With all of the confusion over licensing issues, piracy, digital media licensing, and intellectual rights, it seems as though streaming content seems to be one of the best ways to share content without stepping on anyone's toes.  For this reason, media streaming has become quite a popular and booming industry.  But how can you make the most of all the streaming technologies, services, and interface out there?  There are many answers to this question, but one of the most practical and functional ways of using streaming is to stream media straight to your portable devices.  When people first hear about streaming media to their portable gadgets, they sometimes feel that it is too much of a hassle.  You'll be happy to know, though, that streaming media has never been as streamlined and easy as it is today.  Here are some of the best tools you can use to stream media to your gadgets:

Stream videos and music to your iPhone

Perhaps the easiest way to stream video to your Apple iPhone is to use the recently released Air Video app.  It costs around three bucks and it will probably be three of the smartest dollars you'll spend in the app store.  This app is dead simple, because it takes practically any video on your desktop, submits it to on-th-fly transcoding, then streams it directly to your iPhone.  Depending on the connection you're on, Air Video can downsample your videos to ensure a continuous video stream.  If you want a music streaming app with similar capabilities, then you should give Subsonic's iSub Music Streamer a shot.

Stream videos and music to your Android

Android users who want to stream music to their mobile devices should give Subsonic's Android app a chance.  With much the same features as the iPhone version, called iSub, this app allows you to search for, browse, download, and stream music.  You can even make playlists, find album art, and customize your settings.  As with many of the other Android apps, Subsonic is free.  As for video streaming, Android doesn't have any standout apps as of yet, but be sure to keep an eye out on the upcoming beta of Adobe AIR and Flash Player for Android.

Stream music to other smartphones

The best way to stream music to your other smartphones is to use the WAP browsing features of Orb.  Orb is an extremely useful, convenient, and easy-to-use streaming service that you can use for web-based streaming.

Stream to other computers

If you want to stream media to other computers or laptops, you have a lot of services to choose from.  Some of the best that you should look into include Opera Unite, Subsonic, or Orb.  These are some of the best in the business, but your choice should be made on your personal preferences, so be sure to give each one a try before you decide on the best streaming service or tool for your needs.

Internet and network connectivity have opened up a whole new realm of possibilities when it comes to sharing data.  Two of the most useful and impressive functions of networking are remote control and streaming capabilities.  Through remote control functions, you can control your computer or device from a remote position, allowing you to take control of your home desktop computer from the office, for example.  Streaming, on the other hand, is a function that allows you to play music and watch videos that are on a remote device.  For instance, you can be at home on your desktop, then set up a connection with your friend across the world to stream a cool video that he made while on his vacation to Italy.  While the possibilities seem to be nearly endless when it comes to remote control and streaming functions, it can be quite difficult to setup such functions, especially if you aren't very experienced.  Here are some streaming and remote control tools that are relatively easy to setup, easy to use, and extremely functional:

LogMeIn

LogMeIn is an incredible simple system that allows you to create Virtual Network Computing (VNC) connections between devices and computers.  With the free version of this service, you can get access to a bevy of features, including wake on LAN, Windows or Mac access, remote control and desktop viewing, copy and paste between devices, chat, IP address lockout, AES 256-bit encryption, SSL/TLS intrusion detection, and more.  The best thing is that you can use LogMeIn from practically any Internet-connected web browser (including the browser on your smartphone).  You can expand the functionality of LogMeIn by using it along with some of the other free apps that you can find for streaming and remote control.

Orb

Orb gets kudos for being one of the easiest and most useful streaming services out there.  With this simple service, all you have to do is install the Orb program, sign in, and start sharing with anyone, anywhere.  You can share music, videos, photos, documents, and other files by simply dragging and dropping them into the orb interface.  Sharing can be done via email, URL, RSS, text message, a flash widget on your blog, or through your free Orb public page.  You can even set up Orb to work with other devices, such as your iPhone, PS3, Palm, XBox 360, Nokia phones, photoframes, Q phones, laptops, Wii, and more.  Streaming has never been so simple.

So there you have it, three great tools to help you get the remote control and streaming functions that you need.  There are tons of other applications out there that you can use.  Here's a short list of some of them:
-  CrossLoop
-  Remote Potato
-  OpenVPN
-  Remote app

Interconnectivity and networking have become so important in the way that we live our daily lives.  Whether it's the home networks we share with our families, the office networks at work, or the Wi-Fi we enjoy at the coffee shop, interconnectivity is playing an increasingly larger role in our day-to-day existence.  Not only do these networks allow us to share and pool resources and data, but it also allows us to enjoy and live life to the fullest.  Multimedia streaming is an exemplary form of interconnectivity and networking that gives us the freedom of being able to access our files from practically anywhere, giving a sense of continuity and stability in what often seems like a fast-paced and hectic digital age.  Orb is an application for Apple Macs that can give you the best of multimedia streaming.

The buzz on Orb

Orb is a software developed and edited by the company Orb Networks from Emeryville, California.  Orb Networks first gained popularity in 2005, when the company released a Windows-based version of their streaming software.  Then, in 2008, the company started making waves in the Apple community when they developed the first streaming media player for the ever-popular iPhone.  Sometime last year, the company announced a version of the software for Macs.  One year later, still continuing on their successful path, Orb Networks has released a freeware streaming application for Apple Mac units.

Orb software for Mac

The newest version of Orb software is version 2.50+, which has been released in both a Windows and Mac version.  Engineered for OS X, the Mac version of Orb brings streamlined multimedia streaming to your Apple computers and laptops.  After MyCasting your data, you can then access it through the Internet from other gadgets that have Internet connectivity.  From iPhones and pocket PCs to laptops and gaming consoles, practically any device with an Internet connection will be able to access your MyCasted files.  This is great for anyone who wants 24/7 access to their music, videos, photos, and other digital content.  As long as your Mac is on and you are connected to MyCast and Orb, then you will be able to access your files at any time.  In fact, if you have a TV tuner installed in your Mac, then you can stream live television content from your computer to your other devices.  Also, you can stream your media to your entertainment system or console so that you can watch your favorite videos on the big screen or listen to your music from your living room audio setup.  Orb is definitely a great piece of software that anyone should try, even just for the experience of having your multimedia library available from anywhere at any time.