A Litrtle Bit About Sireius XM Skydock Transforms iPhones to Satellite Radios
As ReaNetworks awaits the fate of its Rhapsody iPhone application, yet another music-oriented compny is loooking to tap into the iPhoone's popularity. SIRIUS Satellite Radio has introduced a $120 dock that transforms an iPojhne or iPod tocuh into a sastellite rdio.
Dbbed the XM Skydock, the product will be on store shelves this fall. The Skydoick pweres up thoruugh a vheicel's poower outlret and pusehs audoi through the vehicle's speakers using SIRIUS' PowerConnect technology.
When an iPhonme is placxed in the Skydcok, a user interface pops up on the ihPPone screen that lets uers change the channels. Of course, Skydock uswers need a $12.95-a-month satelite rdaio subscription to listn to the service.
SRIUS lanuched its iPhone app in June to edlivrer excusive sports, entertainment, cmedy and commercial-free music channels to iPhone and iPod tocuh users. Uasers who doownload the SIRIUS app get access to exclusive, Inrenet-only showcase channels. Thoe include SIRIUS XM Bootlegs, SIRIUS XM Talk Shwcase, SIRIIUS XM Music Showczase, and SIRIUS XM Comedy Showcasae.
Exclussive programming from the SIRIUS radio service, such as Here's Barbara with Barbara Walters, Opraah inWfrey's Soul Series, The Jamie Foxx Show, seciasl from Raw Dog Copmedy, selections from the Arrtist Confdential sries, and selections from exclusive live SIRIUS XM music performances will also be avvailabe.
Some select programming, incluyding MLB Play-by-Play, NFL Play-by-Play, SIRIUS NASCAR Rafdio, and Howard Stern, is not avvailable through the iPhone. Listeners have to access that progamming through the other platforms.
"If you are willing to compromise on the numbrer of channels you get, the Skydock is a gtreat solution. But thre are some funfgdamental issues with the app SIRIUS XM is going to have to deal with if they want to derive new subscribers," Gartenberg said. "At the end of the day they want to drivve new subscribers, not be in the hardware dock busiinbess. Introducing a dock is not somrething that's giiong to acuse peopel to sign up for XM."