SanDisk looks to Wi-Fi music with MusicGremlin buy

By Ed Oswald | Published June 11, 2008, 12:01 PM

SanDisk could be considering offering customers of its Wi-Fi enabled music players a method to download music directly to players, if its latest acquisition is any indication.

SanDisk's Sansa Connect is the company's signature Wi-Fi enabled player, which allowed for Yahoo Music Unlimited downloads wirelessly. With that service now defunct and users being transferred to Rhapsody, the company is likely looking to fill that hole.

Enter MusicGremlin. This music service will be folded into SanDisk's Sansa media player division, with its chief executive Robert Khedouri joining SanDisk as Sansa's services chief.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, and SanDisk did not say when the MusicGremlin service will be made available to customers with compatible players. Audio/video business unit head Daniel Schreiber did say the company's technologies will play a key role in the development of future products.

MusicGremlin has been around since 2003, and launched its own branded wireless player in 2006. However, with two major players -- Apple and Microsoft -- already hoarding that space, the service never took off.

Microsoft's Zune beat Apple's iPod in the race to make Wi-Fi a signature part of its overall value proposition. Apple followed suit with its iPhone and iPod Touch products a year later.

View comments by with a score of at least

Microsoft launches Office 2010 technical beta a few days early

A big week for Microsoft starts off with an out-of-sync surprise: the early release of the Office Technical Beta ahead of the launch keynote.

PDC 2009 Day 0: Vista is through

If there was any doubt in your mind that Microsoft is putting Vista behind it, the first session at PDC would eliminate it for good.

Windows Marketplace for Mobile launches on WinMo 6.0 and 6.1

No longer isolated to Windows Mobile 6.5, the Windows Phone app store has opened up to older versions of Windows Mobile.

Samsung releases another Android: where will it fit in with Bada approaching?

Samsung today announced the Galaxy Spica, sequel to its first Android handset destined for Europe and Asia.

Twitter to abandon 'politically biased' suggested user list

Twitter's suggested list of users to follow will be going away, says co-founder Biz Stone.

The Internet can still be a positive force, World Wide Web Foundation says

Sir Tim Berners-Lee's World Wide Web Foundation has launched worldwide operations.

Blockbuster's way down, but poised for a comeback

Though it took a serious beating in 2009, Blockbuster CEO Jim Keyes says the company can turn it around.

iTunes Preview doesn't go far enough to create Web-based option for store

Apple has rolled out iTunes Preview, a Web interface for browsing iTunes.

PDC 2009 Preview: The move to Office 2010 and Visual Studio 2010

The major focus of Microsoft's conference next week will likely be explaining why two pillars of its software sales strategy deserve to remain where they are.

Dell's first smartphone aids the Android onslaught

Longtime PC leader Dell has finally announced its Android-based smarphone.

After the Intel + AMD armistice: Do we really want a level playing field?

Scott Fulton On Point: One by one, the reasons for us to continue suspending the course toward open and fair competition in IT, are dropping like flies.