CES 2015 - RAIN News

TagStation’s CES review shows new focus on cars

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Anna Washenko

TagStation, the industry-facing part of the NextRadio consumer mobile app, shared its wrap-up from this year’s CES, and the focus for the company this year was cars. It kicked off the event by announcing the launch of a car listening platform that showcases the interactive features of NextRadio. This joint project by TagStation and iBiquity looks to straddle several approaches to the connected car by blending online offerings with HD radio and the more traditional analog radio. Continue Reading →

Hyundai’s new dashboard ditches the CD player

Posted on January 13, 2015 by Brad Hill

Automaker Hyundai is planning its 2016 digital dashboards, and issued a press release with some details. The system is called Display Audio, and comes in Google and Apple flavors. It is plug-and-play, where the driver connects a smartphone to the dashboard with a USB cable. The CD player has been eliminated. Continue Reading →

Spotify reportedly won’t be joining new Google Cast service

Posted on January 9, 2015 by Anna Washenko

In sharing the news of Google Cast from CES, we noted that the tech giant could face an uphill battle getting both streaming audio services and hardware companies to sign on to its vision for at-home listening. Less than a week after the announcement, Google Cast already has a major player that’s not interested: Spotify. Continue Reading →

Philips Spotify speakers offer multi-room streaming

Posted on January 8, 2015 by Anna Washenko

Philips announced the launch of multi-room speakers designed specifically to stream music from Spotify. The Philips Spotify speakers use Spotify Connect to control the music from within the Spotify app on a mobile device. Just press the Spotify button on any of the speakers and the stream should immediately transfer over. Continue Reading →

Rdio makes moves farther into cars, TVs, and speakers at CES

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Anna Washenko

Rdio’s many CES announcements add up to a major push into new listening devices both large and small. For starters, the streaming service entered into an exclusive partnership with Bosch to integrate into the mySPIN platform. It also announced new deals to integrate with more smart TVs and WiFi speakers. Continue Reading →

Qualcomm announces rollout of AllPlay’s universal at-home streaming

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Anna Washenko

Qualcomm AllPlay is refreshing its existing product with a commercial rollout, the company announced at CES. Several new music partners, including SoundCloud and Tidal, will be supported on the wireless streaming service, joining iHeartRadio, Rhapsody/Napster, and SomaFM. Qualcomm is attempting to reduce home-listening silos with this open-source solution to remote streaming. Continue Reading →

LG to challenge Sonos with low prices for Music Flow speakers

Posted on January 7, 2015 by Anna Washenko

LG announced its foray into WiFi speakers with the Music Flow suite of products. The company will sell three speakers, three upgraded sound bars, and a portable, battery-powered speaker under this brand. The Music Flow speakers will support the new audio-only Google Cast software, which brings in several music services. LG also has product partnerships with iHeartRadio, Rhapsody, Spotify, and TuneIn. Continue Reading →

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Editor’s Notebook: From digital dashboard to self-driving cars

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Brad Hill

by Brad Hill

The digital dashboard is a gold-rush scramble for territory. But what if there were no dashboard at all? Autonomous (self-driving) cars are rolling toward us, and will be on the road sooner or later. How will audio competition be shaped when the car is a WiFi-connected living room? Continue Reading →

The Walkman is back, and this time it’ll cost you $1,100

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Brad Hill

Emanating from CES in Las Vegas is an announcement from Sony of a new Walkman model. The Walkman brand was iconic in the pre-Internet, pre-cloud era, and represented the first meaningful mobility for user-chosen music. Continue Reading →

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Pono Music launches from beta at CES

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Brad Hill

The long-awaited Pono Music ecosystem, Neil Young’s project, emerged from beta this week. Pono Music players will be available at Fry’s consumer electronics stores, and online. This week’s CES-timed launch closes the first, non-public chapter of Pono’s storied existance. Continue Reading →

iHeartRadio to roll out on Sony living room devices this quarter

Posted on January 6, 2015 by Anna Washenko

iHeartRadio announced another partnership today at CES, this one with Sony Computer Entertainment. Beginning early in the first quarter of this year, the iHeartRadio platform will arrive on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 game consoles. Continue Reading →

Google enters the field of WiFi speakers with Google Cast

Posted on January 5, 2015 by Anna Washenko

Google is kicking off CES with a major musical announcement. The company is launching new software called Google Cast that will stream audio content directly to speakers. The initial partnerships include Pandora, Rdio, iHeartRadio, NPR One, and, unsurprisingly, Google Play Music. More tie-ups are in the works, CNET reported. Continue Reading →