Google launched its Google Media Server which well, serves media, to any Universal Plug-and-Play device you might have lying around, such as a Sony PlayStation 3. The software, part of the Google Desktop suite, streams media from PCs running Windows only, for now.

The Google Media Server allows users to access videos, music, and photos stored on the PC it runs on; view Picasa Web Albums; and play YouTube videos.

The software is still in beta phase, which means that it won't perform flawlessly just yet. Google Media Server does not work with Microsoft's gaming console Xbox due to unresolved legal issues.

Each Universal Plug-and-Play device must be individually authorized, which is of course a must have feature. This way celebrities will be able, for example, to watch their sex tapes without being snooped on by third parties.

The software also works with some television sets made by Hewlett-Packard and a whole array of gadgets which feature Universal Plug-and-Play support.

However, for Windows Media Player 11 users, the new glitchy, beta software may be just... bloatware. Microsoft's latest Windows Media Player already features media sharing to Universal Plug-and-Play devices.

However, Windows Media Player 11 does not support YouTube streaming nor Picasa shared web albums.

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