Motorola just unveiled the new SLVR L9, which delivers a sharpened focus on multimedia than previous versions. The new SLVR integrates FM Radio (with RDS), support for MP3/AAC/AAC+/AAC+ enhanced/AMR/WAV, and A2DP stereo Bluetooth. It also includes microSD and MegaSIM storage capabilities.

We don't know yet where the SLVR L9 will be made available, but it supposedly will be out sometime in Q2.

Food for thought:
There's going to be a rise in acceptance by the consumer in thinking of their cellphone as also a music device. Peviously it was a "cute" feature that your cell could play MP3s, but rarely would consumer use it as their prime music device. That's why you have an iPod. But soon we will have the iPhone, and everything will change. Services like Verizon's V-Cast still haven't had much traction either... yet. Over-the-air downloads of music will have an uphill battle ahead of them, but it's inevitable that it will grow in popularity.

But what happens when you throw in something like FM Radio with RDS support? Suddenly the lines blur. Mixing your MP3s with free radio is a powerful value added to the consumer.

Sirius and XM both have a big foot in the door with their respective deals with Sprint and Cingular (err, AT&T). Right now they don't give much to the bottom-line, but they're a stepping stone to the future of music listening. The question is, what are Sirius and XM doing with this foot in the door?

[Engadget]

Apple's CEO Steve Jobs has released an open letter calling for the major labels to abandon digital rights management.

Jobs writes:

"Why would the big four music companies agree to let Apple and others distribute their music without using DRM systems to protect it? The simplest answer is because DRMs haven’t worked, and may never work, to halt music piracy. Though the big four music companies require that all their music sold online be protected with DRMs, these same music companies continue to sell billions of CDs a year which contain completely unprotected music. That’s right! No DRM system was ever developed for the CD, so all the music distributed on CDs can be easily uploaded to the Internet, then (illegally) downloaded and played on any computer or player."

Engadget's Ryan Block poignantly points out that Apple and Microsoft together have the power to change the digital music rights ecosystem - and the labels know it. All that's needed is a concerted effort to change things, and we - the consumer - will follow.

[Steve Jobs: Thoughts on Music via Engadget]