Third Sirius Digital Radio Satellite Launched Successfully
The Sirius">http://www.siriusradio.com/">Sirius Satellite Radio constellation will soon be in position, thanks to the successful launch November 30 of Sirius-3, the third satellite in the Sirius system. The transponders are being arrayed in geosynchronous orbits above North America for maximum radio coverage, which will begin in 2001. The previous two satellites were launched last summer and in early autumn.
Third Time Lucky?
On December 2, we posted an articlehttp://stereophile.com/news/120307samplerateconversion/">article; based on conversations with Benchmark Audio's John Siau, which described Siau's thoughts on the bit-transparency of later versions of iTunes. On December 9, Gordon Rankin weighed in with Wavelength Audio's thoughts">http://stereophile.com/news/121007fixes/">thoughts on the subject.
This Week's Sony DRM News
It has now been over a month since Mark Russinovich broke the story about Sony BMG's DRM software that installed root kit code onto consumers' hard drives—exposing infected computers to malware intrusions and reporting back to Sony's servers via spyware installed without consumers' knowledge or consent. Rather than growing stale, however, the story just keeps going and going as new details come to light almost every day.
Thomson Pushes Further into MP3 Territory
The MP3 digital music format continues to gain momentum. Only two weeks ago, Thomson S.A., the international electronics conglomerate (parent of RCA and ProScan), announcedhttp://www.stereophile.com/news/10436/">announced; a 20% investment in MusicMatch">http://www.musicmatch.com/">MusicMatch, Inc., the San Diego, California-based maker of management software for the upstart format. Last week Thomson took a further radical stance by announcing RCA's own MP3 player, the Lyra, to a gathering of more than 400 dealers at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas.
Thomson's IPO Helps RCA Regain Prominence
For the first time in more than 10 years, individual investors have a chance to own a piece of one of the oldest and most recognized names in the American electronics industry. As of November 1, RCAhttp://www.rca.com/">RCA; officially came back on the stock market, when parent company Thomson Multimedia made a successful initial public offering of 21 million shares. The stock (NYSE: TMS) debuted at $22.62 per share and closed Friday, November 5 at $29.25.
Three Days of Equipment, Music, and Advice Only Weeks Away
Just about a month away, HI-FI">http://www.hifishow.com">HI-FI '98, The Home Theater & Specialty Audio Show, will interest thousands of audio enthusiasts when it visits The Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel in Los Angeles, California from Wednesday, June 10 to Sunday, June 14, 1998.
Three Go Universal
For quite a while now, Pioneer and Marantz have stuck their necks out with the few universal SACD/DVD-A/DVD/CD players available. Not any longer, as Onkyohttp://www.onkyousa.com">Onkyo;, Teac and Yamaha join the club with new machines, aimed at consumers hedging their bets as to who will win the high-rez format wars.
Three Tenors Reach Global Audience, Play to Disappointing Crowd in Paris
The Three Tenors may have reached a global audience of 2 billion people during their performance prior to the final game of the World Cup, but they had only 80,000 fans on hand in Paris's Champs de Mars park, acording to estimates by Paris police. That number was only 10% of the anticipated 800,000, most of whom stayed away because of unseasonably cold and windy weather.
Three's a Company
Corporate consolidation has been likened to gravity: an inexorable, hard-to-resist force of nature always lurking in the background. D&M">http://www.dm-holdings.com">D&M Holdings, parent company of Denon and Marantz Japan, has clearly felt its effects, announcing last week its latest acquisition: McIntosh">http://www.mcintoshlabs.com">McIntosh Laboratory.
Threshold Audio Announces New Amp, Preamp
Making good on a promise reportedhttp://www.stereophile.com/news/10923/">reported; back in December of last year, Threshold">http://www.threshold-audio.com">Threshold Audio has returned the Threshold brand to the market with a new stereo power amplifier.