May 29 - 11:25am EDT   Hulu, jointly operated by NBC, Fox and Disney, has launched a new desktop application meant to simplify streaming the site's video. Mac and Windows versions are available, supporting Front Row and Windows Media Center remotes, respectively; aside from controlling playback the software provides a special tracking display, and a distinct menu for browsing categories and subscriptions. Windows systems require XP, 2GB of RAM and a 1.8GHz Core Duo, while Macs differ by needing a 2GHz Core Duo and at least Mac OS X 10.4. [full story]

March 24 - 11:35pm EDT   The international team of developers working on Boxee are gathered in New York and to celebrate, a new version of the Boxee alpha has been released with additional content. The move also brings another round in Boxee's battle with Hulu. Boxee's new XUL-based browser framework imitates Mozilla's Firefox and makes it harder for Hulu to block access to Boxee users by preventing a simple ban; any block of Boxee's video feed would block Hulu's as well. [full story]

March 9 - 2:45pm EDT   TV streaming service Hulu is once again attempting to block access from the Boxee media browsing client, the latter company claims. After Boxee was initially forced to remove a dedicated Hulu component, the company developed a workaround in the form of an RSS reader that tapped into publicly-accessible feeds. Even this access is now being blocked, despite continued Hulu RSS compatibility with ordinary web browsers. [full story]

March 6 - 10:25am EST   Boxee, the developer of its namesake media player front-end, has released a new alpha version of the app with a built-in RSS reader. The software is installed onto Mac and Ubuntu Linux systems as well as Apple TVs, and provides more elaborate support for downloaded media as well as direct web streaming of shows on ABC and CBS. The Boxee RSS reader is optimized for video, and can feed clips from YouTube, Yahoo and several other sources. [full story]

February 25 - 4:50pm EST   (Update with response from Boxee) Apple has quietly released a software update for the Apple TV, its media-streaming set-top box. A list of changes made in the v2.3.1 update is currently unavailable, but it is known that the code breaks Boxee, a popular third-party software client which provides functions such as better format support, access to online streaming services and various social networking options. Earlier updates have also broken Boxee, though this is not believed to be intentional. [full story]

January 23 - 9:05am EST   The creators of the Boxee media streaming software have expanded network coverage to include ABC, according to an announcement. The addition is designed to coincide with the season premiere of Lost, and brings with it episodes from a number of other ABC shows such as Scrubs, Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy. Other studios on Boxee include CBS, NBC and Fox, the latter two coming by way of Hulu. [full story]

January 22 - 12:55pm EST   Some form of dedicated hardware support may be coming for Boxee's self-titled media streaming software, a member of the company suggests. Avner Ronen observes that in order to run Boxee on a TV, users must currently connect a computer, or hack an Apple TV; the latter option prevents Netflix streaming from working. Dedicated hardware would simplify the use of Boxee, and possibly at a lower cost, says Ronen. [full story]

December 16 - 11:10am EST   VUDU today staked out a potential edge in networked media hubs on Tuesday by launching a new platform specifically tailored to normally web-oriented services. The RIA (Rich Internet Application) standard lets developers write and users download add-ons that convert web games, photo and video services into a native program for the VUDU Box rather than have to use a special web browser or make special arrangements for app development. The implementation will make it relatively straightforward to integrate web content while still having a "lean-back" interface with remote control, the company explains. [full story]

December 4 - 11:45am EST   Boxee has released an updated alpha version of its media player software adding support for the Watch Instantly video streaming feature from Netflix as well as MTV music videos, the WB network and photos from the Boston Globe. The move comes two weeks after the startup secured its first round of venture capital funding, hoping to license the XBMC-based software for use in set-top boxes and other devices. [full story]