[real-eyes] ORB.com
- From: "Jim Fettgather" <jim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <real-eyes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2007 11:17:10 -0500
Hi to the list.
Following is a message from Jonathan Mosen that was posted to the PC Audio
mailing list.
Let me preface the message by saying that I have set this up and used this
service from my laptop, and it is quite amazing, reliable, and for right now,
free.
Begin forwarded message:
Hi all, I just posted this to the PAC mate list and thought some here would>be
interested.
>
> One of the exciting things about using PAC Mate is that there is such a wide
> variety of software and sites that can work with it, since it is based on the
> Pocket PC platform that is being used by people all around the world.
> I have been playing with a service that is one of the most exciting things
> I've stumbled across for quite some time. However, I'm passing this on for
> those of you who enjoy experimenting with your PAC Mate and making the
> most>of all it has to offer. Freedom Scientific itself hasn't conducted any
> official testing of it. This message comes from a fellow enthusiastic PAC
> mate user who is simply sharing something cool.
>
> I travel very regularly, and of course take my portable hard drive with me so
> I can listen to music on my PAC mate. But my music collection is extensive,
> totalling a few hundred gigs now, so I can't take it all with me.
> Wouldn't it be nice if there was a way for me to use my PAC mate to play all
> my media direct from my PC over the Internet? Well there is, and the
> interface on the PAC mate couldn't be more user friendly. The service is
> known as Mycasting, and it's provided by Orb at
http://www.orb.com.
>
> Here's how this free service works. You will need a PC with a broad band
> connection. Ideally this PC should be always on, and it should be the one on
> which your media files are stored. You download a small, free application
> from the orb.com website, and install it on your PC. As part of the
> installation process, you are taken through the process of setting up an
> account with the Orb service.
>
> The PC I have it running on is a Windows Media Centre, so as part of the
> installation, it assisted me to configure my TV tuner card. Although an
> electronic programme guide was not available for me in New Zealand, such a
> guide is available for the USA, the UK, and a number of other countries.
> This means that once you've configured your TV tuner card, you can get TV
> listings, watch your local TV shows right on your PAC mate, and even set up
> recordings remotely.
>
> Once the Orb server is installed, you will probably want to use the
> configuration options in the software to add folders containing your media
> that you wish to be able to access remotely. This process requires use of the
> JAWS cursor, but I suspect that someone with intermediate scripting ability
> could help here.
>
> When the fairly simple install process on your PC is done, all you have to do
> is log on to the Internet with your PAC mate, and visit
>
http://mycast.orb.com
. Because you are using a Pocket PC, the site recognises this, and renders an
appropriately simple page. You'll be asked
> to log in, so at this point you enter the username and password you set up>
> during the installation on the PC side.
>
> Once you're in, you'll find a very simple interface that allows you to watch
> live TV if you have a TV tuner card, watch any TV you've recorded, listen to
> all the audio in the folders that you've given Orb permission to access,
> and> more.
>
> In the case of the audio, you can play music at random, browse by artist,
> title, album, genre or folder. There is a simple edit box where you can type
> in a search string if you know the song or artist you're looking for. You can
> then choose to listen to all selections or pick an individual selection.
> You can create playlists for later retrieval.
>
> What's very clever about this service is that it's bandwidth sensitive.> When
> I choose some audio to listen to, Orb does a quick test of the bandwidth you
> have available. It then streams the audio or TV material you've selected
> at a bit rate that it knows you can receive without buffering. This means for
> example that if I am on a broad band connection, chances are I will hear> my
> audio in high quality stereo. If I'm on a dial-up connection, the audio won't
> sound as good, but at least it is unlikely to buffer. By default,> the audio
> will stream right within Pocket WindowsMedia Player on the PAC mate.
>
> You can also use your PC to access Orb. Their default interface requires a
> lot of use of the mouse. I wrote to orb and asked if there was a way to> use
> the mobile interface on a PC, and had a reply within an hour. The URL for you
> to use the same interface on your PC that automatically comes up on> the PAC
> mate is
>
https://mycast.orb.com/orb/html/index.html?format=large
>
> There's a lot more to this service, but hopefully this message demonstrates
> what's possible. Now, you can take your PAC mate anywhere, and never be
> without any of your favourite music as long as you have an Internet
> connection.
>
> Jonathan
>
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