Tech & Gadget Stream

SanDisk will be shipping its slotRadio device at the end of this month, so folks who are looking for an MP3 player of some repute minus the Apple logo can always give this a twirl to see if it suits them. This MP3 player comes with a microSD memory card slot for your choice of pre-loaded music, while others who prefer to do nothing but purchase music off the shelf can do so with the pre-loaded Billboard hits cards that will house more than 1,000 tracks that are already categorized by genre. You can pick up the slotRadio from March 31st onwards for just $99 a pop - and it comes with a card that already has more than a thousand songs.

Pioneer brags that its XMp3 device is the lightest portable XM radio in the market, and it doesn't look as though there will be anyone who will rise up to this challenge. That's all fair though, since the lightest MP3 player in the market will probably garner much more attention compared to a portable XM radio. Still, the Pioneer XMp3 is able to play back your favorite MP3 tunes when you are tired of tuning in to XM radio stations, and it comes with a microSD memory card slot for expansion purposes, an auto-record feature, a buffer that stores the last 30 minutes' worth of programms and a 100 hour storage space. You can pick up the Pioneer XMp3 for $280 a pop.

Sanyo was one of the first companies in the world that released a transistor radio, and nice to see them coming back to their roots with an update in the 21st century in the form of the Sanyo Internet Radio 227. This device comes with integrated Wi-Fi connectivity that makes it a snap for you to tune in to hundreds of online radio stations and podcasts from all over the world without having to fork out a single cent in terms of subscription fees. Don't worry about security as the Sanyo 227 uses an easy network key entry to work with secured wireless networks, searching via country or genre and can hold up to eight Internet station presets. Other features also include an FM stereo digital tuner with eight station presets just in case your area's Internet connection is hampered. The Sanyo R227 will be out in Canada before this month is over and will retail for $219.99.

Sirius Stiletto 2 is the official sequel to Sirius' first portable player, the Stiletto. As with the new Sportster, the Stiletto's feature set has remained basically unchanged, keeping the Wi-Fi and SD MP3 playback of the original, while now supporting up to 100 hours of program recording. I think this new Stiletto 2 is the best looking, best designed portable satellite-radio player I've yet seen. Probably the coolest new attribute is its MicroSD card slot. There's no limit (yet) as to the capacity you can use to amp up the onboard storage. The slot is stashed under the battery, because Sirius doesn't think you'll be passing those tiny memory cards around. Also new are 802.11g for Sirius' internet audio stream up to 128Kbps, and redesigned car and speaker docks. Features: * SIRIUS and more on the go: enjoy SIRIUS radio PLUS your own personal MP3 music library anywhere * Radio Replays: automatically stores hours of fresh programming * Schedule recording: rec...

While we're a bit skeptical of the company's claims to "redefine the listening experience," XM's new XpressRC radio does indeed look to be fairly impressive as far as satellite radios go, with it boasting a full-color split-screen display among other notable new features.  That screen will let you view information for your current channel on the left side, while letting you browse up to three other channels on the right side. Apart from that, the radio will give you a 60-minute buffer to let you pause and replay programming, and you'll be able to store up to ten of your favorite songs with the new "Songsaver" feature.  As with other satellite radios, you'll also be able to move it between vehicles, and make use of various docks and speaker systems for a little out-of-vehicle listening. Look for this one to set you back $170 when it rolls out this fall.