Slacker: Internet Radio for the Car
Internet radio has been popular for a few years, and now it looks like one company is set to bring it to your car. Slacker, launched earlier this week, is a website where all you need is a browser to listen to dozens of stations playing everything from rock to comedy — all for free.
Now, the cool thing for satellite radio subscribers is that Slacker will release an iPod-like device this summer that will let you take your favorites with you — it stores a certain number of songs on the player. In the second half of the year, a car dock will go on sale that will receive updated radio information for the player via satellite signals.
Because the online service is free, there are commercials and you can’t skip more than six songs. If you want total control and no ads, that’ll cost $7.50 a month, well below the $12.95 Sirius and XM charge. The company says it can afford the price because it isn’t paying for a dedicated satellite, like the other two.
We’ve been listening to Slacker pretty much non-stop for the past day and love the song selection, channel choices and customization. The quality is about MP3 level, but much better than FM, and we didn’t experience any skipping or technical snags.
Slacker hasn’t announced prices yet for the line of players nor the car dock, but we’re guessing they’ll be in line with popular MP3 players already on the market.
What do you think? Could Slacker — or other competitors — kill the soon-to-be-merged Sirius and XM?
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Does Slacker allow the user to find and play any internet radio station? (i.e. shoutcast) or would the stationed be pre-packaged like cable?
I want the freedom to listen to whoever is broadcasting on the internet, map the ip to a channel and listen in my car - if not this really won't revolutionary from a listeners point of view.
Slacker is not an internet radio-surfer.
It has several pre-programmed MUSIC stations, much like Sirius, but more importantly, you can customize your own station and have Slacker play what you like.
Slacker also provides content based on a "best guess" of what you might like. For example, if you enter "Foetus" it will also pull up bands such as Revco, Pigface, FLA, Ministry, etc.
The rationale behind Slacker is you no longer need to manage your music. Slacker will play what you like AND introduce you to music you may have never heard before.
It's incredible.
satellite radio is no godsend and i could care less about howard stern or winfrey, i want to hear music and satellite radio is full of crossover songs played on multiple channels.
i hope this is different because i not only want to get the music i like but also want to completely block out the music i don't want to hear.
with satellite radio, even if you don't listen to winfrey or howard stern you are still subsidizing them and their music is catagorized in a way that is meaningless. if i want to hear 1980s new wave i don't want current alternative music to be played next to it.
So far the software player and web players have been solid. No issues. I have the portable player pre-ordered in the 2GB version. Customer Care said it can hold 1500 songs in its AACv2Plus format and maintain CD quality. Impressive. I sure hope it doesn't get delayed again. Check out Slacker Social @ http://www.slackersocial.com
we're supposed to get a test version of the player and will review it when it comes in.
Has anyone heard about FlyTunes? I read online that it gives you Internet radio, but it uses your iPhone. When I checked the website, it said they'll be available for other portable media soon.
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http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/27516/
http://www.prleap.com/pr/109043
Kay, yes i have... its changed to flycast and is lame.... get your hands on internet radio box (for iphone) it is amazing. 100% access to radio stations. and if you cant find something already in the directory you can go to that radio page get the stream and play it on your phone. dude this product is amazing i have used multiple radios trying to find one that played anything this was the only one i could find, its highly customizable and only 99C worth getting dude