Blockbuster working on Live Mesh app
Blockbuster and Microsoft are working together on an effort to use Live Mesh as a means to give consumers a way to reach their video content from a variety of devices.
A Microsoft representative said on Monday that Microsoft's Live Services team is working with Blockbuster on "building some demo Mesh apps."
It's the latest tie-up between the companies. Blockbuster is already one of the early customers for Microsoft's Exchange Online hosted e-mail service.
Live Mesh debuted in April, but at the time was largely limited to PC and Web file synchronization. However, Microsoft said at the time it launched Live Mesh that it would be opened to third parties to write their own Web-based and PC-based applications. Microsoft did just that at its Professional Developers Conference.
The Dallas Morning News has more details on the effort, including a line on just how far the company hopes to take things.
"Eventually, we'll give customers instant access to any movie on any device with an Internet connection and a screen," Blockbuster Chief Information Officer Keith Morrow told the paper. "More immediately, we could use this technology to reach into airports. Travelers could quickly download movies from Blockbuster kiosks to their portable media players."
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina.
"What's for Dinner?"
It's going to be wireless for the most part, but I see software that manages what delivery protocol is utilized by simultaneously analyzing the pipeline and the Content to determine the "best" path.