Archive for: youtube
- November 14, 2011 12:27 pm
YouTube hasn’t really changed too much design wise since it was launch many years back. But coming soon will be a new design that is by far the best thing that’s happened to YouTube yet. As you can see above, the “new” Google look (read: New Gmail/Google+) continues spreading across Google’s products, and brings a much more organized layout and deeper Google+ integration.
We are really digging the new look and think it looks a lot more polished and modern compared to the sparse, 2002-era design the site currently uses. The new look is currently rolling out slowly to select users. Sadly we don’t have any official dates for when the rollout will be finished or if this is even a legitimate rollout (test phase?). But rest assured as soon as we know, you’ll know.
More pics: New YouTube UI Gallery
- September 6, 2011 9:34 am
YouTube’s WP7 web page was marginal at best. But after a weekend’s worth of wrenching it appears things are a bit more bearable. Full access to videos as well as a tightened up, cleaner UI are now presented to Windows Phone 7 users each and every time they visit YouTube’s web page.
Any WP7 users care to let us know their thoughts on the re-design?
Hopefully many of you out there are familiar with Doctor Octoroc and all of the sweet 8 and 16bit awesomeness he gives us. If you aren’t familiar with him, he likes to take 80′s(and beyond) pop culture and give it a NES twist – mainly in the form of 8bit animations/music. I first got into Doctor Octoroc a couple years ago upon his Christmas release – 8-Bit Jesus. Since then I’ve been following closely all of the great designs, animations and music he gives us. His latest installment to the universe are three 8 and 16bit videos/interactive games involving Harry Potter, Twilight and our personal favorite – Saved By The Bell. Doctor Octoroc teams up with the brothers from TheFineBrothers.com to create the three YouTube games.
Take the reigns of Zack Morris as he has to decide which of his friends he needs to help through familiar [and playable] scenarios from one of the greatest 90′s television show to date [it is tied between that and Fresh Prince in case you were wondering]. We suggest re-playing and helping each character, as you’ll get funny little interactive spots, like the picture above.
So for those of you that are bored on this sunny Sunday afternoon, or if you at least want to see everyone’s favorite 90′s teen sex icon Kelly Kapowski – hop on past for the game. We suggest giving the Twilight and Harry Potter versions a run through too, but those aren’t as radical as this one…
It looks like Google is having a change of heart regarding the email sent out foretelling of Google Video’s demise late last week. After said email, uproar from around the web criticized Google for not providing an easy option for transferring Google Video content over to YouTube.
Well, the masses spoke and Google has listened. Not only is Google removing the first April 29th deadline (being unable to watch any Google Video content), they’re also making available a Google Video-to-YouTube transfer option.
By default, Google is automagically transferring everything to YouTube. However, as you see above, users can manually do the deed themselves.
Feeling any better Google Video junkies?
It was a long time coming, but today is finally “the day” in which Google Video is no more. In an email sent out to dozens of Google Video users worldwide, more or less says “it’s been great”, but YouTube is where it’s now at.
Dear Google Video User,
Later this month, hosted video content on Google Video will no longer be available for playback. Google Video stopped taking uploads in May 2009 and now we’re removing the remaining hosted content. We’ve always maintained that the strength of Google Video is its ability to let people search videos from across the web, regardless of where those videos are hosted. And this move will enable us to focus on developing these technologies further to the benefit of searchers worldwide.
Of course, that’s all fine and dandy seeing as how Google owns YouTube. With said service much larger and more popular than Google Video has ever been, there’s no reason to keep both sites open (and leeching money).
Unfortunately for Google Video users, Google hasn’t provided any means to easily transfer Google Video content over to YouTube — a move that could prove time consuming to the more fruitful Google Video users. Then again, the writing has been on the wall. Google originally announced closing Google Video way back in May of ’09.
Over the years, YouTube has become bloated with useless ads that no one cares to watch or listen to. The standard practice these days is to press play, mute audio, and switch to another tab for 15-30 seconds. But thanks to a new ad format that YouTube started rolling out today, less time will be wasted “killing time” as we wait for ads as users will now have the ability to skip ads…
Video junkies on Android might want to rethink their device choice if the new YouTube app is one of the crowning jewels in their eye, for it has one big limitation — It requires Android 2.2 or later. Even though the latest estimates put Android 2.2 adoption at 30%, that still renders a huge swath of Android users ineligible.
For the “winners” however, the new stand-alone YouTube app does have some new notable features: landscape and portrait viewing, channel info, ability to like videos, and the ability to share videos via Buzz, Facebook, and Twitter.
Pretty nifty stuff. Though it’s fairly minor if you really think about it. Hardly worth crying over if you don’t have 2.2 yet. Meanwhile that fact — the lack of Android 2.2 for your device — is something I’d consider a little more saddening.
Site owners and social bugs: how would you like it if YouTube spit out some embed code that automatically served up HTML5 or Flash versions on the fly depending on the end users’ system? New tests being conducted by the online video giant are doing just that. What it means for those who spend a lot of time copying & pasting embed code is that those who want to test out the latest in HTML5 video don’t have to choose between the two technologies. Now the code does it all on its own!
The only real big caveat to HTML 5 video still holding off mass adoption by some companies is the lack of advertising potential. HTML 5 doesn’t have a cut and dry method for easily delivering ads. In these circumstances, the hybrid HTML 5/Flash embed code defaults to Flash. Conversely , if an end user is on a system that doesn’t have Flash installed, the HTML 5 video will automatically start playing.
Have a look for yourself after the jump…
First off — Eat a dick RIAA. You are the cancer of this planet. With that off our chests, let’s continue.
Over the last several months, Viacom and YouTube have been at each others’ throats in court over the basic principle of copyright infringement and liable YouTube is for 3rd party/users’ uploaded content. If Viacom would have won and had their way, YouTube would be front and center of the firing squad for something they literally have no control over — users’ uploaded content.
Thankfully, the judge overseeing the trial looked at the bigger picture, which, included such statistics as YouTube proactively removing up to 10,000 claimed “infringing” videos in a single day. That sounds out right amazing.
But given the RIAA’s insatiable appetite for stupidity and public malice, they’ve gone on the record, “enraged” and upset over the ruling, stating that YouTube doesn’t do anywhere near enough to combat piracy. Excuse me, but 10,000 videos per day is a huge amount of material to sift through, even with thousands of employees at your disposal. Furthermore, anyone who believes that a company or person should be held responsible for a third parties’ actions is a fucking idiot plane and simple. That “fucking idiot” in this case would be the RIAA.
The reality of the situation is that the outcome of the Viacom-YouTube trial was a huge success for consumers’ rights and common sense worldwide. It was one of the bigger victories over stupidity, namely RIAA-backed polices. Companies and people shouldn’t be held responsible for a third parties’ foils provided that the company/person in question follows the timely and necessary steps to correct the claimed “problem”
What we have is the RIAA yet again reaffirming what we all already know — they’re useless. They have nothing but their own interests and monetary values on their minds. And finally, “fair rights/consumers’ rights” mean absolutely nothing to them. Oh yeah, they are also void of any single shred of common sense.
Case closed.
