Like the rest of you, we've been patiently waiting, year after year, for the next major innovation in the world of shower radios. Waterproof satellite or HD radio? Think simpler. It turns out that the answer was right in front of our faces, all along: the taps themselves.

Leave it to the fine folks at Brando to lead the way on this one. Sure the sublimely-named Cyber Tap Radio with Suction Cup (Water Resistant) looks like a hot or cold valve for your shower (hence its red or blue color schemes), but the thing is actually a miniature radio, which plays, get this, AM and FM radio.

The Cyber Tap Radio with Suction Cup (Water Resistant) takes AA batteries and, as its subtle name hints, features a suction cup to adhere to glass or tile. It'll run you a cool $16.00, sure, but can you put a price tag on being a part of the shower radio revolution?

Nearly a year ago, Tivoli announced the the NetWorks, a free-standing device designed to let you tune into and stream Web radio independent of a PC. It didn't quite happen. But today, Tivoli CEO Tom DeVesto announced that the NetWorks is finally going into production and will be shipping within a few weeks. The price? $600, which DeVesto defended by claiming terrific audio fidelity. More details after the jump.

The XM-Sirius merger took another hit Thursday when two top House Democrats urged the FCC to impose consumer protection standards on the deal if the commission chooses to approve it.

"It is essential that, if the FCC approves this merger, it ensures there are appropriate safeguards in place to protect consumers," chairman John Dingell of Michigan, said in a statement.

"It should allow any manufacturer to offer devices that are compatible with the newly-formed company's satellite radio service," Dingell continued. "Just as consumers should be permitted to bring non-harmful compatible devices to wireless networks, they should have the opportunity to bring their choice of devices to the service of the newly-formed company created by this merger."

"As the FCC evaluates the proposed XM-Sirius merger, they must remember their mandate to consider consumer welfare and protect the public interest," said Rep. Edward Markey, chairman of the Internet and telecom subcommittee.

While the rest of us sit in satellite-radio-merger limbo, Sirius is making hardware deals. The provider announced today that it would be bringing more than 80 of its music, talk, and entertainment channels to various Logitech hardware devices, including the Squeezebox Duet network music system, Squeezebox network music player, and Logitech Transporter network music player.

Attention camping gearheads who ask for REI gift certificates at holiday time: Your dream device is here! The Life + Gear LifeLight is a multitasking lantern that works on crank power (or batteries) and fits easily in a rucksack. The LifeLight combines a 15-LED lantern with an AM/FM radio, emergency siren, night light, and even an external speaker to play music from an MP3 player. There's even a compass on top. The LifeLight is also lightweight.

As far as the crank power goes, the company says that one minute of cranking at 120 rpms will get you 45 minutes of light from 3 LEDs, 10 minutes of radio, and 20 minutes of siren, if you can stand it that long. The LifeLight is available from the Life + Gear Web site or at Wal-Mart for $69.95.

Although the Department of Justice has removed a major hurdle for the proposed Sirius/XM merger, the FCC's ruling on the matter could still go either way. Demands from the usual selection of advocacy groups, such as Public Knowledge (outlined in our recent story, DOJ Approves XM, Sirius Merger), are to be expected, but opposition to the merger has also arisen from a fairly surprising source: Clear Channel.

The media conglomerate, which rose to power after the massive FCC deregulations of 1996, has traditionally been a major target for anti-media monopoly groups rather than a potential ally. Of course, very few companies have as much to lose from the potential media powerhouse that would be created from the XM/Sirius partnership as Texas-based Clear Channel.

In a complaint filed earlier this month, Clear Channel outlined its objections to the proposed merger, stating:

The XM-Sirius merger as proposed would not only eliminate intramodal competition in the satellite radio service but also aggregate 25 MHz of spectrum in one licensee, more than that allocated to the entire AM and FM terrestrial radio bands combined. In any given market, it would permit the satellite radio provider to transmit roughly 40 times more channels of programming than the largest terrestrial broadcast radio licensee in that market, creating the potential for siphoning advertising revenue, talent and high-quality programming from free, over-the-air radio without any concomitant public interest obligations on satellite radio. Those consequences would impact directly and adversely the ability of terrestrial radio broadcasters to fulfill their core mission of serving their local communities.

A combined XM-Sirius is one step closer to becoming a reality. The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday approved the merger of the two satellite radio companies, shooting down the assertion that the combination of XM and Sirius would create a monopoly: A merged XM-Sirius will not substantially lessen competition or harm consumers, the DOJ's antitrust division said in a statement.

The companies will not be able to unfairly increase their prices due to "a lack of competition between the parties in important segments even without the merger; the competitive alternative services available to consumers; technological change that is expected to make those alternatives increasingly attractive over time; and efficiencies likely to flow from the transaction that could benefit consumers," according to the DOJ.

XM and Sirius announced in February 2007 that they would merge in a stock swap worth $13 billion, including net debt of $1.6 billion.

The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) was less than enthused.

Today Sirius is unveiling the long-awaited sequel to their innovative portable player, the Stiletto.

The creatively name Stiletto 2 (I had gone for the Stiletwo or the Biletto, but that's just me) is smaller and lighter than its predecessor, weighing in at 4.3 oz, and includes a handful of promising features. Like the Stiletto the first, the Stiletto 2 receives live Sirius programs on the go. The new model also boasts "enhanced wi-fi capability," making it possible to tap into more content at home or around hotspots. The device also features a microSD slot, improved MP3 and WMA management, and the ability to "bookmark" and purchase tracks via compatible online music stores.

A "Love" button lets users store their favorite songs to the device, from radio streams, while scheduled recordings make it possible to capture up and store up to 100 hours of music.

The Stiletto 2 will be bundled with high-quality headphones manufactured by Altec-Lansing. The AHP202SIR antenna headphones feature 30mm drivers, an adjustable headband, and just generally sound a heck of a lot better than the Cracker Jack toys bundled with the iPod and most of DAPs.

The Stiletto 2 will be available this Fall, along with a vehicle and home kit (both $49.99), and an "executive system" (at $149.99).

XM's newest radio, the XpressRC, debuted today. Generally the introduction of new satellite radio receivers hardly merit even a blog post, but the XpressRC boats a few cool features worth mentioning.

First off is a buffer that lets the user save 60 minutes of programming, for song repeats and instant replay for sports. Another feature lets you save your ten favorite songs, while the quick channel navigation lets you set up to ten of your favorite channels.

The XpressRC's real killer features, however, is its display. The full-color screen is customizable, letting the user dictate what they see, including the channel, artist, and song name, while a split screen feature displays the current song on one side, while letting the user browse the content of up to three channels on the other. You can also check out up to five of your favorite tracks on that side, as well.

Okay, maybe it's not quite as earth-shattering as XM would like you to think, but it's still pretty neat--one of those things we'd like to see become a standard feature on radios. Perhaps after the merger--Sirius on one side and XM on the other? Positively mind-blowing.

The XpressRC is rolling out this fall with a $170 price tag.

The way different companies brace themselves for big changes speaks volumes. Ahead of the proposed merger between the two largest satellite radio providers, XM has announced that its CEO is 'stepping aside.' Sirius, on the other hand, as evidenced by their latest announcement, has taken a decidedly more...mellow approach.

Well, there's little doubt now that, merger approval or not, there's big changes ahead for the world of satellite radio. XM announced today that the company's CEO, Hugh Panero, would be "stepping aside." Nice benign language, sure, but one can't help but get the visual of Mr. Panero shuffling a few inches to the left, as the speeding freight train that is the proposed Sirius/XM merger comes barreling through.

Panero has been the CEO of the company for nearly a decade (wow, satellite radio's been around for nearly a decade?), having signed on in 1998, after leaving a five year post as the head of the now defunct pay per view network, Request TV. The official "stepping aside" will occur next month, when current president and COO, Nate Davis, will take over as the interim CEO.

Merger-willing, it looks like time to start up the Stern for CEO campaign.

The FCC might not have approved the merger yet, but that hasn't stopped XM and Sirius from taking the next step towards of global domination. The companies (who, incidentally, have begun referring to themselves as "Sirius-XM"--catchy, no?) issued a release detailing tomorrow's filing with the FCC. Among the planned features is an a la carte program--a first for both companies, which would allow users to pick and choose the stations they'd like to receive from either or both providers.

Where a standard subscription to either service would cost a user $12.95 a month, and a subscription to both runs $25.90, the proposed a la carte options run between $6.99 and $16.99. The low-end will get you 50 stations of your choice, while $14.99 gets you 100. Following the proposed merger, existing users of either services will be to subscribe to both for $16.99.

The companies have also introduced "family friendly" packages, which block adult content, for $11.95 a month

XM and Sirius anticipate the merger to close at the end of the year.

We're taking this news with a huge grain of salt, but rumor has it that today's crop of satellite radio receivers have the hidden ability to switch from XM to Sirius, much like your terrestrial radio switches from AM to FM. The rumor originated in a letter to the FCC (which the folks at Orbitcast have snippets of) where a Michael Hartleib claims that such receivers already exist and simply need a firmware upgrade to activate their interoperability. The thought of owning an interoperable receiver may sound tempting to satellite radio fans, but until we see and hear one in the flesh, chances are your car's receiver won't be tuning into both stations any time soon.

I already know what I want for Christmas this year. Well, one thing at least.

Tivoli Audio, which makes the iconic Model One tabletop radio along with numerous other simple and elegant audio systems, announced today that late in 2007 it will begin shipping two versions of a tabletop radio for Web radio: the NetWorks, a tabletop version, and the NetWorksGo, a travel radio. At a press event in New York today, Tivoli CEO Tom DeVesto announced that after working on the concept for 5 years(!) Tivoli felt it had nailed the right design: something buyers could plug in, turn on, and use without a lot of fuss. You will need broadband access--preferably Wi-Fi, of course, but you can also use Ethernet.

The NetWorks will stream thousands of Web radio stations out of the box; if somehow Tivoli missed a station you like, you'll just need to e-mail the company and it'll be added. (All upgrades will happen transparently to the user.) You'll also be able to stream MP3, WMA, and Real Audio files from your PC (no AAC--sorry, iTunes people). To find stations, you'll search by inputting the station's call letters, by geographical location, or by genre; you'll also be able to preset your favorites. The tabletop NetWorks will come with a remote control. Both versions have aux and USB inputs for your portable music player and other audio devices. I predict audio quality will be high, as it is in Tivoli's other radios.

Pricing hasn't been set yet. Tivoli's other products aren't cheap--but with this company you really get what you pay for. I've had my Model One (which Henry Kloss signed for me!) for around 7 years, and I still use it all the time. For an analog, mono FM radio, it sounds just remarkable, and I don't think anyone will do a better, more elegant design. So I for one can't wait to play with the NetWorks; look for a review later in the year from Tim Gideon, PC Magazine's audio analyst, at PCMag.com.

Yesterday, at around noon EDT, customers began reporting service interruptions and signal interface, across XM's listening community. The problems persisted approximately 24 hours, the satellite radio provider having returned to its usual quality of service, at around the same time today. Blogs began reporting the XM Radio outage early on, noting that the company was not exactly forthcoming, when it came to issuing a statement on the subject. Not surprisingly, when we attempted to contact at XM, we found ourselves leaving messages on machines.

Now that things have calmed down considerably over at XM headquarters, we managed to get a hold of Chance Patterson, one of the company's spokespeople. Patterson answered our questions, while making it clear that there are still a lot of questions that the engineers at XM have yet to answer, themselves. You can find the full transcript of my conversation with Patterson, after the jump.