streaming

News Byte

Samsung Buys a Spot in the Clouds

John Murrell in Mobile on May 9 at 2:45 pm PT

Samsung announced today it would acquire Palo Alto, Calif.-based mSpot, a mobile cloud-based content service provider. The acquisition, according to the release, “will provide a cloud-based entertainment experience of music, video and radio services for users of Samsung devices.” Price and closing date were not disclosed.

News Byte

Amazon’s Video Library Can Now Be Streamed on the PlayStation 3

Tricia Duryee in Commerce on April 3 at 11:24 am PT

Amazon has partnered with Sony to launch Amazon Instant Video on the PlayStation 3, marking the company’s first partnership with a game console. Other services, like Netflix, work on the Xbox and Nintendo Wii. Amazon customers who pay $79 a year for its Prime delivery service will now be able to stream more than 17,000 TV shows and movies using the PS3. Previously, the videos could be viewed using some set-top boxes, over the Internet and on Amazon’s Kindle tablet.

News Byte

Netflix Buys DVD.com Domain, But Says It Won’t Create a Disc-Only Web Site

Peter Kafka in Media on March 30 at 11:52 am PT

Netflix has bought the DVD.com domain name, but the company says it doesn’t plan on cleaving its DVD and streaming businesses into two operations, as it had tried to do last fall with its ill-fated Qwikster plan. A Netflix spokesman says the company purchased the Internet address for purely defensive reasons, and that Netflix users will continue to access discs and streamed movies from the same site.

Voices

Video Speed Trap Lurks in New iPad

Anton Troianovski, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal in Voices on March 20 at 11:29 pm PT

Brandon Wells got the new iPad last Friday, started wirelessly streaming March Madness games the next day and by Saturday night was out of gas.

When Office Is in the Cloud and on a Tablet, Is It Really Office?

Arik Hesseldahl in News on March 8 at 3:12 pm PT

Microsoft says, yes it is, and no, you can’t run it that way.

Cloud-Paging Start-Up Numecent Emerges From Stealth, Spins Off Gaming Unit Approxy (Video)

Arik Hesseldahl in News on March 5 at 8:59 am PT

Numecent takes the idea of cloud computing to a logical, and incredibly cool, extreme.

HBO Digital Head Alison Moore Talks About HBO Go and More! (Video)

Kara Swisher in Media on March 2 at 9:26 am PT

Alison Moore is in charge of the premium cable channel’s digital efforts.

Netflix (Still) Really Doesn’t Want Your DVD Money

Peter Kafka in Media on February 17 at 7:35 am PT

If you try hard, Reed Hastings will let you pay him for access to DVDs by mail. But he’d be happier if you stuck with streaming.

Roku Plays Nice With Cable Guys

Lauren Goode in Commerce on February 13 at 8:36 am PT

Get ready for an app explosion, Roku says — including ones from cable providers.

Voices

Google Developing Home Entertainment System

Amir Efrati and Ethan Smith, Reporters, The Wall Street Journal in News on February 9 at 1:15 pm PT

Google Inc. is developing a home-entertainment system that streams music wirelessly throughout the home and would be marketed under the company’s own brand, according to people briefed on the company’s plans.