Friday, March 16, 2007

Slacker Demonstrates The Technology Leap In Action

March 16, 2007

The newly introduced Slacker is a perfect example of how fast technology is moving, and is a great example of why when considering anti-trust issues the Department of Justice considers what technologies will be available not just at this point in time but also two years down the road.

Is Slacker competition for Sirius and XM?????

Absolutely!!!!!

Slacker is also a prime example of how I-Pods and MP3 players will morph into a more interactive device with update capabilities while on the road. Slacker has basically taken the I-Pod concept and morphed it with internet radio as well as the satellite radio concept. A pretty compelling service that is sure to gain a following.

Place a call to Slacker and you are greeted by the "parent company" called Broadband Instruments. Go to the Broadband Instrument website, and you will see the following announcement:

We're in stealth mode right now
Broadband Instruments is a venture-backed consumer digital media company based in San Diego, CA. We're in stealth mode, but now hiring for a number of key positions. Please contact us if you are a good match for any of our open positions, and would like to know more.

So what exactly is slacker?????

The quick answer is provided by Slacker themselves:

Slacker is a new kind of music company. We deliver personal radio that is customized for every listener. Slacker is effortless to use and the music is accessible at home, in the car, or on the go.

Okay, that sounds good, but how does it work?

Well, the best description is likely found in the Slacker FAQ's and Products pages.

So should Sirius and XM be scared of a service such as Slacker? yes they should, just as they should fear terrestrial radio, I-Pods, streaming content over cell phones, etc. The product seems quite compelling, and the website is a breeze to use. Yes.......I signed up for an account. I even look forward to giving their devices a test run at some point.

In the end though, as technologies converge, it will boil down to content. At this point it appears that Slacker does not offer news sports or talk programming, and if they do it will likely not be live. For a music fan though, I would say that Slacker will give I-Pods a run for their money.

Labels: competition, sirius, slacker, xm