While Best Buy’s HD Radio may not meet our mobile audio needs, we’ve got two new and solid contenders in the digital streaming space.

As promised at CES, Slacker is now available for webOS and can be downloaded via the App Catalog. And, fortunately, I just so happen to have Kevin Tofel’s Palm Pre on hand (pic above). Of course Slacker rocks. And the app functions much like you’d expect it to. Although, as a webOS n00b, I’ve had to get used to finger swiping in lieu of tapping a back button. Otherwise, it’s quite comparable to their other mobile apps – a wide variety of “radio” stations and the option of upgrading to a paid subscription (~$50/yr) to display song lyrics, provide unlimited skips, and do away with all advertising.

Also new today is the Sirius XM app for Blackberry. I’m still somewhat down on Sirius XM these days (and will probably cancel yet again in the near future). But grandfathered subscribers or those willing to pay the online streaming surcharge ($3/mo), should find this app nicely rounds out satellite radio’s mobile offerings.

Sirius XM announced two new XM receiver devices this week – the Skydock ($120) and the Onyx ($80). Both are scheduled for a fall delivery and, I’m guessing, they’re targeting different audiences. While choice is good, I’m not sure the Skydock will be worth the 50% premium over the Onyx for most.

The XM Skydock essentially turns an iPhone or iPod touch into a satellite display and controller tethered inside a car. Whereas the Onyx, for $40 less, sticks with the more traditional plug & play receiver form – and is bundled with a vehicle kit, but presumably home kits and maybe even boombox accessories (like this) will be available. Making it a more practical option for many. One device, one subscription, multiple locations.

Additionally, as most folks know, the iPhone has a small problem with third party multitasking. Meaning, that while an iPhone may make a great satellite receiver when paired with the Skydock, you’ll have to stop the music to navigate or take a call. (Sirius XM could have minimized this limitation by integrating some sort of speakerphone functionality, perhaps utilizing the car speakers.)

I’ve got XM built into my vehicle, so I won’t need to make this decision. But I’m wondering on which side other folks will fall. Assuming you find satellite radio worthwhile.

Real’s finally extending the Rhapsody music service to the iPhone and intend to submit their new app to Apple for approval this week. However, unlike other Rhapsody to Go mobile devices, gdgt reports local storage ain’t in the cards. Meaning we won’t be listening to any of Rhapsody’s 8 million song library on a plane.

Unlike a (free to inexpensive) Slacker or Pandora, Rhapsody essentially lets you stream any artist, song, album in addition to custom playlists. At $15/mo, I’m not sure they’ll pick up many new customers. But iPhone owners who enjoy Rhapsody on multiple platforms, like Sonos and TiVo, will likely welcome this app (despite its $3/mo mobile surcharge, similar to Sirius XM) to the fold.

Click to enlarge gdgt’s screengrabs:

At a time when folks are clearly cutting back on discretionary spending, it’s somewhat counter-intuitive to see the newly flush-with-cash Sirius XM raising rates. A blogging buddy received the email blast above earlier this week regarding his $1.98 service fee increase – something he likens to corporate “suicide.” While it may not reach harakiri levels of gore, the fallout from this tacked on “Music Royalty Fee” may not pretty.

At $12.95 a month, and without online streaming, XM Sirius service ran more than I was willing to pay when I canceled last fall. However, I rejoined this spring upon discovering a half off prepay dealio ($77/yr) on Fatwallet. And have been enjoying Lithium in my car ever since.

So I’m wondering where the sweet spot is – How much is Sirius XM worth to you?

Several months after crushing StarPlyr, XM Sirius has gotten around to launching their own streaming iPhone client. And, as you might expect, premium content such as Howard Stern and the NFL is not available. For long time subscribers, the app is probably a nice (free) bonus. But for newer subscribers, ‘Premium Online’ is bundled with the most pricey satellite packages or available as a $3/mo add-on.

After my rather vocal XM cancellation (which ended up in the NYTimes) last fall, I recently resubscribed to XM after upon finding a half price deal ($77/yr) in the Fatwallet forums, giving up on AT&T’s network (‘less bars is more places’) for continuous music streaming, and XM proving disco isn’t dead. So I’m a new subscriber all over again, but online playback is no longer included as part of my subscription.

For a company with stagnant subscriber growth and imminent rate hikes, giving away online access could help stop the bleeding and attract new customers. Or it may not matter at all… with the very fine Slacker and Pandora products available (for free) in both desktop and mobile clients. If I’m paying an additional few bucks a month for commercial-free music, it’s going to Slacker.

Click to enlarge:

TiVo and Verizon aren’t the only providers piping interactive Internet-based services to your set-top box. DISH Network has launched Fandango movie ticketing service on channel 100. The OpenTV-powered application isn’t limited to broadband-connected DISH hardware, and tickets can even be ordered over a connected phone line. By default, the app displays movies and showtimes near a customer’s zip code. However, the search can be expanded/customized. And a future rev of the Fandango widget will include movie trailers.

Click to enlarge:

I hadn’t intended to cover the Sirius XM (SIRI) pre-bankruptcy chatter, however a personal request over on Twitter has encouraged me to offer my two cents. As I tweeted, it’s no secret that the merged satellite radio company has a ton of debt coming due – owning/launching satellites and (perhaps) overpaying talent adds up.

Under “normal” economic conditions, Sirius XM might have been able to renegotiate the debt and/or secure additional investment given their solid subscriber numbers and supposed efficiencies in bringing the two companies together. However, as most of us know, the credit markets are tight, investors are skittish, and consumers are pinching pennies. Bankruptcy may be the best thing for XM Sirius subscribers – allowing the company to unload and restructure much of this debt.

The wild card in how things unfold over the next week appears to be DISH Network and EchoStar CEO Charlie Ergen. It seems Echo recently acquired a chunk of Sirius’ debt and  may have even made an offer on the company. Which led me to speculate some of these public pre-bankruptcy disclosures are posturing for a better deal. Although Davis Freeberg, who’s much wiser in financial issues than I, doubts that particular point.

Regardless of how this plays out, I don’t see any immediate impact on subscribers. Satellite radio will carry on, for some time at least, regardless of who owns or runs the company.