SIRIUS XM Radio 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 http://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.
Source: Sirius XM
I don’t get it. This will let you listen to sat radio on your phone while in the car? Why wouldn’t you just use your car stereo instead?
Can you record shows? Like Stern? If not, I don’t need it.
Wow, so you can turn your iPhone into a radio? That’s so… retro.
It actually looks like a pretty nifty device. This makes me wish I cared about satellite radio.
If it could get all NFL live game streams I would get it in a heartbeat. It can’t – so I won’t.
My apologies to all those who detest all things NFL – don’t want to start another blog war.
I thought XM gone and Sirius was just taking over. Seriously this is getting confusing.
So, access to music is worth more than a full GPS TomTom receiver? That doesn’t require a monthly charge… This may be worth $39. plus a monthly fee. They should learn from the printer vendors….give away the printer/radio receiver or sell it at a loss, and make it up on monthly fees/ink.
Pay for radio? Hahahahahahaha.
I pay for radio because AT&T;decides not to shoot an Internet signal everywhere I go on the road. Sometimes I’ll drive from Raleigh to Wilmington (N.C.) and lose a signal on I-40. That’s not fun.
Pay for television?? What could they possibly do on TV that would merit giving them money?!
Exactly that mentality that keeps you in chains. It is the non satellite radio that is laughable. For those of you who have even a scintilla of sense I defy you to ever go back to ordinary radio after just 1 day of satellite. Only by doing so will you see just how oppressive the FCC really is.
LOL…… Just think, people actually get paid to sit around and come up with this stuff.
Is Rush on XM?
@ron
Do you mean as in Limbaugh or the one of greatest rock bands ever?
Doc4i
Can I listen to the Minnesota Twins on sat radio? How about those Vikes? I can listen to them free on non satellite radio. AM-FM still does a good job. How about local weather when a tornado is coming at you? Does Howard Stern break in tell you a tornado is heading east on 394?
@Doc4i –
I had a rental car for 3 months with Satellite radio – that was a year or 2 ago. Don’t miss it in the least.
Thanks though…
(I do have a 160gb iPod in my glove box and a 32gb iPhone in my pocket and a car stereo that can control either or both of them. I also listen to public radio if I can get it in whatever city I happen to be working in.)
The comedy channels were a little interesting, except they played about 70% crap and about 30% funny stuff. I have several comedy albums on my iPod if I’m in the mood, but I know it’s all stuff I like. I have no need to ever hear Howard Stern ever again – I got sick of him less than a year after he was syndicated to an Oregon radio station. And, I listen to the music I want when I want to listen to it without commercials. I also podcast several radio shows that I’m interested in.
Why on earth would I want satellite radio?
Why satellite radio?
You have obviously not listened to it.
SR is free of censorship in it’s various forms. No paternal deus ex machina telling you what you can hear and what you can’t. No filters. Talk the way people talk! The real shame of it all is that you have to pay a premium for this service to begin with because you could not be trusted to turn off the dial on free terrestrial radio if something offended you. So it’s OK to take the red pill and enjoy your comfortable existence listening to music that is your choice. As for tornado warning instead of REAL talk. There’s an App for that!
I don’t get it… How can you use your iPod touch on the road?
I have zero interest satellite radio.
So many Cheap people!
Sat. Radio is an essential part of my daily commute, along with cool podcasts
” width=”19″ height=”19″ alt=”grin” style=”border:0;” />. Having said that – I’m even confused as a customer. I already have a receiver, and I can also stream whatever through my phone (which i do when I have 3g) through my radio. I also like having the phone handy to actuall use as a phone, etc .. So I’m not reall sure how I’d use this.
I have a vehicle with integrated satellite radio, I wouldn’t need this product.
@ DreamTheEndless : However, some people have cars with only AM-FM tuners or they rent cars with only AM-FM tuners. What this product does is act as the antennae for the satellite radio allowing you to use your iPhone/iPod touch as a head unit for the satellite radio. That solution is much more elegant than the current Sirius unit that I’ve got mounted in my wife’s car.
@ NOFX : It works with the iPod touch because the unit is acting as the receiver getting its signal over the air. The iPod touch is merely a controller.
@blah blah blah…: Seriously, they need to get their shit together and merge already. It does no good to do a “merge” if you’re running two separate operations and never integrate important departments like BILLING.
These people are nuts! Why would anyone want to buy all of this extra hardware? They need to simply open up their iPhone App, which is higher quiality, to expose all of their channels. Collect an extra $3 and be happy. BTW – you can easily use the browser in the iPhone to login to their site and listen to all channels including Stern. Just more of a pain. These people are out to kill their own company. I give them less than 2 years.