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324 'Video' stories July 2011 - April 2013

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Microsoft’s latest Scroogled ad warns against downloading apps on Google Play

Jordan Kahn Apr 9 2013 - 1:15 pm PT

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If you don’t know by now, since early February Microsoft has been running its “Scroogled” smear campaign spending 7 figures on a series of print and online ads attacking various Google services. The ads originally focused on Gmail and how Google displays ads based on the content of user’s emails, but Microsoft’s latest Scroogled ad (above) takes on another Google app– Google Play.

The ad is currently featured on the front page of Microsoft’s Scroogled website and features a warning that Google passes off personal information about users to app makers without consent from users:

When you buy an Android app from the Google app store, they give the app maker your full name, email address and the neighborhood where you live. This occurs without clear warning every single time you buy an app. If you can’t trust Google’s app store, how can you trust them for anything?

We expect Google will be issuing a response to Microsoft’s claims shortly. Another Scroogled ad claiming Google Play sends personal data to app makers below:
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Google’s interaction designer talks revamping Google Search on iOS (Video)

Jordan Kahn Apr 9 2013 - 9:04 am PT

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fpggknHC2c

In a recent “Life at Google” video (above), Interaction Designer on Google’s search team Noah Levin walks us through his work building the latest version of the Google Search app on iOS:

After just three months at Google, Interaction Designer Noah Levin helped change the way our users interact with Google Search on the iPhone and iPad. Learn how he takes a complex system and makes it a simple user experience for our most well-known product: Search.

Virgin offers T-Mobile pre-paid customers $100 to switch with new ad campaign

Jordan Kahn Apr 8 2013 - 9:40 am PT

Despite some carriers already showing interest in T-Mobile’s new no-contract strategy, it was only a matter of time until the competition started going after the carrier’s new Uncarrier unlimited plans with new promotions and marketing. Today, Virgin launched its “Retrain Your Brain” campaign offering T-Mobile customers $100 to switch their number to one of its no-contract, $35 unlimited plans:

It’s pretty simple: just choose your Virgin Mobile Beyond Talk smartphone. Transfer your existing T-Mobile number before May 31, activate your new phone and become a Virgin Mobile customer by May 31 and receive $100 credit.

You can check out Virgin’s comparison of its plan vs T-Mobile’s below and get more information on the promotion here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpgWXzC8a54

Watch how Google captures the Canadian Arctic with its Street View Trekker backpack (Video)

Jordan Kahn Mar 22 2013 - 9:01 am PT

Google has been constantly updating its Maps and Google Earth apps with new Street View imagery in recent months. Earlier this month it began rolling out new imagery for famous mountains including Kilimanjaro and Everest, and now Google’s Street View team is hitting Northern Canada for the first time with its Street View Trekker backpacks:

This is the first Trekker expedition in Canada for Google Maps. I’m wearing the backpack to collect Street View imagery as I walk to the shore of Frobisher Bay, where the wind is the strongest and you can see the tide piling up mountains of sea ice. On the way I’ll pass sled dogs tied up outside houses, yapping in anticipation of their next trip. And I may stop to check out an igloo, built by Inuit craftsmen using methods passed down over a millennia.

Galaxy S IV captured on video, touts new and improved TouchWiz with Galaxy S III design

Alex Allegro Mar 12 2013 - 8:01 am PT

The cat’s out of the bag, or in this case, the Galaxy S IV is out of Jeremy’s box. A YouTube video, posted on the account “iStevencom“, reveals what seems to be a Galaxy S IV booting up (along with the phone and settings apps).

The device, if it proves to be real, looks almost identical to the Galaxy S III, with the exception of a thinner bezel and the camera flash is placed below the camera. In the video, we also get a glimpse of the future of TouchWiz. No longer will TouchWiz’s general theme be black and blue but rather a more modern white and blue. We also see the device’s home screen that looks almost identical to the TouchWiz home screen now found on the Galaxy S III.

The full video is available above with a photo gallery below.

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YouTube rolls out bulk actions for editing multiple videos at once to all users

Jordan Kahn Feb 6 2013 - 10:34 am PT

Google announced via its Official YouTube Partners & Creators Blog that it would begin rolling Bulk Actions for all YouTube users. The feature allows users to make updates to multiple or all videos at once for tasks, such as: adding tags, selecting monetization settings, and editing the privacy preferences of videos. YouTube said the feature is now available to all users through the Video Manager. Select the videos you want to change to access the feature, and then follow “Actions > Advanced.”

Google’s new Nexus 4 holiday ad shows off Android 4.2 Photo Sphere feature (Video)

Jordan Kahn Dec 19 2012 - 11:22 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aA8quc-93CU]

Google just posted the holiday-themed Nexus 4 ad above to its GoogleNexus YouTube channel to show off the new Photo Sphere feature that rolled out in Android 4.2. You can check out the Photo Sphere captured in the video above for yourself on Google+.

What’s new in Android 4.2 Jelly Bean: Photo Sphere, gesture typing, multi-user support on tablets, more (9to5google.com)
Android 4.2.1 OTA update fixes December bug for some Nexus devices (9to5google.com)
Final Android 4.2 update rolling out for Nexus 4 and Nexus 10 pre-release users (9to5google.com)
Review: LG Nexus 4 – a world class smartphone for $300 (9to5google.com)

YouTube optimizes search to reward engaging videos

Élyse Betters Oct 12 2012 - 9:45 am PT

YouTube is tweaking the way it ranks videos as part of its recent trend to improve video discovery.

Google’s video-sharing platform made changes to Suggest Videos in March, and it refreshed YouTube Analytics just yesterday, and now it is attempting to applaud and boost popular videos with new optimizations to ranking.

YouTube elaborated on the official YouTube Creator blog:

The experimental results of this change have proven positive — less clicking, more watching. We expect the amount of time viewers spend watching videos from search and across the site to increase. As with previous optimizations to our discovery features, this should benefit your channel if your videos drive more viewing time across YouTube.

YouTube does not detail the exact adjustments, but it clearly wants to feed engaging videos to users who do not have a specific search query in mind. The result, as YouTube suggested above, will not only supply users with trending video but will also pipe more views to successful publishers.

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LG shows off Optimus G, the future LG Nexus, in new 4-minute product video

Jordan Kahn Oct 12 2012 - 8:11 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=zAytOPnfkX8#!]

Rumor has it that LG’s Nexus device is on the way and based on the LG Optimus G that we recently got hands-on time with at a media event in New York City. We might not have official word from Google or LG, but recent retail inventory listings and leaked images indicate an unveiling will happen in the coming weeks. Several reports agree the LG Nexus will sport almost identical specs to the Optimus G, but today we get a look at what we can expect from the new device with a lengthy 4-minute product video posted to LG’s YouTube account.
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World’s thinnest Android phone used to hammer nails into board [video]

Jordan Kahn Jul 18 2012 - 8:25 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tMyDKdFs-o&feature=player_embedded]

You may have heard of the world’s thinnest Android phone, the Oppo Finder, when the company put it up for pre-order last month. At just 6.65mm, the company also wanted to show off how tough the device is, and it recently did so by using it to hammer nails into a piece of wood. We would not recommend doing this with any smartphone. Nevertheless, at $393, Oppo Finder packs some decent specs with its 1GB of RAM, a dual-core 1.5GHz processor, Android 4.0, and 4.3-inch Super AMOLED Plus display.

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‘Do Androids Dream of Jelly Beans?’ — Google gets ready for today’s I/O keynote

Jordan Kahn Jun 27 2012 - 5:28 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_QAAP2AtPo]

We told you yesterday that Google was carrying on the tradition of placing a large monument on the lawn in front of Building 44 at the Googleplex. This time, the statue represented the upcoming new version of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. The image yesterday showed a transparent jar tipped over with jellybeans spilt out, but today we get a look at the finished sculpture in the video above. The jar is actually the Android mascot’s torso. TechCrunch went behind the scenes to find out how the Android jelly bean jar was made.

The Google’s I/O event is kicking off today, where we are all expecting to see much more of Jelly Bean. We will bring you live updates as they happen when the keynote address kicks off at 12:30 p.m. EST (9:30 a.m. PST). We are also expecting to see some major Google TV announcements.

[protected-iframe id=”db9adc5619fa15de8a9d06302616051a-22427743-13611283″ info=”http://embed.5min.com/517405335/” width=”560″ height=”345″]

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Google introduces live blogging gadget for Google I/O

Jordan Kahn Jun 25 2012 - 10:10 am PT

We all know Google I/O is just around the corner with yet another Nexus tablet leak today and news of some fresh Google TV products hitting the market soon. We will be on hand this week with live coverage of the event, and Google will make things even easier this year thanks to a new blogging tool it is unleashing specifically for the conference. As noted on Google’s developers website, you can now create your own embeddable Google I/O keynote live blogging gadget that will pull the event’s live video stream, and then it will post from your Google+ account:

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Rumored Sony ‘LT29i Hayabusa’ pics and specs surface online

Élyse Betters Apr 27 2012 - 8:54 am PT

Sony’s rumored flagship smartphone, codenamed “LT29i Hayabusa,” is allegedly eyeing a summer launch, but a Chinese blog just unearthed a few purported pictures of the device (above) coupled with a bevy of specs.

The Hayabusa reportedly boasts a 4.55-inch HD reality display in 720p, a Snapdragon S4 processor, rear-illuminated 13-megapixel camera, HDR video recording (sample video below), a 2200mAh battery, Android 4.0, and a slew of connectivity features. Oh, and it is supposedly 7 mm thick.

[youtube=http://youtu.be/fM2xYCcbV5U]

(via Baidu [Google Translate] and Brief Mobile)

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YouTube gets even fancier, adds audio editing and mixing options

Élyse Betters Apr 18 2012 - 1:32 pm PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=kngOOe37OBA]

YouTube is quickly making its video-sharing platform an all-in-one editing tool with its built-in 3D graphics button and other attractive features, but now Google has taken the service up another notch with its new audio editing and mixing options.

The video above explains it all, but here is a quick run-down:

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YouTube Live now offers monetization for live events, Wirecast, publishing flow, and instant analytics

Élyse Betters Apr 10 2012 - 1:02 pm PT

YouTube Live Publishing Flow + Analytics

YouTube Live added new features to its live-streaming video platform today to celebrate its first birthday, but the most notable update it the ability to monetize live events.

“You can now monetize your live events with advertising or paid options. A live event can be claimed in the new video manager like any other video and monetized with instream ads or paid options where you can set price by country,” explained YouTube Partner Product Manager Varun Talwar on the official YouTube Creator Blog.

Other improvements to the service include Wirecast for YouTube Live and a new publishing flow with real-time analytics.

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Google patent outlines phone call spying for personalized ad serving

Élyse Betters Mar 22 2012 - 10:44 am PT

With Microsoft and numerous regulatory bodies nipping at Google’s heels and decrying the Internet giant of shady advertising practices and loose privacy standards, one would think the Mountain View, Calif.-based Company might lie low for a while.

Well, that is not the case: The Next Web reported on a Google patent today that introduced technology for analyzing the environmental conditions (or background sound) of phone calls. The action would essentially allow Google to exhibit advertisements based on the clamor its science heard.

The patent, called “Advertising based on environmental conditions,” described how the method recognizes signal outputs from environmental conditions using a sensor coupled with the remote device (such as a smartphone). Google would then serve personalized ads based on the data gathered. In other words, if Google noticed a NASCAR race in the background of a phone call, it would then promptly offer ads for motor sports…

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YouTube now auto-fixes shaky and dark videos with new editing tool

Élyse Betters Mar 21 2012 - 3:30 pm PT

[youtube=http://youtu.be/2b5uKF-7qDM]

Editing videos with YouTube just got much easier.

The video-sharing website launched YouTube Video Editor last year, but now its latest editing tool allows YouTube to automatically detect any stabilization and lighting issues…

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YouTube enhances captions with new features, languages, formatting choices

9to5 Staff Feb 28 2012 - 9:42 am PT

YouTube is bringing new capabilities to its popular captioning feature, according to today’s blog post by the search engine giant. The company added Japanese, Korean, and English language to auto-captioning and transcript synchronization features. Captions and subtitles are now supported in 155 different languages. Movies and Shows information finally show available subtitle languages, and users can now search for memorable quotes in closed captions.

This is accomplished by adding “, cc” to any search or clicking Filter > CC after searching to only see results with closed captions. The CC icon in the bottom-right of the video player now lets you change the font size or colors for captions. YouTube now supports broadcast captions for precise positioning and styling (check out this demo) in various industry formats, such as .SCC, .CAP, EBU-STL and closed captions created for TV or DVDs or those in MPEG-2 files with CEA-608 encoding…

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Microsoft asks EU antitrust regulators to probe Motorola Mobility, says Google is killing Web video

Élyse Betters Feb 22 2012 - 1:07 pm PT

Microsoft requested European Union antitrust regulators to probe Motorola Mobility on claims that the United States phone manufacturer is blocking sales of Windows and Xbox products.

“Earlier today, Microsoft filed a formal competition law complaint with the European Commission (EC) against Motorola Mobility and Google,” wrote Microsoft’s Vice President and Deputy General Counsel David Heiner in a blog post this morning. “We have taken this step because Motorola is attempting to block sales of Windows PCs, our Xbox game console and other products.”

Microsoft’s post, “Google: Please Don’t Kill Video on the Web,” lambasted Motorola Mobility for not making industry standard patents available on reasonable and fair terms, and for using those patents to block competitors from shipping products.

The industry apparently agreed many years ago to define common technical standards for everyone to use and build compatible Wi-Fi and video products. However, Heiner contended, Motorola is backtracking on its word and attempting to use standard patents for “killing video on the Web.”

More information is available below.

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Microsoft criticizes Google Apps with ‘Googlighting’ video and new website to amp smear campaign

Élyse Betters Feb 21 2012 - 12:27 pm PT

[youtube=http://youtu.be/k4EbCkotKPU]

Microsoft released the above Google-lambasting video on YouTube (ironically) yesterday to take aim at Google Apps and decry the Mountain View, Calif.-based advertising business of seedily selling productivity software “on the side.”

Microsoft takes a curious spin on “moonlighting” and calls its competition the “Googlighting stranger” while making many jabs at the search engine’s product. The mud-slinging does not stop at the end of the 2.15-minute video, however…

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Each day, 4 billion online videos streamed via YouTube

9to5 Staff Jan 23 2012 - 9:02 am PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sHPfc6whaSk]

Each day, Google’s YouTube video sharing service clocks in more than 4 billion views, a blog post over at the official YouTube blog revealed Monday. The figure represents a 25 percent increase in the past eight months as the number of people who visit YouTube soared to 800 million a month. People are now uploading about 60 hours worth of video to the service every minute, a 25 percent increase over the 48 hours of video uploads a minute in May 2011. The video above is a sample of a new interactive collection of “what happens in a YouTube second” available at onehourpersecond.com.

Yet, only 3 billion YouTube videos a week are monetized with various adverts that appear when users click on clips. Google acquired then-young startup YouTube in 2006 for an astounding $1.65 billion. The Mountain View, Calif.-headquartered Internet giant committed considerable resources to making professional content available through the video sharing service to better pursue its broader entertainment strategy centered around Google TV, a software-based project that drives set-top boxes and networked HD TVs from participating partners.

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Vevo: Out with YouTube, in with Facebook?

Élyse Betters Jan 20 2012 - 2:19 pm PT

Facebook held at least two meetings with Vevo —the most recent one occurring within the last couple of weeks— to discuss moving the music video service from YouTube to the social network’s platform.

However, sources told CNET that the talks are “very preliminary,” and they mentioned there is one year remaining on Vevo’s contract with Google’s YouTube.

Vevo launched in 2009 and offers music videos from Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and EMI Music. YouTube helped launch the startup, and subsequently Vevo’s videos appear on the partner’s service, with Google and Vevo sharing advertising revenue.

Vevo features the most extensive catalog of premium music content on the Internet, and it is available in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom through its website, mobile apps, or by way of connected televisions. The service currently powers music videos on artist profiles across Facebook, and its content is syndicates to numerous online websites, including AOL, BET, CBS Interactive Music Group, Fuse.tv and Univision. Moreover, through YouTube, Vevo is accessible in over 200 countries.

Facebook is allegedly interested in an arrangement similar to the one Vevo has in place with YouTube now, which would allow the social network to stream Vevo’s music videos with the two companies sharing profits from advertising revenue…

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Eric Schmidt: Developers will prefer ICS to iOS within 6 months

Jordan Kahn Dec 7 2011 - 1:58 pm PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1l4EGstuCzs]

Google’s Eric Schmidt recently took the stage alongside Android Product Management Director, Hugo Barra, at Le Web conference in Paris to talk Ice Cream Sandwich and the future of Android. Most of the interview and demo consisted of showing off some of the new flagship features of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich like face unlock, but the Google chairman also took some time to talk competition (via Cnet). While noting that Android is now ahead of iPhone by unit volume, price points, and number of vendors, Schmidt shared his thoughts on why he thinks developers will perfer Android to iOS in the near future:

Ultimately, application vendors are driven by volume, and volume is favored by the open approach Google is taking. There are so many manufacturers working to deliver Android phones globally. Whether you like Android or not, you will support that platform, and maybe you’ll even deliver it first.

When asked about iOS apps beating the Android versions of apps to market, he had high hopes that would change with Ice Cream Sandwich:

My prediction is that six months from now you’ll say the opposite.

As for the future of Android:

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Does Facebook take Google+ seriously? Mark Zuckerberg answers

Jordan Kahn Dec 5 2011 - 12:44 pm PT

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdERk059GNE&t=53m51s]

Mark Zuckerberg gives us a look into what he really thinks about Google+ in a small clip from this one-hour special on Facebook’s creator aired by the BBC (via TNW). When asked if Google+ is a threat or if he ‘takes it seriously’, Zuckerberg responded (skip to 54:32):

Yeah Google’s a great company, and I think we want to look at and learn from everything that they do. But at the same time, people have shared a lot on Facebook and have already told a lot of their life story on Facebook. And we think that we have by far better tools for doing that.

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