I was going through the pile of dead trees from CES and came across this “iTunes Tagging” brochure from iBiquity.

When XM introduced the Inno, the slogan was: Hear it. Click it. Save it.
The HD Radio slogan? Hear it. Tag it. Download it. Never forget it.

Ah, imitation is truly the sincerest form of flattery.

Side note, the elephant-minded folks at Radio-Info.com pointed out that there was a clear omission from the recent MacWorld: those rumored HD Radio products. Aw shucks, guess Steve Jobs isn't all the excited to do that "big push" for HD Radio afterall.

I'm still plowing through all the stuff from CES, and I definitely don't want this one to slip through the cracks.

This was, by far, the most badass car equipped with Sirius at the show.

See the rest of the photos after the jump...

ICO Global Communications first caught my attention back in June 2007 after they announced a partnership with Alcatel-Lucent and Hughes. That's when I first learned about "ICO mim" (which stands for "Mobile Interactive Media"), and the potential of a new mobile entertainment platform entering the market.

When the company said they would be demonstrating ICO mim at CES this year, I jumped on the opportunity. Afterall, this is a company that will be launching a satellite in March, and delivering live broadcast media nationwide through a hybrid (satellite + terrestrial repeater) network. Just like what Sirius and XM currently do.

What I learned, and experienced first hand, is by far the next-generation in mobile entertainment. I absolutely believe that this is what "satellite radio" will transform into for the years ahead.

In fact, after spending a couple hours with the company at CES, I'm initiating ongoing coverage of ICO. I think this is definitely a company to watch.

ICO mim calls itself a "converged mobile media service" that offers live (and cached) mobile video in vehicles, interactive navigation, as well as roadside assistance. But understand that data is data. Just as Sirius and XM are able to provide live video, next-gen navigation services, as well as a myriad of other satellite-based services - ICO (pronounced eye-ko) will be able to do the same.

The company also plans to make the service interactive, with social networking capabilities, meaning that it won't just be a dumb "bent pipe" but rather will progressively build itself as consumers use it. And I have a feeling that's just the beginning.

Follow the jump for more photos and a further explanation of my experience with ICO mim...

FlyTunes, unveiled recently at CES, is an Internet Radio service that touts itself as being "better" than satellite radio.

The free service - which isn't available until January 21st - claims it will make it easy to play internet radio on your iPhone or other cellular/wifi-enabled device.

FlyTunes works much like Slacker does, in that it pre-caches the songs on the device so that you can listen uninterrupted even in areas where you have no signal. By default, it saves 30 minutes worth of music on your iPhone, and syncs up with additional music when it sense a good wireless connection. If you know you're going to need more time (e.g., a 4-hour plane ride), FlyTunes can pre-cache as much music as you want on the device.

The service acts as a middle-man to the thousands of Internet Radio stations already in existence. What it instead does is deliver these stations in a simplified interface. FlyTunes then creates its own channels, based on your preferences, that you can tag as a "favorite" tune or that you "hate" it. Again, similar to Slacker, only without the dedicated device.

As a result, FlyTunes is claiming it has features that satellite radio could never have, and even lists itself as being "better" than satellite radio.

Watch the video below of FlyTunes in action:

[via TechCrunch]

Ford SYNC is continuing to expand its feature-list, as well as its penetration rate, adding a new "911 Assist" functionality and regular Vehicle Health Reports later this year.

At CES, Bill Gates announced that Ford will expand SYNC to nearly all Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles by the end of the year. Currently, it's only available on 12 models.

But that's not really the big news. The big news is that Ford SYNC is getting a massive update later this year to include "911 Assist" functionality. All the new models, as well as current SYNC-enabled models on the road, will get this expanded functionality (since the SYNC system can download software updates).

This new "911 Assist" feature makes SYNC compete not only with satellite radio, but also with other telematics systems like GM's OnStar. The big difference being: there's no additional monthly fee.

Instead of setting up a separate cellular connection, Ford SYNC simply pairs itself with your current cellphone (which it's designed to happen every time you enter the vehicle). Upon airbag deployment, the system will wait 10 seconds before it automatically calls the local 911 emergency operator. A pre-recorded message will then play when the call is answered, and occupants in the vehicle will be able to communicate directly with the 911 operator.

Later this year, SYNC will offer a Vehicle Health Report functionality as well. Again, using your current cellphone, SYNC will gather data from the vehicle's control modules and send that information to Ford via an 800-number. The whole process, which in some vehicles will include a routine check of more than two dozen systems, takes a matter of minutes.

You can then receive these health reports regularly either by email or by text-message alerts. And it's all free.

It's interesting to see that Ford/Microsoft are accepting the fact that users all have their own devices that do the same thing as competing systems in the car. Rather than embedding a harddrive in the car (e.g., MyGig), SYNC uses your iPod/MP3 player. Rather than embedding a cellular connection (e.g., OnStar), SYNC uses your current cellphone.

They're not focusing on convergence, they're focusing on integration. And that's important, because it future-proofs Ford for whatever may come.

Enter the Squeezebox Duet. It's a wireless multi-room digital audio receiver. Play your entire MP3 collection, or stream Internet Radio from various online services - including Pandora, Rhapsody, and, yes, Slacker.

The Squeezebox Duet provides the kind of functionality you'd normally expect to see on a $1,000 system, for less than half the price. Plus, it includes Slacker. And I don't just like Slacker, I love it.

It's called the "Duet" because the device includes a separate Controller and Receiver. The Controller has a bright iPod-esque 2.4" display with album art and other goodies. So you no longer need to walk up to the receiver to change the tunes (convenient if you're using it for multi-room purposes). You also don't need your computer to be on (or connected) to listen to your personal collection or other services - they let you store your MP3s in an online "music locker" - so it's pretty darn convenient as well.

Oh, and it won a CNET Best of CES award.

The Squeezebox Duet isn't available for sale yet, but when it is, it'll run for $399. That's a decent entry price, especially for consumers who are into home entertainment systems.

Anyone want to guess when these types of products will be the "home radios" of the future?

Check out more pics, with the fully functioning Slacker service running, after the jump...

Audiovox this week unveiled its RCA-brand "Infinite Radio" series of tabletop internet radios.

Each tabletop radio features regular analog AM/FM, USB Host, WiFi 802.11b/g, and direct access to a custom Web radio aggregation service and to Slacker’s personalized Internet radio service.

The RCA RIR200 retails for a suggested $99, but the $149 RCA RIR205 adds a companion “WiFi enabler,” a transmitter/receiver that plugs into a wired home-network router and removes the need to use WiFi setup software.

The interesting thing is that the Slacker service is embedded into these devices. Slacker has an API that allows the service to essentially be built into any internet connected device. This is just one example.

Check out a bunch more photos after the jump...

Yesterday FCC Chairman Kevin Martin was at CES 2008 for an "Industry Insider" session with CEA president Mark Shapiro.

While Martin's focus was primarily on open access, the DTV transition, 700mhz auction, whitespaces and other issues the FCC is considering, he did touch upon the XM-Sirius merger very briefly. He wouldn't speak about the current status, but did say it was under consideration right now and that the DOJ needs to rule as well.

The FCC Chairman did seem impressed with the A La Carte pricing model proposed by Sirius-XM and commended them for it. But the discussion was really in whether the model would be applied to Satellite TV.

So overall takeaway:
While Martin wouldn't address it directly. the olive branch presented in the form of a la carte pricing seemed to made a positive impression with the Chairman.

Orbitcast Radio is LIVE from Las Vegas for CES 2008. Listen in here!

Slacker didn't have a booth at CES this year, but they were still there holding private product demonstrations and showings of their ultra-slick Slacker Portable. This was brilliant because it was separated away from the hustle and bustle of the Las Vegas Convention Center, allowing for a truly in depth discussion (and understanding) of Slacker's business and products.

One of the core goals of Slacker is to be heard everywhere. They're not relegating themselves to the confines of their own device/service ecosystem. What Slacker is doing instead is getting their service embedded wherever someone can listen to it. That not only includes listening on the PC, but also through various Internet Radio enabled devices.

We'll see a bit more on the other Slacker-enabled devices shortly, but for now let's focus on the Slacker Portable.

Follow the jump for much more...