Orb Networks Unveils MyCasting 2.0, Turning Home Computers into Personal Broadcasting Systems

Free Service Lets You Enjoy and Share Your Photos, Videos, Music, TV, and Documents on Any Device With an Internet Browser and Streaming Media Player

JavaScriptSearch
Friday, December 8, 2006; 03:22 AM

Orb Networks today announced the public release of Orb MyCasting 2.0, a free service that transforms the personal computer into a personal broadcasting system by unlocking all of the digital media people have on their personal computers. Orb MyCasting is available for free at www.orb.com and works on any Internet-enabled device with a streaming media player without the need for additional software or add-ons. Orb MyCasting makes it possible for people to organize, enjoy and share their music, photos, videos, documents, podcasts and other digital media as well as watch live and recorded TV and Internet TV, anytime and anywhere they choose, using the devices they already own.

"The new MyCasting 2.0 service is all about media freedom," said Joe Costello, chairman and co-founder of Orb Networks. "We're giving people access to their own stuff -- their favorite music, photos, videos, and TV programs -- and letting them enjoy it and share it on any screen -- be it PC, laptop, mobile phone or PDA -- wherever and whenever they want."

A simple download of the Orb software to an always-on Windows XP PC is all it takes to start MyCasting. The service turns the home PC into a personal broadcasting system, and lets users build and organize their own "channels" to enjoy their music, photos, video, TV, documents and other extras. Then, using any Web browser with a media player, users simply log onto their personal "MyCast" account and can start streaming their channel programming and enjoying the content when (time), where (place), and how (device) they want it. For Live and Recorded broadcast TV to work, the home PC needs to have a TV tuner card. Total set up of Orb and the TV tuner card takes only five minutes of time. Without a tuner card, users can still access hundreds of Internet TV stations from around the world.

While the original version of Orb, first introduced in 2004, captured the attention and affection of the blog and early-adopter tech communities, the new MyCasting 2.0 has been tailored for all consumers. Making the most of Internet 2.0 capabilities with new functionality, flexibility and an enhanced user experience, the service now features:

    -- A New MyCasting Application Page
        * The user can now tailor media preferences thanks to web 2.0 and AJAX
          based interface
        * Add or remove content modules with one click so users can keep and
          view only the content they want
        * Customizable tabs to let users organize content as they want

    -- Multiple View Options
        * Thumbnails, lists, filmstrips, and file trees all available with a
          single click
        * Standard interface design for each type of media playback

    -- Expanded TV and Video Features
        * New and improved television guide for better readability and
          customization of the program guide and favorite TV channels, both on
          the PC and mobile interface
        * Embedded flash player for instant access to video content

    -- New and Improved Mobile Interface
        * Support for upload/download of files so users can download directly
          into their channels -- for easier loading and locating of content
        * Option to hide graphics on site to speed up the program for users
          with slower mobile devices and slower Internet connections

    -- Build Your Own Program List of Your Favorite Internet Videos
        * Install the OrbThis add-on into your Internet Explorer or FireFox
          menu bar, and start "collecting" cool Internet videos into your
          MyCast application -- for playback now, or later, on the remote
          mobile

    -- Enjoy YouTube and Other Internet Videos Anywhere, Anytime
        * Ability to enjoy Internet videos on mobile devices
        * Search Internet videos from many providers, from your PC interface
          or on the mobile: those entire video catalogs are now at the
          fingertips of the Orb user

    -- Build Your Own Newspaper with New Support for RSS Content
        * Orb pre-loaded a number of media RSS feeds so news, entertainment,
          reports and more can be automatically accessed on the MyCast
          application in one click.
        * Or add your own: RSS feeds are simple to setup.
        * Video RSS feeds are also available from within the MyCast
          application

    -- Streamlined Interface for Sharing Channels
        * Drag and drop photos, video streams and music channels to friends
          and family without uploading content to a server: no upload times,
          no restrictions on the length of the videos you can now share

    -- Add games, puzzles to your MyCast application with Google Gadgets
        * Google Gadgets are small applets which you can easily add to your
          MyCast: they cover hundreds of applications and many types, from
          utilities such as calendar to fun such as games, puzzles and quizzes

Orb Networks introduced the concept of "media freedom" in 2004 with its introduction of the original Orb application. Since that time, Orb users have enjoyed a record 67 million hours -- the equivalent of 125 years of digital media streamed from their home computer to a mobile phone, PDA or laptop. This validates Orb's lead in the "Media Anywhere" trend.

About Orb Networks, Inc.

Orb Networks is an award-winning developer of software and services that unlock the digital media stored on personal computers. Orb MyCasting gives consumers secure, free, instant, and everywhere-access to everything from their photos and video to TV and music on virtually any Web-enabled device. The company's partners include: AOL Winamp, AMD, Creative Labs, Hauppauge, Hutchison, Nokia, and Vodafone. Orb Networks is a privately held company in Emeryville, Calif. For more information about Orb Networks and the Orb MyCasting service, visit www.orb.com.