Cliq, acquista via DAB. Tivoli Internet radio

Fabio Zambelli, curatore della newsletter macintoshiana Setteb.it, mi segnala, da Macworld, la notizia del prossimo aarrivo di nuove radio DAB della serie Pure Digital. Grazie a una tecnologia UBC Media Group, chiamata "Cliq", gli apparecchi saranno in grado di acquistare e memorizzare una copia digitale dei brani ascoltati via DAB ma anche via Internet (sembra infatti che le Cliq radio saranno dual standard). In pratica è come avere un iTunes Store incorporato sul proprio apparecchio radio, mica male: ascolti un brano che ti piace e puoi scaricarlo direttamente in memoria (questa è una descrizione del sistema Cliq). Chissà che certe opportunità non possano alla lunga giocare a favore dell'adozione di tecnologie di radio digitale come il DAB.

Ma ecco il comunicato che Imagination Technologies, proprietaria del marchio Pure, ha rilasciato proprio oggi. Per vostra informazione lascio le anche le schede anagrafiche delle due società coinvolte

Imagination Technologies and UBC Media Group co-operate to deliver instant music purchase solution

25 June 2007
Imagination Technologies ("Imagination") and UBC Media Group ("UBC") announce that they have agreed to work together to create a service which will allow listeners to purchase music directly from DAB digital radios.
This service combines Imagination’s new DAB and Internet digital radio platform with UBC’s ‘Cliq’ instant music purchase technology, providing digital radio users with a "buy now" facility while listening to selected DAB radio stations. The service will capitalise on radio’s acknowledged ability to encourage music purchase.
Imagination Technologies will bring devices which support the Cliq service to market through its PURE Digital division, as well as providing part of the technology infrastructure on which the service will run. The exact commercial terms remain confidential, however UBC and Imagination will share revenues on music purchased via digital radio devices that are part of this co-operation and support the service. More details on this exciting new service and launch schedules will be announced at a later date.
Hossein Yassaie, CEO, Imagination Technologies, says: "This co-operation will allow both PURE Digital and other major brands that use Imagination Technologies’ digital radio platform to take digital music download to the next level. We are delighted to be working together with UBC on this exciting project."
Simon Cole, chief executive, UBC, says: "Imagination Technologies has been a major driver in the rapid rise of digital radio sales through its innovation in silicon products and investment in its PURE radio business. I am pleased that Imagination shares our vision of a fully interactive radio business and am confident that it will help us and the radio industry drive new interactive revenues in the same way it has driven the existing digital radio market."
Paul Smith, GM, PURE Digital, says: "Digital music download will be an important part of a package of services which will differentiate PURE’s future combined DAB and Internet radio products, and provide substantial added value to our customers and the radio industry."

Editor’s Notes
Imagination Technologies develops and licenses innovative silicon and software intellectual property (IP) for system-on-chip (SoC) devices targeting multimedia and communication applications. The company offers an expanding range of complementary IP cores, licensed by many of the world's leading silicon device suppliers including Intel, Renesas, Samsung, Sharp and TI. Imagination Technologies develops and licenses intellectual property (IP) for today's multimedia and communication devices and is the market-leading supplier of digital radio technologies. Its PURE radio brand is the UK’s number one overall radio supplier and has a market share of more than 20%, and Imagination Technologies’ IP is also in around 70% of the total digital radio installed base.

UBC Media is the UK’s largest independent producer of radio content, serving the commercial sector as well as the BBC with radio programming and production services. It also has an Interactive arm which is the leading supplier of interactive technology to DAB Digital Radio broadcasters in the UK. UBC is a specialist in digital broadcast technology and services, its digital data software is used by 40% of commercial radio stations in the UK. In the last 12 months, UBC has invested in the creation of a service, branded today as ‘Cliq’, which allows stations to transmit an encrypted track listing containing purchase information for the music they are playing. The service has the backing of major UK radio groups and record companies.

La notizia della prossima disponibilità delle radio DAB/Internet Pure Cliq fa il paio con un altro scoop, quello di Gizmodo su Tivoli NetWorks, nuovo modello della mitica Tivoli Audio che incorporando una interfaccia Wi-Fi consentirà di ricevere lo stream delle Web radio. NetWorks sarà in grado di ricevere anche l'FM analogica. Interrogato da Gizmodo sull'eventualità di un dispositivo Tivoli Audio compatibile con lo standard HD Radio/IBOC, il fondatore dell'azienda, Tom DeVesto, « said he wasn't interested in putting it in his boxes just yet. "We're not sure what's in it for the customer."» NetWorks sarà in effetti una famiglia di prodotti, per il quale è previsto un modello portatile, NetWorksGo. Tivoli dovrebbe gestire anche il servizio di directory delle 12mila stazioni radio che attualmente trasmettono su Web. Per sintonizzare una stazione l'ascoltatore dovrà semplicemente digitarne il nome o la sigla sul suo telecomando.

Today in New York, Tivoli Audio founder Tom DeVesto unveiled plans, what he called "five years worth of work," for two Internet radios modeled after the company's successful Kloss Model One and SongBook radios. The Kloss Model One look-alike will be called NetWorks, and the SongBook-styled one, shown above, will be the NetWorksGo. Price has not been announced, nor has a ship date, but the company is aiming for this fall.
The platform that Tivoli designed is supposed to make Internet radio as accessible as standard FM stations: You navigate by geographical region or genre using controls similar to the radio tuner, then drill down until you find the station you want. The larger NetWorks table player will have a remote that allows you to input stations (WFUV, WBYR etc.).
Tivoli will compile the list of stations worldwide, which at this point totals about 12,000. There are five preset buttons, but you'll also be able to store the creme-de-la-creme in a favorites folder for easy access.
The black NetWorksGo has rechargeable batteries nestled in their own built-in charger, which means you can use them or, if you're out of a charge, swap in storebought alkalines.
Both devices support Wi-Fi, and are compatible with WPA and WEP security. DeVesto says you input a password or key with the dial, which I suppose could be tedious, but he says only needs to happen once.
The radios will also be able to pull tracks (everything but iTunes DRM) from the PC, but DeVesto didn't mention what software provider would be used. I'm guessing something like ArcSoft CyberServer, but I could be wrong. Let's hope, whatever it is, it's easy. They also have USB inputs for playback of files locally.