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Best apps for streaming video on Android

When the smartphone craze first started, the thought of being able to stream a movie or TV show while commuting into work or waiting at the airport was simply a dream. Screens were small, coverage was spotty, and it was hard to find shows you actually wanted to see. Fast forward to today, and streaming content on the go is genuinely good.

We rounded up seven apps that provide a great streaming experience on your Android device, whether you're sitting on the couch with solid Wi-Fi or out and about with a 3G or 4G connection. Here they are. more

Get a refurbished Roku 2 XD for $59.99

A Roku box is the single best way to bring streaming media into your home. It slings not just Netflix, but also Amazon Instant Video, CNET, HBO Go, Hulu Plus, MLB.tv, Pandora, and a host of other awesome channels.

For a limited time, you can get the refurbished Roku 2 XD for $59.99 shipped. That's a savings of $20, and the same price you'd otherwise pay for the lesser Roku 2 HD model.

Never mind that it's a refurb: it comes with the same 90-day warranty as new Rokus. (I'm a bit surprised that more

Amazon's 'Studios' effort picks first TV shows to develop

Amazon's "Amazon Studios" project has announced the first four TV series it will develop: three animated shows and a mockumentary, all of which were pitched by way of the Amazon Studios Web site.

Justice Department probes Internet video data caps

Recent accusations that cable companies are giving preferential treatment to online video streamed on their own apps and services have apparently attracted the attention of antitrust regulators.

The Justice Department has opened an investigation into whether cable companies are acting improperly to suppress online video competition, people familiar with the matter tell The Wall Street Journal. Investigators have spoken with several major players in the sector, including Netflix, Hulu, Comcast, and Time Warner Cable about the monthly caps placed on the amount of data subscribers can download, the Journal reported.

CNET has contacted the companies mentioned above, as well as more

Manage your movie queue across multiple services with Watch It

It used to be easy to find a movie to watch. You would trek down to your local Blockbuster, peruse the aisles, return home with a VHS tape and perhaps a box of Junior Mints. Today, I am paralyzed by choice, and I haven't enjoyed a Junior Mint in more than a decade. I should also note that I have two young children, who have severely decreased my capability to carve out two hours to view and also stay awake for a feature-length film.

So, when the stars align and I have the time and energy to watch a more

Nintendo gets social and connected with Wii U, but leaves out price, release date at E3

LOS ANGELES--Nintendo had already unveiled the Wii U well before E3 started, but there were a lot of things going into this show that we didn't know. Nintendo's keynote spent a great deal of time detailing what the Wii U can do, what its online and app services are, and what games we can expect to see. A small amount of time was also spent on the Nintendo 3DS, but today's event was clearly dedicated to the Wii U.

What we didn't get, however, was a date and price. Not surprising, but anticlimactic all the same. more

Get a Roku HD and Hulu Plus bundle for $79.99

Summer is a great time to catch up on the shows you weren't able to watch during the regular TV season -- or weren't sure would survive the year.

For example, Mrs. Cheapskate and I are planning to check out "Revenge," "Scandal," "Once Upon a Time," and perhaps "Grimm." Unfortunately, these freshman series have yet to show up on Netflix, so the only viable option for watching them on the cheap is Hulu Plus.

And for my money, there's no better way to pair Hulu Plus with your TV than with a Roku box. Which brings us more

Microsoft creates a social network for students

It's time to share your searches, stream original content and earn good Karma:

With all the news focused around Facebook, Microsoft just quietly launched its own social network for students called So.cl (pronounced "social"). It's different from Facebook and Google Plus in that it is focused around search. What students search for on So.cl is shared with other So.cl users -- and it can be shared on other networks like Facebook. The idea is to give students a quick and easy way to share information found through searches.

Hulu has unveiled 10 original and exclusive shows more

Hulu unveils lineup of original, exclusive shows

Hulu hopes summer reruns will have viewers tuning in to its Web site for original shows.

The online video site today unveiled a lineup of 10 shows -- three original and seven exclusive to the site -- that begin airing in June.

It's among most aggressive announcement of unique content yet for Hulu, which is hoping the new shows will give viewers extra reason to view online content through Hulu. The site has been focusing more on original content even as its slate of available television shows and movies either shrink or move behind its Hulu Plus pay wall. more

Americans watched 37 billion online videos last month

How much online video did you watch last month?

Across the U.S., 181 million Internet users tracked by ComScore caught a total of 37 billion videos in April. That means 84.5 percent of the U.S. Internet audience viewed an online video, and the average person spent 21.8 hours doing so for the month.

Grabbing 157.7 million viewers, Google was the top site for video watching, thanks mostly to YouTube. Yahoo came in second place with 53.6 million viewers, followed by Vevo with 49.5 million, Facebook with 44.3 million, and Microsoft with 42.more