It's obvious (to me, anyway) that online radio services such as Slacker and Pandora will kill satellite radio, but that's no reason for Sirius XM to stop plugging away. I mean, clearly the Yankees will win the World Series, but the Phillies are going to give it a shot anyway.

Sirius XM's latest attempt is the XM SkyDock. In an effort to get in with the hip young iPhone crowd, the satellite company has released an iPhone/iPod Touch dock that lets you listen to satellite radio in your car using your favorite player.

Sound good? Let's count the problems: It has an FM transmitter, which usually delivers poor sound. You can connect an auxiliary cord for better sound, but then it looks messy. The press picture doesn't show the required antenna attachment, another messy wire. You can't get Sirius content by itself; you need to subscribe to XM and get the "Best of Sirius" package as an add-on. It lists for $119.

Management at the merged Sirius XM hasn't been making it easy on its customers. It already offers an iPhone app for program streaming, but that one requires a premium subscription and doesn't include some of the most popular channels. The best alternative is still to download the free Pandora or Slacker apps and connect your iPhone or iPod Touch to your car radio with an inexpensive audio cable. Keep trying, Sirius XM!

Terry Gross and Ira Glass [editor's mistake, corrected] fans, rejoice--now there's an Internet radio just for you, and it's an actual radio. Livio's new device is an NPR-branded system, devoted specifically to National Public Radio programming. The radio lets users tune in to 1,000 local NPR streams and access more than 800 podcasts and archives from the media organization's Web sites.

The radio also features a "my NPR" button, which offers easy access to users' favorite NPR stations. Of course, the device offers more than just NPR broadcasts--there are a total of 16,000 Internet stations available through the device, via Reciva.

The NPR Radio by Livio, which ships in early November, will cost $199. Profits go to NPR stations and programming. Order through Livio's site or at shop.npr.org.

By most accounts, today's Apple event wasn't exactly action-packed. In fact, most of the surprises revolved around what Apple didn't announce, rather than what it did. The biggest surprise at the event, however, was also one of its most minor announcements: FM radio.

Sure, much of the event revolved around the iPod nano, but it was the expected addition of a camera to the rear of the device that caused the most commotion. Steve Jobs more or less glossed over the addition of an FM radio tuner to the device--maybe because he's finally eating crow.

TiVo on Wednesday added the ability for video podcast providers to publish their shows directly to certain TiVo machines. The DVR service provider also added hundreds of new, free Web videos to its library.

The additions are available to TiVo Series3, TiVo HD and TiVo HD XL subscribers. They include hundreds of new podcast channels from outlets like CBS, FOX, Oprah, and G4. Podcast creators can publish original content, meanwhile, via RSS and H.264 video.

TiVo users can watch the videos directly or set up rules to record preferred shows as they are published. They can also stream podcast content from shows not available from TiVo by entering the URL for a video podcast in the "Video On Demand" menu.

"What makes this announcement unique is that everyone has the ability to publish their content to the TiVo DVR," Evan Young, senior director of broadband services for TiVo Inc., said in a statement. "With a robust library of Web videos already available through the TiVo DVR, and the ability to enter the URL for other podcasts you want, this announcement puts the control in the hands of the user to search for and retrieve exactly what they want to watch and from the comfort of the couch."

Broadband-connected HD subscribers can start accessing this feature today via their DVR's. Available podcasts are searchable via TiVo Search.

While HD radios are struggling to catch on, with their ability to bring you dozens of new local stations, we expect Internet radios to become much more popular. After all, they can deliver thousands of stations from around the globe, as long as you have a broadband connection.

The latest in Internet radio is the Sonoro element W. It's a compact rectangular model with European good looks. It offers both FM and Internet radio (Internet radios always seem to skip AM), and it can even stream Pandora stations. You can search from 16,000 global stations based on genre or geography. Connect to the Internet via WiFi or a LAN connection. The element W also offers 10 station presets and a battery back-up.

This is definitely a luxury radio, as the price is $499. Check the Web site for dealer information. If you're spending that much, you might as well buy the optional $79.00 iPod dock, called the eDock.

This week, hosts Brian Heater and Kyle Monson are joined by PCMag's consumer electronics senior editor, Wendy Sheehan Donnell. Wendy looks under the hood of her iPhone and shares a maintenance story when attempting to fix her broken face panel. 

Brian and Kyle get into a heated debate about Apple computers and if they are superior to other PCs (or if they're just ridiculously good looking). They also talk with the inventor of the iFart iPhone app and find out what else is on his whiteboard.

Finally, we go to an interview with Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor on piracy.

You can download the podcast off of the iTunes store or listen to it directly from the PCMag.com website.

American media conglomerate Liberty Media Corp. today announced that it will invest $530 million into the nearly bankrupt Sirius XM Radio company. The first part of the loan will come in the form of a $280 million senior secured loan for Sirius, with another $150 million going toward its subsidiary, XM.

For its part, Liberty will receive 12.5 million shares of preferred stock. Shares in Sirius XM--which announced that it could file for bankruptcy as early as today--rose from $0.09 to $0.20.

Sirius XM, the troubled satellite radio provider that was the result of a merger to cut costs, may be forced to take the next step and file for Chapter 11. The New York Times reported late Tuesday that the satellite radio firm is working with Joseph A. Bondi of Alvarez & Marsal and the bankruptcy lawyer Mark Thompson of Simpson, Thatcher & Bartlett to help prepare a Chapter 11 filing.

With more than $5 billion in assets, Sirius would be second-largest company to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection so far this year, according to the research firm Capital IQ's database, the Times reported. Satellite television mogul Charles Ergen has also been said to be considering a bid for the company.

Areaware is a design company that makes really cool-looking products--remember that foldable bicycle from earlier today? The company was also showing off this snazzy wooden radio.

Designed by Singih Kartono, the Magno Wooden Radio is made from sustainable wood. I spoke to a rep from the company who explained that the radio is designed to have something of a "timeless" quality.

It also sounds surprisingly good. The company was blasting some music from one, and the result was rich and full. The radio also has an auxiliary input, so you can play songs from your non-wooden iPod.

Here's something cool: Internet radio for your car. mRoamer integrates the wonders of streaming Internet music into a standard car stereo alongside the standard AM/FM selections.

The mRoamer radio features more than 16,000 Internet radio stations from more than 200 countries. The system utilizes iRobot technology to improve scanning, and users can create customizable folders for presets and favorite stations on their units.

The company will also be integrating IPTV into the system in the "near future." Further software updates will also let users integrate the car stereo with premium music systems (I'm sure Rhapsody is eager to get on this bandwagon) and MP3 lockers.

Not really sure why this unit says "New Jersey" on it, but I'm sure it takes requests for anything off of Born to Run.

For PCMag's full CES coverage, go to http://www.pcmag.com/category2/0,2806,2235882,00.asp.

Given the controversy, I expected today's FCC white-spaces vote to be delayed. But I have now been listening to smooth-jazz webcast hold music in the background for 3.5 hours.

A commission meeting that will address white spaces, as well as the Verizon-Alltel and Sprint-Clearwire mergers, was set to kick off at 11 A.M. Eastern, but was later pushed to 1:45 P.M. It is now 2:45 P.M. and ... nothing but smooth jazz.

So let's talk amongst ourselves. What are white spaces? When TV stations switch from analog to digital signals in February 2009, unused spectrum--A.K.A. white spaces--will emerge, and companies such as Microsoft and Google want to use it for mobile broadband. But broadcasters, led by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), argue that such activity could disrupt TV signals.

The FCC is scheduled to vote today on a report from the agency's Office of Engineering Technology (OET) that gave conditional approval to the use of white-spaces devices. NAB, however, has demanded that the FCC open a public comment period on the report and delay today's vote.

Another day, another inbox full of white spaces-related press releases.

Election Day is just six days away, but so is a scheduled vote at the Federal Communications Commission on a white spaces rule, and both sides are up in arms. Depending on who you ask, the vote on this issue is either too premature or long overdue.

For those who have not been following the issue, white spaces are bits of unused spectrum between TV channels that Internet companies such as Google and Microsoft want to use for mobile broadband purposes. This spectrum will open up once broadcasters switch from analog to digital TV signals in February 2009, and advocates are anxious to take advantage of this powerful spectrum.

However, broadcasters, led by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), are convinced that using white spaces for broadband purposes will disrupt TV signals.

After months of testing, the FCC is not too concerned and gave conditional support to a plan that will allow certain white spaces devices to come to market in the near future. That plan will be the subject of the Nov. 4 vote.

NAB wants the FCC to delay and open up a public comment period; advocates want it to proceed immediately. Who are the latest groups, members of Congress, and entertainers to weigh in on the topic?

Just a few of those who oppose are TV set manufacturers, the MGM Mirage, and Sen. Hillary Clinton. Supporting? Cell phone and computer manufacturers, Google, and Dell.

Snippets from letters sent in the past few days to the FCC and Congress after the jump.

The white spaces media blitz continues.

Every other e-mail I've received this morning is from an interest group or Internet company that either wants the FCC to take quick action on its white spaces rule--or put it on hold pending a public comment period.

What are white spaces? When TV stations switch from analog to digital signals in February 2009, unused spectrum--or white spaces--will emerge, and companies like Microsoft and Google want to use it for mobile broadband. Broadcasters, led by the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), argue that such activity could disrupt TV signals.

The FCC must not "unduly jeopardize television viewing," chief executives from ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX wrote FCC Chairman Kevin Martin on Thursday.

Broadcasters are pushing the FCC to reschedule its Nov. 4 vote on the issue until after a comment period that would likely last about two months. White spaces advocates like Google and Microsoft, however, claim that enough time has passed and action is required now in order to move forward on mobile broadband technologies.

The FCC last week released a report that gave conditional support to white spaces devices, and said it would vote on a final rule on Election Day.

NAB wants that vote delayed, and a press release war was born. More banter after the jump.

BlackBerry users have a reputation for being hyper-productive business professionals that are almost pathologically tied to their smartphones. As of today, however, they can be Slackers, too. Research In Motion has announced a partnership with Slacker.com that will let BlackBerry users play Internet radio stations.

You can stream music, or even better, cache stations and individual songs on your BlackBerry's memory card, so you can listen when you have zero bars of coverage. Just listening to stations is free, but you need to subscribe to Slacker's premium service ($10 a month) to save individual songs.

As a doting owner of a Blackberry Curve 8330 and a daily listener to Slacker Radio, I am pretty psyched. This is the kind of app RIM needs, to win the hearts and thumbs of consumers and compete with the iPhone 3G. I've played with the service very briefly, and the interface looks pretty clean and easy to use. I can't speak to the audio quality yet, but I guarantee it will sound better than the music most current BlackBerry owners listen to on their phones--which is to say, none.