streaming

Five apps that solve common iPhone problems

The iPhone famously solves many of life's little problems--you can't decide where to eat, you've got nothing to read, you need to update your Facebook status right now--but who's going to solve the iPhone's problems?

For instance, maybe it's low on storage. Or it's having trouble connecting to a Starbucks hot spot. Here's a list of five common iPhone ailments and the apps that aim to cure them.

You're running out of storage. Apple may have a 32GB iPhone waiting in the wings, but how does that help you and your … Read more

AudioIn turns your iPhone, iPod Touch into wireless headphones

Do you ever wish you could listen to your entire music library on your iPhone or iPod Touch, not just the tunes that fit in memory? That's the idea behind AudioIn, which turns your PC into a music server that streams songs via Wi-Fi.

Yep, it's Wi-Fi only, meaning it's suitable for only around the house. And what's wrong with that? AudioIn works much like Apple's AirPort Express, except that instead of tying you to one room, it lets you move around.

To use the $4.99 application, you must first install AudioServer, which, for … Read more

A big clue that Netflix is coming to PS3 and Wii?

Is a job listing for an "experienced engineer to lead the gaming platforms team" final proof that Netflix's Watch Now streaming video service is coming to the PS3 and Wii? That's the question Crunchgear is asking after it recently got a tip from a reader who saw that Netflix had posted the job to Monster.com.

In case you're having trouble reading the job description above, here's the important part:

We are looking for a hands-on leader and innovator.​ We seek deep experience developing and testing media rich applications on current generation gaming consoles.​ … Read more

Justin.tv syncs up with social sites

Streaming-video site Justin.tv wants to help you filter through the noise: it has added Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace integration to its service. This way, members can sync up their accounts to filter chat room content and pinpoint their friends from those social sites, as well as spread the word about what they're watching by pushing out Facebook and MySpace status messages or "tweets" on Twitter.

This is important for Justin.tv because the live-streaming land grab is still very much on. There are plenty of competitors like Ustream.tv and Mogulus, as well as mobile-focused products … Read more

Now streaming on Netflix: SpongeBob, Cartman

Viacom's MTV Networks has brought some of its television content to Netflix's library of streaming online video, the companies announced Monday.

The offering consists primarily of kids' shows from the Nickelodeon network, with select seasons from the shows "iCarly," "Blue's Clues," "Dora the Explorer," "SpongeBob SquarePants," and a handful of others, as well as the first nine seasons of "South Park," the Comedy Central animated series that you probably don't want your kids watching.

Netflix's streaming-video service still very much takes the back burner to … Read more

Fully Equipped: Why Sony should add Netflix to the PS3 now

In recent days, rumors have been percolating about the PlayStation 3 getting Netflix streaming video support. Most of the rumors revolve around a survey that Netflix has out gauging user interest in adding its service to Sony's game console for a fee. No one seems to know whether Netflix or Sony commissioned the survey, but either way, it's certainly raised hopes with PS3 owners that they would get something that Xbox 360 owners have had for a while. (For what it's worth, nearly identical rumors of Netflix on the Wii have also been making the rounds.)

Interestingly, … Read more

Why Sony should add Netflix to the PS3 now

In recent days, rumors have been percolating about the PlayStation 3 getting Netflix streaming video support. Most of the rumors revolve around a survey that Netflix has out gauging user interest in adding its service to Sony's game console for a fee. No one seems to know whether Netflix or Sony commissioned the survey, but either way, it's certainly raised hopes with PS3 owners that they would get something that Xbox 360 owners have had for a while. (For what it's worth, nearly identical rumors of Netflix on the Wii have also been making the rounds.)

Interestingly, as the rumors make their way around the blogosphere, Sony's been trying to promote how robust its Playstation Network Service (PSN) is and how great a media extender the PS3 is. A few weeks ago, a few of us from CNET spent some time visiting with Sony PR and marketing reps in a hotel suite going over what PSN had to offer, including Home, Sony's online virtual community that's hit 5 million registered users. And just yesterday, I got a voice mail from a PR rep encouraging me to do a story on what a great media extender the PS3 is.

I said I'd do a story--but only in context of the Netflix rumors.

"Why doesn't Sony just add Netflix?" I asked.

Of course, I knew it wasn't as simple as that.… Read more

YouTube gets NCAA games

Add YouTube to the list of Web sites offering visitors live streaming video of NCAA Division I men's tournament games.

The Google-owned video site quietly began streaming college basketball games on Thursday via a feed from CBS (parent company of CNET News).

I don't understand why CBS wouldn't have promoted this more in order to take full advantage of YouTube's enormous audience. YouTube, by far the Web's largest video site, recently said more than 100 million U.S. visitors log on to the site. YouTube didn't do a lot of press prior to Thursday'… Read more

Real's Rhapsody: Streaming to change the music biz

AUSTIN, Texas--At South by Southwest here, I had a short but interesting conversation Wednesday afternoon with Tim Quirk, the vice president of music programming for Rhapsody, wedged in around a set from Jersey punks Titus Andronicus (who had very tight and well-constructed songs with incredible energy and some interesting triple-guitar work, but I don't know if the singer's going to make it another three days).

Quirk, who's been with Rhapsody since before it was acquired by RealNetworks, suggested that streaming music on demand will change the mechanics of the music business because artists (and other stakeholders) won'… Read more