Autonomic, makers of whole-house music systems, has announced new features and enhancements as part of their Mirage OS firmware version 5.3 release. The new firmware includes the addition of iHeartRadio, a free streaming music and digital radio service that enables users to easily access thousands of live radio stations from across the country as well as create custom stations based on a favourite artist or song. Mirage OS firmware version 5.3 also includes more album art available throughout the browsing experience using the Mirage Media Controller app for iOS/Android, enhanced KP-6 keypad functionality, auto-discovery for Lutron HomeWorks QS controllers as well as the introduction of Lutron Radio Ra 2 support. The addition of iHeartRadio gives Mirage Audio System (MAS) and Mirage Media Server (MMS) users the capability to create personalised custom stations featuring their favourite music by tapping in to a vast catalogue of more than 24 million songs from 830,000 artists. As the user identifies favourite songs with a “thumbs up,” iHeartRadio will curate stations just “For You” based on the music they enjoy most. iHeartRadio also features live streams of music events and thousands of on-demand podcasts from the best in news, sports, finance, comedy and entertainment. The “My Stations” feature enables users to save and easily access their favourite stations using Autonomic’s exclusive TuneBridge® feature, and the “Live Radio” function allows them to tune into live AM and FM radio stations based on geographic location and/or preferred genre of music. Control4: Mirage OS firmware version 5.3 is compatible with the latest Control4 driver (version 4.8X), improving the user experience significantly. New functionality includes single button access to stored favourites from the LISTEN menu—and stored favourites are added to Control4 favourites as well, making them accessible from keypads that do not have a built in display. Users will enjoy two-pane browsing on iOS, Android and new C4 panels, easier access to contextual menu item selection (play now, play next, etc.), intuitive switching between streaming service accounts, additional artwork throughout the interface resulting in a richer presentation and configurability to output various bitrates when pairing MMS with any 3rd party amplifier. 

“This new firmware including the addition of iHeartRadio gives integrators critical functionality and an enhanced user experience to address the needs of their clients,” explained Autonomic CEO Michael de Nigris. “As the demand for whole-house entertainment grows and the marketplace matures, discerning consumers will seek out solutions that provide easy access to their favourite programming to be enjoyed anywhere in the home.”