Pandora

What's New

Who Killed Radio?

AM/FM radio used to rule the road. Now, the road warrior is getting old.
- By Ken C. Pohlmann
- Posted April 16, 2013
Back in the day, as you drove off the dealer's lot, you turned on the radio. And that radio stayed on, all the time, for the life of the vehicle. Whether or not you were actually listening to it, the sound of the radio was as reassuringly present as the purr of the motor. That is changing.

» Read More
David Versus Goliath: Internet Radio Takes On the Music Industry

Presidential politicking might be over, but there’s more important news from Capitol Hill
- By Leslie Shapiro
- Posted November 16, 2012
We all know the story. Underdog David takes down the giant Goliath with his tiny slingshot, giving little guys throughout the centuries a glimmer of hope. This time, it’s Internet radio providers versus the three major record labels, but in an interesting twist, it could be time for Goliath to take a stand.

» Read More
Slacker’s Bass and Beats Radio

Get ready to rumble with a station dedicated to the deep end of the spectrum
- By Leslie Shapiro
- Posted August 9, 2012
It’s no secret that here at Sound+Vision, we’re fans of Slacker Radio — I’ve been singing their praises since they first launched. Now there’s a new reason to love Slacker. While it’s easy to create your own stations personalized for your own tastes in music, Slacker has just announced a new free station, Bass and Beats, that is designed to showcase “the best low frequency tracks ever.”

» Read More
On Hating Spotify Less, Damnit!

It’s still bad, but here's why I now think ever so slightly less of it
- By Geoffrey Morrison
- Posted July 27, 2012
- 1
I have been a vocal hater of the “free” music service Spotify. The infinitesimal amount they paid for each song, to me, was a slap in the face to musicians everywhere. You can read my original ran t on why I think Spotify is unfair, and the follow up where I recant slightly and recognize Spotify has some redeeming qualities.
Not that I ever expected it to go away, but far too many people love the service, including musicians. So I give up.
Sort of.

» Read More
Old Boss, Meet the New Boss

For a look at the past — and future — of car audio, look no further than the press releases
- By Ken C. Pohlmann
- Posted July 25, 2012
- 4
I get press releases. Oh boy, do I get press releases. My inbox runneth over. You think spam is bad? Multiply that by 100, and you’ll get an idea of my daily press-release pile. Everybody is flacking their newest and most innovative stuff. And occasionally they flack their oldest and least original.

» Read More
Spotify and MOG: What They Mean for Artists, Round 2

In which I recant slightly
- By Geoffrey Morrison
- Posted September 16, 2011
A few weeks ago I laid out all the reasons why I thought the "free" music streaming services Spotify and MOG were ghastly, malicious succubi suckling at the teat of artistic talent.
Since that post, I've been presented countering opinions by musicians and music producers alike, and I've come away with a slightly different opinion. Perhaps I went too far.
Perhaps they're not ghastly.

» Read More
Spotify and MOG: Of Pirates, Truck Poo, and 99¢ Thank Yous

Screw you for entertaining me
- By Geoffrey Morrison
- Posted September 2, 2011
- 4
"It's great, I never have to pay for music again!" Such was the exclamation from someone I know in regards to Spotify.
I was baffled at first, but the more I thought about it, the more it annoyed me. Because my acquaintance isn't alone in this thought. It's prevalent among many, and it extends beyond music.
What they're really saying is: "I want you to entertain me, but screw you for trying to make a living at it."
What the what?

» Read More
Test Report: Toshiba BDX2700 Blu-ray Player

This web-savvy Blu-ray player offers excellent picture quality and an eclectic selection of content.
- By Rob Sabin
- Posted September 17, 2010
Key Features $200 ($250 list) tacp.toshiba.com • Profile 2.0 (BD-Live) Blu-ray player
» Read More
Gadget Gary: Dash Addict

Feast on Sony’s mesmerizing personal viewer.
- By Gary Dell'abate
- Posted September 9, 2010
Sony calls the Dash a “personal Internet viewer,” but I’m not sure that’s a fully accurate description. Truth be told, I’m not sure exactly how to describe this device since it does so many things: It can serve as your alarm clock, you can watch movies on it, peruse one of 1,500-plus widgets, watch Netflix and YouTube. . . the list goes on and on.

» Read More
Pandora Opens Up Ads
- By sandv blog
- Posted January 21, 2009
On the heels of a rumored confirmed price hike for Sirius XM, it looks like Pandora is also looking for a new revenue stream. Pandora is the online personal radio station - it plays only songs it&#

» Read More
Pandora's Last Stand
- By sandv blog
- Posted August 18, 2008
Horrible news for fans of Pandora Internet Radio. In fact, it's not looking good for any Internet radio sites — my beloved Slacker.com is in jeopardy too. Why? Looks like the government has a hand in bringing down what might be the best thing to happen to the music industry in years.

» Read More
Music for Rent
- By sandv blog
- Posted October 24, 2007
I held a garage sale recently and had hundreds of CDs on display. One of the shoppers asked me why I was dumping all my CDs. I wasn't getting rid of all my discs. I was just filtering out those that I bought for maybe a song or two (Journey's Greatest Hits, The Best of Don McLean...). I picked the tunes I wanted, shoved them into iTunes and put the discs up for sale.

» Read More