From the Chicago Tribune's RedEye: "If this is the future, then People just named me the sexiest man alive.

"Darn. Got my hopes up for a second. But no, what you are about to read is what is known in the tech industry as a crock of hooey.

"USA Today had an article on Wednesday [see RAIN coverage here] about personalized Internet radio that's expanding from your PC to portable devices... [Today], you can buy a $199 device from a company called Slacker that -- get ready -- lets you take music anywhere you go...

"OK, so why am I so cranky about this? Here's why... There are too many companies that think they have the answer to iTunes.

"USA Today quotes Slacker CEO Dennis Mudd [pictured], who said Wi-Fi for music isn't the way to go because 'there could be static or you might lost the signal.' Well, I never heard of static on Wi-Fi, but OK ... so what's the alternative?

"With the Slacker Portable, 'a selection of songs from your favorite artists is transferred to the Slacker portable player from your PC. New songs are added every time the player is hooked up. They are stored on the player, so you don't need an Internet connection to listen.'

"Hey, Dennis... 1985 called. They want their idea back. So what you have for me is a player that chooses songs -- I can't choose them except for telling the software what music I like in general -- and then downloads them to a portable device that I can take with me anywhere I go?..

"The best thing I could find is that the Slacker Portable has a 4-inch screen. That's a half inch bigger than your iPhone. But then it gets bad again. If you want free service, there are ads but USA Today doesn't clarify if it's on the device when it downloads or on the PC. No ads cost $7.95 a month... for a device that I can't even choose my own songs?

"So the device can't cost that much right? Wrong! It starts at $199.99 with 2 GB of storage and 15 stations or $249.99 for 4GB and 25 stations. You can get a Nano for $149 with 4 GB storage...

"I don't know this Mudd guy, and I'm sure he's great and all. But if he's for real, then I'm ... let's try again ... People's sexiest man alive. And to be fair, the device looks pretty good, but I'm just not on board with what's being sold."

Read this entire article online here.

RAIN is brought to you today by:

Limelight Networks is a leading provider of outsourced media delivery solutions. With multiple Edge distribution locations around the Internet, Limelight Networks enables some of the Industry's top broadcasters like Radio Free Virgin and Musicmatch to reduce the cost and complexity of delivery while ensuring unmatched performance. Limelight Networks technology has been proven to dramatically cut the costs associated with live or on-demand media delivery. For more information please contact us at www.limelightnetworks.com.

From a SelectRadio press release: "Users of virtually all current Windows Mobile phones and PDAs not only can explore music across more than 5,000 internet radio, terrestrial radio, Sirius Internet Radio and XM Radio channels, but they can now easily move from the excitement of music discovery to the satisfaction of purchase with anywhere access.

"When a SelectRadio user hears a new song or artist they like, they can retrieve detailed information about the artist and albums containing the exact song with a single button. Users can see available song purchase options, listen to samples from the artist, and purchase directly from their smartphone. Users can also tag a newly discovered song and have the song information emailed to them.

"According to the 2007 Arbitron 'The Infinite Dial:Radio’s Digital Platforms' consumer survey, Internet radio listeners are 230% more likely to purchase digital music than the average consumer...

"For easy access to popular broadcasters, SelectRadio software includes pre-set channels from top broadcasters, such as Internet radio pioneer radioio, AccuRadio; Sirius Internet Radio; XM Radio Online; and Shoutcast...

"SelectRadio software is now compatible with all popular Windows Mobile 5 and Windows Mobile 6 devices..."

Read this entire press release online here.

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