If you're a Verizon Storm owner and you've been having difficulties deciding what streaming radio service is best for you, let us help you out. Starting today, Slacker Radio is being pushed out automatically to all Verizon BlackBerry Storms. This is one of the few applications out of the social networking genre (IM clients, Facebook, MySpace etc.) to be pushed to devices directly from a carrier. The icon should already be on your device, but if not it should be popping up sometime today. The cool feature of this service is that while playing songs in Slacker, an icon will appear allowing you to easily purchase the track from V CAST Music with Rhapsody with one click. While some users will no doubt be upset that you can't avoid the Slacker push, it is definitely a cool addition to the already stellar Slacker service. Check out the full press release after the jump.
Press Release
VERIZON WIRELESS DELIVERS SLACKER RADIO TO BLACKBERRY STORM SMARTPHONES
Slacker Radio Application Lets Music Lovers Play Personalized Radio Everywhere and Buy Songs from V CAST Music While They Listen
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., and SAN DIEGO - Verizon Wireless has made it easier for music lovers to not only listen to their favorite music on the BlackBerry® StormTM smartphone, but has also given customers the ability to purchase and download those tracks - while enjoying the songs at the same time.
Over the next several days, customers using the BlackBerry Storm smartphone will see the Slacker Radio application icon appear on their handsets' home screens as it is pushed over-the-air. The Slacker Radio icon gives customers one-click access to a free version of one of the most popular personalized radio services available today.
This version of Slacker Radio also connects to V CAST Music, combining this exciting music application with Verizon Wireless' industry-leading mobile music service. When a song is being played using Slacker Radio and is one of the more than 4.5 million available in the V CAST Music with Rhapsody catalog, a V CAST icon will appear on the screen that will let customers easily purchase that track while it continues playing on the smartphone.
"Verizon Wireless is making it even easier for customers who want to experience music on their smartphones to find Slacker Radio, then connecting them directly to V CAST Music so they can take that music with them wherever they go," said Ed Ruth, director of partner management for Verizon.
"This combination is great for both serious music lovers and casual fans who want to listen to music when the mood strikes them."
"With the largest music library of any personal radio app, Slacker Radio makes your BlackBerry Storm smartphone the ultimate music player," said Jonathan Sasse, senior vice president of marketing at Slacker. "By integrating with V CAST Music, Slacker listeners will now have the ability to easily purchase music as they listen to their favorite stations."
The Slacker Radio application provides BlackBerry Storm smartphone users in the United States with a personalized music discovery and listening experience, pulling from more than 100 expert-programmed Slacker stations, over 10,000 artist stations or a nearly unlimited number of the listener's own custom-created stations. Features include station caching to storage memory, an intuitive interface optimized for touch operation with support for vertical and horizontal orientation, as well as "peek ahead," allowing the listener to see a preview of the next artist and album in their stations' rotations.
Customers who don't want the Slacker Radio icon on their home screens can hide it or move it to a folder.
Slacker Radio is included with Email and Web for BlackBerry plans, which begin at $29.99 when added to any Nationwide voice plan. For more information about products and services from Verizon Wireless, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or visit www.verizonwireless.com.
# # #
About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable and largest wireless voice and data network, serving more than 86.6 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with more than 86,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, visitwww.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
About Slacker, Inc.
Slacker is the world's first Personal Radio company offering "Your Radio Everywhere." Slacker allows music lovers to play highly personalized music online at the Slacker web site or on the go with Slacker Personal Radio players and mobile phones. Visit www.slacker.com for more information.
The BlackBerry and RIM families of related marks, images and symbols are the exclusive properties and trademarks of Research In Motion Limited.
