Apple developing advanced 'media streaming engine' for iOS, Mac OS
Apple employees are at work on improved media streaming technology at the company's Cupertino, Calif., headquarters, as rumors of a so-called "iCloud" service continue to pick up steam.
On Tuesday, Apple put out a listing for a job opening in Santa Clara Valley for the title of "Media Streaming Engineering Manager." Discovered by AppleInsider, the post on the company's official site notes that the position will be a part of Apple's Interactive Media Group.
IMG handles local media playback, video on demand, and live streaming of multimedia content. Its technology is used in a number of Apple products including QuickTime, Safari, iTunes, and third-party applications.
"We are looking for an excellent engineering manager to join our team and help develop our media streaming engine for our iOS, Mac OS X, and Windows products," the job listing reads.
Preferred candidates for the job will have experience with system design for media streaming. Potential applicants are required to be able to deliver "complex software releases on tight schedules with high quality."
The listing comes as Apple is believed to have completed work on a cloud-based iTunes music streaming service. At least two major record labels are said to have signed a deal with Apple to allow their content to be played on the new service.
But music streaming is expected to be only part of the equation for Apple's ambitious cloud offering. As exclusively reported by AppleInsider in April, the soon-to-debut service will span beyond music to store much of the same information currently saved within the company's existing MobileMe service, including bookmarks, e-mail, contacts and calendars.
Apple could even make a strong push at first and make the new cloud service free at launch to help generate interest. However, reports have suggested that Apple will eventually charge for the ability to stream music. Apple's current MobileMe product carries a $99-per-year price tag.
The iPhone maker is also said to have acquired the iCloud.com domain name, suggesting the MobileMe successor will be given a new moniker. The anticipated service is expected to allow users to access music, media and personal files without the need for a great deal of local storage on devices like iPhones and iPads.
AppleInsider was first to reveal in April that Apple was assembling a small team to build "the future of cloud services." That revelation also came from a job posting for the position of "Cloud Systems Software Engineer."
On Tuesday, Apple put out a listing for a job opening in Santa Clara Valley for the title of "Media Streaming Engineering Manager." Discovered by AppleInsider, the post on the company's official site notes that the position will be a part of Apple's Interactive Media Group.
IMG handles local media playback, video on demand, and live streaming of multimedia content. Its technology is used in a number of Apple products including QuickTime, Safari, iTunes, and third-party applications.
"We are looking for an excellent engineering manager to join our team and help develop our media streaming engine for our iOS, Mac OS X, and Windows products," the job listing reads.
Preferred candidates for the job will have experience with system design for media streaming. Potential applicants are required to be able to deliver "complex software releases on tight schedules with high quality."
The listing comes as Apple is believed to have completed work on a cloud-based iTunes music streaming service. At least two major record labels are said to have signed a deal with Apple to allow their content to be played on the new service.
But music streaming is expected to be only part of the equation for Apple's ambitious cloud offering. As exclusively reported by AppleInsider in April, the soon-to-debut service will span beyond music to store much of the same information currently saved within the company's existing MobileMe service, including bookmarks, e-mail, contacts and calendars.
Apple could even make a strong push at first and make the new cloud service free at launch to help generate interest. However, reports have suggested that Apple will eventually charge for the ability to stream music. Apple's current MobileMe product carries a $99-per-year price tag.
The iPhone maker is also said to have acquired the iCloud.com domain name, suggesting the MobileMe successor will be given a new moniker. The anticipated service is expected to allow users to access music, media and personal files without the need for a great deal of local storage on devices like iPhones and iPads.
AppleInsider was first to reveal in April that Apple was assembling a small team to build "the future of cloud services." That revelation also came from a job posting for the position of "Cloud Systems Software Engineer."
Comments
So I'm going to sit back and watch from a safe distance - hopefully, that will be an option !
A iTunes "server" would also be nice.
Just update FrontRow to pull metadata like XBMC and home streaming is all I need.
A iTunes "server" would also be nice.
I think Plex is what you're looking for.
Just update FrontRow to pull metadata like XBMC and home streaming is all I need.
A iTunes "server" would also be nice.
I'd like to be able to tell one Macbook's iTunes to reference iTunes on another Mac as the master.
Eg: An Air with the full iTunes app, whose content is driven from selected playlists on a mini. This could just be a feature add to iTunes, rather than anything "magical".
Regarding streaming, I don't want streaming to load up the internet. Instead let's have playlists as they are now, but then if you want to, say, finish the album when not all the tracks are there, then streaming could fill that adhoc request. Follow the 90/10 rule.
... Apple's Interactive Media Group ... handles local media playback, video on demand, and live streaming of multimedia content. Its technology is used in a number of Apple products including QuickTime, ...
I consume a lot of music and other media but I am less enthusiastic about the possibilities of streaming music than I am the whole iCloud service itself. iCloud is about far more than streaming music if the recent changes to MobileMe and iTunes authentication are anything to go by.
Streaming music is a dull one-trick pony IMO. We know it will happen eventually, and when it arrives it will be ... streaming music. So what? It's not like the mobile devices we use are running out of space so badly that it's desperately needed or anything. Most of us have too much local storage already for that purpose.
Just update FrontRow to pull metadata like XBMC and home streaming is all I need.
A iTunes "server" would also be nice.
1) Front Row has barely been updated since Tiger and was the test platform for the AppleTV?s UI. I don?t even think it?s included with Lion.
2) I would like an Apple Home Server. Something not unlike HP Media Smart servers, but an ARM-based system running iOS.
Wireless sync over home wifi would be much more welcome. A free price tag on existing calendar and idrive capability would be even better.
I think Plex is what you're looking for.
Plex for iOS is horrendous.
XBMC for AppleTV = Win.
What is really needed is the ability to fetch metadata and organize music/movies/shows within iTunes.
Then Apple needs to push a "public" iTunes account (note local not cloud) which runs in the background to serve up iTunes content to AppleTV.
DLNA wold be a great start for iTunes but that isn't going to happen.
Anyways, if Apple was able to push these simple things they would instantly succeed where Microsoft failed with their WMC/Extender ecosystem.
I had an e-mail exchange with Jobs about a year ago. I gave a compelling argument for making Mobile Me free. This iCloud thing better be an improved repackaged Free Mobile Me. The timing is right. And I'm not going to repeat anything so don't bother asking. If this is anything like the exchange I had with him on Safari Extensions I'm skeptically looking forward to the announcement. I still think Chrome handles Extenions far more elegantly, and I find Apple's hiding of them in Preferences bad design. I also find Chrome's "closing several tabs in succession" feature - where you don't have to move the cursor - to be a work of genius that Apple can't steal quickly enough.
The only thing I want in Safari from Chrome is opening tabs next to the tab you are in, not as the end of the tab collection.
If apple introduces something like google music beta or amazon cloud music I am gonna be pissed. There is no point of streaming music when it costs you a dollar per song in data charges, not to mention the time it would take to upload all that music into the service.
Wireless sync over home wifi would be much more welcome. A free price tag on existing calendar and idrive capability would be even better.
I agree. I so agree. when you need streaming music you will have to pay a fortune in data charges if you aren't on wifi.
The only thing I want in Safari from Chrome is opening tabs next to the tab you are in, not as the end of the tab collection.
Safari 5.1.
I had an e-mail exchange with Jobs about a year ago. I gave a compelling argument for making Mobile Me free. This iCloud thing better be an improved repackaged Free Mobile Me. The timing is right. And I'm not going to repeat anything so don't bother asking. If this is anything like the exchange I had with him on Safari Extensions I'm skeptically looking forward to the announcement. I still think Chrome handles Extenions far more elegantly, and I find Apple's hiding of them in Preferences bad design. I also find Chrome's "closing several tabs in succession" feature - where you don't have to move the cursor - to be a work of genius that Apple can't steal quickly enough.
I don't want MobileMe to be free, as $99 is something I *can* create by myself - ie it's an available commodity.
I want to pay Apple $99 to do something I *can't* do myself, such as perfect integration across my Apple devices and apps.
The disappointment for me is that every MobileMe app seems to be less reliable than its competitors.
Eg: iDisk versus DropBox, which is not great because of features, but because of how well it does the basics.
I want to buy "insanely great", but it's not for sale.
I had an e-mail exchange with Jobs about a year ago. I gave a compelling argument for making Mobile Me free. This iCloud thing better be an improved repackaged Free Mobile Me. The timing is right. And I'm not going to repeat anything so don't bother asking. If this is anything like the exchange I had with him on Safari Extensions I'm skeptically looking forward to the announcement. I still think Chrome handles Extenions far more elegantly, and I find Apple's hiding of them in Preferences bad design. I also find Chrome's "closing several tabs in succession" feature - where you don't have to move the cursor - to be a work of genius that Apple can't steal quickly enough.
too true, love it ever since using mostly chrome a few weeks ago.
1) Front Row has barely been updated since Tiger and was the test platform for the AppleTV?s UI. I don?t even think it?s included with Lion.
2) I would like an Apple Home Server. Something not unlike HP Media Smart servers, but an ARM-based system running iOS.
You and me both!
1) Final Cut Server -> Compressor -> QuickTime/AirPlay Streaming Server -> Media Core CMS
2) Final Cut Server -> Compressor/Podcast Producer -> iTunes U
3) Final Cut Server -> Compressor -> iCloud
4) Final Cut Server -> Compressor -> 3rd Party CDN