05/22, 9:56pm
US defendant offered deal to implicate UK couple
It is a terrible cliché when a writer begins a story by claiming that a series of real-life events "reads like a Hollywood movie script," but occasionally dramatic stories occur that are hard to distinguish from the intricate plottings of screenwriters or novelists. An unusual operation involving the US-based Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) hiring investigators to spy on a UK couple that ran a "links to streaming video" site has resulted in prosecution with the help of a US defendant.
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05/21, 7:26pm
New Zealand and Australia gain Spotify and chart apps
Spotify has expanded its music service to reach customers in Australia and New Zealand. As of today, both Southern Hemisphere countries will be able to use the streaming service, and will have country-specific apps offering curated music playlists. The launch takes place three months after Spotify first arrived in Germany.
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05/14, 8:35pm
Available in app form for Windows, Mac, mobile
A new version of the subscription streaming music service Rdio has launched, bringing with it a native Mac OS X application for the first time. Previous versions were web-based. The new version is available on browsers, and applications Windows, the iOS, Android, and Windows Phone 7. All versions allow listening to over 15 million tracks on the Rdio service.
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05/10, 2:35pm
UK Official Charts Company measuring Spotify usage
The Official Charts Company of the UK from Monday onwards will start releasing a chart based solely on streamed music tracks. The Official Streaming Chart will be the first chart ranking audio streams from both ad-funded and subscription streaming services in the UK, instead of product sales or radio airplay figures.
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05/02, 2:06pm
Company calls on series writers and creators to assist
Amazon's Studios division has announced plans to develop original comedy and children's series. The company is currently calling on series creators and writers to submit their proposals for the streaming video programming, which will be distributed through Amazon Instant Video.
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04/18, 12:30am
Unannounced move a treasure trove for fans
Earlier this week, Netflix added about 100 rock concerts and documentaries to their US catalog. The selections lean heavily towards classic concerts featuring acts such as Queen, Deep Purple, and early ZZ Top. While Netflix is no stranger to music-related programming, such a large increase in the library of offerings without a pre-announcement is rare. All of the new additions are available for instant streaming.
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04/16, 9:55pm
Aims to improve sound in personal media libraries
The forthcoming Ceton Echo will incorporate DTS audio enhancements to help users experience immersive sound through all kinds of digital media, from TV to web streaming to their own media libraries. The product essentially works like a bare-bones Apple TV, allowing Windows 7 computers and Ceton Q gateways to stream media from local machines. For PCs equipped with an InfiniTV digital cable tuner, it adds remote DVR and TV capabilities.
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04/03, 10:00pm
Grooveshark claims it dumped EMI
Grooveshark, a rogue streaming music service that has now been sued at least once by all the major labels over copyright issues, has lost its only partner. EMI, which had sued the company and then agreed to sign onto the service under the condition that Grooveshark license the EMI catalog, has terminated its agreement and sued the company anew, alleging non-payment on its license fees. Grooveshark claims that it has paid EMI over $2.6 million.
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03/22, 11:00pm
Was affecting files larger than 15MB
Apple confirmed an issue with iTunes in the Cloud earlier this evening that was preventing some users from streaming or downloading content from their iCloud account for a short period, AppleInsider reports. The issue appears to have begun around 6:30 p.m. Eastern time but was apparently resolved around two and a half hours later, judging from reports in an Apple Support community thread.
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03/21, 10:05pm
HD video still 'coming soon' to iOS
Subscription streaming movie and TV syndication service Netflix has updated their mobile app for iOS, bringing refreshed user interface graphics for Retina Displays but not yet making HD video available through the app. In addition, the update (v2.1.1) of the free app fixes VoiceOver support, improves playback on external displays, and offers "numerous" fixes and stability improvements.
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03/21, 7:10pm
Google has unspoken limit on daily streaming
Google is now known to have an unpublished limit on the volume of music listeners can stream from their Google Play Music accounts. The company has acknowledged that it does impose a daily limit on how many songs can be streamed by an individual using Google Play. Google, however, has declined to reveal the cap, but does claim that it has been set at a very high threshold so that most listeners will never encounter it.
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03/01, 8:35pm
All major NYC broadcasters involved in suits
A number of broadcasting companies have quickly moved to sue Aereo, a startup that aims to stream broadcast HDTV content. The broadcasters are attempting to prevent the service from launching, accusing the startup of copyright infringement and asking judges to order an injunction to block the service before it becomes available to the public.
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02/28, 7:00pm
No subscription service has yet made profits
Fighting both increased competition and increasing reluctance by major artists to get involved with subscription services, MOG has contacted interested companies about a potential sale, reports CNet. The company, which has been providing both free and subscription-based music streaming since 2005, may also be in financial trouble, having failed to ever turn a profit and, like all other subscription-based music services, report any significant revenue.
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02/23, 6:30pm
Works with iOS dock connector or USB ports
Users who have either Apple mobile devices using the 30-pin dock connector or other audio devices using USB ports can now stream high-quality audio without latency or interference using NuForce's Air DAC Wireless System. The two-part hardware system uses a transmitter and receiver that allow for easy creation of streaming audio networks using the 2.4Ghz radio band. Multiple receivers can be used to pipe audio wirelessly around a room.
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01/11, 7:30pm
Subscription brings Sony, CDBaby music, more
Sony has announced today that it will bring its Music Unlimited subscription service to iOS devices, seven months after the Android app version and a year since its US debut on PlayStations, Bravia TVs, PCs and other connected devices. Sony Entertainment Network head Tim Schaaff told reporters a free universal iOS app would be available this quarter, and that the iOS app will offer up to 5GB of offline caching for premium subscribers to compete with other services like Spotify, reports MobileBeat.
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01/05, 9:35pm
Wait period doubled to 56 days
Corroborating earlier reports, Warner Brothers is said to be set to extend the delay time for movie availability through streaming providers or DVD rental outlets. Customers will now have to wait 56 days from the start of DVD sales before titles will arrive through streaming channels or disc rentals, essentially doubling the window from the current period of 28 days.
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01/04, 11:05pm
Feature initially limited to Android
TuneIn has updated its mobile app for Android devices, adding a "car mode" that enables users to access some features without using touch input. The company has integrated a voice recognition engine that listens to commands referencing specific bands or radio stations.
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12/22, 5:55pm
Destination of TV tech remains unclear
Motorola Mobility has reportedly moved to acquire SetJam, a startup that compiles data from a variety of streaming video services. The company offers a "data integrity engine" that indexes TV shows and movie listings from sources such as Hulu, Netflix, Amazon and iTunes. The system automatically determines the number of specific episodes available from each source.
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12/08, 12:20am
Streamed from iCloud, replaces rentals
A silent upgrade has allowed Apple TV units in Canada to allow TV show purchases, using iCloud streaming to store the purchased episode and stream them to other Apple devices. While it was possible to purchase TV shows via iTunes in Canada before, the update makes it possible for Apple TVs to purchase directly, 9to5 Mac reports. TV episodes cost up to $2.50 in standard definition and up to $3.50 in HD.
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11/23, 2:30am
App hosts dozens of games for monthly fee
Seattle-based game marketing and hosting service Big Fish Games has told Bloomberg it has won approval from Apple to sell games via a monthly subscription on the iPad, the first time any game publisher has been able to offer such a service. The new app would work like digital magazine apps or the Netflix streaming application, with subscribers getting unlimited access to dozens of games from within a single app.
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11/17, 9:00pm
Studios had hoped for an iTunes alternative
Customers who are having problems or are dissatisfied with Ultraviolet, the digital streaming movie alternative to iTunes, are ironically being given iTunes redemption codes when their complaints cannot be resolved, reports AppleInsider. The Ultraviolet format, which is support mainly by Sony and Warner Brothers, has received harsh reviews and complaints from critics and consumers alike, doesn't work with Apple TV and some other iOS devices.
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10/31, 11:00pm
Improved home screen, bug fixes, more
On the eve of the company's one-year anniversary, the developers of Plex have released Plex 2.0 for iOS, and have solved one of the biggest obstacles to its mass acceptance -- easily configuring streaming from a users' media library to a mobile or remote device without hassle. The new version also revamps the home screen, brings in alphabetic indexing, improves support for subtitles, and offers a "much improved" Direct Play option.
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10/31, 7:20pm
Permanent ban follows temporary injunction
Zediva has reportedly settled its dispute with the Motion Picture Association of America, bringing a permanent end to the company's remote DVD streaming service. Following a temporary injunction that halted the service earlier this year, Zediva has agreed to pay $1.8 million in fees and put and end to its appeal and countersuit.
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10/13, 9:30pm
Up from 70,000 in less than a month
US growth in Spotify continues to accelerate, with the service now topping 250,000 paying users -- up from 70,000 in the early days following the launch in July, sources said Thursday. The music streaming service, which boasts a worldwide subscriber base of over two million, offers paid users no ads and unlimited streaming of music from its library of millions of songs. Spotify's recent US growth has been fueled in part by a recent integration with Facebook.
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09/22, 6:55pm
Nine new films available each week
Inmoo.com, which has been streaming independent movies and short films on its website since last year, has announced two iOS apps -- Inmoo Free for the iPod Touch and iPhone, and Inmoo HD for the iPad. Both apps, which are free but ad-supported, offer a choice of nine new independent films per week from Inmoo's growing content library. A paid version of the apps (Inmoo Plus) offers access to the entire library, advanced search and filtering as well as a forum.
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09/21, 11:45pm
On-demand gaming for computers, TVs, tablets
OnLive has announced that its cloud-based gaming service is now available to customers in the UK. The initial launch, which will be formally introduced later today at the 2011 Eurogamer Expo, will enable users to access approximately 150 games via broadband connections and a television, PC or Mac computer, and iPads or Android-based tablets.
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09/19, 9:00pm
Co-owners may renege if bids not large enough
Multiple issues may conspire to derail the auction of popular online streaming video site Hulu even before it gets underway in earnest -- including moves by NBC Universal, deliberate vagueness about exactly what bidders will be getting, a large gap between what the initial round of bids produced and what the co-owners expected, and a reticence from Hulu's board to fully commit to a sale. The perceived value of the deal appears to be dropping rapidly, sources say, due to the complications.
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09/09, 10:10pm
Supports Airplay, Apple remotes, more
Popular streaming music site MOG has released a beta client for Mac OS X that replicates and extends the current browser-based experience with all the features and design of the HTML5-based web player. The desktop version adds a completely new audio engine, support for Apple's remote controls and standard media-key support as found on Apple's current keyboards and even native Airplay support for Airport Express, AppleTV and other Airplay devices.
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08/30, 8:35am
LG vac bot streams video in real time over wifi
LG has announced its latest robot vacuum cleaner, the VR6180VMNC Roboking Triple Eye. The Roboking Triple Eye is an upgraded version of the LG Hom-Bot, which debuted at the CES show in January. In addition to the sensors used to guide the vacuum automatically as it cleans, the Roboking Triple Eye also has three video cameras capable of streaming in real-time by Wi-Fi to a home network. The vacuum can be controlled remotely by PC or smartphone. It also responds to voice commands.
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08/26, 8:10am
playGo USB offers simple wireless audio solution
playGo has launched a USB plug-and-play wireless audio streaming solution for Macs and PCs. The gadget comes in two components, one that plugs into the USB port on a user’s computer, with the other connected to the user’s stereo system. Once paired, users can stream music from their notebook or desktop to their stereo, powered speakers or even headphones by optical or RCA connections.
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07/11, 10:10pm
Drive pairs USB with SD card reader
Maxell has announced that it will begin distributing AirStash, a wireless flash drive that works with the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. The small accessory serves as a USB flash drive with an SD card slot, while an internal battery enables standalone operation without being attached to a computer. Users can wirelessly transfer files between devices via Wi-Fi, or use the AirStash for media streaming.
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06/29, 1:00am
Hardware improved with new components
Xtreamer has announced that its Prodigy media streamer has been revamped with a variety of new features. The device is now claimed to be the first media player to support 3D video streaming via HDMI 1.4, while the new UI takes advantage of HTML5 and PHP/SQLite standards for third-party developers. The interface is said to closely resemble the HTPC experience on computers.
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06/22, 7:45pm
Formal suit delayed amid private talks
Viacom and Time Warner are reportedly attempting to privately settle their ongoing legal battle over content streaming on Apple's iPad and similar devices. District Judge Leonard Sand has approved an agreement that effectively stalls the formal litigation process while the parties attempt to find a resolution outside of the court.
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06/22, 5:15pm
Walmart.com to provide streaming demos
Gaikai is reportedly collaborating with Walmart to bring live game streaming to the retailer's website. The Game Center section of Walmart.com will allows visitors to play select games directly from a browser, without requiring users to download any files, sign up for subscription services, or wait for data-heavy content to load.
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06/16, 4:30pm
Legislation aims to close loophole
The US Senate Judiciary Committee has moved to classify illegal video streaming as a felony. The proposed legislation, labeled the Commercial Felony Streaming Act, aims to increase penalties for anyone caught streaming copyrighted content without permission. Current laws are said to be lenient on streaming violations, while peer-to-peer downloads carry a higher level of punishment.
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05/17, 6:30pm
Netflix "largest source of Internet traffic"
Netflix' video-streaming services reportedly represent nearly 30 percent of peak data traffic across North American, according to usage data collected by the networking equipment company Sandvine. The numbers also appear to show that Netflix has continue to grow in popularity, making it the largest single source of Internet traffic overall.
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05/17, 6:00pm
Technology to be used in Mac, iOS, Windows
A job posting posted on Tuesday to Apple's website has revealed that the company is working on improvements to their streaming technologies, one of the main features in QuickTime and Core Animation and also used in a number of other products, including iTunes, Apple TV, Safari and others, AppleInsider reports. The position calls for a "Media Streaming Engineering Manager" who will "help develop our media streaming engine for our iOS, Mac OS X and Windows products."
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05/12, 10:20pm
Deal hinges on program 'windows,' say sources
All Things D is reporting that Hulu, the popular web-streaming video service, is allegedly close to a deal with several major networks -- including its former owner, NBCUniversal -- that will keep major programs and networks on board with the service, extending their terms even further into the future as well as extending the separate Hulu Plus content agreements. Officials representing ABC, NBC, and Fox are all involved in the discussions, according to the report, but users will be unlikely to notice any significant changes.
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03/23, 2:30pm
Move could marginalize Apple TV
Apple is reportedly considering changes to its AirPlay standard, which may be updated with support for video streaming. Unnamed sources familiar with the matter have told Bloomberg the company would continue to expand licensing agreements with hardware manufacturers, who would be able to take advantage of streaming movies, TV shows or other videos.
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03/23, 8:00am
Content organized into various subscription levels
Slacker has announced plans to expand its streaming audio content with new material from ESPN, while representatives also commented on the potential impact of Apple's iOS subscription rules. The sports content will arrive as a dynamic service, customizable based on a user's preferences for certain sports or individual teams.
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02/28, 11:25pm
Ringtone business to be handled in separate sale
Thumbplay has reportedly failed to fetch enough subscribers to justify continuing forward, leading the company to sell its music subscription service to Clear Channel Radio. Although the company had better luck with its ringtone business, that too will be sold in a separate transaction that has yet to be publicly tied to a specific buyer.
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02/16, 6:55pm
Feature works via DLNA
DoubleTwist has updated its self-titled Android app with new capabilities for streaming content to game consoles. Users can now stream photos, videos and music from their Android handset to an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 over a local Wi-Fi network.
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02/14, 4:45pm
Watch Instantly launches on Android, Boxee Box
Following announcements of Netflix support on Android devices and the Boxee Box, shares of Netflix stock surged by seven percent by the end of the trading day. The primary announcement came from Qualcomm at Mobile World Congress, which highlighted the new capabilities for the wide range of Snapdragon-based devices.
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01/06, 10:45pm
Price of buyout remains unclear
Skype has confirmed that it has established an agreement to acquire Qik, a startup focused on mobile video streaming. The deal will allow Skype to take advantage of Qik's two-way video chat technology, which gained attention on HTC's Evo 4G smartphone as the first complete implementation on the Android platform.
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12/06, 7:35pm
Now uses HTTP Live Streaming in iPhone app
MyTunesRSS is an easy-to-configure private music and video server that allows users to enjoy their media collections on other internet-connected computers or devices like game consoles or mobile phones. Codewave Software has released v4 of MyTunesRSS, which incorporates a new web-based server admin interface -- allowing the program to be configured remotely. It also now features HTTP Live Streaming support, and is on sale in the month of December.
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11/09, 8:30pm
UStream adds iPod touch (4th gen), works over 3G
UStreamTV has added support for the fourth-generation iPod Touch and a new full-screen broadcasting display to their free UStream Broadcaster app v2, allowing users iPhone and Touch users capable of running iOS 4.0 or higher to use the built-in cameras to create their own video stream over 3G or wi-fi.
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11/01, 6:25pm
BD-A1000 "universal Blu-ray player"
Yamaha has introduced the BD-A1000, a "universal Blu-ray player" that pairs an optical drive with streaming capabilities. The device allows users to play Blu-ray discs, DVDs, SACDs, DVD Audio discs or web-based media such as Netflix, YouTube and Blockbuster. Dual USB ports can also be used to attach an external hard drive or thumb drive.
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09/09, 8:30pm
Device connects to LAN via Ethernet
Denon has committed to bringing iTunes AirPlay support to its AVR-4311CI audio/video receiver. Compatibility is with the wireless streaming platform is expected to be added sometime in the fall, allowing users to play iTunes tracks throughout the home. The 4311CI offers an Ethernet port for AirPlay connectivity, although Apple's system also supports Wi-Fi communication.
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09/01, 7:55pm
Service limited to premium subscriptions
Spotify has reportedly collaborated with Sonos to bring its streaming music service to the latter company's multi-room audio hardware. The software update will enable users to distribute the streaming content throughout their entire home, with the Spotify interface can be controlled directly from the dedicated Sonos controller or iPhone app.
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08/26, 8:55pm
Movies garnered from variety of sources
Boxee has launched an updated version of its beta software, which now includes a Media Library selection. Users can now switch between locally stored videos and a collection of streamed content from sources such as EZTakes, Indie Movies Online, MUBI, and Openfilm.
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