July 9 - 9:00am EDT   Sony today said its Internet-aware BRAVIA TVs now have access to Netflix. Both newer sets with support built-in, as well as older sets using the add-on Internet Video Link, can access (but not add to) the Watch Instantly queue and stream movies or TV shows directly to the set. Whether or not it's capable of HD footage isn't clear. [full story]

May 13 - 8:35am EDT   Sony today finally launched its first competition against the iPod touch in the US with the shipment of its Walkman X1000 series and the addition of a new, last-minute feature. In addition to a web browser and YouTube streaming video, the touchscreen Walkman now has a built-in Slacker Radio app; similar to Slacker's own device, the X1000 subscribes to music channels that automatically cache whenever the player is connected to Wi-Fi, supplying it with enough music to continue playing offline. It works with Slacker's free, three-channel service as well as its paid service, which gives more more control and lyrics while removing ads. [full story]

December 19 - 3:10pm EST   Slacker today kicked off the start of its Radio Plus service. The feature aims to solve some of the problems of traditional Internet radio by letting users make an unlimited number of "requests" for the radio station and thus pick the songs they want rather than depend on Slacker's own team. It also lets users skip as many songs as they like and comes ad free versus the sponsored segments from some competitors. [full story]

November 19 - 9:20am EST   Sony today added support for Slacker radio to its BRAVIA Internet Video Link for its HDTVs. The addition lets users tie an existing Slacker account to the link and stream their customized radio channels; Sony doesn't say whether users have access to the full favorite, ban or skip controls from the web or the Slacker G2 but implies users will have to configure stations away from the TV. [full story]

October 15 - 10:55am EDT   Pioneer today officially took the wraps from the XMp3, the company's first portable satellite radio since the long out-of-sale Inno. The new handheld is unique in its ability to record five separate XM stations at once, guaranteeing that listeners can preserve more than one show at the same time. It also takes a cue from Slacker in an automatic buffering mode that holds as much as 30 hours of programming at any given time to keep radio going when a subway tunnel or other interference cuts out the satellite signal. [full story]

September 16 - 7:40am EDT   Slacker on Tuesday revamped its Internet radio concept with the G2 Personal Radio Player. The device continues to embrace the notion of caching Internet radio stations over Wi-Fi but makes a number of significant improvements to the design itself: the device is a full 40 percent smaller than its predecessor without sacrificing a large screen. It also produces better audio quality, helped partly by new EQ features and a new set of earbuds, while also carrying a new and reportedly more intuitive interface. Battery life should also be longer by about 25 percent, the company estimates. [full story]

September 11 - 2:10pm EDT   Research in Motion continued a string of announcements today by revealing that the BlackBerry would get extra media and Internet features through a trio of new deals. In addition to the earlier TiVo deal, RIM today said that Internet radio outlet Slacker would release an app that streams audio from both its free, limited-control service and its paid Premium subscription service. Users will have the ability to favorite or turn down tracks and skip a varying number of times depending on their service level. The download itself should be free and will appear in October. [full story]

August 28 - 12:20pm EDT   Logitech on Thursday turned its attention to wireless audio courtesy of both a wholly independent Internet radio and speakers built just for notebooks. One of the first fruits of Logitech's buyout of Squeezebox, the Squeezebox Boom can pull and play unprotected music from any recent Mac or Windows PC on a local 802.11g Wi-Fi network but also picks up Internet streaming radio services entirely on its own, including largely free services such as Last.FM, Pandora or Slacker as well as a user's memberships to primarily for-pay services such as Rhapsody and Sirius' Internet streams. [full story]

August 14 - 8:30am EDT   Slacker is developing a smaller, upgraded version of its unique Wi-Fi media player, according to an FCC filing. Dubbed the G2 Personal Portable Radio, the device is visibly smaller and more rounded than the original but also adds wireless links that aren't present in the original, including 802.11a Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1 for short-range peripherals, and an FM radio to complement Slacker's existing technique of automatically downloading songs from the Internet. [full story]

July 25 - 4:40am EDT   A source close to the internet radio service Slacker alleges that the mobile audio device manufacturer is exploring the iPhone and BlackBerry as viable platforms, with an app "about ready to launch" on the devices. Laptop Magazine writes that the app supposedly will allow users to both stream and cache content for offline playback. The service functions similar to those of Pandora and Last.fm, in that users can hear recommendations based on their interests. [full story]

April 8 - 1:20pm EDT   Slacker, the creator of its namesake Portable Radio Player, has announced a deal for the support of all four major record labels: Warner, Universal, EMI and Sony BMG. The Portable is an unusual "radio" device in that it does not stream live music, but rather syncs with the Slacker service via USB or Wi-Fi, and copies up to 40 "stations" for listening offline as well as on. As music plays listeners can rate their tracks, and ban ones they do not want to hear again. [full story]

January 31 - 2:05pm EST   Slacker today ended months of delays with news that it began shipping the Slacker Portable. True to the original concept, the company's inaugural player is built around the notion of the device as both an online and offline radio station. Although users can still load their own content, the player is built to automatically download and play preset or user-made content channels over Wi-Fi; while users have less control, it provides an effectively unlimited stream of new, relevant music which is still accessible for hours while offline, Slacker says. Each track is accompanied by extended details about the artist. [full story]

December 6 - 10:45am EST   Slacker's self-titled Portable Player has seen its release pushed back to January 31st, according to a small notice on the company's website. The player, which is intended to automatically load itself with "channels" of music over USB and Wi-Fi rather than purchases, was originally scheduled to ship by December 13th. The delay is necessary to "deliver the best possible player," Slacker claims, hinting that last-minute issues with the jukebox have stalled out the release. [full story]