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Satellite radio's new gadgets?
December 15, 2004
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - After grabbing the spotlight by signing shock jock Howard Stern and launching a palm-sized portable device, hopes are high for satellite radio companies, which are expected to show off navigational, video and recording capabilities next month. XM Satellite Radio Holdings (Research) and rival Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. (Research) have amassed nearly 4 million subscribers collectively. Expectations for growth are high, with Sirius stock up by triple digits since it nabbed Stern and hired radio veteran Mel Karmazin as its CEO. Rumors that Sirius and Apple Computer Inc. (Research) were going to announce next month at the Consumer Electronics Show or MacWorld a deal to bundle iPods with satellite radio have added to the sector's buzz. Sirius and Apple declined comment on the rumors, but analysts said it seemed technologically unfeasible right now. "I don't believe Sirius' chip set is at the point where it can go into an iPod. It's the size of a credit card, and an iPod would need a chip set the size of a thumb nail," said April Horace, a Janco Partners analyst. That's not to say the industry is not thinking about it. After launching its wearable MyFi device in October, XM chief executive Hugh Panero said he believed one day a portable satellite player would be combined with a device like an iPod. "We've had on-and-off conversations with people in hardware and software over the years," he said. Sirius chairman Joseph Clayton has said over the past several months that when Sirius has its third generation chip set ready, expected by as early as late summer, it will enable Sirius to make a device similar to the MyFi. At the consumer electronics show, XM will demonstrate products like the MyFi and its SKYFi2 plug-and-play radio, the first satellite radio with pause and replay features. Industry sources expect Sirius to showcase new recording capabilities for existing products. "Consumers want to take their music experience and flow with them. That's why recording capability and storage capability will be huge in the vehicle and in the home and wherever you go," said Clayton last week in New York. Traffic navigation will also be a big topic. Sirius has just announced it will offer updated traffic data that can be integrated into car navigation systems, combining route guidance and mapping. XM offers a traffic service with Honda Motor Co Ltd. that feeds XM's real-time traffic information into the map on a car's navigation system. Both XM and Sirius demonstrated video capabilities last year and will do so again this year, but video via satellite radio is still evolving. XM has said it is waiting to see if there is a sound business model and demand. In addition to more car radio announcements, PCMag.com editor Jim Lauderback expects more third party gadget makers to jump in on the satellite radio bandwagon. "We'll see consumer electronics vendors like Pioneer and Sanyo showing more satellite products as they become more popular and less expensive," he said. Meanwhile, traditional broadcasters Clear Channel Communications Inc. (Research) and Cox Radio Inc. (Research) are expected to unveil accelerated plans to roll out digital AM/FM radio. (CNN) |
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