Recently I visited a friend's home. Since we're music buddies, we listened to some music. That entire weekend, I didn't see him touch a single CD or LP. Instead he picked up his remote and commanded his Slingbox to summon music from an upstairs PC. Looks as though a lot of other people have the same idea. According to a Slingbox executive, 70 percent of users use Slingbox as a home networking device. What is odd is that they use it only that way, ignoring its outside-the-home possibilities.

The Slingbox does work really well as a home networking device. But what's special about Slingbox is that it can operate outside the home, a phenomenon called place-shifting. Anywhere in the world, as long as you can find a broadband connection, your laptop can communicate with the Slingbox in your home, bringing your local video feed on the road. Yet few Slingbox owners use it that way, and the spread is widening. Two years ago, 40 percent of Slingbox use was within the home. Since then, the addition of another 30 percent has made it a wide majority.

For details and further links see eHome Upgrade.

Slingbox now operates on the iPhone in Europe--though, sadly, not in the United States. But you can use it on a BlackBerry. Its video on demand website is sling.com.