XM

On Thursday, satellite radio provider Sirius XM announced the launch of XM SkyDock, an accessory that will allow iPhone and iPod touch users to receive live XM and "The Best of Sirius" satellite radio in their vehicles. Per Digital Daily, the unit is scheduled to launch in the fall at suggested price of $119.99 and utilizes a vehicle's cigarette lighter power port to mount and power the device and iPhone or iPod touch.

Sirius/XM has released Sirius XM Premium Online for the iPhone and iPod touch has been released to the App Store as a free download. The app lets users stream programming from their online channels over both Wi-Fi and 3G. The app also comes with a free 7 day trial, but will require a subscription after it expires.
[via 148Apps]

Business Insider has come across a slightly out-of-focus screenshot of the announced Sirius XM streaming radio application. The image is from a PowerPoint presentation given by CEO Mel Karmazin. It appears based on the presentation that a $2.99 monthly streaming fee will be applied. There is also a shopping cart, implying that users will have the ability to buy something, though what exactly is unclear.

After waiting and waiting for an official Sirius/XM radio app for the iPhone, we were happy to hear that the guys at NiceMac were filling the void with their StarPlayr client. But now, with rumors of an official Sirius/XM radio app circulating and StarPlayr stuck in App Store approval limbo, they are giving up and shutting StarPlayr down for good. They're even abandoning their WinMo client.

XM first announced that they were creating an official XM Radio client for the iPhone and iPod touch back in June, but little was heard from the company since then on an official app. More recently, however, information was leaked that GeeksToolBox is working on an app called StarPlayr as part of the StreamSmart project. It is suspected that it is in partnership with NiceMac because of their audio streaming Mac app by the same name.

Millard Software has announced that they are currently working on porting their two satellite radio clients, uXM and uSirius, to the iPhone OS 2.0. Neither of them are official applications yet, so they will only run on a jailbroken phone, but both of them will work on EDGE, Wi-Fi, or 3G. With all the talk of a merger, it is hoped that they will soon turn their attention to the iPhone, but either way Millard Software is porting the apps using the SDK. They may try to launch them on the App Store if possible.

If you're a big fan of XM radio, then we may have some good news for you. It was recently announced that the XM Radio Mobile service is currently being ported to the iPhone and iPod touch platform. The announcement was made by XM Satelite Radio Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Vernon Irvin made the official announcement at the Federated Media Conversation Marketing Summit in New York.