Rhapsody app finally lands on iPad

By Cody Lee on Dec 17, 2012

You have to hand it to Rhapsody. It hasn’t been an easy 11 years for the music streaming service, what with the failed acquisitions, and the rise of strong competitors like Spotify and Rdio. But the company refuses to give up.

And today, it has some good news for its subscribers. After months of waiting, Rhapsody has finally released a full-blown iPad app. It’s been built from the ground up with a gorgeous image-based UI, and has plenty of features… Read More

 

Amazon’s Instant Video app updated with iPhone and iPod touch support

By Christian Zibreg on Dec 13, 2012

Amazon released its video player app as an iPad-only affair back in August and today the online retailer has updated the software with support for the iPhone and iPod touch. The new universal binary is still provided on a free of charge basis, though the videos, of course, must be purchased from Amazon. That the Instant Video software now works natively on all form-factor iOS devices is no doubt a good news for those of you who get your entertainment from Amazon. The program allows you to download videos for offline viewing and comes with an included selection of top Prime Instant Video titles included in the app… Read More

 

No major labels onboard yet for Apple’s radio service

By Cody Lee on Dec 5, 2012

Rumors have been floating around since September that Apple is working on a new Pandora-like streaming radio service. In fact, the word is that it’s almost finished, and it should be ready for launch by early 2013.

But according to a new report, that expectation may fall flat, as Apple continues to struggle with securing the proper licenses for such a service. Apparently the record labels aren’t too happy with its licensing terms… Read More

 

WSJ: iTunes 11 arriving tomorrow

By Christian Zibreg on Nov 28, 2012

According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is ready to finally push iTunes 11 right out of the gate Thursday, November 29. Apple delayed the software for a month because the redesigned media player was “taking longer than expected” and the company wanted to “take a little extra time to get it right”. The Journal reports that the new iTunes has been delayed due to unspecified “engineering issues” that apparently required parts to be rebuilt… Read More

 

Rdio for iOS gets a major facelift, new features

By Christian Zibreg on Nov 27, 2012

If you stream your music these days rather than spend your hard-earned cash on individual tracks on iTunes, you’re likely using Spotify, Pandora or Rdio. The latter music subscription service is available in the U.S., U.K., Canada, France, Germany, Brazil, Australia, Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Finland, Sweden and New Zealand. The team just pushed a major update to their iOS and Android clients.

The software finally brings a unified interface across mobile platforms and the web, ditching the old grid-based navigation and replacing it with a consistently available sidebar that we’re increasingly seeing in other apps like Path and Facebook. Rdio 2.0 also brings new features such as remote control, flawless queue syncing across platforms and more… Read More

 

Dropbox gains enhanced video playback, support for password-protected Office docs

By Christian Zibreg on Nov 26, 2012

Cloud-storage startup Dropbox has quickly become my favorite solution for storing and sharing files in the cloud, collaborating on projects, backing up my photos and more. Today, an update to the free Dropbox iOS client has been issued, bringing with it a couple new features and tweaks. For starters, streaming of video files from your Dropbox is now improved. Another nice-to-have: Dropbox finally features support for password-protected Microsoft Office documents, an iOS 6-only capability… Read More

 

Xiaomi Box, an Apple TV knockoff, does AirPlay at a very tempting price

By Christian Zibreg on Nov 16, 2012

Tempting ability to wirelessly beam whatever is displayed on your iPhone or iPad to a big-screen TV set has a major downer: it requires Apple’s $99 set-top box to decipher encrypted AirPlay streams and then feed video to your telly via HDMI. And for many, Apple TV is just not a very useful set-top box so parting with their hard-earned $99 just to get AirPlay is not an option.

But what if you could get AirPlay functionality at a very tempting price plus choice of other popular video formats and apps, none of which Apple’s device supports? That’s what Xiaomi Box does for you. Basically an Android set-top box, it’ll run you somewhere in the $60-ish. The thing’s compatible with DLNA, Miracast and Apple’s AirPlay, letting you wirelessly stream content from Apple’s iPhone and iPad, personal computer and Android phones with MIUI installed… Read More

 

Warner’s new iOS app streams paid TV shows the day after airing in the US

By Christian Zibreg on Nov 16, 2012

Aptly named Day After US, a new mobile application for iPhones and iPads by Warner Bros. brings you the goodness of the studio’s prime television shows, provided you can wait 24 hours after the episodes aired on television. A free download from the App Store, it works natively on any iPhone, iPod touch and iPad with iOS 4.3 or later. You can download individual episodes directly to your device over Wi-Fi for offline viewing. Warner Bros. is throwing in the first episode of each show free of charge. Want more? Have your credit card handy… Read More

 

Browser-based Spotify music player in beta rolling out today

By Christian Zibreg on Nov 15, 2012

I’ve always loved iTunes, but I must admit that nearly all of my music discovery, purchasing and sharing is on Spotify these days. Why pay ten bucks for a whole album when Spotify provides unlimited access to its 20+ million-strong catalogue for $9.99 a month?

Spotify subscribers have enjoyed both the official desktop and iOS apps, the latter recently updated with support for the iPhone 5. Word on the street is that Spotify is due to launch a beta of its upcoming browser-based music player later today.

The web application will allow people to access and stream their cloud music from supposedly any device with an HTML5-compliant browser, like Safari on iOS and OS X… Read More

 

Record labels reportedly unhappy with Apple’s radio service proposal

By Cody Lee on Oct 26, 2012

By now, you’ve probably heard the rumors that Apple is working on a Pandora-like internet radio service. Yesterday, Bloomberg added to the speculation, saying that a deal with record labels could be reached by mid-November.

But according to a follow-up report, that may not be the case. Apparently, some record executives haven’t been particularly impressed with the revenue sharing proposal. And they want Apple to sweeten the deal before they sign… Read More

 

Apple will also live stream today’s iPad mini event via its home page

By Christian Zibreg on Oct 23, 2012

Apple earlier today updated the Apple TV interface with a new Apple Events section which contains a link to a live stream of today’s iPad mini press conference. The move prompting somewhat unusual speculation that the company will only provide a live stream as a courtesy to Apple TV owners. We provided some workaround solution at the bottom of this post and now Apple has made it official: you will be able to enjoy the live stream on either your Apple TV or by opening a page on Apple’s web site using the Safari browser on your iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, Mac or Windows PC… Read More

 

Netflix for iPad updated with ‘Just for Kids’ section

By Christian Zibreg on Oct 1, 2012

Netflix last week updated its iOS app with for the iPhone 5′s larger four-inch display and iOS 6. Today, the company announced another update to its iPad app which brings Just for Kids user interface to help parents and their children browse and instantly watch a large selection of kid-friendly TV shows and movies appropriate for kids 12 and under… Read More

 

Watch the JailbreakCon event live

By Sebastien Page on Sep 29, 2012

For those of you who won’t be able to make it to JailbreakCon in San Francisco this year, you won’t have to feel left behind as the event is being streamed live.

I was able to experience first hand that the wifi situation at the venue isn’t very ideal so you might have to deal with some lagging and images freezing, but we can all agree that it’s better than nothing.

The event will start streaming here starting at 9am sharp…

Read More

 

Sony/ATV reportedly nixed Apple’s music-streaming plan

By Ed Sutherland on Sep 28, 2012

It isn’t news that Apple wanted to create a streaming-music service that would compete against Pandora. But now we are learning the back-story of why the idea was nixed – and it is a familiar refrain. According to a Friday morning news report, music publisher Sony/ATV wanted larger royalties for its songs… Read More

 

Netflix app gets a facelift, new features

By Christian Zibreg on Sep 18, 2012

If you get your entertainment via Netflix, you will love an updated version of the company’s streaming app for iPhones, iPods and iPads that was just released for a “more immersive experience”. What that means is a crisper, less packed interface which combines your previously watched content, recommendations and latest titles into a single view, with search available throughout the program. Here’s your video… Read More

 

Studios see Amazon as Netflix alternative

By Ed Sutherland on Sep 7, 2012

Amazon, hot off of Thursday’s Kindle Fire HD announcement, is downplaying a report the Internet retailer is being courted by some studios to take on Netflix. Studios would love Amazon to spin-off the video-streaming portion of Amazon Prime, according to one report.

“Some content owners I’ve talked to say they like the idea so much that they’ll compel Jeff Bezos to do it whether he wants to or not,” reports All Things Digital‘s Peter Kafka. However, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is playing hard-to-get… Read More

 

WSJ: Apple working on Pandora-like music streaming service [updated]

By Cody Lee on Sep 6, 2012

As next week’s iPhone event draws nearer, and rumors of an October gig continue to swirl, the tech world is scrambling to figure out what Apple will announce. We know new hardware is on the menu, but what about software?

Obviously iOS 6 is about to launch, and we continue to hear talk of an iTunes refresh. But according to a new report, Apple has something else up its sleeve: a custom-radio service, similar to Pandora, that will stream music… Read More

 

TiVo Stream lets you watch recorded shows on your iPhone and iPad

By Ed Sutherland on Aug 29, 2012

If you’re like most people, there are weeks of programming sitting on your DVR. Never fear. Now you can view ‘The Simpsons’ while brushing your teeth or catch-up on that PBS series while eating breakfast. TiVo Stream is the latest service which pumps those idle moments full of video goodness.

The $130 TiVo Stream box sends prerecorded content to your laptop, iPhone, iPad and latest iPod touch. Did you kill your TV? No problem. Your mobile device can become your television, allowing you to view the guide, record a show for later or watch the programming live. Read More

 

Amazon expanding video streaming with NBC licensing deal

By Ed Sutherland on Aug 24, 2012

Amazon Prime, the online bookseller’s answer to Netflix, Friday expanded its licensing arrangement with NBCUniversal, allowing TV programming like “Parks and Recreation,” “Heroes” and “Battlestar Galactica” to be available to subscribers. The news follows the $79 annual service adding past seasons of “Parenthood,” “Friday Night Lights” and “The Starter Wife.”

Amazon’s video content acquisition head Brad Beale described the firm’s investment in Prime as “heavy,” reports the Wall Street Journal. The comment is borne out by the company’s 96% drop second-quarter earnings weighed by increased spending. Along with providing free two-day shipping of items and free Kindle book loans, Prime has offered streaming video since early 2011… Read More

 

CBS CEO says the network is open to Apple TV deal

By Cody Lee on Aug 3, 2012

Yesterday, during the network’s earnings call, CBS CEO Les Moonves responded to an analyst’s question regarding his willingness to do business with Apple. As expected, his answer fell somewhere along the lines of, “Sure, as long as it’s on our terms.”

The question came in wake of the recent addition of the Hulu Plus service to Apple TV. Now that executives have hashed out that seemingly impossible deal, a lot of folks seem to have a “the sky’s the limit” attitude towards the Apple TV platform… Read More