To do that, the pany would stream games that are powered by massive cloud puters, and deliver the experience over the web; this is similar to what panies such as OnLive have tried to do.If TechCrunch's sources are correct, it would confirm some of the rumors we've heard about the device. One source close to Amazon told Mashable that its device will work with the pany's AppStream service, which just opened up to all interested developers.Why a Dongle?The HDMI dongle is the hottest new thing for connected devices in the living room. Chipsets are getting smaller, and it's b ing possible to have memory, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth all in something the size of a flash drive.But why are panies moving to this new design?
When Mashable spoke with Roku earlier this month, the pany said the dongle is a form factor that makes sense for a growing set of customers, in part because it is easy to hide away just plug it in to HDMI and USB or AC power, and go. Set-top boxes have b e remarkably small, but if you mount your TV to the wall, there's not always a good place to set a box down.As someone who has velcroed an Apple TV to the back of my television set for that very reason, I can say a dongle is an easier solution. Dongles are also more portable, which is great for anyone who travels, or wants to use a device for business.
What's more, Roku said the size of the dongle allows panies to position it in retail stores as a grab-and-go item, making it easy to buy alongside a TV set or as an impulse purchase.
Retail placement is likely part of Amazon's design strategy. The pany sells its products through its own channel, but has had remarkable success selling the Kindle and Kindle Fire through traditional retail chains, as well.Have something to add to this story? Share it in the ments.Cloud-based file-sharing pany Box faces plenty of petition. It needs wisdom if it wants to b e the clear market leader. Hence the announcement this morning that Padmasree Warrior, a high-profile executive at networking hardware giant Cisco, has joined Box's board.Warrior, currently Cisco's chief technology and strategy officer, has previously been executive vice president and chief technology officer at Motorola. And she's b e an asset to Box cofounder and chief executive Aaron Levie.