The Ultimate Music Video Jukebox, via Flash on Android
The folks behind the music video jukebox Sonicswap are at it again, this time launching what could soon be every Nexus One user’s best friend. Tunevision compiles music video playlists based on your Last.fm, iTunes or Sonicswap usage data — users can also start from scratch by simply entering a few band names. Think Pandora, but for music videos. The functionality is very similar to the original Sonicswap site, with one big difference: There’s also a mobile version of Tunevision that runs on a Nexus One via Adobe Flash 10.1.
Of course, Adobe hasn’t officially released Flash 10.1 for Android yet, but Sonicswap worked closely with Adobe on the development of the app. Sonicswap CEO Dan Skilken recorded a quick video demo of the app running on a Nexus One for us (embedded below), and I gotta say: It looks pretty darn cool. Read more of this story
OK Go Exits EMI For Own Label: Hopefully, An Embedding-Friendly One
For want of an embed code, the band was lost…to their own independent label. Viral music video experts and indie rock band OK Go, after publicly squabbling with EMI over the lack of embedding on their YouTube music videos, have left the label to create their own.
This new label, Paracadute Recordings, will take over the distribution and promotion for their newest album Of The Color of Blue Sky, sales for which may be experiencing an uptick following the release of the State Farm-sponsored Rube Goldberg video for This Too Shall Pass, which is currently at 6.8 million views on YouTube (no small thanks to the fact that it’s embeddable).
Tribeca Film Fest to Offer Virtual Premium Access
The Tribeca Film Fest, the festival co-founded by Robert De Niro, is going virtual, according to a post on its blog, offering film fans around the country a chance to engage online with the films and filmmakers being feted.
Beginning April 23, those who purchase a Virtual Premium pass will get “full backstage access” to the festival goings-on, which means being able to watch eight or more of the feature films premiering at the festival and red carpet coverage, and to participate in live Q&As with the filmmakers (according to a representative for the fest, these chats will be text-based).
The Virtual Premium pass costs $45 — which isn’t too bad, given that you get to watch yet-to-premiere films like Edward Burns’s Nice Guy Johnny or opening night selection Shrek Forever After. The pass is not available to international audiences, though, and the red carpet live-streaming will be available to the general public, not just pass holders.
However, full passes to the physical fest cost $250-$450 (though you can buy tickets for individual films separately). That extra $200 might be worth the chance to touch Shrek star Cameron Diaz in person — something the Internet can’t currently replicate. But you’ll also probably have to get out of your pajamas.
Related GigaOM Pro content (subscription required):
YouTube Is Starting to Monetize Mobile Video
YouTube has started to serve ads on mobile phones, but you may not even notice them. The online video platform is now serving display ads on m.youtube.com in the U.S. and Japan, according to a blog post, and will sell banner ads on a full-day basis. Today’s advertiser is Mazda, which bought the mobile ad in conjunction with its banner on the regular YouTube home page. The blog post reveals that YouTube has already run campaigns for Kia and Sony as well.
These ads do not, however, extend to custom YouTube interfaces like the one used by Google’s Android phones or Apple’s iPhone, which is how I suspect most of us are accessing YouTube on the go. YouTube also told us that it hasn’t started to directly monetize the videos on mobile platforms. The lack of Flash on handsets may be one reason you won’t see any overlays on your handset yet, or the fact that YouTube isn’t showing any kind of pre-roll advertising to mobile users.
Still, YouTube’s new ad spot on its mobile site shows its commitment to monetization. Citigroup analyst Mark Mahaney recently estimated that YouTube is going to make about $945 million this year through advertising. The site will top $1.1 billion in gross revenue in 2011, according to Mahaney’s predictions.
Related content on GigaOM Pro: The Attraction and Threat of Offer-Based Ads in Mobile (subscription required)
Enjoy Video on the iPad Hands-Free, Thanks to Quirky
The consequence of Apple trying to create an entire new genre of gadget? We all have to figure out how we’re gonna use it. The iPad commercial, first spotted during the Academy Awards last Sunday, featured no shortage of happy users resting the device on their laps…
But how do you physically get into that position? I mean, do you have a scuff-resistant coffee table or an armchair and ottoman? Have you done so much yoga that you can hold your legs up for literally hours at a time? Do you have some new fancy La-Z-Boy or a hospital bed?
Well, if you don’t, and you don’t want to spend a few hundred dollars on some new furniture, then Quirky has a handy device for you. The Cloak case not only protects your $499 device from the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, but it doubles as a stand for the device in both portrait and landscape positions. Read more of this story
Vice-President Biden to Use Justin.TV for Israel Speech
Vice-President Joe Biden packed light for his trip to Israel this week: He didn’t bring the White House camera crew. And so on Thursday, when the former senator visits Tel Aviv University to address the Israeli public about American commitment to the security of Israel, he won’t be doing so on the official White House site — he’ll be talking live on Justin.tv.
According to TheHill.com, it’s tough to stream video to Whitehouse.gov without using a White House camera feed. So for the Tel Aviv University broadcast, they sought out another option. Read more of this story
The PS3 Is Getting More HD Hollywood Fare
Sony’s Playstation Network is now carrying HD movies from 20th Century Fox, Sony Pictures, Universal Pictures, and Warner Bros., the company announced today. Sony previously negotiated similar agreements with Walt Disney Pictures, Paramount Pictures, and the company was quick to point out in today’s announcement that this marks the first time a game console-based service has signed up an online video platform is offering HD downloads for sale from all six majors.
Sony has been offering HD downloads through the PS3 ever since it launched the Playstation Network’s movie download section almost two years ago. Playstation users also have access to Netflix VOD through a pop-in disc. Sony recently announced plans to extend the download platform to Bravia TVs, Sony PCs and other connected devices. It also plans to extend its new HD line-up to the UK, France, Germany, and Spain soon.
The Fine Brothers and Shane Dawson Mock Degrassi for the Views
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- Creator: Benny Fine
- Creator: Rafi Fine
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The pair behind Movie Spoilers in One Take, My Profile Story, and the Lost parody series have recently begun not just making content for themselves, but partnering with some of YouTube’s biggest stars to help them create the best possible — and most popular — videos. Not only are Benny and Rafi Fine now officially the chief creative executives and heads of production for the YouTube star comedy collective The Station, but they’ve been making shorts with individual YouTubers — the most recent example of which being the Shane Dawson-starring Degrassi spoof series.
You might not be familiar with Degrassi: The Next Generation, either because you’re not a Canadian teenager or because you don’t get cable channel The N, which airs episodes in the United States. But fans of the Canadian teen soap will tell you that when it comes to “going there” on controversial or uncomfortable topics, Degrassi does — drugs, abortion, homosexuality, school shootings and date rape are all considered to be acceptable topics for the show to explore, making it one of the more daring shows out there. Read more of this story
Vid-Biz: Auditude, Vudu, LimeWire
Web-connected TV: A Distant Dream for App Makers; app developers are staying away from Yahoo’s Connected TV and similar platforms because environment is too restricted, fragmented. (Business Week)
A Detailed Look at VUDU’s Streaming Technology, and What It Means to Walmart; optimized encoding and flexible UI deployment give VUDU advantage over competitors. (BusinessofVideo.com)
AVG and LimeWire Secure World’s Largest Peer-to-Peer Network; version 5.5 of LimeWire offers paying users automatic virus scans for all downloads. (emailed release)
Auditude Announces Advertising Agreement with Dailymotion; ad platform will monetize Dailymotion’s 12 million videos. (emailed release)
Piracy Rises in France Despite Three Strikes Law; infringement up 3 percent in spite of law that boots repeat infringers of the Internet. (Torrentfreak)
Enterprise Webcasting Provider IVT Announces Jim McGovern As New CEO; McGovern used to be CEO of Marketwire and then itzbig before joining IVT. (BusinessofVideo.com)
MSI Selects Roxio CinePlayer to Power Home 3-D Entertainment; company will bundle Roxio’s newly-released Roxio CinePlayer with its 3-D All-In-One PCs. (emailed release)
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