video player

Time Warner Clips–But Not Shows–Land on YouTube

Peter Kafka in Media on August 19, 2009 at 10:59 am PT

Another feather for the “we’ve got real stuff” cap that YouTube is showing off these days: Google’s video site has hammered out a deal with Time Warner to show clips from the media conglomerate’s cable networks, TV shows and movies. But you won’t be seeing full-length shows or movies from Time Warner on the world’s biggest video site–it’s saving those for cable companies that play along with its “TV Everywhere” plan.

Here Comes the Video Shakeout: Joost Scales Down, CEO Mike Volpi Steps Out

Peter Kafka in Media on June 30, 2009 at 8:49 am PT

Here’s the beginning of the inevitable online video shakeout: Joost, the once-hyped video service that was supposed to rival Google’s YouTube, is restructuring to focus on “white label” services, i.e., a back end for other video players. The site is laying off the majority of its 100-plus employees, and CEO Mike Volpi is out, replaced by Matt Zelesko, who had been SVP of engineering.

YouTube Preps Its (Sort of) Hulu Answer: Movies, TV Shows From Sony, Others

Peter Kafka in Media on April 16, 2009 at 1:52 pm PT

Here’s Google’s sort-of answer to Hulu: A newly designed page to showcase TV shows and movies, along with new players and a new ad strategy. What’s not included: almost any first-run TV show or newly released movie. That’s the content that’s made Hulu successful and what’s also driven traffic to offerings from CBS and Disney’s ABC. You can’t accuse the Google guys of overselling this: In a press conference today, they described it as a “first step, a baby step.”

CBS Says No One’s Getting Anything Done at Work: March Madness Web Traffic Up 56 Percent

Peter Kafka in Media on March 20, 2009 at 1:33 pm PT

I’ve only watched a couple minutes of March Madness so far, and I haven’t watched a second on my laptop. But apparently I’m in the minority: CBS, which is streaming the entire college basketball tournament for free on the Web, says traffic to its video player is up 56 percent compared to last year.

The Akamai Presidency? [UPDATED]

John Paczkowski in News on March 2, 2009 at 12:20 pm PT

So much for the “YouTube Presidency.” The Obama administration is no longer using Google’s video player to deliver the President’s weekly addresses online. Instead, it will use an Akamai player. No reason has yet been given for the abrupt switch, although some speculate it was inspired by privacy concerns over the video-sharing site.

The App Test: Rating Programs for Google’s G1

Katherine Boehret in The Mossberg Solution on October 21, 2008 at 4:30 pm PT

Today, people interested in seeing the first Google-branded consumer-hardware product will get to satisfy their curiosity as the company, joining with T-Mobile, unveils its $179 G1 handheld computer. This touch-screen device will compete with Apple’s iPhone, and it includes a key feature missing in the iPhone: a physical keyboard.

Google Android Phone: 3G, $179, Amazon MP3, App Store, 1GB, Copy and Paste

John Paczkowski in News on September 23, 2008 at 8:24 am PT

The first Android-powered handset debuted this morning at a T-Mobile launch event in New York. Manufactured by HTC, the G1 is largely as anticipated. Peter Chou, CEO of HTC describes it as “iconic,” but that’s being a bit generous, I think. In design, the device seems to borrow quite a bit from the T-Mobile Sidekick, and its touchscreen GUI clearly owes a thing or two to Apple’s iPhone.

A How-to Guide to How-to Videos

Katherine Boehret in The Mossberg Solution on May 7, 2008 at 12:01 am PT

It’s not always easy to learn from the information you find online, and how-to videos can be a big help–especially when they’re well-made and discoverable using sites featuring instructional clips.