Citizen Journalists

There was a time when news coverage was strictly professional, delivered by paid reporters, photographers, and cameramen. And then everything changed with digital cameras and video cameras standard on cellphones.

Now, any Tom, Dick, or Harry can be a citizen journalist, reporting the news as it happens in front of them. Twitter and social networks are an important facet of this trend, as is online video and in particular YouTube.

YouTube Direct

Google has this week unveiled YouTube Direct, which is designed to be a meeting place for citizen journalists and the news media organizations increasingly using this amateur footage as the basis, or to embellish, news stories.

YouTube Direct is an API tweak that allows news organizations to set up a virtual assignment desk. Requests for video can be placed on the site, and citizen journalists who want to see their footage reach a bigger audience can respond.

At that point, editors from the news organization can vet the videos sent in and pick the ones most suitable. The Washington Post, ABC News, Huffington Post, Politico, the San Francisco Chronicle, and NPR are already testing out the product.

Conclusions

This is good news for Google as it helps smooth over the search giant’s relationship with the news media. It’s also good news for the news media organizations as they get access to up-to-date amateur footage which won’t cost them a penny.

However, I can’t quite see what’s in it for the citizen journalists themselves. Apart from the five minutes of fame achieved by their video footage being picked up by major news channel or Web site, there’s little reason to participate in this.

[Via TechNewsWorld]

And if so, what does that mean for third-party apps such as Twiddeo, Tweetube and 12seconds which already offer similar off-site services?

Tweeting It Simple

Twitter is growing in popularity and influence all the time. What started out as a small, niche social networking site is catching up with the likes of Facebook and MySpace.

Part of its appeal is the lack of anything complicated or messy clogging up the site. Twitter sticks to the 140-characters or less tweets while letting developers use the API to expand the service outwards.

API Goodness

This means that external sites such as Twitpic have built strong brands and businesses on the back of Twitter. The API has also enticed online video companies to try to integrate with Twitter.

The likes of Twiddeo and Tweetube offer users the chance to record and post a short video message on the site. A text link to the clip will then appear as a tweet on the user’s Twitter page.

Twitter Video Tweets?

The Telegraph today published an article claiming that Twitter was considering introducing the ability for users to post live video tweets. These wouldn’t be through a third party, rather they’d be short video clips embedded directly into people’s Twitter streams.

The newspaper claims Twitter was looking at the option in order to “help boost its prominence as a fashionable social-networking tool again.” Although I’m not convinced it really needs to do anything of the sort as it’s still growing at an astonishing rate.

Twitter Says No

Twitter co-founder Biz Stone has already debunked the rumor, telling Mashable:

“Haven’t read the piece but no video hosting. 140 characters of text including spaces. You know the drill!”

A Good Decision

And it’s a good thing that it looks as though Twitter isn’t planning on doing this. Although part of me thinks it would be rather cool to have video clips sprinkled all over Twitter, it would effectively curtail the efforts of the developers who have worked hard to provide such apps through the API program.

And then there is 12seconds.tv, a site I covered at the start of the year. This does away with Twitter altogether and is a self-contained messaging site where anyone can post a 12 seconds or less long video clip.

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Livestream Livepack Goes Live

Livestream, formerly known as Mogulus, is one of several live streaming companies which offer everyone the chance to be the star of their own television channel. It’s a competitive sector, with Ustream and Justin.tv the other big contenders.

But yesterday saw Livestream launch a new service which could mark it out against its competitors. Livepack is “the world’s first solution for wireless live streaming at HD quality,” and the hardware which makes that possible fits in a specially designed backpack.

Livepack Details

Livepack is designed for broadcasting any and all events live over the Internet. This includes concerts, sporting events, wedding, graduations, and everything in between.

There are other options already for doing this, but all rely on a reliable fixed Internet connection and none can yet deliver high quality video. Livestream maintains that its new Livepack solves both these issued at a stroke.

The hardware comes courtesy of LiveU, fits in a backpack, and includes “a built-in wireless connection with six load-balanced 3G/EVDO modems over three carriers, encoding hardware, Firewire cable, and 30 hours of streaming uplink time per month.”

Integration with Livestream’s streaming video platform and content delivery network (CDN) is included, which means that once the stream is started it streams to your Livestream player and is captured and archived for future playback as well.

Livepack Video Demo and Pricing

Livestream Livepack is only available in the U.S. and available as a monthly or yearly rental. A one-off monthly rental costs $2,500 while a yearly subscription brings the cost down to $1,500. Which may seem expensive but is a fraction of the cost of professional solutions.

Conclusions

Livestream Livepack isn’t going to appeal to everyone due to the high costs involved, but for those seeking a near-professional solution for live streaming outside events, it’s a genius and affordable solution that fills a gap in the market.

For a very reasonable investment, a whole new world can now be accessed by both amateur and professional Webcasters.

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Netflix CEO Reed Hastings has now confirmed that an iPhone app will appear one day, but not before Netflix finds its way onto all games consoles, Blu-ray players, and Internet-enabled televisions.

From Mail To The Web

Netflix was formed in 1997 as a service delivering DVDs via mail to consumers across the United States. But its name suggests that even then its founder and CEO, Reed Hastings, was envisioning an Internet future for the company.

And so it came to pass. Netflix now enables its subscribers to watch over 17,000 movies and episodes of television series via their computers or one of a number of Internet-enabled devices and the ‘Watch Instantly’ service.

Netflix Devices

Netflix ‘Watch Instantly’ is available on a range of different devices. First came the Roku box, developed by a former Netflix employee, which has now added Amazon and other streaming partners to its line-up.

This was promptly followed by a hybrid streaming/Blu-ray player, a range of Internet-enabled televisions, and the Xbox 360. But while that little lot are an impressive set of devices, there are clearly many more out there.

Netflix iPhone App?

One device many would like to see Netflix on is the Apple iPhone. And it is going to happen, just not quite yet. Speaking to Reuters recently, Hastings said:

“[A partnership with Apple is] something that’s likely to come over time. But nothing in the short term. (With) movie watching, we are not focused on mobile yet, but (instead) on the TV, on Blu-ray and on the video game consoles. We will get to mobile eventually, including the iPhone.”

“Eventually we want to be on all the game consoles, all the Blu-ray players, all the Internet TVs. So we are working in parallel with all of those efforts. Currently our Xbox deal is exclusive and we haven’t characterized it more than that.”

Big Ambitions

Hastings clearly has big ambitions for Netflix, with a desire to get the ‘Watch Instantly’ service on as many devices as is humanly possible over the next few years.

The PS3 and Wii should probably be the primary goal because of the potential of games consoles for streaming Web TV content, but that exclusive Xbox deal with Microsoft is obviously a sticking point.

Conclusions

Hopefully, this move to more devices will coincide with a move outside of the States and the option to subscribe purely to the Web streaming service rather than having it included as a free add-on to the DVDs via mail core business.

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The Philips GoGear ViBE Portable AV Player is both an excellent MP3 player and video player. Small and very light, this audio video player offers an impressive performance for a very convenient price.

Summary of the Philips GoGear ViBE features

The GoGear ViBE player features a 1.5” full color display that uses the SMV to play videos. The player can also be used specifically for MP3’s and WMA’s, and offers song title, artist, and album information. As far as storage capacity, the GoGear ViBE offers 4 GB of NAND Flash, for roughly around 900 tracks of music.

No Separate Charger or Headset Required

Included with the player is a pair of earbuds, as well as a mini CD-ROM offering device manager software and a Media Converter for Philips, if for example the user needs to convert MP4 files to a different format for the GoGear.

The player does not have a charger, or require a separate charger, but rather plugs directly into the USB port of a PC for recharging.

The Controls on the Player

The controls are fairly easy to work with, and after some initial experimentation with the player I was able to easily find music, recorded audio, and video on the player.

The only oddity I noticed was the absence of a specific power ‘on/off’ button, but after following the quick-start instructions I see how the system works, and I figure that buttons were simplified as much as possible considering the small dimensions of this player.

However, others have reported that the buttons are a bit stiff and general operation is a bit non-intuitive so may frustrate non-techies.

Video Review of the The Philips GoGear ViBE

For someone looking for a simplistic and very lightweight player that offers a decent amount of capacity for a very reasonable price, the Philips GoGear is a reasonable product.

The downsides are that video playback is more of a fun bonus than for serious use since the quality is quite low, and those that require their gadgets to be idiot proof may have trouble working with this player. However, these let-downs are relatively trivial given the price.

Philips GoGear ViBE Marketplace: Discounts & Prices

On Amazon
Available to buy at Amazon

On eBay:

Philips GoGear SA3345 4 GB Digital MP3 Player 4GB US $29.99   Auction Ends: 8d 2h 44m Make it yours…

Philips GoGear Go Gear Silicon case Arm band Belt Clip US $5.00   1 Bid Auction Ends: 3h 33m Make it yours…

Philips GoGear HDD6330 30 GB MP3 Player US $15.50   2 Bids Auction Ends: 8h 51m Make it yours…

You may also be interested in:

• Other portable audio/video players on WebTvWire
• The 5th Gen iPod Nano, a feature rich and lightweightalternative AV player from Apple.
• More portable audio/video players on eBay

The iPod Touch got a serious hardware upgrade, as Apple looks to be drooling over the mobile gaming pie.

The Touch is now faster and supports OpenGL|ES, which should improve game performance.

Two new features are voice-controlled music playback and voice memos; the earphones have been updated with a microphone.

There is no video camera for the iPod Touch, perhaps because this would create competition with the iPhone.

Overview of Features

• Control music playback with spoken commands.
• Audio recorder
• Genius Mixes
• Buy or rent movies and TV shows
• App Store
• Shop on iTunes
• Safari Web Browser, Mail, Maps and YouTube
• Nike+ support

Hands-on with Features & Specs of New iPod

What Others are Saying

CrunchGear speculates on the lack of video camera, wondering if hardware changes were just to difficult to incorporate for this model. They’re really excited about some of the new games coming out for the Touch, including Assassin’s Creed, Riddim Ribbon Nova and Madden.

Speculation about the Touch’s camera might be supported by iFixit’s teardown of the hardware:

It appears that Apple left in room for a camera in the top of the device. There is a 6mm x 6mm x 3mm space between the Broadcom chip and the wireless antenna. There isn’t enough depth for an iPhone-style autofocus still camera, but just enough room for the camera that Apple used in the 5th generation iPod nano.

The Touch sells at 8GB for $199, 16GB for $229, 32GB for $299, and the brand new 64GB for $399.

iPod Nano 5th Gen Marketplace – Prices, Deals & Discounts

On Amazon:
Buy a 3rd Gen iPod Touch from Amazon

On eBay:

Apple iPod touch 3rd Generation 64 GB MP3 Player US $310.00   34 Bids Auction Ends: 2h 33m Make it yours…

Apple iPod touch 3rd Generation 32 GB MP3 Player US $269.00   1 Bid Auction Ends: 2h 41m Make it yours…

Apple iPod touch 3rd Generation 8 GB MP3 Player US $113.00   19 Bids Auction Ends: 6h 54m Make it yours…

You may also be interested in:

• The New 5th Gen iPod Nano Review
• More about Apple on WebTVWire
• Searching for more Portable Video/Music Players on eBay

Netflix Watch Instantly

Netflix’s business is built on delivering rented movies to people’s doors and charging them a monthly fee for doing so. And it’s a pretty damn successful business. However, Netflix knows that the days of physical media are coming to an end, with streaming music and video, as well as software and games delivered via the Internet becoming standard.

Therefore, it offers its subscribers the chance to stream video via its ‘Watch Instantly’ service. Those paying the monthly fees required to rent DVDs get access to over 12,000 movies and episodes of popular television series. Not just available on a computer, Netflix’s ‘Watch Instantly’ has been added to a number of devices, from set-top-boxes to the Xbox 360.

ABC Shows Now Available

Netflix has today announced the inclusion of several high profile ABC shows on ‘Watch Instantly’. Viewers will now be able to catch up on the first five seasons of Lost, and previous seasons of Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy, and The Legend of the Seeker. This is another indication of ABC’s intentions to open up its content to online video offerings, with shows already on Hulu.

These kinds of drama serials are the perfect fodder for online video services such as Netflix’s ‘Watch Instantly’ offerings. Episodic and addictive, people can now catch up with previous seasons before getting hooked on the current ones playing on mainstream television. Everyone’s a winner, except maybe Apple where iTunes sales are concerned.

Netflix iPhone App

This comes on the back of speculation that a Netflix iPhone app could be on its way to iTunes. That is if Apple allows it, because it is bound to further harm sales of downloads. Regardless, Multichannel claims Netflix will soon be coming to the iPhone and iPod Touch, as well as the Nintendo Wii games console.

There are already iPhone apps that allow Netflix customers to manage their content but the one now being developed would allow them to actually watch content on the mobile devices. AT&T wouldn’t be happy with the bandwidth requirements for this over the Internet so it will probably be restricted to local networks via Wi-Fi just like the SlingPlayer iPhone app.

Conclusions

Netflix has a very strong and aggressive strategy for its ‘Watch Instantly’ service, getting it on as many devices as possible. However, to truly reach a wider audience it needs to introduce a streaming-only subscription rather than require people to pay for the DVD deliveries. Luckily, the company has already suggested this is a possibility.

If and when that happens, Netflix could then try to break out of the U.S. and launch its service in Europe and beyond. I’d certainly be interested because I’ve heard nothing but good things about it.

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IPhone 3GS Video

The recently-released iPhone 3GS includes some fantastic video features. The device includes a 3 megapixel camera which is capable of recording video at near-HD quality with full audio and at 30 frames-per-second. What’s more, there is some excellent basic editing software included as standard which also allows captured clips to be uploaded to YouTube and the like with ease.

This inclusion of a good quality video camera in the iPhone is a worry for video camera manufacturers, because if this sort of device is available in a smartphone, where is the need to buy a product which costs more and is only capable of doing that one job? However, the iPhone is still a costly prospect for most people thanks to the monthly contract required to use one.

IPod Touch Video

This isn’t the case for the iPod Touch, the product which has almost everything in common with the iPhone, apart of course from the phone part, with the Touch instead focused on being a multimedia device you can carry in your pocket. Imagine what would happen if Apple decided to put a video camera inside each and every iPod Touch, and possibly other flavors of iPod as well.

This is the latest rumor to have hit the InterWebs. TechCrunch claims a source in Asia is reporting that Apple has recently placed a massive order for the camera modules of the type used in the iPhone 3GS. The order is said to be so large it can only be intended for the next generation of iPods. MacRumors has added weight to this theory with the posting of alleged new designs for the new iPod Touch and iPod Nano, both of which have holes intended for camera lenses to poke out of.

Immediate Effects

If true, this would firstly have a huge impact on the video camera market because millions of iPods are sold every single month, and who would buy a more expensive video camera when they could just upgrade their iPod and get a whole bunch of other features thrown in for the price?

The other obvious impact would be on the amount of people suddenly able to flex their creative muscle and shoot reasonably good looking video on a mobile device. Video shot on a crappy cellphone camera is one thing, video shot on a smartphone or personal media player is quite another. Mobile uploads to YouTube would likely increase by a huge amount once again.

Conclusions

Apple could quite easily corner this particular market while killing another one off if it chooses to go down this route. And as there’s no real reason why the company wouldn’t, it seems likely the speculation will prove to be correct in the months to come. Mobile video is about to come of age, and as with so many other markets, Apple is at the forefront of making it mainstream.

iPod Touch Products on eBay

Apple iPod touch 2nd Generation 8 GB MP3 Player US $165.00   1 Bid Auction Ends: 34m Make it yours…

APPLE IPOD TOUCH 2ND GENERATION 8 GB MP3 PLAYER BONUS US $148.02   21 Bids Auction Ends: 2h 58m Make it yours…

Michael Jackson died after suffering a cardiac arrest on June 25, 2009. Attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful and he was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. His death has prompted an outpouring of emotion not seen for many years, probably since Princess Diana died in 1997.

His death, and the reaction of people around the world to it, has been well documented by online video. First, there was the reaction videos, then tribute videos popped up, and continue to do so even now, ten days after his death. There was also the shockingly sad footage of Jacko rehearsing for his This Is It tour just two days before he died.

Michael Jackson’s Funeral Service

Now comes the next stage of Michael Jackson’s story – the public memorial service and funeral being held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on July 7. The service will begin at 10am PT, but unfortunately, only 20,000 people are able to attend in person because that’s how many people the venue can hold. Tickets have been given out via a lottery to 17,500 members of the general public.

Online Streams of the Memorial Service

The majority of Michael Jackson fans around the world will be watching live coverage of the memorial service on television or via streaming video online. It’s already been announced there will be a free, live stream of the event, with Jacko’s promoter, AEG Live, which also owns the Staples Center, wanting as many people as possible to be able to watch the memorial service.

• A compilation of the live streams and videos are available on WebTVHub.

How to Watch on iPhone

Thanks to the uStream Viewing Application, iPhone users will be able to watch the live stream of Michael Jackson’s funeral in real-time.

The uStream iPhone app (video review below) was released at the beginning of this year just in time for Barack Obama’s presidential inauguration, an event that became the biggest Web TV phenomenon ever seen, thanks in part to the multitude of people watching on their cell phones.

Where can I Find a uStream Live Feed of Funeral?

There will be a large variety of live video feeds available on Tuesday covering the funeral, e.g: CBS, but also check the comprehensive list of live streams on Web TV Hub.

Live Streams on SmartPhones?

Unfortunately watching Michael Jackson’s funeral with uStream is not possible on Smartphones (yet). However, most windows based cell phones should have a couple of options available to them.

SlingBox

Slingbox owners can set their slingbox up to stream a channel covering the memorial service over the internet on their private channel. Then using the Slingplayer mobile app it is possible to watch the event live on a cell phone.

The Slingplayer app is also available for the iPhone. Download it from the iTunes store or read about it here.

TVUPlayer – Live TV on Cell Phone

Another option for windows based smartphones is to use the TVUPlayer cell phone app. You can get it here. TVUPlayer is a P2P TV streaming service that has channels from all around the world, you can read about it here.

TVUPlayer has plenty of channels, simply look up a new channel and undoubtedly it will be broadcasting MJ’s historic funeral.

Any More?

If there are any more ways to watch Michael’s funeral on a cell phone then please leave a comment below to let us know.

The Links You Need (roundup)

• Comprehensive list of live internet streams on Web TV Hub. iPhone users using uStream check the uStream links on this page.

Windows SmartPhones:

• TVUPlayer Windows Smartphone App
• Slingplayer Windows Smartphone App

iPhone

• SlingPlayer App from the iTunes store
• uStream Viewing App from the iTunes store

Ringtones

• Get Michael Jackson Ringtones (U.S Only)

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Games Console Evolution

I’ve been banging on about video games consoles and their emergence as a key element in the evolution of Web video for a while now. And it seems that every month something comes about to further cement my belief that the modern, Internet-connected games consoles are an important part of increasing the popularity and acceptance of online television in the living room.

This month it’s the turn of the PS3 to take the limelight thanks to the newly-launched VidZone. PS3 owners in the UK, France, Spain, Italy, Ireland, Germany, and Australia can now download and install VidZone from the Playstation Network and enjoy a music video streaming service which is almost as good as the music streaming service, Spotify.

VidZone For PS3

After a small install (23MB) which takes all of about 30 seconds, VidZone appears under the ‘Music’ category on the PS3 XMB. Clicking on it then brings up the lengthy terms and conditions and an offer to receive emails from VidZone from time to time. Once done, the service then starts up, building the music video lists as it goes; which can take some time on the first go.

Once open, VidZone shows its sparse interface, which could do with some work but is entirely usable. You are presented with selected playlists – music videos compiled into collections – or can explore at your own leisure. This is done by using the clunky ‘Search’ feature which relies on you spinning a letter at a time to find the ‘Artist’ or ‘Song’ you want to watch. You can also view by ‘Genre’ which helps cut the process down a little.

Music Videos Galore

Assuming you find the music video you desire, you can either watch it immediately or add it to the current play queue, which can then be saved as a playlist for future reference. The chosen video starts streaming immediately, with no buffering or pausing. Which immediately gives VidZone an edge over YouTube XL and the like.

You operate VidZone by using the PS3 controller, with buttons assigned to bring up full screen viewing, Play, Pause, Skip, Rewind, and Fast Forward. The full screen option doesn’t fill the screen entirely and in this view some videos, particularly older ones, have some pixelation. The other problem is volume leveling, or at least the lack of it, meaning you have to turn your TV up or down between videos.

The service is entirely free and supported by both banner adverts (entirely unobtrusive) and the chance to download a song to your mobile phone for £1.50 a pop. VidZone is due to be rolled out to other territories within the next 12 months.

Conclusions

VidZone on the PS3 isn’t perfect by a long chalk. It may boast a library of 10,000 videos but there are a lot of big artists and songs missing. Or maybe I just have eclectic tastes which aren’t catered for. The interface could also do with some retouching but then maybe I’m being fussy asking for this on what is essentially a free service.

YouTube will likely remain most people’s source for music videos, especially when Vevo launches later this year. But PS3 VidZone is great for longer sessions of watching music videos and is like having your own personal MTV. Which is something I personally have always wanted.

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