May 3, 2006

By Walt Zwirko / WFAA-TV

Computer Corner is a weekly video report examining the latest trends in technology. Helpful links are listed. Walt Zwirko reports from WFAA-TV in Dallas.

We all know that a personal computer can offer up just about any type of entertainment you desire: music, video and games.

And there's a dizzying array of portable devices vying for your attention, each one promising to keep you entertained while on the go.

The king of pocket-size devices is the Apple iPod. It can store thousands of songs and it can even play video. But everything you watch or listen to must be loaded into the iPod from a computer (unless you buy Apple's FM radio headset accessory).

WFAA-TV

The inno packs a lot of capabilities into a trim package.

The new Pioneer inno is about the size of an iPod, but this portable device can give you virtually unlimited entertainment, even if you never plug it in to a PC.

It receives live broadcasts from XM satellite radio.

"It virtually does everything an iPod or digital music player can do," said XM vice president Dan Murphy. "This is one of the most exciting developments for us since our inception."

It wasn't long ago that you needed something the size of a boom box to receive a satellite radio signal away from home or outside of your car.

Last year, XM introduced a baked potato-size portable unit that could receive live broadcasts from the company's twin satellites in geosynchronous orbit. But the 7.2-ounce Delphi MyFi didn't have MP3 capabilities, didn't fit easily in a pocket and needed an external antenna for reception in most locations.

The 4.5-ounce inno is slimmed down in stylish chrome, adds a color screen, and has an easy-to-learn keypad interface and a stubby antenna on top built right in. It slips easily into a pocket or purse. "As every year goes by, we're able to reduce the power consumption and the size of the chipset that's required to receive our satellite signal," Murphy explained.

The unit can store up to 50 hours of XM broadcasts. The press of a button captures individual songs or entire programs from XM's 170-channel universe. Murphy said TV viewers will find parallels to TiVo, the time-shifting video gizmo that has revolutionized living room viewing habits.

"Here you have — after five hard years of technology development work — a very disruptive new technology that will really change peoples' expectations of what they should expect out of a digital music player," Murphy said.

Like the more pedestrian digital players, you can transfer MP3 or WMA-format music from your personal collection from your computer to the inno (although it is not compatible with Apple's iTunes service or with songs downloaded in Apple's AAC format).

The inno comes with a special version of Napster software that can be used to manage your digital music collection. Inno's storage capacity is a relatively modest 1 gigabyte, which is shared with its on-air storage. Because XM broadcasts are more heavily compressed than typical MP3s, you'll probably be able to squeeze fewer than 15 hours' worth of your own music inside.

You can also use the inno to "mark" songs on the radio that sound interesting to you. The references can be recalled in Napster to make purchases for your personal collection.

"The interface experience between the portable product and the PC is considered one of the best in the industry," Murphy said.

I had some problems installing the XM-Napster software, and had to spend several hours of online sleuthing to figure out why the procedure was hanging up. The XM, Pioneer and Napster Web sites didn't have much in the way of diagnostic information about inno problems.

I found the problem on another Web site that listed similar symptoms (a hang-up related to existing iTunes software).

The inno product itself worked beyond my expectations. It received a strong XM signal, even in a first-floor TV studio inside a steel building in downtown Dallas.

Murphy explained that XM has a number of terrestrial "repeater" stations strategically placed around Dallas and other cities designed to improve reception inside buildings and in urban canyons.

For troublesome reception areas — such as inside my home about 40 miles north of Dallas — XM offers an accessory headset that has a satellite antenna built into the headband. It works.

The $399 inno comes complete with a "home kit," consisting of a docking station, a power supply, an antenna, an audio cable to pipe the music into your stereo system, and a USB cable to link the unit with your PC.

A kit to mount the inno in your car is a $70 extra.

The inno will soon be joined by the Samsung Helix, with similar features in a slightly different package.

Anyone who burns out on music — even the 15,000-song capacity of a 60 gigabyte iPod — will welcome XM's alternative menu of news, Major League Baseball, talk and entertainment.

This is a product category that puts XM at a distinct advantage over its smaller satellite radio competitor, Sirius. Sirius says it will also have a portable unit capable of receiving live broadcasts later this year.

But is a $399 price point too dear for even the most ardent music lover?

"When you really go back in the history of portable products — whether it's Walkman, Discman or iPods — all of the new technologies have started north of $399," Murphy said. "We're very proud that this product will launch at $399 and come with all the things you need for portable as well as home."

If you're not ready to take this leap, you can still experience satellite radio from both XM and Sirius with entry-level radios starting at about $50.

With either, you'll still have to pay the $12.99 monthly subscription price.

I've had a satellite radio since late last year and am sold on its value for anyone who spends a lot of time in the car or who simply enjoys the incredible variety of sounds.