Thread: Sirius Debuts The S50 Wearable

Sirius has started the marketing of the S50. A video clip from their website and details of this satellite radio / mp3 player.


Product Details

Marketing Video

...But can you listen to LIVE programming.?.?
Like the MyFi can.

Congrats to Sirius on re-inventing the tape recorder. Haha.

Originally Posted by Irish_Flyers

...But can you listen to LIVE programming.?.?
Like the MyFi can.

Congrats to Sirius on re-inventing the tape recorder. Haha.

Welcome to SatelliteGuys.us and the Satellite Radio Forum. Up to now this forum has done a great job of NOT being another Yahoo bash fest. As a moderator of this forum, I would like to keep it that way. If you have a personal review of a satellite radio or comments on satellite radio programming, critique away.

Enjoy and please contribute to SatelliteGuys.us.

Sorry if you felt I was bashing it, Rich. I was having a little fun, (hence the smilies).

Granted the fun was at the expense of Sirius' shortcoming in the technology dept, but it was just a little humor there. I don't feel I was being anything like the Yahoo boards can be.

And even though it was short, what I wrote can be considered a critique. The S50 may be wearable, but you can't listen to Live shows. That's a critique.

It says right on the link to the product details

"Simple:
Pause, Rewind and Fast Forward Live Programs"

Am I missing something here or are you?

Irish is referring to the myfis ability to walk around with it and receive live programming out of the car kit or cradle. The Sirius S50 can not do this. It can only receive programming while in the carkit or homekit

Originally Posted by minorthr

Irish is referring to the myfis ability to walk around with it and receive live programming out of the car kit or cradle. The Sirius S50 can not do this. It can only receive programming while in the carkit or homekit

Here is the history of the development of the S50 via an interview with the designer. If read, you will see the reasons for the emphasis on portability.

Ziba is the creative firm that had a hands on involvement with the product design of the upcoming Sirius S50 unit. The S50 was a departure from Sirius’ previous device approach in that an extreme amount of focus was placed on form-factor, from the ergonomics of the unit to the out of box experience (OBE), every aspect of the S50 was considered. Many feel that this eye for design was what was responsible for the success of the iPod, and this seems to be the same approach Sirius is shooting for. Design is everything.

Form follows function though. So it was not enough to ensure that the S50 not only looks good, but it must function intuitively in the hands of the listener.

Orbitcast got the chance to interview the Creative Director from Ziba, Steve McCallion, who worked on the Sirius S50 project. Ziba has a reputation as being an extremely high-end firm, with clients such as Starbucks, KitchenAid and Motorola - so when Sirius approached them for work on the S50, they were up to the challenge.

Read the full interview after the jump…

Sirius S50Q: Before we continue, please introduce yourself and explain to our readers what was your involvement in the design process for the S50.

Steve McCallion, Creative Director, Ziba Design. Responsible for guiding the team of industrial designers, graphic designers, interaction designers and engineers that envisioned and delivered the S50. The core team included Brandon Burroughs, project manager; Paul O’Conner, lead designer; and Jamian Cobbett, Design Director. The team was lead by Laura O’Donnell on Sirius’ side.

S50-2.jpgQ: Like many others, we were surprised to see the level of detail put into every aspect of the unit. This admittedly is a bit of a departure from Sirius’ previous units. Did it take some convincing from Ziba to accomplish this, or did Sirius already consider design as a priority?

Sirius is very committed to enhancing the overall experience that someone has with its service. The folks at Sirius understand that the physical product is a key aspect of this experience. They’ve been great.

S50-3.jpgQ: What sort of limitations needed to be considered when coming up with concepts for the S50?

The biggest challenge with satellite radio is the ability to receive live signals in a portable configuration. Making the product live in all environments was in direct conflict with making a highly portable product. Our research determined that in many scenarios, portability was more important than live. As a result, we were able to create a highly portable product that is live when docked.

S50-4.jpgQ: The car dock, home docking station, and the executive speakers all have a consistant look-and-feel, did Ziba have a direct involvement on those pieces of the project as well? or did you set guidelines for the manufacturer to follow?

Paul O’Conner our lead designer was responsible for designing the entire family. The goal was to create a brand language that captured the spirit of Sirius.

S50-5.jpgQ: Tell me about the “tilt-wheel,” what was the inspiration behind that, and what was the process that led up to it’s development?

We call it the Media Dial. The concept is reminiscent of stereo receivers we’re all familiar with, but it has the added functionality of media control. We explored a number of different controllers searching for a solution that connected with people both functionally and emotionally. We wanted it to be simple and approachable, but express the new technology as well. The Media Dial connects the old with the new.

S50-6.jpgQ: I noticed a perforated backing for the unit - was heat a factor that needed to be addressed?

Heat was definitely a factor, but the perfs were really about treating the back of the product with the same level of detail as the front. Hand held products need to be designed in the round. The perfs enhance grip and provide a nice little surprise when you hold the device.

S50-7.jpgQ: With the release of the iPod nano in black, and it’s level of popularity when compared to the white unit, as well as the new iPod video being offered in black - how was Ziba able to predict that ‘black is the new white’ when selecting the color of the unit?

Colors go in cycles. Apple reset our expectations that a consumer electronic had to be black. That worked for a while, but the writing was on the wall. The S50 is a counterpoint to the iPod. It’s an iPod that you don’t have to manage. We wanted to make it black to emphasize this difference and reconnect the S50 with radio (traditionally black). Ironically, making it black is considered new due to Apple’s ability to shift our perceptions. The Dark Ages have returned.

Q: Did Ziba have a hand in the interface design, or was that handled separetly by Sirius?

We developed the interface as part of the overall product development. The goal was to create an integrated product experience.

Q: In a perfect world where there are no limitations, what would you add to the Sirius S50 to help convey the design concept further?

In a perfect world, satellite technology would be small enough that the device could receive live signals in all environments. Until then, we’ll rely on satellite casting and memory to fill in the times you don’t have a signal.


Orbitcast Interview

So when you're not docked, it can't get a live signal. That is incredibly lame. I stopped reading the article at that point. If you can't get a live signal, development should have ceased or been shifted to a new team who understands what people buy portable satellite radio devices for.

Booooo

Originally Posted by Purogamer

So when you're not docked, it can't get a live signal. That is incredibly lame. I stopped reading the article at that point. If you can't get a live signal, development should have ceased or been shifted to a new team who understands what people buy portable satellite radio devices for.

Booooo

If you had finished reading the interview it says the technology of a true portable satrad receiver that gets a consistent signal is not here yet.
Some think of the S50 as an iPod with the benefit to record not only personal WMA and mp3 files from your PC but Sirius content as well. The S50 has a ton of features not found on the iPod. Maybe you should read about them.

Obviously it is not for everyone and it was not meant to be. Personally, I can't wait to get one. When I do get my hands on one, I will write a review on this thread.