Pulsar 2.0 came out just two and a half weeks ago, but thanks to user feedback and input, we’ve already got a solid 2.1 update available for you! Working with a few visually impaired users, we’ve improved Pulsar’s accessibility greatly. It now works great with VoiceOver, so all users with visual impairment can enjoy satellite streaming!

In addition to accessibility improvements, we’ve added a Dock menu, which provides handy playback controls even while Pulsar is hidden. We’ve also added a Jump to Live command, which restarts live playback by jumping to the end of the pause buffer, and Growl notifications have also been improved to coalesce, meaning only one is shown on-screen at a time. These improvements, along with many small bug fixes, are all available in the free Pulsar 2.1 update.

Get It Now

If you listen to satellite radio via XM or SIRIUS, you’ll want to check out the Pulsar page to learn more, then download Pulsar 2. It’s a free update for all current owners of Pulsar, and new users can purchase for just $20.

A Complimentary License?

If you’re reading this site, it’s a good bet that you already own one of our current Mac OS X products. If so, for a limited time, you’re eligible for a complimentary license to Pulsar. Just visit this page.

If you don’t yet own any of our software, you can purchase right through our store, and obtain your Pulsar license right after.

At the beginning of the month, Rogue Amoeba reached an important milestone – we hit double-digits. Double-digits in workers, that is. On July 1st, our newest employee Chris Barajas took over as our technical support lead. With our newest hire joining alongside our three co-founders, five coders, and one designer, we’ve now got ten people working full-time.

You can see everyone on staff over at our Staff page. There you’ll also see that Lee Falin, who had handled support since the beginning of 2009, has now taken over development on Airfoil for Windows.

Anyhow, if you have any questions about any of our products, contact us directly for support as always. And if you do, be sure to say “Welcome!” to Chris!

Two weeks ago, Dan wrote about background audio in iOS 4, particularly as it related to Airfoil Speakers Touch. We’ve been working hard on getting background audio going in Airfoil Speakers Touch, and on June 30th, we submitted version 1.1. That update is now showing up in the App Store.

In addition to supporting background audio on iOS 4 (for the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS, as well as the third generation iPod Touch), this update features updated graphics for the iPhone 4′s Retina Display, and several other minor bug fixes. And of course, since Airfoil Speakers Touch is a free app, this is a free update.

So grab Airfoil Speakers Touch 1.1 from the App Store (if it’s not there yet, just wait for the App Store to update). If you haven’t used it yet, try out Airfoil to send audio all around your house!

We’ve just posted updates to both Airfoil for Mac and Airfoil for Windows. These are small updates, but both feature important bug fixes. They’re free updates, so grab them now.

We’ve also submitted Airfoil Speakers Touch 1.1 to Apple, for posting on the App Store. Dan wrote about this last week, and we’ve now completed our initial update. This version works in the background on iOS 4, which means you won’t lose your audio because you switched applications – hooray!

Our dislike for the App Store is well known, and we don’t have plans for further iOS apps at this time. However, we know thousands of users love Airfoil Speakers Touch, and we’re planning to continue updating it. We’ve even got plans for some new features, coming soon.

So, grab the latest Airfoil for Mac and/or Airfoil for Windows, watch for Airfoil Speakers Touch 1.1 (coming soon), and keep your eyes out for future news on Airfoil as well.

Hi, I’m David Dunham, Rogue Amoeba’s newest developer. My first project here was to create Pulsar 2. With today’s release, I’m pleased to be able to share what I’ve been up to.

What the Heck is Pulsar?

If you’re not familiar with it, Pulsar lets you listen to satellite radio (XM or SIRIUS) on your Mac. Using Safari to visit the XM or SIRIUS web sites is awkward, and times out after a certain period of listening. Pulsar has always been a far more convenient way to access those hundreds of channels.

Hold It Right There

With Pulsar 2, we’re moving past anything you can do with web access. Most notably, you can pause the live stream. Later, you can pick up listening without losing a beat. Or if you got interrupted and couldn’t pause, just go back and catch what you missed. But we also hold on to the last 3 hours, so you can go forward, and skip 10 seconds, a minute, or even to the next song.

For the Next/Previous Song commands, we rely on metadata from the server to tell us when songs start. This data isn’t always perfectly in sync with song changes, but coupled with the jump arrows (← & →), the commands are quite useful.

For those interested in the technical aspects of pause, we’re buffering to disk. A full 3 hour buffer takes up only about a gigabyte of space, and quitting Pulsar frees up the space.

Name That Tune

Back to song titles: we now provide two great ways to use them. First, if you’ve installed the Growl add-on (a free download from http://growl.info), Pulsar can briefly display a window like the one to the right each time a new track comes on. You’ll be able to see what’s playing, no matter what application you’re using.

Pulsar can also share your listening information by posting to your free Last.fm account (they call this “scrobbling”). Some channels announce the DJ breaks as songs, but Pulsar can usually avoid scrobbling them.

Designed For Use

Even though Pulsar is mostly about listening, we wanted to make sure that you get a great experience when you’re interacting with it. There’s a classy new look, thanks to our designer Christa. But the redesign also provides a simple way to reorganize your favorite channels, using drag & drop. And you can now access your favorites from the handy mini-player.

Check It Out

Pulsar was already the best way to listen to satellite radio on your Mac. Version 2 is better than ever. If you already use it, be sure to choose Check For Update from the Pulsar menu. Otherwise, download the free trial here.