Roku's Streaming Stick Ships In October

We were intrigued by Roku's Streaming Stick dongle when we saw it back at CES, and today the company has announced that the device will be shipping this October for $99.99. The Streaming Stick is essentially a Roku box that fits in the palm of your hand: it connects to the HDMI port of an MHL-compliant television and provides all of Roku's services without the need for an external box or remote. (MHL stands for Mobile High-Definition Link, a proposed industry standard that allows devices to connect to and be powered by high-definition televisions.)

To make things easier on consumers, Roku has partnered with several television brands including Hitachi and Insignia that will be specifying certain models as "Roku Ready" to ensure compatibility with the Streaming Stick. As previously reported, some of the televisions with even be bundled with the Stick for the full Roku experience right out of the box. Those that purchase the device separately, however, will receive a special remote with motion sensitivity for use with games on Roku's platform.

In conjunction with the announcement, Roku is also adding Vudu to its line-up of channels as well as updating both its Android and iOS apps. The updated apps are now able to stream photos and music to compatible Roku devices, expanding upon the remote control functionality they currently provide. If you're a Roku owner and would like to try the new capabilities for yourself, the updated apps are available now.

Redbox And Verizon Will Offer Streaming Video Through Joint Venture

Rental kiosk service Redbox is apparently trying to move in on the streaming video market. The company has just announced a joint venture with Verizon that will combine the Redbox DVD and Blu-Ray rental business with "video on demand streaming and download service." The service is expected to launch in the second half of 2012, and more information will be forthcoming. So far, we haven't been given any details about how the service will work, but the announcement hints that Verizon will be managing the streaming content, possibly leveraging the well-known Redbox brand to build loyalty. Despite being provided by Verizon, the streaming apparently isn't tied to using the company's mobile or broadband service. We'll have to wait and see whether the move to streaming places Redbox, which recently broke with Warner Bros. over rental policies, under the same negotiating constraints as competitors like Netflix.