Streaming Internet audio hits the road with wireless broadband and embedded web services in an in-dash radio.
Two levels of tuning data subscription services are available:
The "Silver" package gives you access to a password-protected web site where you can set the preset buttons of your radio
using your web browser. Find new audio streams using the service provider's library, or enter your own favorite streaming audio locations.
The "Gold" option includes web access to your radio, and automatically delivers XML channel data to the radio, which presents it as "themed" groups (rock, hip-hop, country, sports, news, etc) of individual streaming channels (much like XM or Sirius).
An optional Tivo-like "personal audio recorder" captures scheduled programs, such as live concerts, sports and news. You can schedule these recordings over the web and listen to them at your driving convenience.
"Rodcasts" are user-created programs like podcasts, but with embedded links you can capture to your preset buttons: "If you'd like to hear more music like this, press and hold one of your preset buttons to save it now."
The entire Project Gutenberg library of electronic texts, including more than 17,000 books, could be made available using text-to-speech technology for those who prefer "books on tape."