightstand, for instance – but the primary benefit of Android over, say, a chumby is lost since there’s no official Android Market access. That narrows its audience to those willing to either live with the preloaded functionality or to dig through unofficial app stores and sideload .apk applications.

Whether Android has a place on a $159 landline phone, though, is less clear-cut. The Archos 35 Smart Home Phone seems to be struggling from a crisis of purpose: is it a remote control, or a phone, or a tiny home tablet, or a PMP replacement? If it’s a remote then the fact it’s limited to only controlling Archos’ recent hardware is a significant shortcoming; if it’s a tiny home tablet or a PMP then the display is simply too small to persuade us to put down our existing smartphone.

The long range wireless technology is what makes this all possible. The body is weather resistant, and has a built in 8 inch subwoofer, a 100 watt digital amplifier, and it has a backlit top panel for local control. The iCast transmitter is included for wirelessly connecting your iPod or MP3 player. It can also stream music from Mac or PC and can take advantage of internet sources like Pandora and Rhapsody. Its zone 2 output is even compatible with legacy audio devices.

The internal battery will yield 10 to 20 hours of wireless music depending on the volume level. It has a good design that will match just about any setting from a backyard barbeque to just hanging out in the living room. It is available from select distributors and retailers. No pricing is listed on their site or in the press release, but these are pretty high-end and will likely have a high-end price tag to match.

Press release:

CHULA VISTA, Calif., June 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Wait till the music lovers hear this. Soundcast Systems, developer of high performance wireless audio systems and products, announces its new OutCast 3.4 multi-room, multi-source wireless speaker system with subwoofer just in time for summertime home and outdoor entertaining. Your music affordably enjoyed wherever you are—with no wires!

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110610/NY17975 )

Wireless is in. Affordable is in. Portable is in. iPod®/iPhone® access and control is in. So Outcast 3.4 is in! The new system is destined to be the most utilized speaker you’ll ever own, and Soundcast is happy to shout its hefty claim.

OutCast 3.4′s technology lets you easily access and enjoy up to 3-sources of your favorite music in up to 4 separate areas of your home or business. Heck yes, listen both in and outdoors!

The OutCast 3.4 has a powerful wireless broadcast range of up to 300-feet. Clear, precise transmissions easily travel through walls, doors, floors, ceilings and roofs. You enjoy rich, multi-directional, uninterrupted sound anywhere and anytime.

Additional features include:

Tri-amplified, high-definition audio reproduction w/DSP
Long-range, interference-free wireless technology
Internal battery provides 10-to-20 hours of wireless music (+/- power level)
Easy to use backlit top panel keypad for control

You set the stage and command performance with the built-in smart control system. In addition to allowing 3-source music selection and control for your iPod/iPhone/MP3/PC or Mac personal music library, take advantage of Pandora®, Rhapsody®, iTunes®, Radio, HD Radio, Cable Music and even legacy audio sources for the receivers’ zone 2 output. Like magic, music you choose is sent to each Soundcast 3.4-equipped listening area (zone).

Other features:

• 3.5 mm headphone output
• USB cell phone charger and AUX-IN input
• Telescopic antenna
• DC 5v input
• Rechargeable NiMH battery
• Includes USB cable

The Safety Hub is selling for $69.99. Amazon doesn’t provide a date for release at this time. This seems like the perfect addition to any emergency kit. Very well thought out, and provides everything you need.

[via Slippery Brick]

The radio uses a small H2O micro turbine that drives a generator inside the radio to create power to operate. The radio has an internal battery that recharges as you run the shower. The radio is green and harnesses energy in the shower that is wasted.

The radio connects to a shower hose and will work with 99% of all showers. Perhaps showers elsewhere are different, but none of the showers anywhere I have ever lived would work with this thing. The radio can be purchased now in Europe for £34.99.

[via Techdigest.tv]

The backpack system features tiny vibrating panels on both sides of the pack. These panels, when activated remotely, tell the dog which direction to head. Using the integrated GPS system, along with the radio modem inside, controllers are able to see where the dog is exactly at any given moment, and guide the animal to wherever they need it to be. The general idea is to be able to no longer limit an animal by having to make sure that a human is with them at all time. The dog, moving on its own, will be able to cover more ground, and faster.

Obviously, questions about what kind of missions these dogs would be sent on are already popping up. While rescue missions, where the dog would be able to go out and try to find lost hikers, would be less dangerous than other proposed uses, it’s obvious that some will want to use these remote-controlled animals for other uses. Like in war time situations.

[via DVICE]

Yes, you’re iPhone will charge while embedded into the head unit and therefore relieve of your current car phone charger. O’Car’s built in Radio Data System will allow to you listen to all the local radio stations you love. It really is the best of both worlds. This is the first fully-integrated head unit ever released for the iPhone and we expect it to do very well.

If you still like that old head unit, then maybe the O’Dock would be a better match for you. No head unit installation is needed and you will still have all the functionality of the O’Car. It can be docked to any flat surface, particularly the windshield or the dashboard.

The Twilight has a USB port that you can sue to charge your phone or other device. You can connect your MP3 player or iPod to the thing easily for playback. The lights are supposed to help you fall asleep and the clock has a timer that will turn them of altogether when you want them to.

It can be used for kids with built-in lullabies like twinkle, twinkle, little star’ and ‘rock-a-bye baby’ and it has natural sounds like waves to help you fall asleep. Pricing is unknown at this time.

Planes flying overhead, troops approaching from the ground, both of them able to see from the perspective of each-others vantage point. It’d be just like a video game. Imagine that. Owings told reporters of this 2-year possibility at the Annual Association of the U.S. Army conference, 2010. Companies working to secure 4G network systems that would be able to allow video streaming to smart phone in this area are as follows: Textron Inc, Raytheon Co, L-3 Communications Holdings Inc and Sierra Nevada Corp.

Owings went on to say that encryption advances would allow transmission of data within a limited area would be “pretty darn secure.” He also noted that it’d be pretty darn inexpensive to do, as this whole project is being developed on already comercially-available phones.

He said that smaller networks like this could compliment larger systems across the entire battlefield, and that it could potentially be a part of the future of the Army’s unmanned aerial systems planned for September 2011.

Owings said this project, the possibility of sending video images to cell phones securely, has been aided by advances that allow unmanned aerial plan “Textron” to stay in the air longer. Wonderful, wild, terrifying.

[Via Rueters]

So, we’re guessing that if you spend your days tuned to salsa, you’ll get another interesting salsa station to try; perhaps a Chinese one or a Turkish one instead.  There’s also an FM radio, just in case you’re feeling nostalgic, an alarm clock and a simple equalizer.

Sagemcom throw a remote control into the mixture, and there’s WPS for easy setup with your WiFi network.  It’ll land in the UK sometime this month, priced at £99 ($156).

Press Release:

SAGEMCOM INTRODUCES NEW INTERNET RADIO

Chertsey, UK 25th October 2010: Sagemcom today announced its elegant Sagemcom RM50 radio. With its highly visual black design, the Sagemcom RM50 radio makes accessing more than 13,000 Internet radio stations around the world, as well as conventional FM stations, extremely easy.

For the last few years Sagemcom has been guiding customers through the Digital Switch Over, providing customers with digital TV services via its Freeview and Freesat set top box range. Now, building upon its reputation it is addressing digital audio around the home with the launch of its new Sagemcom RM50 radio.

Just like analogue TV, analogue radio is being replaced by DAB and IP alternatives and Sagemcom is aiding customers to make the transition smoothly and easily. The RM50 is a feature packed, smartly designed product that will enable great digital audio enjoyment.

This RM50 offers a great listening experience thanks to its ‘air-proof’ design which prevents audio scattering and delivers a big sound from a very compact unit. Using the control keys located under the LCD display or the remote control, browsing for your favourite, or finding new stations is simple. With the world’s radio stations at your finger tips the RM50 allows you to search for stations by theme, by name, by genre or by region.

It’s easy to find the type of stations that you like. The “Smart Random” function gives the listener the possibility of random access to other radio stations of the same genre as those most frequently listened to – aswell as alarm clock functions and an intuitive equaliser.

The RM50 has WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) protection to obtain secure connections to WiFi Internet access points and has a stand-by ‘low power consumption’ mode making it a secure and green audio option.

The compact and extremely sophisticated radio has a highly competitive price, making it ideal for everyone looking for an internet radio solution that is easy to use and will easily fit in with their home décor.

Recommended price £99 including VAT

Available: October 2010, available from Amazon

That display measures in at 3.5-inches, and shares fascia space with an NXT loudspeaker powered by an 8W class D amp.  There’s also stereo RCA, AUX-IN, 3.5mm headphone and iPod/iPhone video out connectors, together with Last.fm support.

The REVO AXiS will go on sale in the UK from September 1st 2010, priced at £199.95 ($314).

Press Release:

REVO announces first sub £200 colour touchscreen digital radio with multi-format reception and iPod/iPhone connectivity

Lanark, Scotland, 17th August 2010: AXiS represents the next generation of ‘connected’ digital radio devices that combine advanced multi-format radio reception, iPod and iPhone docking, wireless audio streaming and access to premium online music services such as Last.fm.
AXiS is capable of receiving a full range of digital radio standards including DAB, DAB+ and internet radio (over 13,000 stations from around the world) – as well as conventional FM radio with RDS. AXiS will also stream digital music files from any ‘connected’ PC or Apple Mac.
This compact radio features a 3.5” colour TFT touchscreen display, and is controlled via an icon-driven user interface, enabling quick and easy navigation around the radio’s many advanced features.
AXiS boasts impressive audio clarity and bass response, courtesy of its 8W class D amplifier and NXT’s patented Balanced Radiator (BR) loudspeaker technology. BR drive units combine the performance attributes of an NXT flat panel speaker, with the pistonic movement of a conventional loudspeaker, the effect is a high performance compact drive unit that can cover a wider range of frequencies. The result is a smooth frequency response, expansive sound stage and satisfying bass.
Completing the hardware picture, AXiS provides advanced connectivity for all generations of iPod and iPhone, and is equipped with stereo RCA, AUX-IN, 3.5mm headphone and iPod/iPhone video out connectors as standard.
Revo Technologies CEO, David Baxter, said “With AXiS we have taken the unique multi- platform feature set and icon driven interface of our groundbreaking IKON ‘touch’ radio, and re-housed it in a beautifully compact minimalist design, perfect for desktop or bedside use – all for the breakthrough price of £199.95.”
In addition to its terrestrial and internet radio capabilities, AXiS will also provide access to online music service Last.fm. Simply choose an artist or genre and let Last.fm build the perfect playlist from its library of 5 million tracks – unique to the user, and fresh every time. Alternatively, an existing Last.fm profile can be used.
AXiS includes a free 31 day Last.fm trial subscription, thereafter a £3.00 per month subscription charge applies.
AXiS is the result of a long and fruitful collaboration between Revo Technologies and Frontier Silicon, the industry leader in connected audio technology. At the heart of REVO’s AXiS radio is Frontier Silicon’s new multi-standard Venice 8 module.
AXiS has an SRP of £199.95 and will be available from the 1st of October 2010 from John Lewis, Marks and Spencer, Apple Store, Comet, Selfridges, Harrods and Next Directory.
AXiS can be pre-ordered online by visiting www.revo.co.uk, www.hughesdirect.co.uk, www.advancedmp3players.co.uk, www.petertyson.co.uk, www.superfi.co.uk or www.firebox.co.uk.

We’d tell you to meet Moshi, but you already have. In another form, of course. And this new version, the Voice Control Digital Clock Radio, which has more features than the previous version. However, you still say “Hello Moshi,” to activate it, which we think is pretty cool. It’s not often we get to introduce ourselves (and it make sense) to our gadgets. Once you activate it, Moshi will recognize 11 different voice commands, which include setting the time, activating the radio, and setting the alarm.

It works on Technology That Listens, which is a cute little name for a technology that makes gadgets accept voice commands. And yes, you can tell your clock to snooze, but, like we said, that probably means there’s going to be a lot more missed meetings out there. If you’re interested, you can pick up the Moshi Voice Control Digital Clock Radio right now for $69.99.

[via Max Borges Agency]

As well as over 17,000 radio stations, 20,000 plus on-demand programs and over 35,000 podcasts, the Allegro can access Pandora for streaming audio.  Connectivity includes WiFi b/g/n, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a stereo speaker jack, and you can control Pandora’s thumbs up/thumbs down rating system directly from the mediaplayer itself.  The company also offers a free iPhone remote control app.

As well as internet radio there’s support for streaming media from your home network, and there’s an alarm clock with snooze functionality too.  Nonetheless, the price is still pretty high: the Grace Digital Audio Allegro has an MRSP of $169.

Press Release:

Grace Digital Audio Delivers Thousands of Stations and Rich Sound Quality with the Allegro Wi-Fi Internet Radio & Streamer

With unique features including a built in recharging circuit, 5 function alarm clock, and a remote with Pandora controls, Allegro is at home on the nightstand or in the backyard

San Diego, Calif. – (April 6, 2010) – Grace Digital Audio, a leading brand of wireless indoor & outdoor audio solutions, is pleased to announce the addition of the Allegro Portable Wireless Radio & Streamer to their line of internet radios. With Pandora recently topping 50 million registered users and millions of internet radio users worldwide, the demand for a high quality, easy-to-use and affordable internet radio is at an all-time high. Available now at GraceDigitalAudio.com, Allegro provides a superior sound quality with easy access to thousands of radio stations, on-demand programs, and podcasts around the world.

Utilizing a Class D 8 watt digital amplifier, Allegro produces a sound quality that delivers a superior audio experience indoors and out. Grace Digital Audio’s unique triple power option includes a built in battery recharging circuit, allowing users to power Allegro with an AC adapter, 6 regular AA or rechargeable batteries. Allegro can recharge batteries while still in the unit, eliminating the hassle of moving batteries to a separate charger. Other internet radios use regular batteries or strictly an AC adapter, which can become costly and greatly limits portability.

Allegro provides access to over 17,000 radio stations, 20,000 plus on-demand programs, and over 35,000 podcasts. Compatible with Pandora Radio, Sirius, MP3tunes, Live365.com, Aupeo!, and blogtalkradio, Allegro is connected to radio programs all over the world. Using the Allegro’s full function remote or the easy access top panel controls, navigating the radio world is easy. The 4 line backlight display allows you to conveniently browse all the music options by region, country, station, or choose from over 50 musical genres. Users can also stream their personal music collection straight to Allegro wirelessly from a PC or Mac. Equipped with a 5 function alarm clock and a conveniently large snooze button, Allegro functions just as well on the nightstand as it does in the backyard.

Allegro Wi-Fi Radio features include:

• Access to over 17,000 radio stations, 20,000 on-demand programs, and over 35,000 podcasts
• Equipped with it’s own battery recharging circuit, the Allegro’s triple power option allows use of AC adapter, 6 AA regular or rechargeable batteries
• Class D digital amplifier and rear ported full range speaker provides superior audio quality
• 10 station presets, up to 100 saved favorites, displays song/artist info, alarm clock radio, and remote control with Pandora controls
• Wirelessly stream music and stored audio files from your PC or Mac
Now shipping, Allegro is available for $169.00 at www.GraceDigitalAudio.com and various retailers throughout the U.S.

Grace Digital Audio’s Chief Marketing Officer, Greg Fadul, believes sound quality and innovative power options set Allegro apart from its competitors. “Allegro’s Class D amplifier delivers a sound experience you’re just not going to find in comparable internet radios and our built in recharging circuit makes it affordable and convenient to run the radio without the restrictions of a cord. For only $169.00 you can’t beat Allegro’s listening options, portability, and sound quality.”

Video demo after the cut

Chambers even designed a working prototype, which you can see in the video below.  A SNZ button is used to trigger the action, if the pre-programmed six month schedule isn’t frequent enough.

However, having collectively opened up a fair few computers and been horrified by the amount of dust inside, we reckon modern PCs could do with some bellows-action to keep them free flowing.  Chambers is apparently looking to develop other fictional products that incorporate animal actions, to fit into his timeline.

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/9227839[/vimeo]

[via we make money not art]

The build owes much of its inspiration to Jeff Keyzer’s DIY WiFi radio from back in 2008.  The various parts have a DIY controller board keeping them all in check, and then the router gets reflashed with OpenWRT.  The whole thing can be locally controlled with the front-panel knob and button, or you can log into it remotely over the network.

[via MAKE]

There’s also a USB port, into which you can plug your iPod or other PMPs, and as it’s iPod certified you can control the Apple mediaplayer’s playback via the UnitiQute controls.  There are also a couple of regular analog inputs along with a 3.5mm headphone socket and an onboard DAC with five 24bit/192kHz capable S/PDIF inputs for external sources.

Of course, part of the reason you go to Naim is their amp and speaker prowess, and the UnitiQute shouldn’t disappoint there, either.  There are separate power supplies for the digital, analog and power amps, with 45W per channel in the preamp and 30W per channel in the power amp.

The Naim UnitiQute will arrive in the US and UK in March 2010, priced at $3,000 and £1,350 respectively.

Press Release:

Naim Audio’s New UnitiQute High-End, All in One, System

CES Show Las Vegas 7th January 2010. Naim Audio, the UK’s largest and most successful specialist audio manufacturer, launches UnitiQute a smaller more compact all-in-one system than NaimUniti Naim Audio’s multi award-winning system.

Naim developed UnitiQute recognising a new breed of consumers – those who want the performance and the convenience that new technology brings but will not accept the compromise in performance that following this route from a non-audiophile brand might entail.

The UnitiQute is the first high-end remote controlled all-in-one audio player to offer so many sources: FM & Internet Radio (plus DAB in supporting markets), MP3 / iPod (Authenticated digital iPod connection), Streamed audio and USB.

Key to UnitiQute is its digital audio streaming capabilities. UnitiQute can wirelessly stream music stored on UPnP™ networked devices, providing access to even more music including – the increasingly popular – hi resolution 24bit / 96kHz WAV or FLAC files.

With its onboard 24bit / 192kHz capable DAC, UnitiQute is the ultimate audio source hub, able to interface with digital audio sources, such as computers and gaming consoles and the latest TVs.

UnitiQute combines proven and multi-award winning analogue engineering as it is derived from Naim’s top selling and again multi-award winning, NAIT 5i integrated amplifier with state-of- the-art up–to-the-minute digital engineering to deliver the sonic performance to make the most discriminating customer proud.

The large linear power supply designed for UnitiQute ensures that it can deliver the necessary goods even at party levels.

The industrial design reflects the company’s belief in understatement and elegance. The design however is not just cosmetic: the choice of non-magnetic materials — to reduce eddy currents significantly — and the fit and finish are all added extras in the performance.

UnitiQute will be available worldwide in March at an anticipated cost of $2000 in the USA and £1350 in the UK. Prices in other markets are available from Naim’s local distributors.

Feature summary

A complete audio system – just add speakers

UPnP™-enabled for playback of network-stored audio / internet broadcasts from PC, Mac or NAS drives
Front-panel USB for iPod/MP3 player and USB memory stick playback
Multi-format radio (FM/DAB*/Internet)
Apple authenticated enabling digital output from iPod for ultimate quality
iPod control, charging and front-panel content display when connected to front-panel USB port via standard iPod cable
3.5mm front panel input that supports both analogue and digital sources
Two analogue inputs (3.5mm front-panel socket and RCA)
Onboard DAC with five 24bit / 192kHz capable S/PDIF inputs for external digital sources
Preamplifier and 45W per channel into 4Ω, 30W per channel into 8Ω power amplifier
Ethernet and Wi-Fi network connectivity
Plays WAV, MP3, Windows Media–formatted content, AAC and FLAC from any suitable UPnP™ device together with WAV, AAC, MP3 and Apple Lossless (from an iPod)
Switchable bass contour control for low-volume listening
Bass management system for use with subwoofer-satellite loudspeaker systems
Digital output on 75Ω BNC connector (RCA adapter supplied)
Front-panel display with intuitive interface, remote-controlled
Front-panel 3.5mm headphone output
Front panel logo touch-sensitive mute function
Full v5*Tuner internet radio service
Linear Power supply with 200VA toroidal transformer with three separate windings
Separate power supplies for digital, analogue, and power amplifier
Ground selector switch for optimum performance
High quality Wolfson DAC
Naim compact, non-resonant, non-magnetic case
OLED, two size, display for high contrast and easy visibility
British design and build
*Digital Audio Broadcasting only in markets supporting DAB
UPnP is a trademark of the UPnP forum
Windows Media TM is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation
iPod and Mac are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries
Naim products are designed and manufactured at the Naim headquarters in Salisbury England. Naim pride themselves as being an engineering led company where technical excellence vies with sound quality as being the primary driver.

Every aspect of the design and build is under Naim’s control. Production is cellular: one person assembles a complete product to instil the pride of “getting it right, the first time – every time”.

CES Innovations 2010 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree

The Naim Audio UnitiQute has been named an International CES Innovations 2010 Design and Engineering Awards Honoree. Products entered in this prestigious program are judged by a pre-eminent panel of independent industrial designers, engineers and members of the media to honor outstanding design and engineering in cutting edge consumer electronics products across 36 product categories.

Naim Audio’s UnitiQute will be displayed at the 2010 International CES, January 7-10, 2010 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Innovations Design and Engineering Showcase will feature honorees by product category in the Grand Lobby of the Las Vegas Convention.

The Innovations entries are judged based on the following criteria:

Engineering qualities, based on technical specs and materials used
Aesthetic and design qualities, using photos provided
The product’s intended use/function and user value
Unique/novel features that consumers would find attractive
How the design and innovation of the product compares to other products in the market
Products chosen as an Innovations honoree reflect innovative design and engineering of the entries. Examples may include the first time various technologies are combined in a single product or dramatic enhancements to previous product designs.

Egg-shaped, the Sensia is reminiscent of a grown-up Chumby, with two 15W RMS 3-inch speakers flanging the full-color LCD touchscreen.  The display runs at 640 x 480 resolution and uses a capacitive touch-layer; in practise it’s responsive, bright and easy to use.  Pure also include an RF remote control in the box, which doesn’t require line-of-sight in order to work.

30W couldn’t do much to dominate the CES Unveiled show floor, given the background noise, so we’ll wait until we get a review unit in to judge audio quality.  Where the Euro version gets DAB digital radio, the US Sensia doesn’t get the rough equivalent – HD Radio – though you do still get FM RDS support along with room for 40 FM presets and unlimited internet radio presets.

It’s bigger in the plastic than the press shots might suggest, measuring a full 11-inches across (almost as much as a rugby ball, in fact) and is pretty distinctive with its high-gloss finish; Pure offer black, white, red or yellow variants.  Access to websites like Facebook and Twitter is handy, but we’re not entirely convinced that they’re more usable in this form – despite the larger display – than a similar interface you’d see on a cellphone or smartphone.

The Pure Sensia will arrive in the US later in 2010, priced at $349.

Sanyo has unveiled a couple new iPod alarm clocks called the DMP-P1 Cube Alarm Clock Radio and the DMP-692 Dual Dock Music System. The Cube radio will sell for $39.99 and can recharge dockable iPods while playing music. Controls are located on top of the radio and it features BassXpander for improved bass response.

The Dual Dock Music system has dual programmable alarms and can charge two iPods at one time or an iPod and an iPhone. The dock has an integrated rear passive subwoofer and has a standard alarm clock built-in. The device ships with a remote control for fully controlling the dock and the iPod from across the room. The device will sell for $89.99, making it quite a bit cheaper than the dual dock iHome clock radio I talked about last week.

A joystick and small OLED display are used for navigation and control, and Revo have used NXT “Balanced Radiator” speaker technology for sound that, they claim, belies the compact nature of the D3 itself.  There’s also an FM radio with RDS and network streaming.

The Revo DOMINO D3 will be available from November 1st, priced at £169.95 ($271); it comes with a 30 day trial of Last.fm, following which there’s a monthly subscription for the service (£3/$4.78).  Two other models in the DOMINO range, the D1 and D2, are also launching, the former having DAB/DAB+ and an iPod dock, and the latter adding in WiFi; they’ll be £129.95 ($207) and £149.95 ($239) respectively.

Press Release:

Revo announces DOMINO multi-format digital radio with iPod/iPhone Docking and Last.fm

Lanark, Scotland, 5th October 2009: Revo’s DOMINO D3 leads a new generation of connected digital radio devices that combine multi-format radio reception, iPod and iPhone connectivity, audio streaming and access to a variety of premium online music services including Last.fm.

Visually, DOMINO D3 is a sympathetic blend of contemporary styling and cutting edge technology. Soft edges and continuous curves meet bold design elements to create a timeless and striking form. A wonderfully tactile rubberised coating adds the finishing touch to this instantly likeable design.

At DOMINO D3’s heart is an innovative joystick-based control system, enabling the user to quickly and easily navigate around the radio’s many advanced features.

Completing the hardware picture is the inclusion of a graphical OLED display, and high performance digital audio courtesy of NXT’s patented ‘Balanced Radiator’ loudspeaker technology.

DOMINO D3 is capable of receiving a full range of digital radio standards including DAB, DAB+ and internet radio – as well as conventional FM radio with RDS. DOMINO will also wirelessly stream digital music files from any ‘connected’ PC or Apple Mac. Additionally, DOMINO D3 includes an integrated iPod dock and is one of only a small number of digital radios that is certified by Apple for use with both the iPod and iPhone.

In addition to its terrestrial and internet radio capabilities, DOMINO D3 will also provide access to online music service Last.fm*. Simply choose an artist or genre and let Last.fm build the perfect playlist from its library of 5 million tracks – unique to the user, and fresh every time. Alternatively, an existing Last.fm profile can be used.

DOMINO D3 includes a free 30 day Last.fm trial subscription, thereafter a £3.00 per month subscription charge applies.

Owen Parry, Last.fm Product Manager said “We’re delighted that Revo has included Last.fm functionality as a standard feature on its new DOMINO radio, and the addition of a free 30 day trial subscription makes it easy for users to explore and enjoy music through Last.fm, right out of the box.”

DOMINO D3 is part of a broader three model range as follows:

DOMINO D1 – A dedicated DAB/DAB+ model that also includes FM coverage and iPod & iPhone docking capabilities.

DOMINO D2 – A Wi-Fi internet radio model with audio streaming, FM, iPod & iPhone docking and Last.fm access.

DOMINO D3 has an SRP of £169.95, while the D1 and D2 models are priced at £129.95 and £149.95 respectively. All three models are available in a choice of black or white finishes.

The DOMINO range goes on sale on the 1st of November from branches of John Lewis, Marks and Spencer and the usual REVO stockists. Alternatively, visit www.revo.co.uk

REVO will be exhibiting at the Hong Kong Electronics Fair from the 13th until the 16th of October 2009. REVO can be found in hall 1, stand number 1EC08/1ED07.

The radio itself has integrated stereo speakers each with 15W RMS, a 3.5mm headphone socket and an RF remote control.  Connectivity includes WiFi b/g, DAB and DAB+ support, as well as FM radio, a 3.5mm input for hooking up an external audio source, and a USB port for firmware updates (though PURE will also distribute them for wireless installation over WiFi).  While it’s natively AC powered, the Sensia also has an optional internal battery pack good for up to ten hours of use.

As you’d expect from any radio there are favorites – 30 DAB, 10 FM and unlimited internet radio – and podcast support, however the Sensia can also show slide-shows from radio stations, album art from locally-streamed media, and more.  An online portal allows you to easily find new stations, manage favorites, and view recommended content, all of which is wirelessly synchronized with the Sensia.

Meanwhile the widgets allow for news feeds, weather updates and more to be delivered to the Sensia’s touchscreen, together with access to Facebook, Picasa and Twitter.  There’s even an on-screen keyboard for searching and adding comments.  The PURE Sensia radio will be on sale by Christmas in Europe, priced at £249.99 (including VAT; $406).

Press Release:

PURE brings radio to the Facebook generation

PURE Sensia: A new way of looking at radio
The world’s first visual radio with large colour touchscreen and advanced user-interface
London, UK 17th September 2009: PURE, the world’s leading radio maker presents Sensia, the world’s first high resolution DAB digital and internet-connected radio with a unique, large colour touchscreen which delivers a state-of-the-art and intuitive user-interface. Incorporating PURE’s award-winning ‘Flow’ technology, Sensia is a revolutionary radio with a large 5.7” 640 x 480 high resolution colour touchscreen. Sensia gives users a unique way of interacting with internet and radio content including: podcasts and listen again services; DAB/DAB+* and FM; a growing set of custom PURE ‘Apps’ such as weather, news, Picasa, Facebook or Twitter; and new broadcast material such as station slideshows**. Sensia is also a media streamer enabling users to listen to music stored on a home computer or network storage device via Wi-Fi technology.
Paul Smith, PURE’s general manager says: “PURE made its name as the company behind the success of DAB. We’ve since created a market leading and multi award-winning, internet-connected product range with our Flow series. Sensia is the next major innovation from PURE, which I am confident will bring radio to a whole new ‘Facebook’ generation while still inspiring our traditional customer base. Radio will never be the same again.”
Sensia has an extremely sophisticated touchscreen interface which allows users to view and interact with the radio like never before: scrolling and spinning lists, tapping to select, sliding controls and swiping to change views. Users can choose between a multi-panel and a full screen view. The screen consists of a visual panel for viewing Apps, station slideshows or album artwork; a list panel for scrolling through lists of radio stations or music stored on a PC; a now playing panel and a control bar for operating Sensia.
Sensia is destined to be the centre piece of any room with a distinctive, elliptical shape and four striking colour choices: Bright red, vivid yellow, sleek black and cool white. A moulded stand is supplied, which allows the user to angle the radio to an optimum viewing position and a matching remote control completes the look.
A bespoke microsite has been created for Sensia at www.touchmyradio.com which includes a 3D interactive overview of Sensia as well as a virtual guide with a voiceover by Christian O’Connell, Absolute Radio’s breakfast DJ.
As with the award-winning Flow range, Sensia connects to The PURE Lounge, our own radio and media portal (www.thelounge.com) which acts as the index to the best of internet audio content and where users can register their radio as well as save and organise favourites. Also available from The Lounge and via Sensia is a unique selection of PURE Sounds to relax you to sleep or wake you in a positive frame of mind.
Sensia also features PURE Clearsound technology for 30W RMS of impressive stereo sound; an input for an iPod/MP3 player; an alarm; countdown timer; sleep timer and a headphone socket. Add the optional rechargeable PURE ChargePAK to listen to internet content anywhere within range of the Wi-Fi network or to DAB and FM radio when further afield. Sensia also comes with a clever RF remote control which allows users to control the device from up to 10m away without direct line-of-sight.
Sensia will be available in time for Christmas at just £249.99 (SRP inc. VAT) from all good stockists. For more information, please visit www.touchmyradio.com, www.pure.com, www.thelounge.com or call 0845 1489001.
Editor’s Notes: *DAB+ is a new and enhanced version of DAB and is now being adopted by many countries as their platform choice for digital radio. It’s likely that it will be a few years before UK broadcasters take up DAB+, but the majority of PURE products are already ‘DAB+ ready’. **Where supplied by the broadcaster
About PURE PURE is the world’s leading maker of broadcast and Internet-connected digital radios, the number one supplier of digital radios in Europe and the creator of the world’s most popular and iconic digital radios.
PURE radios increasingly support all the broadcast standards in the DAB family used across Europe and beyond. PURE leads the way in Internet-connected radios with its Flow technology and the PURE Lounge portal (www.thelounge.com). Designed and engineered in the UK, all of PURE’s products are manufactured with the environment in mind and at ethically audited facilities. PURE is a division of Imagination Technologies Group plc. See www.pure.com.

The touch has a 6 x 6 x 3 mm space in the upper middle portion of the board where a camera module could sit, and while iFixit say that there’s insufficient space for an iPhone 3GS-style autofocus CMOS there is, however, room for a nano-type video camera.  Rumors circulated ahead of the event this week that Apple were planning cameras for both PMPs, but in the end there was only an announcement for the smaller iPod; although there was talk that technical issues had prevented the touch from getting its optics, iFixit found no headers on the board for a camera cable.

As for networking, the iPod touch 3G uses Broadcom’s BCM4329 chip, which in fact supports not only WiFi b/g but draft-n wireless as well.  The firmware doesn’t yet support the higher-speed technology, but it’s entirely possible that a future update could change that.

Finally, the chip also supports – at least technically – FM transmission, along with an FM receiver and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR.  Right now there are no antennas for FM, but if Apple decided to fit them – and add software support – the iPod touch 3G could feasibly transmit audio via your car stereo without wires.

The radio in the nano supports music tagging, so that listeners can tag a track they like and then purchase it from iTunes later.  Video recorded on the PMP can be watched on-device or sync’d with a Mac or PC, before being uploaded to YouTube.

The Apple iPod nano is available from today, priced at $149 for the 8GB model and $179 for the 16GB model.  Colors available include red, orange, yellow, green, light blue, dark blue, graphite, silver and pink.

Check out the hands-on gallery here

Press Release:

Apple Introduces New iPod nano With Built-in Video Camera

World’s Most Popular Music Player Now Available in Nine Brilliant Colors

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Apple today introduced the new iPod nano , adding a video camera, mic and speaker to the world’s most popular music player. Music lovers can now shoot video wherever they are, view it on their iPod nano and use their computers to easily transfer their videos to YouTube. The new iPod nano features an ultra-thin and sleek design with a larger 2.2-inch color display and gorgeous polished aluminum and glass enclosure. iPod nano also features a built-in FM radio with live pause and iTunes Tagging, as well as a built-in pedometer. The new iPod nano is available today in an 8GB model for $149 and a 16GB model for $179, and comes in nine brilliant colors including silver, black, purple, blue, green, orange, yellow, (PRODUCT) RED and pink.

“iPod nano is the world’s most popular music player with over 100 million sold,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “And now we’ve added a video camera to its incredibly thin design, without any additional cost to the user.”

iPod nano features a larger 2.2-inch display for easier navigating, enjoying album art, or shooting and viewing video clips. iPod nano is ultra-portable so users can shoot video wherever they are, in either portrait or landscape. iPod nano customers can share videos instantly with friends using its display and speaker, or sync with a Mac or PC and share them on YouTube, MobileMe(TM), Facebook or via email.* iPod nano can even shoot videos with fun real-time effects such as Thermal, Film Grain, Kaleido and X-Ray.

iPod nano now has a built-in FM radio with live pause and iTunes Tagging. Live pause lets iPod nano users pause and resume playing their favorite FM radio shows. iTunes Tagging is great when users hear a song they like, they can simply tag it, and then preview and purchase that song when they sync to iTunes.** iPod nano also features Genius Mixes, which automatically creates up to 12 endless mixes of songs from your iTunes library that go great together.

iPod nano is also now an even better workout companion with the new built-in pedometer. iPod nano can keep track of your steps taken and calories burned, helping you meet your short and long-term fitness goals.

iPod nano provides up to 24 hours of music playback or five hours of video playback on a single charge. The 8GB model holds up to 2,000 songs, 7,000 photos, eight hours of video and seven hours of captured video; and the 16GB model holds up to 4,000 songs, 14,000 photos, 16 hours of video and 14 hours of captured video.***

iPod is the world’s most popular family of digital music players with over 220 million sold. Apple’s new holiday lineup includes iPod shuffle in five great colors starting at just $59; iPod classic in a new 160GB model holding up to 40,000 songs for $249; the new iPod nano with a video camera available in nine brilliant polished aluminum colors starting at $149; and the revolutionary iPod touch now starting at the breakthrough price of just $199.

Pricing & Availability

The new iPod nano is available immediately for a suggested price of $149 (US) for the 8GB model and $179 (US) for the 16GB model in silver, black, purple, blue, green, orange and pink through the Apple Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The 8GB and 16GB iPod nano in yellow and (PRODUCT) RED are available through the Apple Store (www.apple.com) and Apple’s retail stores. iPod nano requires a Mac with a USB 2.0 port, Mac OS X v10.4.11 or later and iTunes 9; or a Windows PC with a USB 2.0 port and Windows Vista or Windows XP Home or Professional (Service Pack 3) or later and iTunes 9.

*MobileMe is available to persons 13 and older. Annual membership fee and Internet access required. Terms apply.

**Currently available only in the US on radio stations that support iTunes Tagging.

***Battery life and number of charge cycles vary by use and settings. See www.apple.com/batteries for more information. Music capacity is based on four minutes per song and 128-Kbps AAC encoding; photo capacity is based on iPod-viewable photos transferred from iTunes; and video capacity is based on H.264 1.5 Mbps video at 640-by-480 resolution.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Today, Apple continues to lead the industry in innovation with its award-winning computers, OS X operating system and iLife and professional applications. Apple is also spearheading the digital media revolution with its iPod portable music and video players and iTunes online store, and has entered the mobile phone market with its revolutionary iPhone.

2009 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, iPod nano, iTunes, MobileMe, iPod, iPod shuffle, iPod classic, iPod touch and Apple Store are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

There’s also a nifty little remote with both a clip-fastener and a slot-in nook on the boombox itself, plus grab-handles and the ability to run for 30 hours from eight D-sized batteries.  Altec Lansing have thrown in “Fierce bass” and a 7-band graphic equalizer, together with a cellphone mode which automatically pauses the music should a call on your iPhone come in.

We’re not feeling the style, which strikes us a little too “try hard”, but if you’re looking for a portable speaker system with more inputs than sense, then the MIX Boombox may fit the bill.  It’s on sale now, priced at $299.95.

Both portrait and landscape screen orientations are supported, and there’s also a line-in port and a magnetic-mount antenna.  Both first and second generation iPod touch models are supported, together with all three versions of iPhone – original, 3G and 3GS – as long as each is running iPhone OS 3.0.

The XM SkyDock will be available in fall 2009, priced at $119.99, while the accompanying software will be released at the same time through the App Store.  You’ll obviously also need a subscription to Sirius XM radio.

Press Release:

SIRIUS XM RADIO INTRODUCES THE FIRST DEVICE TO RECEIVE LIVE SATELLITE RADIO CONTROLLED BY THE iPOD TOUCH AND iPHONE

XM SkyDock allows customers to enjoy live XM and “The Best of SIRIUS” in their vehicles using the iPod touch or iPhone

NEW YORK–August 26, 2009–SIRIUS XM Radio (NASDAQ: SIRI) today introduced XM SkyDock, the first satellite radio controlled by an iPod touch or iPhone. The XM SkyDock is also one of the first products to take advantage of the new hardware control capabilities of iPhone OS 3.0.

Designed for easy use through the existing vehicle audio system, SkyDock has a built-in XM tuner controlled by a free App that users download from the App Store. The App allows control of the XM tuner using the capabilities of the iPod touch or iPhone Multi-Touch user interface. SkyDock will also charge iPod touch and iPhone devices while listening to live satellite radio.

“XM SkyDock will allow millions of users to add live SIRIUS XM Radio capability to their iPod touch or iPhone while in their vehicle,” said Bob Law, Group Vice President and General Manager, After Market Division, SIRIUS XM Radio. “XM SkyDock makes their favorite programming from XM and ‘The Best of SIRIUS’ available to iPod touch and iPhone users anywhere they drive, coast to coast.”

Listeners can use their iPod touch and iPhone to listen to all their favorite sports, talk, news, entertainment and commercial-free music programming, including Oprah Radio, MLB Home Plate, the PGA TOUR Network, Opie & Anthony, Bob Edwards, Jamie Foxx and Blue Collar Comedy. For the first time, subscribers can also listen to the complete “Best of SIRIUS” package, including Howard Stern and his two 24/7 channels, Martha Stewart Living Radio, SIRIUS NASCAR Radio, sports play-by-play and the Playboy Radio channel, all controlled by the iPod touch and iPhone.

Listeners can also tag songs they hear on XM’s music channels for later purchase from the iTunes Store–including songs on XM’s 24/7 artist branded commercial-free channels such as Jimmy Buffett’s Radio Margaritaville, Elvis Radio, Eminem’s Shade 45, The Grateful Dead Channel, B.B. King’s Bluesville, Willie Nelson’s Willie’s Place, Siriusly Sinatra and Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Radio. Other features include game alerts and sports ticker, artist and song alerts as well as a stock ticker.

The XM SkyDock is a perfect companion to the SIRIUS XM Premium Online App, which allows subscribers to receive SIRIUS XM’s Premium Internet service on their iPhone and iPod touch when they are out of the vehicle and on-the-go, at home, or at the office.

XM SkyDock comes with SIRIUS XM’s patent-pending PowerConnect technology, which simplifies Do-It-Yourself vehicle installation, working through the existing vehicle radio and making it easy to move from vehicle to vehicle. An Aux In Cable is a standard in-box accessory to facilitate Aux In connections in vehicles with Aux In capability. SkyDock’s flexible stalk optimizes the iPod touch or iPhone placement in the vehicle. Customers can view the touch-screen interface in portrait or landscape modes. Accessories include Magnetic Mount Antenna and spacers to accommodate the various iPod touch and iPhone product generations.

XM SkyDock is compatible with iPod touch (1st generation), iPod touch (2nd generation), iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS. All models require iPhone OS 3.0 or later.

XM SkyDock will be sold in stores and will also be available at www.shop.xmradio.com with an MSRP $119.99 in fall 2009. The XM SkyDock App will be available at the same time.

This device has been granted preliminary approval by the Federal Communications Commission but is still undergoing evaluation by the Commission.

For more information on XM, please visit www.xmradio.com

The IKON is capable of tuning into not only FM radio (with RDS support) but DAB, DAB+ and internet radio stations.  It’ll also work as a media streamer, playing content from networked computers or storage.  In addition to Last.fm there’s also Sirius, Rhapsody and Pandora support, and the IKON will show color station names, album art, track details and more.

As for the IKON’s audio prowess, the radio/dock has a class D amp with two 15W channels and NXT flat-panel speakers.  Connectivity includes WiFi, a 3.5mm headphone socket, stereo RCA line-out and optical digital output.  There’s also a compact remote and various dock adapters to suit your iPod/iPhone, together with an aux-in for non-Apple PMPs.  Priced at £279.95 ($461), the Revo IKON is available to preorder now, with deliveries expected to begin from October 21st.

Press Release:

Revo announces IKON, the world’s first colour touch-screen, multi-format digital radio

Lanark, Scotland, 24th August 2009: Digital radio takes a generational leap forward with the introduction of IKON, a multi-format digital radio that combines the benefits of a full colour 3.5” touch-screen, icon-driven user interface, multi-standard radio capabilities and iPod and iPhone docking.

IKON is capable of receiving the full roster of digital radio standards including DAB, DAB+ and internet radio – as well as conventional FM radio with RDS. Where available from the broadcaster – colour station logos, station descriptions, track and artist information, news headlines etc. will be displayed on IKON’s colour screen.

IKON will also wirelessly stream digital music files from any ‘connected’ PC or Apple Mac, displaying full colour album artwork and track information where available.

Completing the hardware picture, IKON is one of only a handful of digital radios that is Apple certified for use with iPod or iPhone, allowing IKON to double as a high quality iPod/iPhone sound system.

Revo Technologies CEO, David Baxter, said “We believe that IKON is the first product to truly deliver on the promise of digital radio, delivering a next generation radio experience complete with icon driven colour touch-screen interface, coverage of multiple radio formats, iPod and iPhone docking and access to premium online music services such as Last.fm*, Sirius**, Rhapsody** and Pandora**.”

In addition to its terrestrial and internet radio capabilities, IKON will also provide access to online music service Last.fm*. Simply choose an artist or genre and let Last.fm build the perfect playlist from its library of 5 million tracks – unique to the user, and fresh every time. Alternatively, an existing Last.fm profile can be used.

IKON includes a free 30 day Last.fm trial subscription, thereafter a £3.00 per month subscription charge applies.

Owen Parry, Last.fm Product Manager said “We’re delighted that Revo has taken the decision to include Last.fm functionality as a standard feature on their new IKON ‘touch-radio’. The combination of high quality audio, large colour display, and a free 30 day trial subscription, makes it easy to explore and enjoy music through Last.fm, right out of the box.”

IKON is the result of a long and fruitful collaboration between Revo Technologies and Frontier Silicon, the industry leader in connected audio technology. At the heart of REVO’s IKON radio is Frontier Silicon’s new multi-standard Venice 8 module.

Anthony Sethill, CEO of Frontier Silicon, commented, “Touch-screen user interfaces on handheld devices have proven to be immensely popular with consumers. The introduction of our advanced Venice 8 platform, as used in Revo’s IKON radio, marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the development of digital radio, leading to a world of feature-rich audio visual content and greatly enhanced usability.”

IKON’s superb audio performance is thanks to the inclusion of NXT’s patented ‘Balanced-Radiator’ (BR) loudspeaker technology. BR drive units combine the performance attributes of an NXT flat panel speaker with the pistonic movement of a conventional loudspeaker, resulting in a high performance compact drive unit that can cover a wider range of frequencies while providing even room-filling sound.

The result of this collaboration is 30 watts of high resolution digital audio from IKON’s Class D amplifier, a smooth frequency response, expansive sound stage and deep satisfying bass.

IKON has an SRP of £279.95, and will go on sale worldwide in October 2009.
A pre-order service is available from HYPERLINK “http://www.revo.co.uk” www.revo.co.uk, HYPERLINK “http://www.hughesdirect.co.uk” www.hughesdirect.co.uk, HYPERLINK “http://www.advancedmp3players.co.uk/”www.advancedmp3players.co.uk, HYPERLINK “http://www.petertyson.co.uk” www.petertyson.co.uk and HYPERLINK “http://www.superfi.co.uk” www.superfi.co.uk

REVO will be exhibiting at the IFA Consumer Electronics Fair in Berlin from the 4th until the 9 th of September 2009. REVO is located in hall 1.2, stand number 137.

They’re promising a “Revo Revelation” at 10am GMT on August 24th, and if that’s not tempting alliteration then I don’t know what would be.  Considering the company has a history of making WiFi radios, DAB radios, iPod docks with radios built in and all manner of other radio-themed devices, we’d wager Monday’s reveal may just have something to do with a radio of some sort.

The upright looking shadow picture in the teaser would seem to indicate an all-in-one device, perhaps with a grill across the front or maybe a nook for your PMP.  There’s also the hint of buttons or other controls up top, which is probably a good thing as you’d be stuck listening to the same station all day, every day.  Alternatively, Revo could surprise us and introduce a small fridge intended to cool your pretzels.  Now that would be a revelation.

Either WiFi b/g or wired ethernet is used to get onto the network, and the INSP3 can be used without a PC or Mac turned on.  The compact (dare we say cheap-looking) remote is used to navigate both internet radio and local streaming content, with twin 8W stereo speakers and both line-in/line-out connections for plugging in a PMP and headphones.

Lifting the Satechi INSP3 above the rest of the internet radio crowd is its supported file type roster, which includes AAC, AIFF, AU, M4A, MP3, OGG, Real Audio, WAV and WMA (non-DRM).  There’s also an alarm clock and timer, and twenty presets for commonly-accessed channels.  It’s available now, priced at $99.99.

[via eHomeUpgrade]

The NS-HD01 promises up to 10hrs runtime from the built-in rechargeable battery, plus both FM and free-to-air HD Radio reception.  There are ten (tricky to program) preset slots, a 3.5mm headphone jack (which you could also plug into your car stereo’s aux-in port, if it has such a thing) and even comes with an arm-band holder.

Dave found that sound quality was let down by the shoddy supplied headphones – no surprise there, really – and that his stereo headsets from the iPhone and other brands don’t seem to work properly with the Insignia’s headphone jack.  He’s still impressed, though; full feedback at Zatz Not Funny and more coverage at CNET.

This is definitely a luxury item, sporting a compact design meant to turn heads. It’s capable of delivering Internet radio and FM radio, but no AM, notably. Pandora stations are also available through this device.

16,000 stations are accessible. All you need to do is connect to the Internet via LAN or WiFi connection. This kind of feature set will cost you though. A whopping $499, in fact. So, this definitely isn’t the Internet radio for everyone, but it might just be the thing you want to splurge on.

The devices also charge up your iPhone at the same time and hold it upright by means of a flexible neck. Music-listening is capable on both devices and you can take calls just by pressing a large button on the TuneBase itself.

The TuneBase Direct is the cheaper option at $69.99 and provides a 3.5mm port that you can use to connect it to your car’s auxiliary-in jack. The TuneBase FM costs slightly more at $89.99 and uses an FM channel to transmit your audio through your car’s sound system. You can get the Belkin TuneBase Direct early this month and the TuneBase FM in the middle of July.

Spotify Mobile video demo after the cut

That means that tracks can be listened to even without a WiFi or cellular data connection.  Playlists can be constructed from the mobile interface, or via the existing desktop client: changes are instantly synchronized between the two. 

No word on when we can expect to see a general release of the app, nor whether it will be Android only or support other devices at launch.  Spotify have previously suggested that only premium subscribers to their service – who bypass the adverts that are occasionally played for free users – will have access to the upcoming mobile apps.

[via Android Community]

According to their information, the HD Radio will land at a “big box retailer” – our money is on Best Buy - sometime over the summer.  As well as HD Radio it’ll be able to pick up FM broadcasts, but there’s no word on battery life, AM capabilities or manufacturer.  That button on the right-hand side, with the round icon, looks a little like a recording key, which might suggest you can load up a memory card and record OTA broadcasts.

The downsides – apart from the lack of information – are that it lacks Bluetooth support and, well, isn’t the smallest gadget on the block.  That likely won’t hold back too many people when it’s carrying a $50 price tag, though.

It’s too early for a full review, but initial impressions of the Airstream 10 suggest the sort of decent sound quality that you’d expect from a high-end company like Monitor Audio.  As for the design, well, it prompts a few questions about which orientation it should be placed at: the layout of the display and controls would lead you to believe that they should face forward, but the silver knob is actually the aerial.

So, if you choose to have the display facing the front, you’ll also have to be careful not to stab yourself on the antenna.  Still, you could always bypass the radio altogether, and just stream MP3, WMA and AAC files over the integrated WiFi, or pipe your iPod into the 3.5mm line-in socket.  No news on pricing as yet.

The presence of an FM transmitter could mean that next-gen iPhone owners will be able to dump the third-party radio transmitters and stream music short-range directly to their car stereos.  As for the improved WiFi functionality, as well as draft-n support the BCM4329 also includes compatibility with MIMO multi-antenna signal technology, 5GHz network support and channel bonding, which can couple two channels so as to boost throughput.

The existing iPhone 3G and iPod touch use the Broadcom BCM4325, which supports WiFi b/g and has an FM receiver.  However Apple have locked down the latter so that it will only receive signals from the Nike+ exercise accessory.  It remains to be seen whether the company will do the same with the FM capabilities of the newer Broadcom chipset in their newest smartphone.

[via iPhone Buzz]

Slacker station caching, which is exclusive to BlackBerry devices, allows you to store your favorite stations on a memory card – rather than stream them over whichever network connection you’re using – and as such have access to them even when there’s no signal to hand.  It also saves on battery life: Slacker claim it reduces battery consumption by as much as 5x.

A free download, the app gives you artist bios, album reviews and artwork, and has both portrait and landscape interfaces suiting the Storm’s rotating GUI.  You can get the Slacker for BlackBerry Storm app by visiting www.slacker.com/ on your handset; you’ll automatically be offered the download link.

Press Release:

Slacker Announces Availability of Mobile Radio Application for the BlackBerry Storm Smartphone

Free Slacker Personal Radio Mobile Application Features Touch Screen Navigation and Station Caching

SAN DIEGO, CA – February 4, 2009 – Slacker, Inc. today announced the availability of the free Slacker Mobile application for the BlackBerry® Storm smartphone from Research In Motion (RIM) (Nasdaq: RIMM; TSX: RIM). BlackBerry Storm users* can now listen to their favorite Slacker radio stations anywhere they go, whether they are connected to a wireless network or not – a Slacker Mobile feature exclusive to BlackBerry® smartphones. The application, which is optimized for the handset’s unique touch screen, is available as a free download by visiting Slacker.com from your BlackBerry Storm.

The Slacker Mobile application provides BlackBerry Storm smartphone users in the U.S. with a personalized music discovery and listening experience, pulling from over 100 expert-programmed Slacker stations, over 10,000 artist stations or a nearly unlimited number of the listener’s own custom-created stations. Features include vertical as well as horizontal modes, an intuitive interface optimized for touch operation, as well as “peek ahead”, allowing the listener to see a preview of the next artist and album in their stations’ rotation.

Slacker station caching, an exclusive feature for BlackBerry smartphones, enables listeners to store favorite stations on a memory card, allowing the Slacker Mobile application to play without a network connection, reducing battery life consumption by up to 5 times that of a streaming playback, and enhancing application performance. In addition, BlackBerry smartphone enthusiasts can enjoy Slacker Personal Radio while doing other tasks such as emailing, instant messaging or web browsing.

The Slacker application for the BlackBerry Storm smartphone includes detailed artist bios and album reviews for each song, providing the ultimate resource for music discovery. The Slacker Mobile application works with the free Slacker Basic Radio service, along with Slacker Radio Plus and Slacker Premium Radio subscription offerings.

“The Slacker Mobile application for the BlackBerry Storm offers an engaging and intuitive mobile listening experience that takes full advantage of its unique features,” said Dennis Mudd, CEO of Slacker. “With an intuitive touch screen interface as well as station caching, BlackBerry Storm owners can now easily enjoy their favorite music wherever they go.”

Slacker Personal Radio, available online at www.Slacker.com, enables listeners to personalize over 100 professionally programmed stations or create, edit and share their own Personal Radio stations. Slacker listeners also have easy access to artist profiles, album reviews and cover art on the web, with the Slacker G2 portable and now on the BlackBerry Storm smartphone.

Slacker Mobile for the BlackBerry Storm offers:
• Free music library featuring millions of songs
• Optimized for Storm Touch Screen operation
• Vertical and Horizontal modes
• High-quality stereo playback from cached stations and all streaming wireless connections
• Over 100 professionally programmed genre stations
• Create custom artist stations
• Station caching for music playback anywhere, greatly improved battery life and accelerated application performance
• Multi-tasking – listen to music while doing email
• View artist biographies and photos
• View album art and reviews
• “Peek Ahead” artist and album preview
• Pause and skip songs
• Rate songs as favorites
• Ban songs and artists you don’t like

Pricing and Availability
The Slacker Personal Radio Mobile application for the BlackBerry Storm smartphone is available immediately as a free download by visiting Slacker.com from your BlackBerry web browser or visit www.slacker.com/blackberry for more details.

According to customer services, it’s possible to lock your current rates by subscribing for a full three years.  Of course, that could end up costing you more money in the long-run, as you’ll be tied to a significant contract.  It’s unclear whether any of the Sirius XM channels will be altered, or if new content will be added to reflect the price increases. 

Subscriptions for the Base, Best of, and A la Carte packages remain unchanged.  This is likely to be in an attempt to pacify the FCC, who have been watching Sirius XM closely since the two companies merged.

The person who is starting this rumor claims to be an employee of the Sirius XM Activations Department, if anyone would know these new policy changes it would be the activation department. The first rumor outlines that each additional radio added will costs $8.99, which is a $2 increase from standard pricing today. The second string of bad news is that online streaming will now cost you $2.99 for most packages rather than being entirely free. This service can also range up to $8.99 a month for the Mostly Music and family Pack.

Luckily for current subscribers you can “lock in” the current price you are paying for service as well as the free online streaming. It appears that Sirius is also feeling the economic crunch on such a level that raising prices is the only way to save them from such a fate that we have been seeing all over.

This helicopter measures only 18 centimeters long and can fly up to 10 meters away from the user controlling it.  In order to operate the toy you will need to wear a helmet that is able to recognize 5 voice commands. The commands include “hold,” “stop,” “up,” “start engine” and “down.” If your just not down with that you can use conventional controls to steer it, but where would the fun be in that?

Taiyo is offering a range of radio-controlled toys that are deemed “intelligent.” Annual sales targets for its model are set at 100,000 or more units. The Toy will be available in March To the Japanese market with Asia, North America and Europe to get it afterwards.

In addition to internet radio, the IS9181 can also stream multiple file types from a Wi-Fi-enabled PC – MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV and Real formats are all fair game.  If you’d rather play music from your iPod, Zen or yes, even your Zune, you can do so via the 3.5mm auxillary jack located on the device.  VTech has even included the ability to receive horoscope text updates from the web – a nod, perhaps, to the 13 year-old girls who have supported VTech by buying their phones.

The IS9181 will be on display at CES, along with the rest of VTech’s 2009 product line.  The price has been pegged at $199.95, and you can get your mits on the device this Spring.

[via Engadget]