In this day and age, YouTube is potentially more influential than any other medium in turning a song from one which no one has ever heard into a hit of epic proportions. Thankfully the music industry has realized this unsavory (at least to them) fact.

Music Charts

Once upon a time the music charts were made up of one thing and one thing alone: How many physical copies of a song sold in record stores. Now, with the way people consume music, and other types of content for that matter, having changed, so has the methodology behind the charts.

Several years ago digital downloads were added to the mix, as the industry realized it was fighting a losing battle against people buying digital rather than physical copies. Then came streaming services such as Spotify, which now also contribute to the charts.

This week saw YouTube added to the burgeoning list of sources used to determine whether a song is a hit or not.

Continue Reading…

YouTube has long been seen as a possible alternative to pay-TV offerings, with a mix of music videos, television shows, and movies providing the needs of viewers. To truly be an alternative to pay-TV, YouTube itself may start charging for access.

Original YouTube Channels

There has always been original content on YouTube. Once Google had (generally) rid the site of the copyright-infringing clips that were its lifeblood in the early days, videos created by real people like you and I became the mainstream fare.

In 2011 YouTube sought to up the quality of its original content, giving producers a budget in order to create content for 100 premium channels. That process is continuing, with YouTube adding many more channels to the line-up at the end of last year.

The next logical step would be to start charging people to watch these premium channels. Which is exactly what looks set to happen.

Continue Reading…

Amazon has taken on the episodic version of Zombieland in order to add to its Instant Video lineup. Which further cements the feeling that television networks are becoming a resource we could well do without, either now or in the near future.

Amazon Takes On Zombieland

Amazon is developing a TV series based on Zombieland, a hit movie starring Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Woody Harrelson, and a cast of unnamed zombies. Oh, and featuring a cameo by Bill Murray.

Zombieland began life as a proposal for a TV series, with CBS buying a pilot. The network decided not to proceed, so writers Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick turned it into a screenplay for a movie which was eventually released in 2009.

There have been rumors of a sequel, which then morphed into rumors of a TV show based on the movie. That looks like it’s going ahead, but funding is coming from Amazon rather than CBS or any of the other big U.S. networks.

Zombieland looks set to be an Amazon Prime exclusive, but with the project only just getting underway it could be some time before it sees the light of day.

Continue Reading…

Google is currently carrying out a full-on assault aimed at cementing its place on iOS and Apple devices. We’ve already witnessed the Apple Maps vs. Google Maps conflict, and the latest front in this ongoing war is Capture, a new YouTube app clearly aimed at usurping the current default camera app.

YouTube Capture

YouTube Capture, which will appear simply as Capture on the homescreen of your iOS device, is designed to simplify the process of capturing, uploading, and sharing video clips recorded on mobile devices.

It’s currently only available on iOS for the iPhone and iPod Touch, but Google is already working on bringing the dedicated app to Android as well. Capture gives you multiple options in one complete app, all of which benefits YouTube, and, consequently, Google.

After recording your video clip you can label it, use enhancements such as stabilization and color correction, trim the length, and even add a soundtrack. You can then upload it to YouTube and/or share it with various social networks. All without ever having used Apple’s own camera app.

Continue Reading…

What do you think of when you imagine the world’s dirtiest jobs? Plumber? Janitor? A dirty job is any occupation that involves daily exposure to one or more of the following: trash, human or food waste, stench, chemicals, bodily fluids, dirt, blood and viscera, and death. Read on to find a list of jobs you never expected.

Geriatric nurses have to deal with elderly or dying patients, exposing them to human waste, bodily fluids and death. Lift pump removers deal with human waste collected in sewers. Estheticians are around chemicals and bodily fluids, while crime scene cleaners see blood and death daily. The same goes for slaughterhouse workers. Garbage collectors are exposed to most of these unpleasantries while proctologists are always poking around in someone’s guts. Emergency medical technicians stare death in the face, along with smelling it, as do roadkill collectors.

But the dirtiest job of all combines nearly all of these factors and offers no salary: a parent.

Source: TopRNtoBSN.com

Netflix has signed a new deal with Disney which will see first-run movies from the media company streaming through the service from 2016. This is a big deal for Netflix, and its shares immediately rose after the news was revealed.

Blurred Lines

The lines between release windows and methods of viewing content are being blurred more and more as time goes on. We’ve already seen films released on demand as well as, or sometimes even instead of, in theaters.

This trend is set to continue, especially as the streaming companies find more money to offer traditional media companies for their wares. Money talks, even (or perhaps especially) when it comes to the big players.

Continue Reading…

Anyone claiming to convert over to Christianity is often presented with quizzical looks and peculiar expressions. Some people, however, provoke shock waves when they embrace Christianity as their religion. We are often surprised when someone who seems so deep down in the depths of darkness, crosses over, so to speak. There is hope for all and change is possible.

Many are converted to Christianity every day. Its exceptionally thought provoking when it happens to someone in the public eye known for his or her depraved lifestyle. Seeing someone once deeply opposed to the principles of Christianity embracing them seems a little strange. What came about in this person’s life to bring such a revelation? “Is it a true conversion?” you may ask. That is not for us to judge and only time will tell. When you witness the drastic turn, it certainly is remarkable. So in the spirit of shock and awe, following a list of the 10 Most Bizarre Christian Converts.

Source: ChristianDegreePrograms.org