Tag Archives: videos

YouTube Challenges Users to Make “Good” Videos [PARODY]

The Onion has a pretty awesome parody video in which YouTube entreats its users to make a “good” video — the incentive? A $100,000 prize. As someone who spends much of her day wading through the chaff of the online video realm, can I just say: Could this be a real thing now please? Check out the video below and be sure to share some of your favorite YouTube vids in the comments
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YouTube: Viacom would demand removal of videos it covertly uploaded itself

As you may have heard, Viacom and YouTube have been having a little tift lately, in the form of a major lawsuit by the former over copyrighted material posted on the video portal. It's a lawsuit that, according to YouTube, will cause such video sites to "cease to exist in the current form" -- but more importantly, it's a lawsuit that leads to some rather hilarious behind-the-scenes details. Here's a really juicy one that the official YT blog published today by Chief Counsel Zahavah Levine. Word has it that Viacom had hired over the years at least 18 different marketing firms to inconspicuously upload content. We can't really say it better than the posting: "[Viacom] deliberately "roughed up" the videos to make them look stolen or leaked
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YouTube Details Hypocrisy of Viacom’s $1 Billion Lawsuit

In response to opening briefs filed by Viacom today in its now three-year-old lawsuit against YouTube , the video-sharing site has posted some startling accusations about the hypocrisy of the media giant’s claims. In a blog post , YouTube claims that at the same time Viacom was trying to sue YouTube into oblivion, it was secretly having its own content uploaded to the site. YouTube says that Viacom hired “no fewer than 18 different marketing agencies” who “deliberately ‘roughed up’ the videos to make them look stolen or leaked.” Then, YouTube claims, Viacom would demand the takedown of content, but because of the mess that it created, “there is no way YouTube could ever have known which Viacom content was and was not authorized to be on the site.” YouTube also says that Viacom tried to acquire the company on numerous occasions (of course, Google ultimately won that battle). Beyond those arguments, though, YouTube’s main legal defense is simply that it is protected by the DMCA, which puts the onus on copyright holders, not service providers, to keep track of and help enforce copyrights. Because of Viacom’s actions, however, YouTube says that thorough enforcement was impossible.
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"Get YouTube" Bookmarklet Grabs YouTube Videos in One Click [YouTube]

You'll find no shortage of browser add-ons and specialty sites to help you grab clips off YouTube, but they all lack for the simplicity of a single-click bookmarklet. More
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StreamTransport Grabs Hulu Videos for Offline Viewing [Downloads]

Windows: It may not stick around that long once the powers that be find out, so if downloading and watching Hulu videos offline could help you out, grab StreamTransport. The tricky little app provides full-quality captures of streaming shows and movies. More
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An Ecosystem Is Born: Animoto Opens Up API

We’re big fans of Animoto, a website that lets you easily create photo and video slideshows matched to music. The site is constantly innovating its nifty product, most recently adding an iPhone app and the ability to incorporate video. For those not familiar with Animoto, the startup basically allows you to take your images, video and your music and mash them together to create cool videos. What makes the videos cool is the company’s technology that renders the pictures so they’re in-step with the music you’ve chosen, adding nice transition effects. This morning, Animoto is opening up its API, allowing partners to now incorporate Animoto’s compelling technologies into independent sites The first API that being rolled out for the Animoto Partner Platform is Animoto Quickstart.  The API essentially allows any website to tap into Animoto’s video creation flow.  The aim is to make Animoto one click away from any website that has photos, videos or music.  Quickstart allows websites to connect their own content, including photos, video clips and music to Animoto as the first step in creating an Animoto video. So partners can integrate Animoto’s video slideshow creation tool into their sites
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The iPad: A Pre-Order Preview

The iPad is now officially available for pre-order , which means that news is going to be flowing in all day about its various specs and features. We’ll keep you updated on said news with this handy-dandy, ever-changing post. Keep your eyes here for the latest. If you’re still trying to figure out if you want to pre-order an iPad or not , check out the below to help you decide
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Enable Variable Speed Playback in YouTube [YouTube]

If your browser supports HTML5 you can opt into the experimental HTML5 video playback on YouTube. Not only will you get smoother video playback—goodbye Flash!—but you'll be able to speed up and slow down your videos. More
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Remains of the Day: Why DRM Doesn’t Work Edition [For What It's Worth]

Designer Brad Colbow details how to download an audio book from the Cleveland Public Library (or why DRM doesn't work), YouTube adds closed captioning to all videos, and a Google employee predicts that "in three years time desktops will be irrelevant." (Click the image above for a closer look.) Why DRM Doesn't Work? Another side of the same coin as why piracy works . [The Brads] Platform shifts Mainframe to Mini to PC to Mobile.
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HOW TO: Get Started With Spotify

Spotify is a free, legal, cloud-based streaming music service delivered via desktop software with a nice social twist. A Swedish start-up with offices in London, it launched back in 2008 in Europe and now boasts around five million users and around six million tracks from the major labels as well as a ton of independents. Currently only available in Sweden, Norway, Finland, the UK, France and Spain (technically), Spotify has previously talked about plans for expansion — including a U.S. launch later this year, the exact date of which is TBD. The basic version of Spotify is free to use for anyone who manages to grab an invite (either via another user or through a waiting list-based e-mail sign-up), although consumers can skip the ad-supported free option and choose to sign up for its £9.99 per month (approx $15) “Premium” service that also gives you access to Spotify’s mobile apps — and more — which we’ll explore in a later post
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