System and method for placeshifting media playback

A destination electronic device comprising:

• a processor configured to run a data transfer application;
• a memory device operably coupled to the processor and configured to store pointers associated with a media file playing or paused on a source electronic device, wherein pointers identify the media file and a location at which the media file was playing or paused;
• an electronic display configured to display a user-selectable prompt based on the pointers;
• an input/output interface configured to register a user selection of the media file from the user-selectable prompt;
• and
• a network interface configured to download the pointers, from an intermediate electronic device that had received the pointers via a near field communication transfer with the source electronic device, when the simplified data transfer application is launched on the destination electronic device, to request at least a portion of the user-selected media file from the source electronic device directly or via a remote data storage, and to receive the at least portion of the media file selected by the user from the source electronic device or the remote data storage location.

A system comprising:

• a first media-playing electronic device configured to transfer pointers associated with a media file playing on the first media-playing electronic device in response to a first message and configured to transfer at least a portion of the media file in response to a second message;
• an intermediate electronic device configured to send the first message when the intermediate electronic device is tapped to the first media-playing electronic device, receive the pointers from the first media-playing electronic device, and transfer the pointers in response to a third message;
• and
• a second media-playing electronic device configured to send the third message, to receive the pointers from the intermediate electronic device, to send the second message, to receive the at least portion of the media file from the first media-playing electronic device, and to play the media file at a point at which the media file was being played when the first message was received by the first media-playing electronic device.

A method comprising:

• playing a media file on a first media-playing electronic device;
• receiving a first message on the first media-playing electronic device from an intermediate electronic device when the intermediate electronic device and the first media-playing electronic device are tapped together;
• pausing the media file on the first media-playing electronic device when the first message is received;
• sending from the first media-playing electronic device to the intermediate electronic device an identification of the media file and a point at which the media file is paused;
• receiving a second message on the first media-playing electronic device from a second media-playing electronic device after the second media-playing electronic device has received from the intermediate electronic device the identification of the media file and the point at which the media file is paused;
• and
• sending at least a portion of the media file from the first media-playing electronic device to the second media-playing electronic device after receiving the second message.

A method comprising:

• tapping a near field communication interface of a first electronic device to a near field communication interface of a second electronic device, wherein the second electronic device is playing back a media file;
• receiving pointers onto the first electronic device from the second electronic device, wherein the pointers are configured to identify the media file and a point at which the media file was being played back on the second electronic device when the near field communication interface of the first electronic device was tapped to the near field communication interface of the second electronic device;
• tapping the near field communication interface of the first electronic device to a near field communication interface of a third electronic device;
• and
• transferring the pointers onto the third electronic device from the first electronic device such that the third electronic device can begin playing back the media file at the point at which the media file was being played back on the second electronic device when the near field communication interface of the first electronic device was tapped to the near field communication interface of the second electronic device.