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Fanhattan review: One app to rule your iPad video

Devices like Apple's iPad are revolutionary for their myriad ways of accessing TV and movies, but discoverability across services is a huge pain. Example: knowing whether any Steven Spielberg movies are on Netflix streaming. Or, is your favorite TV show on Hulu, Netflix, or neither? Is it on iTunes, or maybe even Vudu? Fanhattan is an app that intends to help users tackle this problem by tying together a media-browsing interface and search that doubles as a launcher for those TV shows and movies. The app launched earlier this year, but a recent app update has added more features, including a Facebook connection. Is it the ultimate way to figure out what video to watch on your iPad? Well, it's close.… Read more

Orb Live streams tons of media

Meet Orb Live, a versatile media app that lets you stream free Hulu content, premium videos, and even your home media library right to your Android device. Since it requires no subscription fee, it's $9.99 download price may be a great deal for those wishing for more multimedia on the go.

Here's how it works. First, install Orb Caster on your PC or Mac (for free), and point the program to your multimedia folders so it knows which files to make available for streaming. You can also point it to your iTunes and have it stream everything … Read more

Orb Live hits Android, adds Hulu

Meet Orb Live for Android, a versatile media app that lets you stream free Hulu content, premium videos, and even your home media library right to your Android device. Since it requires no subscription fee, its $9.99 download price may just be a great deal for those of us wishing for more multimedia on the go.

Samsung, Fujitsu tabs power DoCoMo LTE service

Japanese carrier NTT DoCoMo announced today it will launch two 10.1-inch tablets running Android 3.2 in October for its new LTE phone service.

Samsung's Galaxy Tab 10.1 LTE SC-01D and Fujitsu's Arrows Tab LTE F-01D will be the first tablets on the Xi (pronounced "Crossy") service and will come with a three-month free subscription to Hulu, which announced it is expanding to Japan this year.

The Samsung tab weighs 1.2 pounds and is an optimized version of the Galaxy 10.1 for DoCoMo's LTE service, poised to take on competition from … Read more

The 404 899: Where we take you to school (podcast)

Wilson begins this episode of The 404 Podcast with a few words of encouragement to our young listeners starting their first day of school today.

Unsurprisingly, Mr. Tang excelled in all his classes and never once printed a cheat sheet on a Coke-bottle wrapper--unfortunately Jeff and I can't say the same for our own salad days. Anyone know how to calculate the area of a triangle?

Aside from recalling our high-school days, today's show rundown kicks off with Nike's announcement of the long-awaited shoes from "Back To the Future II." Nike's head designer Tinker Hatfield invited members of the press to a big announcement that's likely to coincide with this preview trailer showing Marty McFly's closet full of Air Mag 2015s. Power laces and light-up soles!

We'll also break news about a partnership between Google and Zagat's (rhymes with "da cat") Restaurant Guide, shed some light on reports about Netflix capping multiple streams, and you'll also find out how you can rent the studio set from the Conan O'Brien late-night show!

The 404 Digest for Episode 899

It's about time: Nike goes "Back to the Future." Conan writers put studio up on AirBnB. Scan shows what the right 3DS thumb stick add-on might look like. Google buys Zagat, in original-content gambit. Video voice mail from David showing a retro pinball arcade.

Video voice mail from Tessa and Matt on a backpacking trip in the Sierras. Justin's Daily Bathroom Break Video: Going to the Store: Normal Guy, Normal Walk.

Episode 899 Subscribe in iTunes (audio) | Subscribe in iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1547: Calm down: Netflix stream limits are just a bug! (They say.) (Podcast)

Carol Bartz is out at Yahoo and the stock is up, which has got to hurt. They're still raking in the cash, but shareholders hate nothing more than a plateau. Plus, Netflix swears that at least this time, its jerk move (restricting users to only one stream at a time) was a total accident, and they're definitely not doing that. Promise. Plus, Groupon's IPO roadshow is off and the IPO itself may be off for good, and the Droid Bionic has finally arrived. Hooray!

Yahoo's ad challenges: Social, mobile, operational

Yahoo, in the throes of a CEO transition after yesterday's ouster of Carol Bartz, has a central priority: fix advertising.

A company like Yahoo has two major constituencies, its audience and its advertisers. When it comes to making money, though, Yahoo has problems with both. People in the audience are spending more of their online lives on social networks and mobile devices, and the advertising market is shifting accordingly.

Compounding the problem is Yahoo's weak search-ad revenue, supplied through a Microsoft partnership after the rival took over Yahoo's search technology for its Bing site.

Plenty of companies … Read more

Netflix vs. Blockbuster: What's the best service for streaming and DVDs?

Editors' note (September 19, 2011): Since this story was first published, several important changes have occurred. Netflix has initiated new pricing plans and is spinning off its DVD-by-mail program into a separate company known as Qwikster; Starz content will be disappearing from Netflix streaming as of February 28, 2012; a new Blockbuster subscription streaming service is rumored to be debuting before the end of the year. We'll update this story in the future once the details on these new developments are fully revealed.

There are more choices than ever for your entertainment dollar, but Netflix and Blockbuster remain the only two that offer both online streaming and disc-by-mail options. Recent changes to both--a controversial Netflix price hike and a change of ownership for Blockbuster--make this a perfect time to re-examine how both of these vendors stack up against one another.

In the analysis below, we explain how Netflix and Blockbuster stack up against each other on both fronts (discs and streaming), look at the other competitors (including Hulu Plus, Amazon, Vudu, and iTunes), and make an overall recommendation on the best choices for you.… Read more

Hulu officially launches streaming service in Japan

Just a few weeks after announcing its decision to expand its streaming service to Japan, Hulu has made good on its promise.

Folks in Japan can now stream a host of movies from the service, including "Men in Black," "Troy," and "As Good As It Gets." On the television side, users will have access to "24," "Lost," and "Prison Break," among other shows. Like in the U.S., all the content will be available online, as well as on connected televisions, tablets, and smartphones, Hulu said. Support for … Read more

Hulu Plus lands on Vizio tablet

Vizio's 8-inch tablet will now support Hulu Plus, the company announced today.

According to Chief Technology Officer Matt McRae, Vizio's tablet has become "one of the first Android-powered tablets to support Hulu Plus."

Vizio launched its 8-inch tablet earlier this month. The device comes with Wi-Fi connectivity and the ability for users to control their home entertainment devices with the built-in universal remote. The tablet also comes with an HDMI port, allowing users to push content to their HDTVs in high-definition.