Slacker G2 2GB, G2 4GB, G2 8GB, G2 User Manual

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Slacker G2

User Guide

Version 1.0 September 16, 2008

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Table of Contents

Part I

Part II

Part III

Introduction Using the Slacker G2

................................................................................................................................... 51 System Requirements

................................................................................................................................... 62 Slacker G2 Features

................................................................................................................................... 73 Powering the Slacker G2

................................................................................................................................... 74 Low Battery

................................................................................................................................... 85 Charging the Slacker G2

................................................................................................................................... 86 Using the Scroll Wheel

Getting Started

................................................................................................................................... 101 Overview

................................................................................................................................... 102 Activate Slacker Personal Radio Player

................................................................................................................................... 113 Install the Slacker USB Station Refresher

................................................................................................................................... 124 Refresh the Slacker Personal Radio Player

.......................................................................................................................................................... 12Refresh Overview

.......................................................................................................................................................... 12Connect via Wi-Fi

.......................................................................................................................................................... 13Enter a Network Key

.......................................................................................................................................................... 14Connect via USB

................................................................................................................................... 155 Add Slacker Radio Stations

................................................................................................................................... 156 Remove Slacker Radio Stations

................................................................................................................................... 167 Reorder Slacker Radio Stations

................................................................................................................................... 168 Subscribe to Slacker Premium Radio

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Part IV

Part V

Part VI

Navigating the Slacker G2

................................................................................................................................... 181 Overview

................................................................................................................................... 182 Now Playing

................................................................................................................................... 193 MENU

................................................................................................................................... 204 Status (Top Row Icons)

Stations

................................................................................................................................... 211 Station Overview

................................................................................................................................... 212 Playing a Station

................................................................................................................................... 223 Favorite & Ban Songs

Library

................................................................................................................................... 241 Library Overview

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................................................................................................................................... 242 Add Songs & Playlists

................................................................................................................................... 253 Navigate the Library

................................................................................................................................... 264 Remove Songs from the Library

................................................................................................................................... 265 Play a Folder

................................................................................................................................... 266 Shuffle Play Library

................................................................................................................................... 277 Select Specific Songs

................................................................................................................................... 278 View Songs in Current Playlist

................................................................................................................................... 279 Repeat Songs in Current Playlist

................................................................................................................................... 2810 Change Library View

3Contents

Part VII

Part VIII

Part IX

Part X

Playlists

................................................................................................................................... 291 Playlists Overview

................................................................................................................................... 292 Create a Playlist

................................................................................................................................... 303 Play a Playlist

................................................................................................................................... 304 Remove a Playlist

................................................................................................................................... 305 Shuffle a Playlist

................................................................................................................................... 316 Edit a Playlist

................................................................................................................................... 317 Clear a Playlist

Settings

................................................................................................................................... 321 Feature Settings

................................................................................................................................... 342 Reset Settings

................................................................................................................................... 343 About

Slacker Support Troubleshooting the Slacker G2

35 36

Index 38

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1 Introduction

The Slacker G2 Personal Radio Player is the revolutionary way to take your Slacker Radio stations with you wherever you go. Built-in Wi-Fi automatically refreshes your personalized Slacker stations and the music plays whether you are connected or not. You also can play your personal music collection and custom playlists. Plus, the large 2.5” screen displays album art, artist information, and album reviews in vivid color.

The Slacker G2 comes with the following:

· Slacker G2 Personal Radio Player

· Earphones

· USB cable

· Power adapter

· Carrying case

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2 Using the Slacker G2

2.1 System Requirements

You do not need additional hardware or software to play Slacker Radio stations on the Slacker G2. However, you will need a computer with access to an Internet connection in order to access the Slacker Web Player, which enables you to set up and manage the Slacker Radio stations on your Slacker G2.

For the best Slacker Web Player experience, we recommend using a high speed connection and one of the following configurations:

Windows XP + SP2 Operating system

· Internet Explorer 6.0 (Windows Media Player 9.0 or higher)

· Internet Explorer 7.0 (Windows Media Player 9.0 or higher)

· Firefox 1.5 or 2.0 (Flash Player 8.0 or higher)

Introduction 5

Windows Vista Operating system

· Internet Explorer 7.0 (Windows Media Player 9.0 or higher)

· Firefox 1.5 or 2.0 (Flash Player 8.0 or higher)

Apple Mac OSX

· Safari 2.0 (Flash Player 8.0 or higher)

· Firefox 1.5 or 2.0 (Flash Player 8.0 or higher)

And when you refresh the stations on your Slacker G2, you will need one of the following:

· Wi-Fi NOTE: The Slacker G2 is compatible with Wi-Fi routers that use 802.11a, b, or g wireless

network protocols.

· USB port NOTE: USB is supported only on computers running Windows XP SP2 or Vista. In addition,

USB is the only method that allows you to transfer personal content. Thus you cannot transfer content on computers running Mac or Linux.

For the latest software updates please visit these sites:

Microsoft Internet Explorer Mozilla Firefox Adobe Flash Player Windows Media Player

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Apple Safari

2.2 Slacker G2 Features

The Slacker G2 features a convenient scroll wheel and simple buttons.

· Favorite - Press the Favorite button to rate a Slacker Radio song as a “favorite.” Favorites will be played more often on that station. If you have a Premium Subscription, your favorites are saved to the Slacker G2’s Library and can be listened to anytime. Rating songs as Favorites affects what will be played only on that station. See also, Favorite & Ban Songs.

· Earphone Jack - Plug your earphones into this jack. The jack accommodates a standard 1/8

inch headphone jack.

· Volume - Raise and lower the volume.

· Ban - Press the Ban button to ban a Slacker Radio song from being played again on that

station. You ban songs on a per-station basis, not all stations. See also, Favorite & Ban Songs.

· Scroll Wheel - The Scroll wheel is the primary control for navigating around the Slacker G2. Click it to select a menu item. For more details, refer to Using the Scroll Wheel.

· Home - Press the Home button to take you back to the previous screen. Press & hold the button to go to the MENU.

· Lock - Place all of the buttons in a Hold state by sliding the switch up and leaving it in that position. Slide the switch down to unlock.

· Skip Forward - Skip to the next song.

· Accessory Connector - This is how you will connect the Slacker G2 to Slacker accessories.

· Play/Pause - Play and pause the currently playing song. Press & hold this button for 5 seconds

to power on or off the Slacker G2. See Powering the Slacker G2 for more details.

· Skip Back - Skip to the previous song. (Library and Playlists only)

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· USB Port - Plug one end of the USB cable into this port and the other end into your computer. The connection allows you to update radio station content if you have an Internet connection. Also, it enables you to transfer your personal music collection to your Slacker G2. This port also

allows you to charge the player with the Power Adapter.

2.3 Powering the Slacker G2

To power your Slacker G2 , do the following:

· ON: Press & hold the Play button for a second.

· OFF: Press & hold the Play button for 5 seconds.

The Slacker G2 will power down automatically after 2 minutes if it is not playing any music AND you are not interacting with it.

If the Slacker G2 is playing music but you are not interacting with it, the player will shut off the screen in order to conserve the battery. If this happens and you want to view the screen, you can press the

Home button or move the scroll wheel to turn on the screen again.

Using the Slacker G2 7

NOTE: Use the Backlight Time setting to determine how long the screen remains lighted when you

are not interacting with it.

See Also:

Low Battery

2.4 Low Battery

When the battery runs low, the Slacker G2 will display a warning message. You can click the scroll wheel to dismiss the message and the player will continue running. If you ignore the message, then the Slacker G2 will power off.

The Slacker G2 provides up to three warning messages. Once the third message is displayed, you can click OK, but the player will be able to run only for another minute or two. You must charge the battery. If you ignore the third message, then later when you charge the Slacker G2, the player will go through the restart process, which can take up to 30 seconds.

IMPORTANT: If you let the battery run out completely and then plug the Slacker G2 in to charge,

the screen may be blank for a few minutes. However, the screen will turn on and the player will go through the restart process.

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2.5 Charging the Slacker G2

You can charge the Slacker G2 two ways. The USB cable and Power Adapter are packaged with the Slacker G2.

NOTE: While you are charging the Slacker G2, you cannot power it off.

· Plug the USB cable into the Slacker G2 and into the Power Adapter. Plug the Power Adapter into an AC outlet. You will be able to play music while the player is charging. When you plug in

the player to an AC outlet, the player automatically attempts refresh its content via a Wi-Fi

network.

· Plug the USB cable into the Slacker G2 and your computer. When you connect your Slacker G2, it will display a status screen. You will not be able to play music while on this screen. To

return to normal operation, simply unplug your Slacker G2.

2.6 Using the Scroll Wheel

The scroll wheel is your primary method of interaction with the Slacker G2. It enables you to scroll to areas on the screen and select the items. There are four actions:

· Scroll: Use your thumb to rotate the wheel up or down. As you do, the selection bar on the screen moves with the scrolling. Use this to navigate to the desired item on the screen such as a button or a song.

· Click (or Single-Click): This is a quick press & release. Use this to select items on the screen.

· Double Click: Quickly press & release the scroll wheel twice. Use this to add songs from your

Library into the Current Playlist.

· Press & Hold: Press down the scroll wheel, but do not release it until the Slacker G2 displays a menu. The menu is a “contextual options” menu, similar to a right-click menu on many

computer software applications.

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Using the Slacker G2 9

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3 Getting Started

3.1 Overview

Your Slacker G2 comes loaded with great Slacker Radio stations. You can listen to these stations without taking any other steps. But you will need to refresh your stations after 30 days to renew music licenses. And you will need to refresh if you want to add new stations to your Slacker G2. When you refresh your stations, the Slacker Radio service downloads new content onto your player.

To get started, go through a simple set-up tutorial:

www.slacker.com/start

This tutorial will walk you through the basic steps:

· Activating your Slacker G2.

· Selecting the stations you want on your Slacker G2.

· Installing the Slacker USB Station Refresher.

· Connecting to the Slacker service by Wi-Fi or USB to refresh the stations on your Slacker G2.

You only need to activate your Slacker G2 one time. But you will select and refresh stations multiple times. The instructions for all of the steps in the tutorial are presented below in the order you perform

them during the tutorial.

NOTE: The tutorial will cover all of the tasks. But you may wish to refer to these sections during the

tutorial for additional detail. Or you may wish to refer to them in the future if you repeat any of these tasks.

3.2 Activate Slacker Personal Radio Player

Each Slacker Personal Radio Player has a unique ID, called the Slacker Portable ID. You must have a Slacker Account and enter this ID into your Slacker Account in order to activate your player. Once your player is activated, the Slacker Radio service will know where to send your Slacker Radio stations.

NOTE: If you already have a Slacker Personal Radio Player, you will need to create a new account

for this player. Or you can use your current account for this player and create a new account for your original Slacker player.

You activate your Slacker Personal Radio Player in Account Management. To activate your Slacker player, do the following:

1. Go to the menu Options > Account > Manage Account.

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3. NOTE: If you just have signed in to the Web Player, then you may not be asked to sign in to

Account Management.

In the section called Slacker Portable, click Edit.

4. Enter the Slacker Portable ID and then click Save.

NOTE: To find the Slacker Portable ID, navigate to Settings > About.

You may now refresh your Slacker G2 via a USB or a Wi-Fi connection.

See Also:

Getting Started 11

Refresh Overview

3.3 Install the Slacker USB Station Refresher

If you want to transfer your personal music collection from a computer to the Slacker G2, you will need to download and install the Slacker USB Station Refresher on that computer.

NOTE: If you only plan to refresh via Wi-Fi, then you can skip this step.

You are prompted to download during the Slacker online tutorial. However, you also can download the application as follows:

Download the USB Station Refresher. A message box is displayed.

1. Click the Save File button. The file is saved to your computer.

2. Double-click the file to start it. An Install wizard starts.

3. Follow the on-screen instructions until the installation is complete.

Then to transfer the files from your computer to the Slacker G2, you will use Windows Media Player. Refer to Add Songs to the Library for details.

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3.4 Refresh the Slacker Personal Radio Player

3.4.1 Refresh Overview

Refreshing is the process by which the Slacker G2 connects to the Slacker Radio service to update the music, add new stations or remove stations. The Slacker G2 connects to the extensive Slacker music library over Wi-Fi when in wireless range, or over USB when attached to an Internet connected PC.

NOTE: You cannot refresh your Slacker G2 until you activate it.

Instead of live streaming of songs, the Slacker G2 quickly fills itself up with personally selected music each time you connect. Depending upon the capacity, a player can hold up to 4,000 CD quality songs that are continuously refreshed to match your tastes and the radio stations you play. This means you don’t need a continuous connection to play Slacker Radio on your Slacker G2.

The Slacker G2 starts this process automatically when you plug it into an AC Outlet. In addition, you can start the refresh process manually. In order to start the refresh process, you connect to the

Slacker Radio service one of two ways:

· Wi-Fi

· USB

See Also:

Activate Slacker Personal Radio Player

3.4.2 Connect via Wi-Fi

You can connect to almost any Wi-Fi network. The Slacker G2 is compatible with Wi-Fi routers that use 802.11a, b, or g wireless network protocols. Slacker will work with many Wi-Fi connections, even

those that require a WEP or WPA security code. However, some Wi-Fi networks require you to enter additional information or check boxes prior to use. The Slacker G2 may not be able to access these types of networks.

If you do not have a Wi-Fi network at home, you can connect at many other locations:

· Any location that has an open Wi-Fi network, such as friends’ homes, the office, or a coffee shop.

· Any secure Wi-Fi network for which you have the network key.

· Any Wi-Fi hotspot that is supported by Devicescape.

Connect via a Wi-Fi network

From the MENU, scroll to Connect and click the scroll wheel.

The Slacker G2 will search for an available Wi-Fi network. If it can connect, it will, and then will

2. sign in to your Slacker Account and begin the refresh process.

NOTE 1: If the Slacker G2 cannot connect, it will display a list of networks that it found. Scroll

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Getting Started 13

to one of the networks and click the scroll wheel. The player will repeat the connection process.

NOTE 2: If the network requires a WEP or WPA key, the Slacker G2 will display a screen

where you enter the key. Once you enter the key, the Slacker G2 will attempt to connect to the network. If the Slacker G2 successfully connects to the network, the player will save the key so you do not have to enter the key the next time you connect to that

network. For details on entering the key, refer to Enter a Network Key.

A progress bar provides a visual guide to the time remaining until the refresh is complete.

3. Refreshing content can take from a few minutes to several hours depending on the amount of content that needs to be added. After the stations are refreshed, the Slacker service will download any saved Slacker Radio songs that you transferred from the Web Player. To transfer saved Slacker songs, refer to the Web Player Online Help.

NOTE: During the refresh process, you can press the Home button to return to the MENU and

use the Slacker G2. Pressing the Home button will not stop the refresh process.

When the refresh is complete, the screen will display a “Refresh Complete” message. Scroll to

4. Home and click the scroll wheel. The Slacker G2 will display the MENU.

Cancel a refresh

You can cancel a refresh mid-way through the refresh. From the Connect screen, click the scroll wheel. This selects the one menu option at the bottom of the screen, Cancel.

See Also:

Connect via USB Enter a Network Key

3.4.3 Enter a Network Key

WEP and WPA network keys are security PIN codes found on many personal and business networks. See your network administrator or booklet for information on where to find your network key. If you need to enter a key, you will be prompted to do so when you select the network. You will be presented with a text-entry window.

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Using the scroll wheel, do the following:

Scroll to the first number or letter you need and click the scroll wheel once. Repeat this step

1. for each character in the key.

NOTE: If you need to enter a lowercase letter, first scroll to the bottom of the screen and click

Lowercase. The screen then will display all of the characters in a lowercase format. The screen displays Uppercase at the bottom so you can return to uppercase letters. If you need to enter any symbols, scroll to the bottom of the screen and click Symbols.

NOTE: If you want to delete a character you entered, scroll to Delete and click the scroll wheel.

When you have completed the network key, scroll to Done, and click the scroll wheel. The

2. Slacker G2 now will attempt to access the network.

3.4.4 Connect via USB

Your Slacker G2 comes with a USB cable. You attach your Slacker G2 to your computer using this cable. In addition to refreshing your stations, USB is the only method that enables you to transfer your personal music collection from your computer to the player. Finally, the computer charges your Slacker G2 while connected.

NOTE: This method works with PC computers that have the Slacker USB Station Refresher

installed and running. You only can install this software on PCs running Windows XP or Vista. If you have an Apple Macintosh or Linux-based PC, you cannot transfer local music and you must connect via a Wi-Fi network.

Connect via USB

Plug the supplied USB cable into your PC and the other end into the Slacker G2.

NOTE: While connected to your PC, your Slacker G2 will go into a “connected state.” You will

not be able to listen to music or access any player's features until you unplug your player.

The Slacker G2 will display a screen to show that it is connecting to the Internet and signing in

2. to Slacker. Once signed in, the Slacker Radio station refresh process begins.

NOTE: A progress bar provides a visual guide to the time remaining until the refresh is

complete. Refreshing content can take from a few moments to several hours depending on the amount of content that needs to be downloaded. Your first Refresh and adding multiple stations often takes the longest. If you have saved any Slacker Radio songs, the Slacker service will download those songs after refreshing the stations.

When the refresh is complete, the screen will display a “Station Refreshed” message. Unplug

3. your Slacker G2. The player will display the MENU so you can play your stations.

NOTE: If you want to add music to your Slacker G2, do not unplug the player from the

computer in Step 3. Instead, refer to Add Songs to the Library.

See Also:

Connect via Wi-Fi Install the Slacker USB Station Refresher

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3.5 Add Slacker Radio Stations

You can add any Slacker Radio station to your Slacker G2, including genre, artist, and custom stations. You add stations from the Slacker Web Player with the Portable Manager tool. You cannot add them from the Slacker G2. The number of stations you can add depends upon your player's capacity.

NOTE: For more details on the Portable Manager tool, refer to the Web Player's Online Help.

Stations Listed in the Station Tree

In the left column, click the Portable button to navigate to the Portable Manager.

1. Click the Transfer Radio Stations tab.

2. NOTE: On the left is the station tree with a complete list of Slacker genre stations, your custom

stations, your recently played stations, and your favorite stations. On the right is a list of stations on your Slacker G2.

Next to each station on the left is an Add button. Click the Add button. The station will appear

3. on the right. You may add as many stations as your Slacker G2 can hold.

Getting Started 15

Click Save. The Slacker Radio service will update your Slacker G2 the next time you refresh

4. your player.

Stations NOT Listed in the Station Tree

In addition to the genre and custom stations, there are tens of thousands of artist stations. An artist station will not appear in the station tree unless you recently played it or saved it as a favorite. To add an artist station, do the following in the Web Player:

In the left column, click Stations. (If you are leaving the Portable Manager, make sure you

1. have saved your changes.)

In the Search for Artist Stations field, type in the name of the desired artist and click GO.

2. If there is an exact match, the artist’s station page is displayed. If not, a list possible matches is

3. displayed. Click the desired artist from that list and the station page is displayed.

On the station page, click Send to Portable Player.

NOTE: The Send to Portable Player button also is displayed on genre and custom station

pages.

3.6 Remove Slacker Radio Stations

You can remove Slacker Radio stations from the Portable Manager.

Sign in to the Slacker Web Player. In the left column, click the Devices button to navigate to the Portable Manager. Click the Transfer Radio Stations tab.

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In the right column, click the X button next to the station you want to remove.

4. Click Save. The Slacker Radio service will update your Slacker G2 the next time you refresh

5. your player.

3.7 Reorder Slacker Radio Stations

By default, your stations will be listed in alphabetical order. You can change the order so they appear in any order you desire. You reorder stations from the Portable Manager tool in the Slacker Web Player. You cannot reorder the stations from the Slacker G2.

Reorder Stations on Your Slacker G2

1. In the left column, click the Portable button to navigate to the Portable Manager.

2. Click the Transfer Radio Stations tab.

3. The stations on your player are on the right. Move a station in one of two ways:

· In the right column, click and hold on a station and then drag it to the desired spot.

Release the mouse button when done.

· In the right column, right-click on a station. A menu is displayed. Select Move Up or

Move Down.

Click Save. The Slacker Radio service will update your Slacker G2 the next time you refresh

5. your player.

3.8 Subscribe to Slacker Premium Radio

When you sign up for a Slacker account, you automatically get the Basic Radio subscription. With that subscription level, you may listen to pre-programmed stations, create and save your own custom stations, and skip through a total of 6 songs per station, per hour. Commercials that are relevant to your interests will play occasionally while listening.

Slacker Premium Radio includes all the great features of Basic Radio, and you also can do the following:

· Save radio songs to the Library to play on-demand

· Skip as many songs as you want

· Avoid ads - they'll never be played

· Request songs by your favorite artists

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Getting Started 17

· Go to http://www.slacker.com/products/radio/premium/ Follow the instructions on the website to learn more about and sign up for Premium Radio. You

can try Premium Radio for free.

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Now Playing

4 Navigating the Slacker G2

4.1 Overview

When you power on the Slacker G2, the player displays Now Playing information - album art and song details. Now Playing is the top half of a long screen. At the bottom of the screen is a menu - MENU that enables you to access all of the Slacker G2 features. To navigate between Now Playing and MENU simply turn the scroll wheel up and down.

4.2 Now Playing

Now Playing displays information about the currently playing Radio or Library song: album art, upcoming artist, and basic song details: title, artist, and elapsed time. This is the same information that you will find in the Now Playing views on the Slacker Web Player. From this screen, you can access additional information:

· Artist Biography: Scroll to the artist name and click scroll wheel. Displays a detailed biography of the artist.

· Album Review: Scroll to album art and click scroll wheel. Displays an extensive review of the album.

· Playlist: Scroll to the song title and click scroll wheel. Displays a list of the songs from the currently playing station, playlist, or Library.

NOTE: When you are playing your personal music content, the Slacker G2 may not have Artist

Biography and Album Review information.

To exit from these three views, press the Home button. You return to the album art.

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Artist Biography

Album Review

Song List

Access Now Playing

You can access Now Playing the following ways:

Navigating the Slacker G2 19

· From MENU, Stations, Library or Playlists, scroll up till the player displays Now Playing.

· From Settings & Connect, press & hold the Home button, and then scroll up till the player

displays Now Playing.

4.3 MENU

There are five items in the MENU:

· Stations

· Library

· Playlists

· Settings

· Connect

To select any of the items, use the scroll wheel to scroll to the desired item. When the item is highlighted, click the scroll wheel once.

Access the MENU

You can access the MENU from any point in the Slacker G2 one of two ways:

· Press the Home button to go back to the previous screen.

· Press & hold the Home button to return to the MENU in one step.

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Battery icon: This icon always is displayed and shows the battery strength or AC

power.

Title: This can display one of three titles:

Name of the Slacker Radio station Name of your saved playlist “Current Playlist” if you are playing music from the Library

USB icon: This is displayed when the Slacker G2 is connected to a computer via

USB.

Wi-Fi icon: This is displayed when the Slacker G2 is connected to a Wi-Fi

network.

4.4 Status (Top Row Icons)

The top row of the screen shows you status information:

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5 Stations

5.1 Station Overview

Your Slacker G2 comes pre-loaded with Slacker Radio stations. These are ready to play. To listen to other stations not loaded on your player, refer to Add Slacker Radio Stations.

Navigating the Slacker G2 21

See Also:

Add Slacker Radio Stations Remove Slacker Radio Stations Reorder Slacker Radio Stations

5.2 Playing a Station

To play a Slacker Radio station, do the following:

· Scroll to the desired station and click the scroll wheel.

The station will begin to play.

· Pause: Stop the song at the point it is playing. When you un-pause it will begin playing where you stopped. To pause a song, press the Pause button on the front of the player. To un-pause, press the Pause button again.

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· Skip Forward: Skip to the next song. If you are a Basic subscriber, you can skip up to 6 times per station, per hour. If you are a Slacker Premium subscriber, you will have unlimited skips. To

skip a song, press the Skip button on the front of the Slacker G2. NOTE: You cannot Skip Back when playing Slacker Radio Stations due to licensing

restrictions.

See Also:

Add Slacker Radio Stations Remove Slacker Radio Stations Reorder Slacker Radio Stations

5.3 Favorite & Ban Songs

It is extremely easy to customize any Slacker Radio station. You can rate a song as a favorite to tell Slacker you want to hear it more often. You also can ban a song to remove it from that station.

NOTE: There are additional ways to customize your stations. You can use the Edit Station feature,

which is available on the Slacker Web Player. For details on this feature, refer to the Web

Player Online Help.

Favorite

Rate the currently playing Slacker Radio song as a favorite. Slacker Radio will play that song more often.

· Press the button with the © on it.

The Slacker G2 displays a message to verify this rating. You can select "Yes Always" to hide this message in the future.

If you have a Premium subscription, Slacker will save that song to your Library so you can play the song whenever you want. To learn more about Slacker Premium radio, visit the Slacker website.

Ban

Ban a currently playing Slacker Radio song so that the station will not play that song again. Ban affects songs on a per-station basis, so you still may hear that song on other stations.

· Press the button with the on it.

The Slacker G2 displays a message to verify this ban. You can select "Yes Always" to hide this message in the future.

Remove a Rating

If you rate a song as a favorite or ban a song, you can remove that designation. However, you must

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Stations 23

go to the Web Player and edit that station in order to remove the designation. Refer to the Web Player

Online Help for details.

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6 Library

6.1 Library Overview

You access your personal music collection through the Slacker G2 Library. The Library holds the music files which you transfer from your computer. And if you have a Premium subscription, the Library also holds the Slacker Radio songs that you marked as favorites. The Slacker G2 can play MP3, WMA, and AAC music files transferred from your computer.

The Portable enables you to play music in your Library four ways:

· Play songs in a folder

· Shuffle all of the songs in the Library and play them in the shuffled order

· Select specific songs

· Playlists

The Software Player enables you to manage your personal music collection. The Library can display songs that you have stored on your computer. And if you have a Premium subscription, it will display all of the Slacker Radio songs that you saved. You can play any of the songs in your Library any time that you desire. However, the Slacker Radio songs only will be displayed when you are signed in to your Slacker account.

6.2 Add Songs & Playlists

You can transfer your personal music collection (songs) on your computer to your Slacker Library with Windows Media Player. The songs will be displayed in the Library. Your Slacker G2 supports MP3, WMA, and AAC files. To transfer saved Slacker songs, refer to the Web Player Online Help.

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Library 25

You also can transfer playlists, but you must use Windows Media Player 11 (or greater). The playlists will be displayed in Playlists, not the Library.

NOTE: You can transfer songs & playlists only with computers running Windows XP or Vista.

This feature is not support by Apple Macintosh or Linux. In addition, you must have

downloaded the Slacker USB Station Refresher on your computer as described in Install

the Slacker USB Station Refresher.

To add songs, you connect to the computer via the USB cable as you did to refresh your stations.

Plug the supplied USB cable into your PC and the other end into the Slacker G2.

1. While connected to your PC, your Slacker G2 will go into a “connected state.” You will not be

able to listen to music or access any player's features until you unplug your player. The

Slacker G2 will display a screen to show that it is connecting to the Internet and then signing in to Slacker. Once signed in, the Slacker service refreshes the stations. When it finishes, it displays the “Stations Refreshed” screen.

NOTE: During the refresh process, if you click Cancel, the Slacker G2 displays the “Ready to Transfer” screen.

On the “Stations Refreshed” screen, click the scroll wheel to select Transfer MP3s. The

2. Slacker G2 displays the “Ready to Transfer” screen.

NOTE: If Microsoft Windows displays the Portable Device dialog box, select the item

Windows Media Player and click the OK button. Windows Media Player may display a

“Device Setup” wizard. Follow those instructions.

NOTE: The first time you sync the Slacker G2, Windows Media Player make take a few minutes

to configure.

Drag-and-drop songs, folders, and playlist in Windows Media Player. (This process can vary

3. depending upon the version of Windows Media Player.)

When you are done adding songs, click the Start Sync button. You can repeat steps 3 & 4 as

4. desired.

Then unplug your Slacker G2 from the computer.

6.3 Navigate the Library

Navigate Folders

In most Library views, your songs will be listed in folders. To open a folder, do the following:

· Scroll to the folder and click the scroll wheel. One click opens the folder and a second closes the folder.

Navigate Songs

There are four ways to start playing music in your library: Play a Folder, Play Entire Library, Select

Specific Songs, and Play a Playlist.

Once you start playing music, you may Pause, Skip Back and Skip Forward any of the songs in your

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Library or in a playlist.

· Press the Play/Pause, Skip Forward, or Skip Back buttons on the front of the Slacker G2.

6.4 Remove Songs from the Library

You can remove songs from your Library. To remove a song, do the following:

From the MENU, scroll to Library and click the scroll wheel.

1. Scroll to the desired song and press & hold the scroll wheel. The Slacker G2 displays a menu.

2. Scroll to Remove and click the scroll wheel.

6.5 Play a Folder

You play one song in the Library and then the Slacker G2 continues to play the songs in the same folder.

The order of the songs can change depending upon the Library View. If you have selected a view where there are folders, such as “by Artist” or “by Album,” then the Slacker G2 will play all of the songs in a folder. If you have selected a view where there are no folders, such as All Songs, then the Slacker G2 will play all of the songs in the Library.

Play All Songs in a Folder

From the MENU, scroll to Library and click the scroll wheel.

1. Scroll to the desired song and click the scroll wheel to play the song.

6.6 Shuffle Play Library

Play all of the songs in your Library, not just a folder. The player shuffles the order of the songs before playing the music.

From the MENU, scroll to Library and click the scroll wheel.

1. Scroll to any song in the Library and press & hold the scroll wheel. The player displays a menu.

2. Scroll to Shuffle Play Library and click the scroll wheel.

NOTE: To view the list of songs, scroll to any song, and then press & hold the scroll wheel again. When the player display a menu, select View Current Playlist.

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6.7 Select Specific Songs

Select specific songs or folders, and add them to the Current Playlist. For details on the Current Playlist, refer to My Current Playlist.

From the MENU, scroll to Library and click the scroll wheel.

1. Scroll to the folder that holds the song you want to play and click the scroll wheel. The folder

2. will open.

Scroll to the desired song and double-click the scroll wheel to play the song.

3. OR Scroll to the desired song, and press & hold the scroll wheel. The player displays a menu. Scroll to Add to Current Playlist and click the scroll wheel.

Continue selecting songs.

If you are playing a radio station or there are no songs in your Current Playlist, the Slacker G2 immediately starts to play the song. If you already are playing the Current Playlist, the Slacker G2 appends the song to the end of the Current Playlist.

Library 27

6.8 View Songs in Current Playlist

You can view the songs that you’ve added to the Current Playlist.

· Scroll to Now Playing and click the song title. or

· Scroll to any song in the Library, press & hold the scroll wheel, and select View Current Playlist.

6.9 Repeat Songs in Current Playlist

When you enable Repeat mode, the Slacker G2 will play the music in your Current Playlist continuously. When all of the songs have been played once, the player automatically starts playing the first song in the list. If you disable Repeat, then the Slacker G2 will stop playing music once it finishes the last song in the list.

From the MENU, scroll to Library and click the scroll wheel.

1. Scroll to any song in the Library and press & hold the scroll wheel. The player displays a

2. menu.

Scroll to Repeat and click the scroll wheel.

NOTE: If there is a check mark to the left of Repeat, then the Repeat function is on.

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6.10 Change Library View

By default, the music in your Library is organized in a folder format by Artists. This is just one of 5 views.

· All Songs: Displays all the songs in your Library in alphabetical order. There are no folders.

· by Artist: Displays all the artists in your Library. Each artist is a folder and you click the folder

to see all of the songs you have by that artist.

· by Album: Displays all the albums in your Library. Each album is a folder and you click the folder to see all of the songs you have for that album.

· by Artist / Album: Displays all the music in your Library in folders, where the artist is the top folder and the album is a sub-folder.

· by Genre: Displays the music in your Library by genres. Each folder is a genre. Saved Slacker Radio songs are grouped by Slacker Radio stations. If you saved a Slacker Radio song on the Web Player and then transferred it to the Slacker G2, the song is listed in the folder called Saved Radio Songs.

NOTE: When you are playing your personal music content, the Slacker G2 may not display the

Artist Biography and Album Review information.

Change Library View

From the MENU, scroll to Library and click the scroll wheel.

1. Scroll to any song in the Library and press & hold the scroll wheel. The player displays a

2. menu.

Scroll to Library Views... and click the scroll wheel.

3. Scroll to the desired view and click the scroll wheel.

You also can change the view with the Library View Setting.

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7 Playlists

7.1 Playlists Overview

The Slacker G2 enables you to create playlists from the music in your Library. To navigate to these playlists, select Playlists from the MENU. You also can transfer saved playlists from a computer to your Slacker G2.

Library 29

Saved Playlists

You can create and save playlists on your Slacker G2. When you save a playlist, the player calls the playlist Playlist 1, Playlist 2, etc.

My Current Playlist

The first playlist always is My Current Playlist. This acts as a temporary playlist until you clear it or save it. You can add songs or folders to this playlist.

7.2 Create a Playlist

To create a playlist, select songs from your Library. The Slacker G2 puts the songs in My Current Playlist. Then you save the playlist.

NOTE: There already may be songs in My Current Playlist. To start with a “blank slate,” clear

My Current Playlist before you add songs.

From the MENU, scroll to Library and click the scroll wheel.

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Scroll to the song you want to add and double-click the scroll wheel OR press & hold the scroll

2. wheel and select Add To Current Playlist.

Repeat the steps to add and remove songs until you have made all desired change.

3. NOTE: If you scroll to a folder, press & hold the scroll wheel, and select Add To Current Playlist,

the Slacker G2 adds all the songs in the folder to My Current Playlist.

When done, scroll to any song and press & hold the scroll wheel. The player displays a menu.

4. Scroll to Save Current Playlist and click the scroll wheel. The Slacker G2 automatically names

5. the playlist for you, Playlist 1, Playlist 2, etc. You cannot change the name of the playlist.

7.3 Play a Playlist

Your playlists are stored in the Playlists feature. To play one of these lists, do the following:

From the MENU, scroll to Playlists and click the scroll wheel.

1. Scroll to the desired playlist and click the scroll wheel. The Slacker G2 displays the Now

2. Playing screen and plays the first song in the playlist.

7.4 Remove a Playlist

You can remove playlists. When you remove them, the songs on the playlist remain on the Slacker G2 (in your Library).

From the MENU, scroll to Playlists and click the scroll wheel.

1. Scroll to the desired playlist and press & hold the scroll wheel. The player displays a menu.

2. Scroll to Remove and click the scroll wheel. Repeat steps 2-3 to remove additional songs.

7.5 Shuffle a Playlist

You can shuffle the contents of the currently playing playlist. When you play a playlist (saved or My Current Playlist), the Slacker G2 displays the Now Playing screen. From this screen, do the following:

Scroll to the song title just under the Album Art, and click the scroll wheel. The player displays

1. the current playlist.

Scroll to any song and press & hold the scroll wheel. The player displays a menu.

2. Scroll to Shuffle Playlist and click the scroll wheel.

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7.6 Edit a Playlist

You can add songs to or remove songs from the currently playing playlist. When you play a playlist (saved or My Current Playlist), the Slacker G2 displays the Now Playing screen. From this screen, do the following to add or remove songs:

Add Songs

Press the Home button to go to the MENU.

1. Scroll to Library and click the scroll wheel.

2. Scroll to the song you want to add and double-click the scroll wheel OR press & hold the scroll

3. wheel and select the menu item Add To Current Playlist. The player adds songs to the bottom of the playlist. Repeat this step to add more songs.

Remove Songs

From the Now Playing screen, scroll to song title just under the Album Art and click the scroll

1. wheel. The player displays the list of songs in the playlist.

Scroll to the song you want to remove and press & hold the scroll wheel. The player displays

2. a menu.

Select Remove. Repeat steps 3-4 to remove more songs.

Playlists 31

Save Changes

Once you finish adding and removing songs, you must save the changes. If you don’t save the changes, the Slacker G2 will play the original (unchanged) version of the playlist the next time you navigate to Playlists and click that particular playlist.

Scroll to any song in the Library and press & hold the scroll wheel. The player displays a menu.

1. Select Save Current Playlist to save your changes.

7.7 Clear a Playlist

You can remove all of the songs from a My Current Playlist or any saved playlist.

From the MENU, scroll to Playlists and click the scroll wheel.

1. Scroll to the desire playlist and click the scroll wheel. The Slacker G2 begins to play the

2. playlist and displays the Now Playing screen.

Scroll to song title just under the Album Art and click the scroll wheel. The player displays the

3. list current playlist.

Scroll to any song and press & hold the scroll wheel.

Scroll to Clear Playlist and click the scroll wheel.

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Change the amount of time that the Slacker G2 remains idle before the player displays the Now Playing information.

From the MENU, scroll to Settings and click the scroll wheel.

From the Settings menu, scroll to Autoscroll Delay and click the scroll wheel.

Scroll to the desired duration and click the scroll wheel. The default setting is 10 seconds.

Change the length of time the backlight remains illuminated when you are not interacting with the Slacker G2.

From the MENU, scroll to Settings and click the scroll wheel.

From the Settings menu, scroll to Backlight Time and click the scroll wheel.

Scroll to the desired duration and click the scroll wheel. The default setting is 15 seconds.

8 Settings

8.1 Feature Settings

There are several feature settings: Autoscroll Delay, Volume Normalization, Backlight Time,

Brightness, and Library View.

Autoscroll Delay

Backlight Time

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NOTE: A shorter duration will save battery power and increase overall playtime on the

Slacker G2.

Brightness

Change the brightness intensity of the screen.

From the MENU, scroll to Settings and click the scroll wheel.

From the Settings menu, scroll to Brightness and click the scroll wheel.

Scroll to the desired duration and click the scroll wheel. 1 is the lowest (dimmest) setting and 5 is the brightest setting. The default setting is 3.

NOTE: A lower setting will save battery power and increase overall playtime on the Slacker

G2.

Select a sound to enhance a particular music genre or style.

From the MENU, scroll to Settings and click the scroll wheel.

From the Settings menu, scroll to Equalizer and click the scroll wheel.

Scroll to the desired sound and click the scroll wheel. The default setting is Off.

This setting levels the volume of the songs so that all songs play at the same volume.

From the MENU, scroll to Settings and click the scroll wheel.

From the Settings menu, scroll to Volume Normalization and click the scroll wheel.

Scroll to the desired setting and click the scroll wheel. The default setting is On.

View a list of the Wi-Fi networks to which the Slacker G2 has connected successfully.

From the MENU, scroll to Settings and click the scroll wheel.

From the Settings menu, scroll to Manage Wi-Fi Profiles and click the scroll wheel.

If you scroll to a profile and then press & hold the scroll wheel, the Slacker G2 displays a menu. From this menu you can delete a profile. If you delete a profile, you erase details about the network, such as a network key.

The Library View setting enables you to organize your music by songs, artist, album, artist/album, or genre.

From the MENU, scroll to Settings and click the scroll wheel.

From the Settings menu, scroll to Library and click the scroll wheel.

Scroll to the desired view and click the scroll wheel. The default setting is “by Artist.” You have the same choices as described in Change Library View: All Songs, by Artist, by Album,

Equalizer

Settings 33

Volume Normalization

Manage Wi-Fi Profiles

Library View

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by Artist/Album and by Genre.

The Slacker G2 displays a number of messages. You can hide any of the messages that have a "Yes Always" option. If you have hidden these messages and would like to display them again, use this setting. You will reset all of the messages, not one message at a time.

From the MENU, scroll to Settings and click the scroll wheel.

From the Settings menu, scroll to Reset Message and click the scroll wheel. The Slacker G2 displays a confirmation message that you have reset the messages.

You can reset the Slacker G2 to remove all data and restore original factory settings. When you reset the player, all of your radio stations, playlists, and Library content (including favorited songs) are erased. All of your Wi-Fi network settings are erased. And all of the settings are returned to the default state. However, your Slacker G2 still is associated with your Slacker account.

From the MENU, scroll to Settings and click the scroll wheel.

From the Settings menu, scroll to Factory Reset and click the scroll wheel.

The Slacker G2 displays a confirmation message asking you if you want to reset the player. Click OK to continue or Cancel to quit the reset.

If you click OK, the Slacker G2 displays one more message, "Are you sure?" Click Yes to reset the player or No to cancel the reset. If you click yes, the player restarts.

During the start-up, the Slacker G2 displays the message, "Performing Factory Reset. This may take a few minutes. Please wait." When done, the player displays the Now Playing information.

8.2 Reset Settings

You can reset all of the messages on the Slacker G2 or you can reset the entire player.

Reset Messages

Factory Reset

8.3 About

The About screen provides information about your Slacker G2. This information includes the Slacker Portable ID - which you use to activate your player, the firmware build number, and the manufacturing serial number.

From the MENU, scroll to Settings and click the scroll wheel.

1. From the Settings menu, scroll to About and click the scroll wheel.

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9 Slacker Support

Do you have any questions?

· Please visit the Slacker Support online at www.slacker.com/support.

· We also can be reached by sending an e-mail to [email protected].

· Talk with other members of the Slacker community on the Slacker Forums at

http://www.slacker.com/forum/.

On the Slacker Support website,you can read the latest FAQs and download a copy of the Slacker G2 User Guide.

This Help System

If you cannot find the exact Topic or phrase you're looking for, try using the Search feature located just above the Table of Contents or Index. Enter in the word or phrase you'd like help on and then click Submit. A list of relevant topics will be displayed that you may click on to view more information.

Settings 35

Page 36

First, you need to download and install the USB Station Refresher to install the drivers . You can download this program by going to http://www.slacker.com/support/ and clicking on the Portable Radio Tab. At the bottom of the Portable Radio section you will see the download button.

If you already have installed the program but you still are being asked for the drivers, then you can find them on your computer by browsing to the following folder C:\Program Files\Slacker\USB Station Refresher\driver. All of the needed drivers are located in that folder after the USB Station Refresher has been installed.

There are a number of applications that might be installed on a computer that will block the Personal Radio Player from being able to connect properly such as Anti-Virus Programs, Windows Defender, Firewalls, etc. If you are having problems connecting, then you will want to disable these types of programs temporarily. Once they are all disabled, then try connecting the Personal Radio Player again. If it works, then turn the disabled programs on one at a time until you find the program that is causing the problems. Once the program has been identified, then you may need to configure it to allow "ICS" (Internet Connection Sharing) to work properly with the application. Internet Connection Sharing is part of Windows XP and Windows Vista; we use ICS to make a connection to the Internet so we can refresh the Personal Radio Players.

The most common cause of this problem is a network conflict. Built into Windows XP and Windows Vista is a program called "ICS" or Internet Connection Sharing. The Personal Radio Players use this program to access the Internet and connect to the Slacker servers. When you use this program, it uses a network address of 192.168.0.1 for the connection. If you have another device on your home network, such as a router or modem (DSL/Cable) that also uses this same address, then it can cause a conflict. At this time, Microsoft does not allow us the ability to change the address for Internet Connection Sharing. Therefore, in order to resolve the conflict, you would need to consult the manual or manufacturers help on changing the IP address of the device causing the conflict with this address.

The Slacker G2 requires that the SSID be broadcast in order to connect to the Wi-Fi network. You can consult your Router manual for assistance in setting up the router to broadcast the SSID.

10 Troubleshooting the Slacker G2

If you are having any issues, please refer to these troubleshooting topics. If you still have questions after reviewing these topics, refer to Slacker Support.

When I Connect the Player to USB, It asks me to install the drivers for the device. Where are these drivers?

I have all the drivers installed, but the Portable Player gets stuck on "Connecting" when I try to refresh my Personal Radio Player via the USB port.

When I connect the Personal Radio Player to the USB port, I get a message about limited or no connectivity.

When I try to connect via Wi-Fi the Portable Player does not see my hidden Wi-Fi network.

My Slacker G2 downloaded a Software Update but then it did not install this update.

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Troubleshooting the Slacker G2 37

In order for the player to perform the Software Update, your player must have at least 50% battery life. If your player is under 50% charged, then you will need to attach the player to the AC adapter or your USB cable to a computer in order to charge the player. Once the batter has more than a 50% charge, unplug it from the adapter/cable and shut if off. The player automatically will start the upgrade.

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Index

- A -

About 34 Activate Slacker Personal Radio Player 10 Add Slacker Radio Stations 15 Add Songs & Playlists 24 Album Library View 28 All Songs Library View 28 Artist / Album Library View 28 Artist Library View 28

- B -

Ban a Song 22 Brightness 32

- C -

- N -

Navigate the Library 25

- P -

Play a Playlist 30 Play All Songs in Library 26 Playing a Station 21 Powering the Slacker G2 7 Premium Radio 16

- R -

Remove a Playlist 30 Remove Slacker Radio Stations 15 Remove Songs 31 Remove Songs from the Library 26 Reorder Slacker Radio Stations 16 Repeat Songs and Playlists 27

Change Library View 28 Charging the Slacker G2 8 Clear a Playlist 31 Connect via USB 14 Connect via Wi-Fi 12 Customer Service 35

- D -

Display Settings 32

- E -

Edit a Playlist 31 Enter a WEP or WPA Key 13

- F -

Favorite a Song 22

- L -

- S -

Scroll Wheel 8 Select Specific Songs 27 Shuffle a Playlist 30 Shuffle Play Library 26 Slacker G2 Features 6 Slacker Portable ID 10

- T -

Touch Strip 32

- V -

View Songs in Current Playlist 27

- W -

WEP Key 13 WPA Key 13

Low Battery 7