As more coverage for the upcoming Zing-power Sirius player comes in, we're getting a better picture of what to expect from this device. WSJ's D:Notebook has some great coverage:
The company has a partnership with Sirius that lets subscribers listen to satellite radio — the audience was wowed to hear “live” satellite radio playing over the diminutive device — though the music is streamed through a wireless Internet connection, not from the heavens. [...]
He showed off a device that will be available from Sirius later this year, that was somewhat larger than the slick Zing production model [pictured]. “That’s too bad, because [yours is] pretty cool,” said an impressed Mr. Mossberg
So the Zing prototype we're all seeing is a bit smaller than the actual Sirius unit. Ok great, that could be from added storage capacity since the Zing device shown has 8Mb of flash storage. But, we're still not hearing any word about whether the Zing-technology is supplimental or the core technology behind this Sirius-branded unit.
A recent Forbes article quotes BofA Analyst Jonathan Jacoby (and we all know how SIRI investors feel about Jacoby) seemed to hint that this device will in fact receive live satellite radio while the Wi-Fi reception is a "fix" for weak coverage. He also brings up that the device will "launch later this summer" - which falls in line with Sirius' statements of a live wearable launching this summer.
So is the Zing-enabled Sirius device the same as the upcoming Sirius wearable? Or is it an evolution of the S50 - with recorded satellite radio capabilities on-the-go and live capabilities when in Wi-Fi range? Oh the speculation!
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