Audio and video

Netflix 'Just for Kids' section debuts on Xbox 360

Parents and children can now more easily find kid-friendly Netflix content on the Xbox 360.

Available starting today, Netflix's "Just for Kids" section now appears as a special page accessible through the gaming console's Netflix app.

Geared for children 12 and under, the section offers rows of TV shows and movies organized by genre, such as comedies and animated films. The section also displays characters meant for kids, including Barney, Miley Cyrus, Power Rangers, SpongeBob SquarePants, and Dora the Explorer.

The movies and shows displayed through Just for Kids are all available for streaming. So kids … Read more

DVDs, Blu-ray disc rentals still surpass streaming

Streaming video may be cost-effective and convenient, but consumers are still renting more movies via the mail and physical retailers.

People renting DVDs and Blu-ray discs through retail stores, kiosks, and Netflix's mail service totaled more than 62 percent of all movie rentals in the first half of the year, according to NPD Group. In contrast, those renting digital movies via subscription streaming, pay TV video on demand, and Internet VOD added up to only 38 percent.

Though physical discs still lead the rental landscape, their popularity has been waning. Rentals of DVDs and Blu-ray discs dropped by 17 … Read more

Spotify updates mobile app to support iOS 6

Apple's iOS 6 likely won't be out until next month, but Spotify's app is already supporting it.

Out today, version 0.5.4 touts its iOS 6 support. Developers running the latest beta of iOS 6 can test Spotify to see if the claim holds true. The rest of us will have to wait until Apple actually launches its latest mobile OS.

iPad users who download the update can see more stations. Otherwise, the new version is focused on bug fixes, taking care of login issues for Facebook users and offering the usual "improved stability."… Read more

Is it 2008 again? Apple Rickrolls developers in iOS 6 changelog

Oh, Apple, your humor is just too much to bear.

The iPhone maker yesterday released its iOS 6 Beta 4 changelog, listing a host of modifications to the software. Toward the bottom of the list was an item about YouTube, saying that embedded URLs from the video site will no longer work in the software. Apple pointed developers to a link for parameters on how its player should be used on mobile software.

But it wasn't that link that got all of the attention. After saying that embedded YouTube URLs won't work, Apple offered up one such link … Read more

Netflix loses few viewers to the Olympics

Correction, August 3 at 2:18 p.m. PT: This story was corrected and updated throughout after CNET learned that the study it was based on from Procera was not an accurate reflection of all Netflix traffic.

The streaming of the Olympic Games may be popular among viewers, but it doesn't appear to be hurting Netflix traffic.

It turns out that an earlier report from Procera that said Netflix streaming dropped 25 percent in the U.S. on Sunday did not reflect all traffic to the Netflix site.

Procera explained its data in this statement:

The data was taken … Read more

Amazon unveils Instant Video app for iPad owners

Amazon is serving Netflix some mobile competition with its new Instant Video iPad app.

Free for iPad users, the Amazon Instant Video app offers both Amazon Prime and non-Prime users the ability to purchase or rent any of the more than 120,000 videos available in the retailer's online video store.

Users can then stream the content to view it online or download it to catch it offline. Amazon Prime subscribers ($79 a year) get the better end of the deal. Prime members can stream thousands of movies and TV shows at no extra cost. Non-members must pay the … Read more

iTunes movies in the Cloud expands across the world

Many iTunes Cloud users outside the U.S. can now watch their favorite synced movies on any computer or iDevice.

As of yesterday, such countries as the U.K., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, along with several in Latin America and the Asia Pacific region, are now on Apple's list for cloud-based movie support. This means that movies purchased from iTunes are automatically synced to the cloud and made available for viewing on any eligible device -- computer, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or Apple TV.

Entertainment available through iTunes in the Cloud includes music, videos, movies, TV shows, books, … Read more

TwitVid renamed Telly to show off video-discovery focus

TwitVid, a service that was once considered the "TwitPic of video," has been rebranded as Telly.

The company announced the switch on its Twitter feed today, saying that it was "extremely excited to introduce you to our new name and experience." Under the new name, Telly will continue to allow users to collect and share videos with friends.

TechCrunch was first to report on the news.

TwitVid made a name for itself by allowing users to share videos over Twitter. However, the company changed things up late last year by becoming a discovery site for users … Read more

Amazon's Cloud Player enters the App Store

Amazon.com's free Cloud Player app is now available for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch devices via Apple's App Store.

The app lets you stream or download music stored in your Amazon cloud to your Apple devices. You can also play music already saved on your device and create your own playlists.

Filling up your Amazon cloud with music requires you to first download Amazon's browser-based Cloud Player and the MP3 uploader. After those are installed, you can view your cloud space and upload music directly from your computer. You can also store any music that you … Read more