 RAIN 9/4: New in-dash receiver built entirely around mobile music devices ·Sep 4, 10:26 AM COULD HIGHLIGHT GROWING IMPORTANCE OF MOBILE DEVICESA new in-dash car radio to be debuted this month from Parrot swaps a CD player for direct integration with iPhones and other mobile music devices. The receiver seems to be entirely built around mobile music players: iPhones plug directly into the receiver while other mobile devices can connect via Bluetooth and they can all be controlled through the receiver — which sports a 2.4” color LCD screen. The player even opens up to reveal a compartment where you can store your devices — keeping cords out of the way while driving — and automatically stops the music and switches to hands-free mode when a call comes in. All together, the Parrot RKi8400 receiver could make it easier than ever to tune in to an Internet radio stream on your morning commute and may highlight the growing importance of iPhones and smartphones in the mobile music world. The radio will ship for $399 starting in November. Find out more about the new in-dash radio at Twice.com here.
RAMSEY TO BROADCASTERS: DON’T FALL INTO “FUNCTIONAL FIXEDNESS” WHEN IT COMES TO YOUR MOBILE APPTo apply traditional radio techniques to the mobile app world is to fall into “functional fixedness,” writes industry analyst Mark Ramsey. This happens when broadcasters include their stream in aggregators, or simply stream their broadcast content through an app. “Give me an app that brings me more of ME, not simply more of you (or, by bundling your station with many others, LESS of you). Where’s the local cultural information? The local news? …We must configure our apps around that fan’s interests rather than our over-the-air stream,” he writes. Read Ramsey’s full thoughts at his Hear 2.0 blog here.
PANDORA UPDATES ITS DESKTOP APP FOR PREMIUM CUSTOMERSPandora has updated the desktop app for subscribers of its $36/year Pandora One premium plan. Users can now view their song history and see how far along they are in a song with a progress bar. Transition times between tracks has been sped up as well, among other modifications. Find out more by reading Pandora’s blog update here.
TWEET ABOUT YOUR MUSIC VIA SONOS’ REMOTESonos’ much-hyped touch-screen remote, the CR200, controls the company’s home music system — directing Net radio and networked music to different receivers — but it can now also Tweet. Through a new public beta program, users can update their Twitter feeds with info on music playing on their Sonos systems right from their remote control. The update is coming to all Sonos users later this year, Engadget reports here.HAVE A GOOD HOLIDAY WEEKEND! RAIN will return Tuesday, September 8. share: del.icio.us.  Reddit  Digg  Yahoo  Wink  Windows  Google  Newsvine 
CommentCommenting is closed for this article.  Other stories RAIN has upgraded (and moved)! RAIN 9/13: RAIN Summit Chicago takes place today! RAIN 9/12: First Summit in RAIN's hometown takes place tomorrow RAIN 9/9: Summer holidays, "doldrums" impact July Webcast Metrics, but audience up over last year RAIN 9/8: Clear Channel launches new customizable iHeartRadio beta; RAIN goes hands-on RAIN 9/7: Meet more speakers you'll hear at RAIN Summit Chicago in less than a week RAIN 9/6: Clear Channel taps The Echo Nest to take on Pandora RAIN 9/2: RAIN reviews Spotify's radio-like product Artist Radio RAIN 9/1: UK online radio aggregator Radioplayer campaigns b'dcasters to create "all radio" ratings RAIN 8/31: Execs from Merlin, Triton Digital, jacAPPS and more to appear at RAIN Summit Chicago |
