streaming

This is an update of a deal I first wrote about back in June. With the holidays upon us, it's the perfect time for this "rerun."

Through the end of next week, and while supplies last, Roku is bundling the Roku HD box, a six-month Hulu Plus subscription, and an HDMI cable for $79.99 shipped. Those items would normally cost you around $128 if purchased separately.

A brief personal story: we're having a bit of trouble with our cable service. For some reason, the signal from ABC has degraded in the last couple weeks, leaving … Read more

Activist investor Carl Icahn said today he has considered launching a hostile takeover bid for Netflix, in which he recently acquired a 10 percent stake.

When queried on the approach to gain control of the Internet streaming and DVD rental service, Icahn told CNBC: "The thought had certainly entered my mind. I have to admit I think about it, but we haven't made that decision."

While saying a hostile takeover was "certainly an alternative," the billionaire and former corporate raider called Netflix's recent adoption of a "poison pill" plan to defend against … Read more

A couple weeks back I declared a moratorium of sorts on deals from 1SaleADay, citing a steady stream of reader complaints about slow shipping and poor communication.

Soon thereafter I heard from a friendly and apologetic company exec who agreed the company has "room to improve" in these areas and is working to improve response times. He also noted that 1SaleADay does provide tracking numbers, via both e-mail and the customer's account page.

A bigger issue is the slow shipping. According to 1SaleADay's FAQ page, most orders are processed within five business days, while delivery times … Read more

Does Microsoft have plans for the future of television?

The company has posted three job postings seeking engineers for its Interactive Entertainment Business that would work on a "new cloud-based TV platform." The job postings don't describe what the Cloud TV team will do, but the company entices candidates by urging them to "get in on the ground floor of an ambitious new project."

Microsoft's Careers site has been a valuable resource for Microsoft followers trying to see what the company has up its sleeve. Back in August, for example, a job posting looking … Read more

Amazon may be taking a cue from Netflix and Hulu and setting its sights on creating an original content TV series. According to Variety, the Web giant is about to greenlight a new comedy series called "Browsers."

This comedy will apparently be a musical based on four interns working in a newsroom similar to the Huffington Post, Variety reports. The series was first made for CBS but was then shopped to Amazon via production company Netco. (Disclosure: CBS is the parent company of CNET News.)

If indeed Amazon is working on releasing "Browsers," it would be … Read more

After Carl Icahn snapped up a 10 percent stake in Netflix, which caused a 15 percent jump in the company's stock shares yesterday, the streaming-video company announced that it's ready to listen to Icahn's business advice.

"We have many shareholders, now including Mr. Icahn, and we're always open to their perspective on how to build on our success," a Netflix representative told CNET in an e-mailed statement.

Icahn's history as an investor is full of high-profile proxy fights and tussles with management. In recent years, he has fashioned himself as an investor activist. … Read more

Leawo Music Recorder is an app for OS X that allows you to convert your computer into a recording machine, taking inputs from any connected devices, the built-in microphone, or even the system audio. While we liked the concept, we found some flaws in the execution.

The Leawo Music Recorder interface is clean, and it's easy to get started, with the prominent red Record button at the top. Beneath that, the left pane holds a list of your recordings, and the right pane is used for prompts and a graphic animation that shows when recording is under way. It'… Read more

The Electronic Frontier Foundation is backing startup Aereo, which is embroiled in court with broadcasters and television networks over copyright issues.

The digital rights group urged a federal appeals court on Friday to throw out the case, which is designed to shut down Aereo's streaming services. Aereo offers consumers the means to stream broadcast television, sent through the Internet to a customer's devices via tiny antennas currently hosted on a Brooklyn rooftop. Each "rabbit ear" is assigned to an individual user, who can then choose which signals should be transmitted to mobile devices.

Broadcasters and television … Read more

Bluetooth speakers are all the rage these days, but when you stream your music library, Pandora playlists, and the like to a Bluetooth speaker, the audio gets compressed. And that makes audiophiles angry.

Plus, why listen to a relatively small sound system when you've already got a big, honking stereo? What you need is some Bluetooth-style way to beam your tunes from your iDevice to those sweet speakers -- but without the Bluetooth-style compression.

There's one way, and it's on sale! Through November 4, Shoptronics has the Nyrius NiAA300 Digital Wireless Audio Transmitter System for $59.99 shipped … Read more