This is a guest post from KallOut, winner of the BOSS Mashable Challenge. As the grand prize winner of the challenge, KallOut won $2,000 and the chance to elaborate on their product on Mashable. Below is more on KallOut in their words:

KallOut has invented a new way to search using only your mouse. We call this new method “selection-based search” to distinguish it from “browser-based search,” which is how most people search today.

As shown below, KallOut positions mini-windows with online content and search results that float above your selected text to create “new search real estate” over the entire Web and desktop. In this case, the user has selected a phrase in an Outlook e-mail and chosen the Yahoo! KallOut to view Web page search results in the context of the page:

Before KallOut, search had been trapped inside the browser and required typing your search term into the search box of your favorite search engine. After KallOut, search is set free in terms of when a search can be invoked (i.e., over any browser Web page or Windows document), where your search terms are sent (i.e., to a recommended list of best-of-breed search engines and content providers), and how your search results are presented (i.e., in floating information palettes in the context of your existing document). As our tagline says, KallOut offers “Search Outside the Box.”

Yahoo! Search BOSS API

When the Yahoo! Search BOSS API was released, we were excited because our open approach to delivering search results could now be powered by an equally open, world-class search engine with hundreds of man-years of development invested in it. For the small team of engineers at KallOut, this access to an open Search API with super-relevant results and without volume restrictions was critical.

One of the features which makes KallOut great is the BestGuess™ Search system that provides suggestions related to whatever word or phrase you’ve selected. In order to ensure that these recommendations are as relevant as possible, we combine wisdom of crowds input with proprietary categorization algorithms that have been pre-trained for 100+ million search terms. The Yahoo! Search BOSS API helped make this training possible. The actual engineering effort involved for our team, in terms of augmenting our training system with the BOSS API results, was quite straightforward and was accomplished in a matter of days.

What’s Next

We’ve only scratched the surface in terms of how we plan to leverage the Yahoo! Search BOSS API. One feature coming soon will involve publishing our own KallOut API for developers who wish to use KallOut to enhance the functionality of the Microsoft Office Suite of apps, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Adobe Reader, etc.

As part of this KallOut API, it will be possible for us to expose selected aspects of the BOSS API results for whatever text the user has selected. In this way, application developers who want to build specialized KallOuts will have everything they need in one convenient package. If you’re interested in more information on the KallOut API, sign up here or follow us on Twitter.

—Related Articles at Mashable | All That’s New on the Web:KallOutKallOut Wins BOSS Mashable Challenge, Socialmention Wins Runner UpVoting Round for the BOSS Mashable ChallengeFinal Chance to Vote for Your Favorite BOSS Mashable Challenge SubmissionThe BOSS Mashable Challenge

Source:Mashable!

Making screencasts (also known as “video tutorials”) is already easy, and becomes easier with better tools and broadband proliferation. However, no tech is complete without a human who dives in, does experiments, and discerns best practices from the results.

I’ve made over 200 video tutorials, mostly for the virtual world of Second Life, and I’ve also done tutorials for stuff like YouTube and Sony Vegas. If a picture’s a 1,000 words, then a video is… a LOT more.

Through such experience, these are tips ‘n’ tricks I’m sure you’ll find practical and applicable to your further forays into the video fields:

1. Understand audio engineering

No, you don’t need a degree. Yes, you need ears-on experience — there’s just no other way around it. The good news is, by the time you’re well on your way, your screencasts will sound crisper, louder, and overall better.

In the first place, you don’t need an expensive mic. I use a US$30 Plantronics headset and it captures my voice well.

George Lucas was spot on when he reckoned:

“Sound is 50 percent of the moviegoing experience, and I’ve always believed audiences are moved and excited by what they hear in my movies at least as much as by what they see.”

Basic screencast “audio engineering” is a simple matter of running pre-tests and making sure your mic levels aren’t too “hot” — that is to say, they aren’t digitally clipping. Digital distortion is ugly and unwanted, and many people will think you sound amateurish in the worst way.

One significant step up is immersing yourself into the world of audio plugins. Did you know that there are many times more audio plugins than, say, Photoshop plugins? KVR Audio reveals 1,000s.

While most screencasting tools don’t support the likes of VST (Virtual Studio Technology) and AU (Audio Units on the Mac) plugins, quality non-linear editors do. For example, I record my movies with Camtasia Studio, then place the clips into Sony Vegas for audiovisual processing. Vegas is my fave because its heritage is being a multitrack audio recorder, and I’m from an electronic music background.

Even if you don’t have big bucks to shell out, you may be able to enhance your audio (not just dialog, but music and sound effects too) in a free editor like Audacity, which supports VST plugins. But the tighter the integration, the better.

There are all manner of audio plugins which can produce just about any effect you can imagine, from utilitarian fine-tuning to wacky warping, but 4 must-know “cores” are:

1. Noise Gate - Cuts off noise when it’s below a certain level. Good for eliminating hiss when no one’s speaking. Related but more selective is a noise reducer, which takes a “fingerprint” of noise, analyzes it, then does its best to clean up noise from audio signal (e.g., making someone’s voice more distinct if they’re speaking in a windstorm).

2. Reverb - You probably already know what this is, but just in case: obvious reverb can be found in large spaces like cathedrals, as well as smaller ones with strong acoustic reflections like tiled bathrooms. A light dusting of reverb can help smooth out a voice without it being excessively boomy. A creative use of reverb is to fake a space which is cost-prohibitive to actually record in, like the Grand Canyon.

3. Compressor - Not a “ZIP file compressor”, but a dynamic range compressor. Think of a valley and a mountain — there’s huge vertical distance between them! If a compressor was applied, it would make the mountain shorter so there’s less distance. Applied to audio, a compressor smoothes out the “jumpiness” so the sound is more level. Good compression is often said to be transparent and unnoticeable. If you’ve ever listened to the radio or watched TV and wondered how they got the levels to be so balanced, you’ve heard compression in action.

4. Limiter - Often used with a compressor. The difference: a limiter prevents digital clipping. By using a gain control, the overall volume of a recording can be pushed up without exceeding 0 dB (decibels). That means it maximizes loudness! However, use compression and limiting judiciously, or you run the risk of your sounds being too “flat,” as the loudness wars have shown. Also, since a limiter raises the volume, the noise floor becomes louder too — another good reason to use a “combo chain” of effects, ending with the limiter.

Equalization may be a concern — and there are other ways to adjust frequency imbalance like an exciter — but you may find that recording on a good mic from the get-go diminishes your need to adjust this further. Trust your ears!

All the above effects have some free and low-priced plugins, and even lower-cost software like iMovie has audio effects. Spend time downloading demos from KVR Audio. Be brave about experimenting and compare before/after, and your screencasts’ sound will really stand out!

2. Indulge in templates

Maybe this should’ve been #1, but I feel strongly about both: the point’s been made. Especially if you’re creating a regular series, quick access to “common assets” is fundamental for saving time and trouble:

- Create a folder containing needed common assets for your screencast series. This might be begin & end bumper titles, static graphics that recur, and theme music. The point is to have them all in one place.

- Label everything neatly (no cryptic filenames like “TEST_P243.AVI”). Obvious, but I’m shocked how many people don’t do this — and suffer later.

- Make use of your screen recorder and/or video editor’s template features. These go under different names like “profile” or “setting,” but the principle is the same: fast access to your preferred options. If your editing software doesn’t support choosing templates a la Microsoft Word, at the very least, setup a clean file with the basic layout, stash a locked copy in the common assets folder (to prevent accidentally messing up), and copy it to be modified as needed for each video.

- Iterate and efficiencize. As you gain experience, you may wish to — and almost certainly should — revise your template. For example, I discovered some of my template clips were compressed in a disk-hogging format they didn’t need to be, and they were somewhat longer than what was actually being used. I trimmed and re-encoded them with no visual quality loss, and backed up my common assets folder (just in case). Keep pinpointing your problem spots and building on them.

One of the worst surprises is to be retrieving a video project months down the road (maybe you need to update it or include it in a demo reel) and have your video software bark that a file is missing. This is exactly why I make sure to have each project in its own folder, and often, all episodes of a series (if it’s not too disk space-consuming) in a folder. Stray files are sad ones.

3. Focus on using eye candy to enhance learning

Sure, swirling vectors and all manner of playful motion graphics dazzle. But they’re also a dangerous trap for a couple reasons:

1. They may distract from your actual content. I’ve watched too many vidcuts where particle explosions blocked user interface elements and a hard rock soundtrack was cranked up too loud, drowning out the narrator’s speech (another reason to get into audio engineering). As a result, they were impressive. For about 5 seconds before waves of fatigue. And I didn’t benefit at all, opting instead to close the window and move on.

2. They make you look like “everyone else.” I mean that colloquially, so let’s use a parallel example: the many Web 2.0 sites that look like they were designed by one person. Rounded corners, names with missing vowels, starburst callouts, etc. There’s no sin in being influenced by a trend (and adding your own twist) if it helps you approach your goals, but it’s foolish to copy just because others are doing it. Learn from design greats like Machine Molle and Nik Ainley, but find your own unique voice.

Let’s look at a specific instance of eye candy issues: Clearspace Community’s “What’s New in 2.5″ trailer is basically beautiful and well-presented. But, it has too much distraction in the way of superfluous diagonal tilts in a pseudo-3D perspective. I’d argue there are also too many zooms: Ken Burns Effect is one thing, but excess rapid transitions induces headaches. Past the initial hump o’ novelty, they also damage readability, get tiring, and feel cheap. At least the actual “meat” of this video, the tight narration, is healthy.

So if you use eye candy, take stock of what it’s actually contributing. I like Camtasia’s “spotlight” around the cursor because it clarifies your actions. I also like zooming in to key areas of focus. And Mac users have the pleasure of OmniDazzle.

Don’t feel bad if you’ve gone overboard with eye candy: like everyone’s first time with Photoshop lens flares, you’ll overuse it, then rein in the harness as you continue. The most important thing is to learn by doing.

And others can help inspire you…

4. Learn from the best screencasts in the world

This is fun, because “the best” will be subjective. Some of the most popular screencasts on YouTube have 100,000s of views, but with experience, you’ll watch and go, “Hey, they’re missing X” or “They could do Y better.” And that’s where your perception of what’s superlative will shift, and you’ll get better.

(You’ll also want to watch crappy screencasts to understand what makes them not work. Including the first ones you make. I don’t cringe at my initial attempts because they’re stepping stones that led me to the present.)

Without a doubt, some of the most endearing screencasts are earnest human affairs: Mike Beltzner’s raw “Overview of Firefox 3″ is a standout. Sure, he could’ve used noise reduction, but it serves its purpose: communicating the product’s benefits in a clear, occasionally humorous way.

Some of my faves:

Apple’s Quick Tip of the Week - It’s Apple, what do you expect? Clear branding (important to promote yourself), concise presentation, and astute use of zooms and pans.

Russell Brown - The godfather of Photoshop. He wears wild costumes on zany sets in some of his Adobe TV shows, but for the most part, his voice alone is reason enough to listen.

Video CoPilot - Great inspiration of what you can do by contrasting an ordinary presentation style with the subject matter: special effects. Also note how Andrew Kramer’s tutorials are used to promote and create more value for his software products.

ScreenCastsOnline - Don McAllister’s built up a thriving community by doing Mac screencasting for a living. His jovial English accent and polished style are a treat to learn from.

I’ll have future faves I’ve yet to discover, so let me know what yours are!

5. Practice narrating and love your voice

Not everyone has a golden throat like the late Don LaFontaine. But you totally don’t have to — you’ll stand out more if you can literally speak for yourself. And you’ll learn a lot watching others’ screencasts. Also remember audio techniques can boost your presence. (All these steps connect!)

Some screencasters are too shy, and merely put on-screen text subtitles or use text-to-speech. That limits your greatness, because it’s never a substitute for sharing your vox humana.

Still shy? Think about all the comedians with quirky presences (Sarah Silverman, Janeane Garofalo, Gilbert Gottfried) who’ve succeeded in a big way. They put their voices out there, and while strange at first, they’ve become a familiar comfort. Same thing with screencasting — give people a chance to get used to you, then become your devoted fans.

Public speaking helps directly too. When I was a kid, I could be timid about talking. You know what made me grow? Sheer, dogged persistence and repetition — not of the mindless kind, but practicing over and over. I’m now widely-acclaimed for my rich bassy tone, awkward pronunciation of some words, and propensity to say “Friendly greetings!”

Oh yeah, while you’re at it, take advantage of a catchphrase.

6. Be codec-smart, context-aware

It pays to record your screencasts in as high-fidelity as possible, but this doesn’t necessarily mean a lossless (no loss of quality, as the name implies) codec. If you’re doing a walkthrough of a video game and there’s lots of full-motion video and rich palettes with millions of colors, lossless codecs tend to choke (capture low frames per second) and generate huge, unnecessary file sizes. Depending on your broadcast medium — is your video headed for a DVD, YouTube, or both? — extra detail may not be necessary, or even relevant.

Good software helps you handle this, but nonetheless, like NBC sez, “the more you know.” I use DivX with Camtasia (installed via the K-Lite Codec Pack) when recording Second Life and games, and switch to TSCC for standard applications with lots of flat areas. I wish it had a 1-keystroke way to toggle between the two, but making those choices means I don’t have to fuss with unnecessary re-encoding later.

Also, the codec you record with may be different than the one you publish with. H.264 is processor-intensive and unsuitable for editing, but it’s a cross-platform-friendly, high-quality publishing option. If you’re planning to upload a video to the Web (more in Step #7), you’ll want to ensure your video is clear enough to survive yet another round of encoding, since almost all established video-sharing sites use Flash video.

Wish I could be more specific here, but there are many variations across different softwares, and no such thing as a single right answer. One easy-to-follow guide (I’ve seen many junk ones which are incomprehensible) to get you started is Vimeo’s Compression Help. I’ve also shared details of my earlier findings. Try different settings, and compare.

Finally, as much as possible, always keep your original project files. It only hurts you to not have them, even if they run into the 100s of gigabytes. Hard drives keep getting cheaper — I saw a 1TB external for US$100 the other day! — so keep checking sites like DealsPlus and dealnews. It’s worth the cost to store your creativity.

7. Continually explore delivery mediums

This is actually true for everything: stay on top of what’s new.

Instead of being abstractly vague, here’s what I mean:

The importance of ongoing tools exploration is especially true when it comes to sharing your work, because the best screencasts include those which substantially benefit many people. It’s not just raw numbers, it’s about spreading the good word, and some video-sharing sites will help you far more than others. For example, YouTube has the broadest viewer base by far (they get me 95% of my views), so if you want “stumble onto” traffic, they’re primo. Alas, their quality doth suck compared to Vimeo. And if you want to upload gaming clips, Vimeo isn’t friendly to those — but there exist communities which are.

Speaking of, I get lessons handed to me weekly. I only recently wrote “Which video-sharing site should you use? A quick conclusion” and recommended WeGame for gaming screencasts.

Less than a month later, my wife tried WeGame and was having problems, so I searched and found out about Xfire. Shocked me that I wasn’t familiar with it earlier (the site claims it has 11.4+ million registered users), since the free Xfire client records the best gaming footage I’ve seen yet, and can easily upload it to the Web. It also saves to disk, so you can edit further if you desire. See my detailed review.

Not knowing about this would’ve hurt me, and I wish I knew about it earlier — but I do now, so I’m encouraging others to give it a spin.

Just about all of these video-sharing sites allow embedded code snippets to be pasted in your blog or other webpage, and should you find it troublesome to collect videos across multiple places, VodPod is a nifty tool to do that. Keep testing new tools and sticking with the ones that work best — but never avert your gaze to what’s forthcoming. Odds are high it’ll be reported on Mashable like we’ve done before, so subscribe.

On the same thoughtline, I haven’t found many dedicated screencaster communities on the Internet, but since we’re all in the business and pleasure of sharing knowledge, those I have interacted with have been helpful. That means I’m here to help too, and if you have questions, ask me in the comments! And if you found this guide enlightening, share knowledge from your own experiences.

Torley loves life, wife, and watermelons. He amplifies your awesome with the useful and fun. You can check out more of his screencasts at Torley.com

—Related Articles at Mashable | All That’s New on the Web:MyVideoKaraoke - Social Sing Alongs5 Ways To Log Into Several Gmail Accounts At The Same TimeFlying Spaghetti Monster - The Game!timeXchange Updates to Attract New UsersScoble Lands Channel 9 interview with Bill Gates!FotoFlexer: Photo Editing Supreme?Confirmed: Yahoo Acquires MyBlogLog for $10 Million

NY-based video sharing service Vimeo has announced the launch of Vimeo Plus today. Vimeo Plus is a paid service that offers additional benefits over the free service. NewTeeVee has a good overview of all of the features of Vimeo Plus which include: $59.95/yr, no ads, more uploads per week, priority uploading and some HD features.

Rick Turoczy at RWW wonders if Vimeo can convert their loyal users into paying customers. He points to Flickr as an example although he says that $60/yr is "nominal" - I’d say up to $30 is nominal, over that is a much bigger buying decision. I do think this is an excellent test for the overall industry.

Viddler has introduced a number of new features that they could have charged a small amount for.

I hope Vimeo has included a Plus badge - I still believe that there is a social factor with badges - you don’t want to be the only one in your circle without the Flickr Pro badge.

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Other CenterNetworks Coverage: Viddler, Twitter, Web Jobs

AllOfMP3 lives on through an affiliated site called MP3Sparks, although the site is often down for days at a time.

Now a newcomer has launched, MP3Count, which also sells DRM-free MP3 song downloads for less than $0.20 each. The company is based in the Ukraine and can take advantage of some of the same grey-area copyright laws that AllOfMP3 relied on.Source:TechCrunch

YouTube has been criticized in the past for not offering the experience already being offered on services like Viddler or Vimeo where users can upload large file sizes and input video information while it’s being uploaded. But in an announcement that should make its users happy, YouTube has finally seen the light and has started offering a new Upload process redesign that will more effectively compete with other services in the space.

According to the company, the new video uploader, which has been in private beta for some time, is now available to any users who wish to opt-in. Once users opt-in to the new uploader, they will quickly find that they can input metadata like the clip’s name, description, and tags while it’s uploading, as well as upload multiple videos at once to streamline the uploading process. More importantly, the new YouTube uploader will allow users to upload files up to 1GB in size, instead of its previous 100MB limit.

NY-based video hosting service Vimeo has announced the launch of "Vimeo Toys". Vimeo Toys are discovery applications to check out the latest videos and activity on the Vimeo service.

Vimeo Toys is launching with two apps: Vimeo Land and Pulse. To engage the Vimeo community with Toys, the Vimeo staff is asking users to create applications using Vimeo Toys. They will highlight the best apps on the Vimeo homepage as well. What a smart idea to get new users engaged with the service and loyal users to build on top of the service. 

It’s always great to see companies promoting discovery without it being a popularity contest to be featured. Check out all of our Vimeo coverage.

More CN Coverage:
– FriendFeed
– Amie Street
– Startup Tips

Regator, the feed reader and blog search engine that has been in private beta for about a month now, is launching its public beta, which a lot of people can be happy about. Mashable’s Paul Glazowski sang Regator’s praises with his review of its private beta early last month, and after trying out Regator for myself, I can easily see why.

Straddling the search engine and feed reader demographics, Regator attacks the simple concept of helping you find great Web content with one fatal swoop, presenting a tool that’s very attractive to both the average Web surfer and the early adopter crowd. Regator’s highly customizable capabilities for content you find through the site or add yourself means that it presents itself as a customizable feed reader for any type of user with a wide array of interests.

As a starting point for someone that may be entirely new to the blogosphere or simply doesn’t know where to start for a new topic of interest, Regator’s search and recommendation engine works quite well. The user interface is also very easy to use and makes customization of content while surfing simple as well.

With additional exporting options via RSS for things like your Favorite blogs you’ve saved on Regator or a given keyword, you’re able to leverage Regator’s service even if you’re not on its site. I imagine even more direct exporting options will be provided some time in the future, as Regator already offers Twitter, Facebook and email sharing options for content featured on its site. With more integrated direct export options Regator will be able to offer even more customization on a cross-network basis. Lastly, as a collaborative or group tool for shared content within a team or organization, Regator could do a great deal of growth in this direction if it ever sees fit, for both consumer and business applications.

—Related Articles at Mashable! - The Social Networking Blog:Regator Simplifies Media Consumption [Invites]Alpha: When Beta Is Not Good EnoughStitcher Prepares To Go Public With Its BetaGoogle’s Urchin Software Released As Public BetaFlock Public Beta Now LivePownce To Launch Public APIMoFuse’s Public Beta Launches this Week

Source:Mashable!

Video search and aggregation tool Magnify has an update today, which is something we haven’t seen explicitly from the company in a while–it’s been busy launching completely new features and spin-off services.

There are two major prongs to Magnify’s release today: one addresses the need for additional video sources that it aggregates from, and the other concerns the search capabilities of its service. With the added support for video sites including MySpace, Hulu, Vimeo, College Humor, Howcast and MTV Overdrive, Magnify is broadening the Web content from which it pulls, so that you can have a bigger pool in which to cast your net.

This particular upgrade seems like a no-brainer, but it also reminds us that there’s a growing number of sites where video content can be found, and that there’s an added value in supporting more than just YouTube and a handful of other video-sharing sites for its aggregation purposes.

And as expected, Magnify has tweaked its search tools, which goes hand in hand with the added support for the handful of new video services. Magnify has more than doubled the speed of its Automatic Video Discovery service, which means you’ll be able to search all of its supported sites very quickly. It also allows Magnify to reportedly increase its potential for new videos added, from 100,000 daily to 1 million per week.

Speed isn’t the only factor that Magnify improved for its search capabilities. Its search has been enhanced with new channel options allowing users to search by other users, date, and review scores. Search results can then be exported via RSS as well.

What’s particularly beneficial to Magnify’s upgrades is the fact that the company has spent so much time building out its feature set, to include certain webcam support, social network features, and an integrated search tool for bloggers. Given Magnify’s growing platform, the addition of new sites, improved search and filter and sharing capabilities means that Magnify already has an established set of services that will immediately be improved as a result of this new roll-out, affecting its entire user base, regardless of the type of user that employs a certain Magnify service.

—Related Articles at Mashable! - The Social Networking Blog:Magnify Yourself with Network’s Upcoming Webcam ToolsMagnify Releases Ad Share Platform & New FeaturesRemember 9/11: A Tribute from Magnify.Magnify’s Custom Options Increase for Video-Sharing ChannelsMagnify.net Reports Big Growth, Eyes the Upper Tier of Video SitesMagnify’s Public Launch Of Webcam Vlogging NetworkMagnify.net Growing Fast with 1.2M Videos

As I create more videos and have more discussions with online video talent, the conversation seems to move many times to finding the optimum hosting and distribution structure for video. I want to make sure my viewers never hit a dead end and can easily find other videos to view from the series. Since at least half of my videos are business-oriented, the idea of putting them on YouTube and hoping for the "viral effect" is not attractive. Earlier this year I wrote about the online video market here in NYC and I see it continuing to expand today.

Currently I am using Viddler almost exclusively for my videos. I like Viddler because their player allows for in-stream commenting and their upload function is easy-to-use. I find the uploading function on YouTube to be absolute crap, can’t they even offer an upload status bar?!? For the purposes of this discussion, we will only discuss pre-recorded video content and not live services (Mogulus, Ustream) or mobile video streaming (Kyte, Qik, Flixwagon).

I get the idea behind services like TubeMogul which put your content everywhere and I will probably look at doing this as well. But it’s critical from my standpoint that you select a video sharing/hosting partner to work with in which you can build your video brand. This means that the player that’s used on the video creator’s site remain consistent over time. Some video content creators are being paid to use services and I see this trend continuing as the video creation market expands and hosting networks fight to get out of the commodity business.

There are a number of indie video stars on the scene today. I’ve selected Justine and Gary Vaynerchuk to use as examples with regards to how they use various video hosting networks for their videos and shows. When I check out Justine’s Web site, she seems to use YouTube as her first choice and it’s clear that this strategy has helped her with growing her brand. Justine has over 18,000 subscribers on YouTube. These subscribers drive massive views to her videos. She uses Viddler as well for some videos and all of her videos are distributed there as well. Gary Vaynerchuk at WineLibraryTV uses Viddler for the main player on the site. Gary also has a distribution deal with Revision3 which publishes a shorter wine show on Revision3 and other video hosting providers including YouTube.

There are more options than ever for video hosting - from the most basic YouTube through working with distribution partners like ForYourImagination who can produce, record and package the shows. Viddler, Vimeo, Veoh all sit in the middle and I’d consider blip.tv a "show" distributor.

Below is the setup I have been considering for the videos I create on CN. My goal is to find the best combination of:

• reaching the largest audience
• using the best technology
• using a player with good usability for the viewer
• outside distribution to as many sources as possible
• tracking and analytics
• ability to monetize the videos over time — either with cpm views or finding a sponsor

Business Shows:

These are videos I shoot of product demos and also include our interviews like the one we shot with Dina Kaplan last week. I am looking at using blip.tv for these videos. blip.tv can offer me a gallery player to allow viewers to watch any video they like. blip.tv also has an advertising network and also works with shows to find sponsors. This is very attractive to me - especially in the beginning. blip.tv will also distribute the shows to iTunes which could work relatively well for creating loyal viewers.

Fun Videos:

These videos include the Twitter Song and How to Effectively Quit Blogging. I see continuing to post these videos on Viddler because the interactivity and community there is a perfect fit for these videos.

Conclusion

I’d love some feedback on my thoughts and suggested video network usage for CN. What am I missing in creating the right mix? The next mission is to get a better video setup and move away from my tiny Canon Elph to something a bit more professional.

Editor’s note: I am not paid (nor have I been) for using any video service to-date.

Partner Links
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NY-based video sharing service Vimeo has decided to no longer allow video game videos. In an announcement made yesterday on the Vimeo company blog, Blake Whitman noted that new videos will be removed and current videos are subject to deletion after September 1st.

Blake explains that there are two main reasons for the change. First, Vimeo is about creative expression and copying a video game isn’t creative expression. Second, the game videos are larger and longer than most other videos which causes their transcoder to push long wait times for other Vimeo members. I’ve noticed this wait on Viddler as well and from what I understand on Viddler it has to do with non-U.S. show content.

There are nearly 500 replies on the Vimeo blog discussing the change - most are for the change. Apparently YouTube also bans these type of video game videos. The big question in the forums is what specific videos will be deleted and which will remain. Apparently it will have a lot to do with what the staff call "creative merit". 

Check out our look at the NY online video scene - it might just be our greatest asset.

Partner Links
– Free Online Budgeting Software