YouTube

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Wondering what that space inspired YouTube logo is all about? As part of the YouTube EDU program, Google today announced YouTube Space Lab, a new initiative and competition encouraging students to create concepts for science experiments that can be performed in space.

In partnership with Lenovo, NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the Space Lab was created essentially as a one stop shop for students and teachers interested in learning about space.

Perhaps the most important section of the YouTube Space Lab is “The Competition”. Open to users 14-18 years old, the basics of the comp is to encourage kids to create a science experiment that can be carried out in space. To enter, you create a YouTube video explaining the experiment (you don’t actually have to perform the experiment in your submission) and upload it to the Space Lab. Examples of submissions can be seen here and here.

A selection of winning submissions will have their experiment conducted aboard the International Space Station (ISS) and also broadcast live on YouTube. Then, whoever is crowned the “global winner” will receive a trip to watch their experiment blast off in the rocket in Japan, or take cosmonaut training in Russia when you’re 18 years of age. The winner will also receive a trip to Washington, DC and a ZERO-G flight experience, and a Lenovo IdeaPad U300s Ultrabook. Winners will be selected by a panel of scientists and experts, including Professor Stephen Hawking.

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=c5x4V1s1Zao]

UK users are waking up to a ton of new content courtesy of Google and, specifically, courtesy of the YouTube rental service previously only available in the U.S. and Canada.

With over 1,000 titles to choose from, the service will offer 48 hour retails ranging from £2.49 to £3.49. It’s of course available via the “Movies” link in the upper right of YouTube, but is also accessible through Google TV, Android tablets and certain smartphones running Honeycomb.

From the Official YouTube blog:

We’ve got some cracking films to keep everyone entertained through the upcoming winter months and beyond. From blockbusters like The Dark Knight and Reservoir Dogs, to new releases such as Hanna, Fast Five, and Red Riding Hood, and even British classics like Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life and Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels…

UK customers can head over to youtube.com/movies to check it out. 
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WSJ reports Google is in the midst of finishing negotiations with media companies that would see the YouTube investing $100 million to fund original TV quality content. That content would debut on “dozens of free channels with professional-grade shows” expected to launch sometime in 2012. The report also mentions deals with celebrities such as Tony Hawk.

“YouTube, the world’s largest video site, is putting up more than $100 million in cash advances to get some of the content produced, said the people. YouTube will recoup the funds from advertising revenue it sells against the content, later splitting ad revenue with the partners, these people said. YouTube hopes the new channels, which are expected to roll out sometime next year, will draw in big money from advertisers, they said.” 

Some of the companies said to be in talks with Google include Warner Bros., News Corp.’s ShineReveille (Ugly Betty, The Office), RTL Group’s FremantleMedia Ltd. (The X Factor, The Price is Right), Anthony Zuiker (CSI creator), and a number of other companies that produce programs for channels like HGTV, Discovery, and VH1. Of course Google plans on making its money back in ad revenue.

We’re not sure how this will play into their plans to spend $100-$200 million on premium Hollywood content.

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As noted by The Next Web, Google’s VP of Product Bradley Horowitz, told Wired in an interview that Google+ will soon be Google. “Be Google?”, you’re probably thinking. What he means is that Google+ will soon not be its own product, but rather tied into almost every service offered by Google. You may remember when Google+ was sort-of tied into YouTube, but Horowitz says it will go deeper than that.

“Until now, every single Google property acted like a separate company. Due to the way we grew, through various acquisitions and the fierce independence of each division within Google, each product sort of veered off in its own direction.

… But Google+ is Google itself. We’re extending it across all that we do—search, ads, Chrome, Android, Maps, YouTube—so that each of those services contributes to our understanding of who you are.”

Google+ will soon be tied into ads (which has already happened), Chrome, Android, Maps, and more. This will begin to make a definitive Google product, leaving Google+ no longer acting as a separate company. This should make it easier on the non-technical folk, unlike you or me.

Citing the obligatory “people familiar with the matter”, the Wall Street Journal in a story this morning reports that Google is finalizing contracts for upcoming YouTube channels that will stream premium entertainment content on a regular basis. Google CEO Larry Page apparently wants to give people a good reason to tune into YouTube instead of television. Content owners are being “encouraged” to create schedules of programming much like traditional TV, the paper noted.

YouTube has requested some content for the channels within the next 60 days, according to one of these people, as it considers a launch in early 2012. YouTube, which media companies have long griped is too stingy cutting content deals, is paying from a few hundred thousand dollars to several million to content creators to create and curate videos for a channel, according to these people. Google recoups the original payment through ad revenue, and Google and the partner share ad revenue after that.

This could be viewed as part of Google’s broader push towards providing high-quality Hollywood entertainment on YouTube. The timely strategy ties nicely with the Google TV project, which is also about to be updated with a new software release soon. The Wall Street Journal first reported on Google’s plans to spend a hundred million dollars on premium YouTube content back in April. Google is reportedly in talks with Creative Artists Agency, William Morris Endeavor and International Creative Management over professionally produced programming on broad themes, including arts, fashion and sports.

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vUnp3SjDB7s]

As part of Google’s new focus on premium entertainment, the YouTube team announced in a blog post that the video sharing site will stream the Ultimate Fighting Championship events. Viewers in the United States will be able to access this content on the UFC YouTube channel beginning this Saturday, September 24 at 9pm ET/6pm PT. Google said that all of the main card fights from UFC 135 will be available for live streaming for $44.99. The search company will kickstart the UFC streaming deal with the heavyweight title fight between champion Jon “Bones” Jones and challenger Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. If you’re a fan, don’t forget to tune in. You probably have access to UFC fights as part of your cable deal so YouTube will be yet another platform to watch those fights. Besides it is nice seeing Google take premium entertainment seriously.

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The New York Times reports that Google moved uncharacteristically fast integrating the video editing service Magisto into YouTube, just a day following a $5.5 million in second-round funding. “Magisto takes your unedited video and automatically edits it into short, fun clips”, Google says. Vlix, which lets you add video and text effects to your clips, is also part of the YouTube offering now. Both are available at youtube.com/create.

Google also announced over at the YouTube blog new features. You can now convert plain 2D footage into 3D even if it isn’t filmed with two cameras. Just select “Edit Info” and choose “3D Video” at the end of the uploading process . The conversion won’t result in the same perception of the third dimension as working with two cameras, of course. Also, the current upload limit of fifteen minute has been lifted for verified users:

We’re improving upon our previous launch by enabling long uploads for users with a clean track record who complete an account verification and continue to follow the copyright rules set forth in our Community Guidelines.

In order to verify your account with YouTube, you will need to visit this link and give Google your phone number.

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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrZRPgk1XtA]

Rock in Rio, a series of music festivals held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (and later in Portugal, Spain and other countries) will be live-streamed this year on YouTube in 24 different languages, Google made it known in a blog post. Headliners include Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Katy Perry, Elton John and Stevie Wonder. The rock fest is running from September 23 through October 2 so don’t forget to tune in to a live stream over at the Rock in Rio YouTube channel.

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YouTube has released a simple editor available on the web for users who want to make changes, before actually uploading a video. The editor isn’t anything ground breaking, but adds the ability to add small changes like stabilizing, color changes, and rotation. The new editing features also work on videos that have already been uploaded. If you don’t like changes you can revert back to the original, or upload the changes as a totally new video. We’re sure Google will add more editing features over time, but in the mean time give it a try!

Google has just published a study entitled “Google’s Green Computing: Efficiency at Scale” comparing traditional business email solutions with Gmail. The results? Gmail is “almost 80 times” more energy efficient than conventional in-house software. This takes into account all Google infrastructure necessary to support the service.

A report from the Official Google Blog explains:

“…cloud-based services are typically housed in highly efficient data centers that operate at higher server utilization rates and use hardware and software that’s built specifically for the services they provide—conditions that small businesses are rarely able to create on their own.”

To help put it all in perspective (kind of), Google offers the comparison presented in the graphic below showing one year of Gmail is comparable to drinking a bottle of wine, stuffing a letter inside, and throwing it in the ocean. Google also put YouTube to the test and discovered that 1 minute of video consumes approximately 0.0002 kWh of energy. Thus, 72 hours of video would be equivalent to one packaged and delivered DVD. 

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Update: Oh, damn, they pulled it.

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Thanks to Sony Pictures UK, you can now watch the original Godfather for free at YouTube (and sites like this that embed the almost 3 hour classic).

Description:

Uploaded by SonyPicturesUK on Aug 23, 2011

via TNW

Wired‘s got some good news for Amazon, Google, Dropbox and anyone else who stores music in the Cloud.  The practice is legal and doesn’t infringe on record company rights.  Additionally, Cloud companies need not store multiple copies of the same song, so long as each users file is the exact same copy, including MD5 hash (same bit rates, album art, etc).

 In a complicated federal court decision Monday (see Threat Level’s write-up), a New York federal court judge ruled that the practice was legal — but only insofar as the single storage method is done for exactly unique copies. So for instance, all people who bought “Stairway to Heaven” as an MP3 from Amazon would have the exact same file (as determined by an MD5 Hash) and MP3tunes could just store a single copy.

However, the ruling makes clear that if MP3tunes scanned a customer’s music collection and found “Stairway to Heaven” ripped from a CD with a slightly different file size, the company could not simply substitute a master copy. Instead, that customer would have to upload the file.

The decision also said that allowing “sideloading” of songs was legal. That was the feature of MP3tunes that let users add songs they’d found on webpages, such as music blogs, directly to their online locker.

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The latest rumor out of the mill is that Google is developing multiple online “Celebrity Themed” online TV channels. It is unclear exactly where these channels will be located, whether it’s YouTube or a part of a bigger plan to bolster Google TV. A source said yesterday that such celebrities as Robert Pattinson, Cameron Diaz and Deepak Chopra are just a few of the celebrities that will take part in this project.

This news would not be surprising as Google has recently been adding additional services to its YouTube platform in hopes of monetizing the service further. Combine this with their fledgling Google TV service, Google may see an opportunity that other streaming services are currently not taking part in. Would this be a good opportunity to snap up a Logitech Revue on the ($99)cheap?
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YouTube’s Brian Glick gave Google+ a short feature update this evening. We’ve enjoyed watching YouTube video in Google+Hangouts ever since the product launched earlier this year, but today you can now start watching a YouTube video with just one click. After clicking the “Start a Google+ Hangout” when watching a video on YouTube, you’re brought into the Hangout you know and love, where you can invite your friends to take part. We’re looking forward to seeing how much traffic this drives to Google+. (via The Next Web)

Using their Content ID feature, YouTube can match song covers to a publisher to enable them to make money from a video they didn’t publish. Today to help Content ID along, YouTube announced they landed agreements with National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) and its subsidiary Harry Fox Agency (HFA). Today’s agreement will give YouTube another 46,000 more songs to match ads to. YouTube currently also has agreements with many more publishers.

Going forward, the 46,000 music publishers already affiliated with HFA will be able to license the musical compositions they represent for use by the YouTube community. When these publishers allow YouTube to run ads alongside user generated videos that incorporate their compositions, the publishers, and the songwriters they represent, can make money.

Some users don’t agree with Google/YouTube’s decision to place ads on content that they made — such as a cover of a song. The user isn’t actually using the artist’s song, per-say, but using their own voice..and they don’t get to make a cent from it.
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[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8HnmpIFUPk]

No need for a Ticket Restro in the Google Paris Office where they work on YouTube and Chrome mostly.

Get in line behind us here.

Via Elgan
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To add a new social experience, Youtube Live has been integrated into Google+ Hangouts reports GigaOm. In the past, Hangouts users could watch Youtube videos together, but today, they can now watch Live events Youtube hosts on occasion. Past events include concrets and speeches from the Whitehouse. Want to give it a try? Follow the directions below.

• Start a Hangouts session in Google+ and invite your contacts to join you.
• In a separate browser tab, head over toYouTube.com/Live and select a live stream of your choice
• Copy the YouTube video I.D. of the selected live stream. Not sure how to find it? Just click on theshare link below the video. You’ll get to see a link like http://youtu.be/XXXXXXXX – the cryptic code after the slash is the video I.D.
• Switch back to hangouts, open the video tab and search for the I.D.
• Click play, and you’re all set.

Google gave all employees moving into the Zurich office apples with the Google logo engraved.
Source: Webilus.fr

It is hard to escape the buzz flying around Google+, the search monster’s latest social thing. It raised red flags at Facebook where Mark Zuckerberg summoned a hastily organized news conference that fell on def ears with general public. The presser was a classic case of over-promising and under-delivering as Zuckerberg’s “awesome announcement” turned out a yet another dull unveiling of way overdue features, such as group chat and Skype integration. But who would have though just a month ago that Google would put the fear of God into Facebook with what many consider an unusual take on social networking?

Nobody saw it coming when co-founder Larry Page took the reigns April 4 from Eric Schmidt. What a difference a few weeks make. An invite-only service closed for public in two weeks since launch signed up more than ten million users. And when it opens for everyone later this year, the hundred million milestone will be well within reach. Page, who once famously called Steve Jobs a liar, put the pedal to the metal from his first day as CEO by tying executive bonuses to their contributions to the company’s social strides. The move quickly earned him notoriety among tech watchers and his own employees.

But unlike Mark Zuckerberg – who may try to be, but is certainly no Steve Jobs on stage  (see why in the below YouTube clip) – Page has notably been keeping low profile while cunningly taking clues from Apple’s iconic leader. We were told about “moon shots”, to the dismay of many watchers (this author included). Page was stiffing innovation and focusing too much on corporate bureaucracy, many cried…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYYfvf40ZVc]

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As spotted by Dain Binder on Google+, Blogger is receiving a redesign just like the rest of Google’s products. The new redesign resembles Gmail’s new look, sporting new buttons and an overall touchup. Currently, the new design can only be viewed in the draft section of Blogger, but we’d bet this is coming to the full site soon. More images after the break.

via The Next Web

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Google is now testing an experimental design on YouTube, called Cosmic Panda. The new design is not enabled by default, but you can use it today by enabling it in YouTube’s TestTube.

The design is totally new and focused on channels, playlists, and videos. Besides the obvious style change, other features include auto-refresh commenting, dark background on video pages, and much more. Give it a try yourself.

via The Next Web
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Mashable has learned that Google is planning to kill two of its biggest branded products and merge them into Google branded services in the next six weeks.

According to two sources familiar with the matter, Google intends to rename Picasa “Google Photos” and Blogger will become “Google Blogs.” Several other Google brands are likely to be affected, though our sources made it clear that YouTube would not be rebranded.

Mashable notes that the move isn’t without precedent – Grandcentral became Google Voice, Jotspot became Sites, etc. etc.

Blogger (co-founded by Evan Williams of Twitter) was acquired in 2003 and is one of the top 10 most visited websites in the world.  Picasa is also a very popular service acquired in 2004.

Both services will likely be tied in with Google’s new Plus Social Network.  It would be surprising to see Picnik survive as a separate product.   ‘Google Photo Editor’ anyone?

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