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AOL Developing Cheap Switch for Audio Streaming

Posted by timothy on from the when-banks-compete-you-win dept.

legaleagll writes: "According to a Fortune magazine article and a follow-up article on ZDNet, AOL is developing a cheap switch that can handle streaming audio for 10,000 users, versus current technology of 100 - 1,000 users per box depending on expense of system. The code name for the product is Ultravox and was apparantly spurred into existence because RealNetworks is now offering internet service for cheaper than AOL. I'm a little skeptical because I'm not sure how the use of an intelligent router would eliminate the need for the expensive systems to stream the audio. Wouldn't moving the software for streaming onto the router make for a more expensive router and still require the expense a box outside of the router anyway?"

10 of 166 comments (clear)

  1. The 80's live on by cryptogryphon · · Score: 4, Funny

    I think Midge Ure might have something to say about that!

  2. The ultimate conspiracy.... by Dark+Paladin · · Score: 3, Funny

    Phase 1: AOL develops the Super Audio Switcher 2000 - let your whole business listen to the music you would normally pipe through the company speakers at once! Want cool hold music? Just plug the SAS2000 into your PBX!

    Phase 2: Hello, we're lawyers from AOL. Seems that your business has been streaming Time Warner music without our official permission. You now owe use $1,000,000,000 dollars - or your entire company, whichever is greater.

    (Please note: the above is "sarcasm", and is not meant to reflect a real world situation. Please turn "cluelessesness" switch to "off" when reading this post. That you.

    --
    52 Weeks, 52 Religions with John Hummel
    1. Re:The ultimate conspiracy.... by killmenow · · Score: 2, Funny

      Phase 3: Profit

      I have to admit, you've finally come up with a scheme wherein phase 2 is known up front... congratulations!

  3. Lawsuits I would like to see... by billnapier · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Time Warner sues AOL over streaming copyrighted media content to its subscribers."

  4. Re:Why they want to do this by Washizu · · Score: 4, Funny

    "Currently 1000 users == 1000 streams. An intelligent switch looks at the content, says broadcast one stream to the 1000 users. Sounds simple. Not, though. Check articles on "Layer 4" switches." I thought you weren't supposed to cross the streams?

    --
    OddManIn: A Game of guns and game theory.
  5. If there were any justice in the world. . . by Fritz+Benwalla · · Score: 2, Funny


    . . .it would be built out of a hacked XBox.

    --

    Believe me, I'm as surprised by my comment as you are.
  6. You've got sound! by MH · · Score: 4, Funny

    Feel sorry for the network guys...having to listen to "You've got sound!" all day from one or more of these routers would probably get rather annoying...

    --
    --mh
  7. Reality is: by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    AOL users are morons anyway and would be WAAAYY too stupid to know how to use this technology.

    Am I right on this? HrmmmmMM?

  8. Re:Please.... by GuyMannDude · · Score: 3, Funny

    This is just another futile attempt from AOL to grab on to the and I quote "millions and millions" of people who got wise to their crap.

    That's "billions and billions" and if you're going to quote Carl Sagan like that, you should at least give him credit!

    oh, wait a minute... :)

    GMD

    --
    watch this
  9. Re:Not sure how this will help. by caferace · · Score: 2, Funny
    Those are precisely the ones where things get all jammed up and nobody can get on, like the Yanni concert at Giza. No?

    Please oh please tell me you just read about that somewhere....