Talking about new radio devices, Samsung and Pioneer have both announced they are launching MP3 players in the US that will also receive the XM satellite radio network. Some of these players will receive the satellite stations on the move, while others will need to be in a 'docking station' to access radio. Perhaps most importantly, the radio bit comes with a 'bookmark' feature which enables consumers to tag songs they are hearing on the radio, and to then later buy those tracks via an XM/Napster service.
Pioneer Marketing VP Larry Rougas said yesterday: "In the past, the consumer has been able to do one of two things: listen to satellite radio or listen to music downloaded from their own collection. Adding the XM functionality to an MP3 player means you're no longer a prisoner of your own playlist".