Orb Networks Releases First Solution Allowing Consumers Access to Digital Home Entertainment From Wireless Devices

Orb Networks Releases First Solution Allowing Consumers Access to Digital Home Entertainment From Wireless Devices

Company's Groundbreaking Debut Product Provides Spontaneous Access to Live TV, Music, Videos, Photos From Anywhere in the World; Demonstrations at CES 2005

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Orb Networks, Inc., a developer of streaming media software and services, today announced the availability of its debut solution, Orb Media 1.0. This breakthrough software and service provides a simple way for consumers to view, hear and access all kinds of their digital content from virtually any Internet-enabled device, from anywhere in the world. Imagine being able to watch live TV and home videos while sitting at your favorite café or listen to your entire music collection on any device while waiting at the airport for your plane to arrive. Orb's new streaming media service allows you to do just that. Consumers can get a live, hands-on demonstration of Orb's new service at the 2005 International CES tradeshow in Las Vegas, January 6-9 in booth #26419.

The rapid convergence between personal computing and entertainment has allowed for new technologies such as streaming media to become a reality. Consumers no longer have to be at home to be "connected" to the media they already own and use on a daily basis. Orb's solution provides spontaneous access to a person's music, live television, videos, photos and other digital content from any device that can connect to the Internet, such as a cell phone, PDA, or notebook, allowing users to create their own "personal media portal." By removing the complexity and limitations of many of today's digital entertainment products and services, Orb's software architecture leverages the best features of today's popular standards while abiding by current digital rights management (DRM) platforms.

"When talking about this type of technology, one of the first issues that always comes up is digital rights management," said James Behrens, CEO, Orb Networks. "We are in constant discussion with the major content providers, wireless carriers, consumer electronics companies, and even the top executives at the FCC, and once they understand what we are doing there is always the same reaction, 'we want to work with you to bring this service to our customers.' Orb's solution supports current content management rules. In fact, we abide by strict DRM standards that prevent us from giving consumers access to content they don't already own."

To create your own "personal media portal" in a matter of minutes, Orb Media 1.0 is available for download now at www.orb.com for customers with Windows XP Media Center Edition. The service will also be available through numerous strategic partnerships with content providers, electronic distributors and consumer electronic companies announced at CES and throughout 2005. The service starts at just $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year for the first user. Additionally, the Company announced that final testing is being completed for those users who have Windows XP systems, with release expected within the next two months.

Orb Networks' new technology is based upon its elegant, robust and scalable Orb Architecture. A user simply opens a Web browser on any device, logs-in and selects what they want to view or hear from their personal library. Orb's technology takes care of the rest. Orb's technology determines the best format, codec, bit rate, display capabilities, and network bandwidth available for a particular cell phone, PDA or laptop to view or hear the content. The media is streamed securely and directly from the user's home PC to the user's device to provide fast mobile media access.

"The combination of more powerful entertainment PCs with the evolution of today's mobile devices has created the reality for a new generation of wireless services to come to market," said Tim Bajarin, president, Creative Strategies. "This digital convergence is providing consumers more flexibility than ever before to take home media, such as television, music and videos, on the road. Orb's service is unique in that it doesn't lock users into using one particular device or media player like so many other solutions. The freedom for consumers to choose how, when and where they access this media makes it a very compelling solution."

"Orb Networks has developed the ultimate solution that will provide our home entertainment customers with an ideal platform to take that entertainment on the road," said Joe Olmsted, digital home product manager for Alienware. "The combination of our high-performance computing systems with Orb's service delivers on our promise to offer customers the most innovative, functional tools for their digital lifestyles. Orb allows customers the freedom to enjoy their digital media not only at home, but now to take it on the go. Scheduling a DVR recording through their PDA or watching live TV on their laptop from a hotel takes the definition of home entertainment to a whole new level."

Orb Media 1.0 Overview

What you need:
-- Home PC. Customers with a home PC Media Center can have access to all
Orb Media functionality, including live TV.
-- Broadband connection. Anybody with a high-speed Internet connection
can spontaneously access all of their home media on-the-go.
-- An Internet-connected device. With Orb, digital content can be viewed
from virtually all existing browsers and Internet-enabled hardware
devices.

How it works:


After installing the Orb software, users need to simply complete the following tasks:

-- From your web browser select the myORB bookmark on your cell phone,
PDA, laptop or PC, which will connect you to the personalized list of
all your media.
-- Select what you want to view or hear. Remotely access live TV, videos,
music, photos, audio books, newspapers, or program a personal video
recorder (PVR).
-- Enjoy. That's it!

What you can do now:


The wireless industry knows that home media is the next frontier in digital innovation. Orb Networks extends this rapidly growing industry by providing the user a "killer application" to access the entertainment they care about.

-- Live TV. Watch your home TV from anywhere in the world. See your
favorite shows on your cell phone or laptop from your hotel room or
while on vacation. Your TV goes where you go.
-- Videos & recorded TV. Enjoy downloaded movies and home videos no
matter where you are. Schedule and record your favorite TV shows on
your PVR and watch them whenever and wherever you want.
-- Music and radio. Listen to your MP3 collection and favorite Internet
radio stations at the gym, in the car, or at the beach. Now you have
one easy interface to listen to all of your music from any cell phone
Web browser, anywhere in the world.
-- Photos. Storing and viewing photos is a snap. Show off all of your
photos, everywhere you go. And, send photos right from your camera
phone to your home photo library. Just point and shoot. Orb does the
rest.
-- Web info: weather, news, stocks and more. Anything you want to know
is at your fingertips. Weather, headlines, driving directions. All
you have to do is ask.
-- And so much more. Home security, nanny cam, and much more. Your
digital content goes with you everywhere you go. With the rich and
scalable Orb architecture, the possibilities are limitless.



Orb's software allows users to select and manage their digital content. Of course, users are responsible for utilizing the Orb Media software responsibly and in compliance with copyright law and any applicable restrictions imposed by their service and/or content providers.

About Orb Networks, Inc.

Orb Networks delivers powerful mobile services for the fast growing wireless industry. Orb Networks is the first developer of streaming media software and services giving people spontaneous access to digital home media -- any kind, at any time, from any location in the world. The groundbreaking Orb Architecture allows users to access music, live television, videos, photos and other digital content from any device that can connect to the Internet, such as a cell phone, PDA, or notebook. Orb Networks develops, licenses and markets its services in partnership with leading content providers/creators, wireless carriers, electronic distributors and consumer electronic companies. As an active participant in the issues affecting digital media, Orb Networks is a member of both the Digital Media Association (DiMA) and the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA). Orb Networks is a privately held company located in Union City, Calif. For more information about Orb Networks, please visit http://www.orb.com/ .

NOTE: Orb and the Orb logo are trademarks of Orb Networks, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.


Source: Orb Networks, Inc.

CONTACT: Jeff Urquhart of Voce Communications, Inc., +1-650-322-3227, or
jurquhart@vocecomm.com, for Orb Networks, Inc.

Web site: http://www.orb.com/


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