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XM Radio Hacked by Car Computer Hobbyists
An anonymous reader writes "There is an article over at News.com that talks about a small Florida company called Hybrid Mobile Solutions, that hacked XM Radio. They created a cable and software that makes the new XM Commander and XM Direct units work just like an XMPCR. They are in negotiations with TimeTrax to allow recording of XM Radio to MP3's. XMPCR was canned due to this late last month."
Seems they don't need any help from these guys. They have made their own device to replace the pulled XMPCR...
Check this out.
Opera Watch - An Opera browser blog.
It's the personal computer receiver for XM satellite radio. XM used to sell it but discontinued it when the TimeTrax software came out that allowed the XMPCR user to record music from the XMPCR hardware. The RIAA was apparently behind that action.
http://www.busyweather.com/
Here is the official definition of what it is, picture and all.
Basically, XM canned this because people were recording the stream and distributing it over the web. Since XM is a premium service, they didn't want their shows being disseminated over the web so they have cancelled this product and will most likely create something new that is less easy to record from, although I'm sure it won't be impossible for the 1337 hackers out there.
a $250 profit
the XMPCR is a little box that allows you to listen to XM radio on your pc/mac/sun (mac/sun supported by 3rd party apps). it's a little box that has an audio out which you simply plug in to your mic or line-in. it's controlled via usb (the unit internally has a usb->serial adapter which happens to be well supported by *bsd, linux, etc).
the protocol that goes over the usb cable (used to change channels, etc) was reverse engineered, and people started making all sorts of applications to play with them. timetrax is one that allows you to record the music, as well as automatically add the title, artist, etc info to the ripped song
vodka, straight up, thank you!
Not a dupe.
The other stories you linked to are regarding the xmpcr which is no longer available.
This story is about an interface hack that allows you to use XM radio units originally intended for use in a car on your computer.
XMPCR: Time-shifting software for PC-based XM radio receiveers.
The new replacement: XmDirect Tuner Interface Cable. From the manufacturer:
With this cable and our software you will once again be able listen to XM satellite radio in your home or in your car using the included Hybrid eXeM interface along with the xmDirect...The SDK is available for developers that want to continue using xm radio within their applications.
The email address to request the SDK (by the way, serious points for offering AND publicizing the SDK) is sdk at hybrid-mobile dot com.
A cool picture: This picture shows the adapter plugged into what looks like the butt of a Dell laptop.
What is going to happen: Someone is going to get the crap sued out of them.
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(Flat screens and Desktop PCs too)
XMPCR is the XM PC Receiver for XM Satellite Radio. It is a USB device which connects to a Windows PC (with the included software, but there are Linux, Macintosh and Perl versions). It streams XM radio into your sound card and makes it extremely easy to record. It provide artist and title with each track so that you can even record songs and label them with the appropriate artist and title automatically.
:-) These were being offered for $50 dollars until about one month ago, when XM discontinued them. Since then, many folks have been trying to find a way to produce XMPCRs.
Of course, we are just speaking hypothetically.
For a little more info (and a photo), check out the XMFan Store. They are now very difficult (or expensive) to find. Personally, I don't know that I could be talked into selling mine!
But the slashdot thieves will argue that they have some sorta 'right' to steal it.
I suspect they will. It's called the MPAA v Betamax decision; it states you have a legal right to make recordings for the purpose of 'time shifting'.
I don't think you quite have a grasp on what "derivative" means. It's close to what you think, but not quite:
Definitions:
Obtained by derivation; derived; not radical, original, or fundamental; originating, deduced, or formed from something else; secondary; as, a derivative conveyance; a derivative word.
A derivative work, based for example on a XM radio broadcast, would be if you were to take the content of that broadcast and use it to make your own production or broadcast. Creating derivative works is similar to covering a previously recorded song, or sampling a song to use in your song (see Rap).
A MP3 != a derivative work.
I've just signed legislation that'll outlaw Russia forever. We'll begin bombing in five minutes.
This "solution" is pretty much just a cable, and this groups software which does the translation. If you want something that works with all the existing software out there now, what you really want is the DirectPCR brought to you by Ryan and the XMFan people. The DirectPCR is more expensive, because it's actually got a microprocessor that reverse translates the standard "A5 5A" serial commands into XM Direct format (which is then dutifully translated back by the XM Direct).
The DirectPCR is the best solution if you really want something with the power and cool factor of the now-defunct XMPCR (no I don't have any business relationship, I'm just an XMFan regular and have been following developments). As for "hack factor" at least three separate people or groups have separately done the XMDirect protocol translation. If you have the right equipment, it's probably about an afternoon's work - just hook up two serial monitors side by side and dump away. So there isn't that much hack cred to speak of in this. Furthermore, if you're comfortable with a soldering iron, you can trivially build an XMPCR-compatible unit out of a SkyFi with a DB9 header, a MAX232, and an optical adapter board.
There was no reverse engineering of the service itself by these guys, or of the XM Tuner unit. The tuner module found in every XM unit speaks the same serial protocol as the PCR, and the PCR protocol was deciphered ages ago by dobbz, nsayer, and others from the XMFan board (and later apparently nsayer was assisted in filling in the gaps by XM themselves when they actually supported the 3rd party XMPCR development community).
This is just a serial protocol translator, one of at least 3 or 4 separate implementations that have popped up in the last 3 or 4 weeks - a modest reverse engineering of the XMDirect's headunit protocol, translating (probably 1:1) serial commands to the internal tuner (tincan) serial format.