This week, a look at the Roku 3 media streaming gadget, what makes Plex so great for managing media files, and Google takes Street View underwater in the search for the Loch Ness Monster.

Hands on with Roku 3 media streamer

The Roku 3 is the latest version of the company’s media player that you hook up to your television. The box itself is small and manageable. Priced at Cdn$110, It plays 1080p high-definition video, is equipped with ethernet and USB ports, and has a microSD card slot for good measure.

The remote is something special. It’s got the usual buttons for navigating through Roku’s interface, but it’s also got a headphone jack. Plug in your headphones and you’ve got personal audio. Perfect for watching action movies when the significant other is asleep next to you.

The remote has a microphone, too, for the voice search feature. Tap the search button on the remote, speak the name of a person or program, and Roku will display the options.

The problem with Roku is the anemic offering for Canadians. It gives you access to Netflix, YouTube, and a few other streaming and on-demand video services. In the U.S., the channel options are much broader, and include Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, and the streaming services from all the major American networks and cable nets. But Canadians don’t get anywhere near the same range of programs.

What makes the Roku 3 much more appealing is that it also works with Plex.

Managing media files with Plex

Plex is a couple of things. It’s a media manager, so it organizes your media files (music, photos, video), and it’s a media player. It works with the Roku 3. It also works with Apple TV. And almost all the smart TVs on the market. And PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

And you can use Plex to watch your videos on any device you want. You can even start watching on one device and finish watching on another.

Some people can do these things already. It’s easy if you’ve decided that you’re going to rent and buy movies on iTunes, for example. But for people who are purchasing their media from a bunch of different places, and don’t have it all in one place, Plex is the solution. It will find and organize all those media files, and make it easy for you to watch them.

You can use Plex for free, but it’s worth paying for premium access. The Plex Pass costs US$5 per month, $50 per year, or $150 for lifetime subscription and it gives you access to a range of additional features, including being able to set up family accounts.

Google took Street View into Loch Ness

We know that the most popular photograph of Nessie was faked. And there’s just too much evidence against there being a plesiosaur, or any other strange creature, living in Loch Ness.

But that doesn’t stop us from being mystified by the idea of there being something hidden under the waves. On Monday, Google’s “doodle” celebrated the anniversary of that photograph

As the bearded gentleman says in the Telegraph video below, it’s the kind of place you expect there to be dragons.

Google gave in to the legend in sending Street View cameras into the waters of Loch Ness, and the area is now fully documented online