XM PCR Control Program for Mac OS X

nsayer writes "I'm a fan of XM Radio. The least expensive XM radio you can get is the XM PCR, which is powered and controlled over a USB connection to a host PC (the audio does not, however, come back across the USB connection. It's just got an analog line-out jack). Unfortunately, the only software they give you is for Windows. But fortunately, it's been reverse engineered, so I was able to write MacXM. At this point, it is very stable and easy to use, and so far as I know it is the only XM radio software that integrates with the iTunes music store (click a button and iTunes pops up with a search for the current song title and artist)."

Comments

XM radio

[JelloG3]

thanks to the people who love macs, yet another product that people made for windows, and was saved and ported to the Mac =D

Re:XM radio

[Anonymous Coward]

I'm sure you'd be as happy as a pig in shit if someone reverse-engineered some of your mac-only apps and ported them over to windows.

Re:XM radio

[tackaberry]

I agree completely, it is a great_improvement, over today's commercial radio. With all of the media consolidation, voice-tracking, endless commercials, and super-tight playlists, there is very little out there that I find appealing.

The station I listen to the most is public-supported WFUV. Most of the other stations in NYC are horrible. If I'm not listening to 'FUV, I'm listening to my iPod.

Satellite radio, meets the gap by offering the breadth of programming that is absent in today's commercial radio. However, as a new technology there is a steep adoption curve, and with all of the capital costs involved, subscriber base is the most important measurement. Instead of charging for each unit, they may be better off charging per customer, and allow them to use multiple units (what is their increased marginal cost - I can only listen to one radio at a time). Streaming via iTunes could be another revenue stream. I can sample their service, without having to spend a lot of money for a receiver. If I like it, chances are, I'm more inclined to put a receiver in my car.

I can't recall where I read it, but somewhere I recall reading that Apple users are more inclined to embrace new technologies, and a great percentage of Apple users have broadband versus Windows users.

If they are using AAC, there is no excuse to use the best Mac music client.

Re:XM radio

[nsayer]

What the heck. I'll bite.

If I was selling hardware, and someone reverse-engineered it to provide support to an alternate platform, I'd be very happy indeed (as I'm not an anon^H^H^H^Hpig in shit, I can't comment on the comparison). If I would normally sell N units, and having someone else write software that changes that to N+M, why wouldn't I be happy?

And it turns out that some folks have actually spoken to folks in authority at XM, and they're quite happy indeed to find that they've created a device that has inspired a community of hackers to make it better.

Brushed Metal

[Johnny Mozzarella]

Nice interface! Gotta love it when the FREE software has a better interface.

Re:Brushed Metal

[nsayer]

2. Mute and Power buttons should be near the volume control.
3. Volume should be labeled.

Um, there is no volume control. I think you're looking at the song rating slider.

4. Now playing box should be more distinguishable.

Not sure I understand what you're saying here. But let's take this conversation over to the bug and/or feature request section of the project rather than continue here.

Is this the future of the "integrated" app?

[amichalo]

This is an interesting application - not that it enables a Mac to use a PC product, nor that it is for the XM radio, though both are note worthy.

This application is interesting because it is integrated with another application (iTunes). It is the second such "Integrated Applicaiton" application recently, as Quicken 2004 will integrate with iCal as well.

We have had this in part for a while - click a Mailto: tag and Outlook Express launches - but I am talking about more tight integration.

I am a huge fan of this type of integration. One of my favorite features of Apple's "Mail" is that when iChat is running, and a person who's e-mail address and IM address are in "Address Book" is on-line, there is a little green icon in "Mail" that lets you know so instead of sending them an e-mail, you have the option to click the icon ("iCon") and chat in iChat. Three apps, iChat, Address Book, and Mail, working together to deliver functionality none could deliver otherwise.

So are we seeing a trend? Is this in kind with other great technologies like Web Objects (what MS has rebranded as .NET) or is this a new phanominon born out of Apple's own developer network?

Whatever it is, I would like to see more of it. In what other ways could applicaitons be more tightly integrated amongst eachother?

An Apple a day keeps the BSD away.