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ABC is bringing back the mini-series V! The 2009 reboot stars the sexy Morena Baccarin from Firefly as the sexy lizard queen. Catch the YouTube Trailer!
Amid the on-going shake-up in Google’s display advertising business, there’s a rising debate over the future of Google’s most disappointing display advertising property, YouTube. Credit Suisse says YouTube is set to lose $470 million this year and it’s got people asking: Should Google spin-out YouTube? Or at least treat it like a separate business — the way a VC would handle a portfolio company? One source familiar with these conversations, but unauthorized to discuss them, told us “If I were Eric [Schmidt, Google CEO] I would say one thing doesn’t look like the other thing and I would probably spin [YouTube] out.” – from Business Insider
Schmidt also downplayed another option for reducing the expense of YouTube by downgrading video delivery to third-world countries where advertising revenue is insignfiicant. “I have not personally been in meetings where there were discussion on throttling bandwidth because of its costs,” Schmidt said. “In general we don’t link the two (bandwidth and cost). A typical example is India. A few years ago… we spent quite a bit of money to dramatically increase the connectivity to India even though it had no short-term or even near-term way to justify it economically. And I’m very proud of that. That’s how Google works. So I would discourage a linking between the two.” – from SiliconBeat
Google told media outlets on Thursday that the Federal Trade Commission is eying CEO Eric Schmidt’s dual membership on the board of Directors for Google and Apple as a potential violation of the Clayton Antitrust Act of 1914. Though initially not rivals, the two companies are poised to become competitors once more handsets running Google’s Android platform become available to challenge Apple’s iPhone.
Though the search-engine giant is coming under increased government scrutiny in several areas, this is only natural given the company’s explosive growth, said Adam Kovacevich, senior manager of global communications and public affairs at Google.
“We believe that Google promotes competition and openness online, but we haven’t always done a good job telling our story,” Kovacevich said. “That’s why we have recently been meeting with policy-makers, think-tank representatives, academics, journalists, ad agencies, and trade associations — in the U.S. and Europe.”
- from Yahoo News
Mr Schmidt did not comment on recent rumours that the video-sharing website was set to make a $400 million loss this year. Instead, he emphasised that YouTube was a “profitable and successful business” that was a core part of Google’s business strategy. Google acquired the video site in 2006 for $1.6 billion.
“What we said is we believe YouTube will eventually be a successful and a profitable business and it will take some time to do it,” said Mr Schmidt told Google shareholders at a meeting. He said the company had monetised “hundreds of millions” of videos on the site through the use of contextual advertising, and had bolstered this by introducing “pre-rolls”, short adverts that automatically play before the main video clip people have come to the site to watch. – from Telegraph
Until a video of “Stand by Me” had gone viral on YouTube, Roger Ridley had sung and played guitar anonymously on the streets of Santa Monica, Calif., for years. The video begins with Ridley and then mixes in 40 other musicians from around the world. It’s part of a 10-song collection called Playing for Change: Songs Around the World. Producer Mark Johnson got the idea a few years ago when he heard Ridley’s voice on a street in Santa Monica.
“I approached him after the performance and said, ‘Hey, if I come back in an hour with some recording equipment and cameras, I’d love to record you, film you, add musicians around the world to it,’ ” Johnson says. “And he looked at me really funny, sort of thought I was crazy. But he said, ‘OK, if you come back, we’ll do it.’ ”
- from NPR
A proud father has explained how watching video clips on YouTube helped him deliver his baby son. Marc Stephens said he had to act quickly when his wife Jo went into labour three weeks early as she had a history of fast births with her previous three children.
The 28-year-old Royal Navy air engineer, from Redruth, Cornwall, searched “how to deliver a baby” on the internet and after viewing a few clips said he was ready to help deliver healthy baby Gabriel.
Mr Stephens said: “I didn’t even have time to panic. She started complaining of pain around 10.30pm. I went on Google and watched a couple of clips on YouTube. – from London
Also, this story totally reminds me of a video we saw in 10th grade biology. I think it was called “The Miracle of Life,” and the baby just sorta… just sorta shoots out of there. Skeptical hat: why not rush over to hospital as soon as your wife starts saying, “Honey, I think he’s making a break for it.”? – from CrunchGear
Just as MediaMemo predicted, Walt Disney Co. has finally taken a stake in Hulu, the video-streaming site operated by General Electric’s (GE) NBC Universal, News Corp. (NWS) and Providence Equity Partners. Under the terms of the deal announced today, Disney will sign on as a joint partner in the venture and bring full-length episodes of long-absent programs like “Lost” and “Grey’s Anatomy” to Hulu. Financial terms and the structure of the deal weren’t disclosed, but sources say Disney’s stake in the venture will be close to 30 27 percent. – from All things D
Now is clearly Hulu’s time: It just became the third most-watched video site in the world a few days ago, and three of the four major broadcast networks stream their biggest shows (except, oddly, the reality programs) on Hulu. All that’s missing is CBS. – from Gizmodo
“Everyone’s been trying to tell Iger how stupid this deal is,” a TV executive tells me. The nuance of the critiques differs depending on who’s making them, but all of them make the same point: Throwing in with Hulu will strengthen the joint venture, which also includes investor Providence Equity Partners, but it won’t provide Disney with significant upside. – from Media
Disney (DIS) to Join NBC Universal, News Corporation and Providence Equity Partners as an Equity Owner of Hulu
LOS ANGELES–Hulu and The Walt Disney Company today announced that Disney, through a subsidiary of ABC Enterprises Inc., has agreed to join NBC Universal, News Corporation and Providence Equity Partners as a joint venture partner and equity owner of Hulu, a leading online aggregator of video content. Upon closing, the agreement will enhance Hulu’s programming line-up through the expanded online distribution of Disney’s most popular current and library primetime series and library feature films. In particular, full-length episodes of hit current and library programs like Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Private Practice, Ugly Betty, Scrubs, Greek, Hope and Faith, Less Than Perfect, Wizards of Waverly Place, Phineas and Ferb, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, General Hospital, The View and The Secret Life of the American Teenager will soon be streamed on Hulu on an ad-supported basis.
“From our landmark iTunes deal to our pioneering decision to stream ad supported shows on our ABC.com player, Disney has sought to meet the constantly evolving viewing habits of our consumers, and today’s Hulu announcement is the next important step in that ongoing journey,” said Robert A. Iger, president and CEO, The Walt Disney Company. “Disney and Hulu share a focus on delivering the highest-quality entertainment experience and we look forward to working with Hulu to build value for our consumers, our brands and our shareholders.”
“We’re honored to welcome the Disney team in our mission to help people find and enjoy the world’s premium content, when, where and how they want it,” said Jason Kilar, CEO of Hulu. “With the addition of shows like Lost, Desperate Housewives, Grey’s Anatomy and many more to Hulu, we continue to aspire to deliver a service that users, advertisers and content owners unabashedly love.”
Following the closing, content available to Hulu users will include:
Full-length episodes of ABC primetime programs like Lost, Grey’s Anatomy, Desperate Housewives, Ugly Betty, Samantha Who?, Scrubs, Private Practice and popular late night talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live
Full-length episodes of hit ABC Family series like The Secret Life of the American Teenager and Greek
Popular series from ABC Daytime and SOAPnet like General Hospital and The View
Classic series from ABC’s library like Hope and Faith, Less Than Perfect, Commander in Chief, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and Dancing with the Stars
Select hit programs from Disney Channel like Wizards of Waverly Place and Phineas and Ferb which can be easily accessed from a new DISNEY location in the Channel section of Hulu.com
Popular library titles from The Walt Disney Studios
Short-form content including webisodes, sneak peeks and episode recaps from ABC Entertainment, ABC Family and SOAPnet
“Hulu, quite simply, now has the best premium content on the web,” said Peter Chernin, president and COO, News Corporation. “With three major networks and over 150 leading content providers providing content, combined with the best video user interface anywhere on the web, Hulu offers consumers the finest premium online video experience available today.”
“Hulu has shown that if you make quality content available on the web and combine it with an unbeatable user experience, viewers will come, and so will advertisers,” said Jeff Zucker, president and CEO, NBC Universal. “The addition of some of the best content Disney/ABC has to offer will only enhance Hulu’s standing as a top site for high quality video entertainment.”
Jonathan M. Nelson, CEO of Providence, said “Hulu is creating significant value for users, advertisers and content owners. This balance, together with aggregated professional content and an expanding base of over 200 brand advertisers, is establishing Hulu as a compelling online video monetization platform. Hulu is a bright spot in the new media landscape.”
The transaction is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory review. As an equity partner, Disney will have three seats on the Hulu Board that will be held by Mr. Iger; Anne Sweeney, co-chair, Disney Media Networks and president, Disney/ABC Television Group; and Kevin Mayer, executive vice president, Corporate Strategy, Business Development & Technology. All other current directors from News Corp, NBC Universal and Providence will remain on the Hulu board.
A YOUNG Susan Boyle missed out on TV fame 14 years ago after Michael Barrymore failed to spot her star quality.
The Daily Record unearthed exclusive video footage of Susan auditioning for Barrymores My Kind of People talent show in 1995.
Her rendition of I Dont Know How To Love Him was caught on camcorder by 18-year-old Julie Febers, whose mum Elizabeth MacLean was also auditioning.
Susan, then 33, is dressed in a cerise pink jacket, navy skirt, and smart black shoes with her long dark curly hair pinned back.
But as Susan begins to sing, Barrymore starts acting the fool and lolls about on the floor trying to get a glimpse up her skirt.
Unfazed, Susan gamely continues and cheekily tries to kick the comic with her black patent stilettos.
But she fails to win over Barrymore at a packed Olympia Shopping Centre in East Kilbride. And as she finishes, he plants a huge smacker on Susan’s lips – perhaps her first-ever kiss?
Standing just a few paces behind Susan in the audition queue was mum-of-two Elizabeth, 52, of Pollokshaws, Glasgow, who did get through with ballad The Power of Love.
Elizabeth said: “Susan was a few people in front of me.
“When she began to sing I knew she had a great voice, but Barrymore was intent on taking the mickey out of her.”
Apple will further its endorsement of YouTube and open video standards by building support for the Google-owned video sharing service into one of its flagship applications due to ship later this summer as part of Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. On the heels of screen recording discoveries in the upcoming version of QuickTime X Player, people familiar with betas of the media player software say a handful of video sharing options will also be rolled into the release. In particular, the application will let users take any supported video file and upload it directly to YouTube. Users will be prompted to enter their YouTube username and password, and QuickTime X Player will take care of the rest. This includes converting the movie into a file optimized for the video sharing service and then uploading it to the appropriate user account. – from AppleInsider
In a galaxy far far away (AKA YouTube), Bea Arthur singing in the Star Wars Holiday Special November 17, 1978. That George Lucas!
Beatrice Arthur, the tall, deep-voiced actress whose razor-sharp delivery of comedy lines made her a TV star in the hit shows “Maude” and “The Golden Girls” and who won a Tony Award for the musical “Mame,” died Saturday. She was 86.
Arthur died peacefully at her Los Angeles home with her family at her side, family spokesman Dan Watt said. She had cancer, Watt said, declining to give details.
“She was a brilliant and witty woman,” said Watt, who was Arthur’s personal assistant for six years. “Bea will always have a special place in my heart.”
Halloween 2 (H2) Trailer from Rob Zombie.
YouTube singing sensation Susan Boyle _ whose dowdy image contrasted so greatly with her angelic voice that she became an instant Internet celebrity _ has gone in for a makeover.
The economy is scary, jobs are disappearing and taxes are going up. But Britain is buzzing over something else _ Susan Boyle’s new hairdo. Some say the overnight singing sensation who rocketed to fame after a phenomenal performance on “Britain’s Got Talent” has every right to upgrade her dowdy appearance. Others fear she may lose her authenticity _ and her amazing connection with the TV audience _ if she goes too far in the image makeover department. – from Huffpo
The inevitable has happened: “Britain’s Got Talent” sensation Susan Boyle got a makeover. She’s ditched the drab dresses for a shiny black jacket, dyed her tangled gray locks a rich brown, donned a trendy plaid scarf. Should we be concerned that the woman who rocketed to fame because of the unlikely juxtaposition of average-gal frumpiness and chill-inducing vocal chops has been forced to conform to conventional standards of beauty? Or should we instead applaud Ms. Boyle for her larvae-into-butterfly transformation now that she’s on the world stage? No doubt half the Boyle-ites will be wringing their hands, while the other half sings (mostly off-key) her praises. – from MTV
Listen to the newest song on YouTube – Susan Boyle sings ‘My Heart Will Go On’ for CNN’s Larry King.
Britain’s Got Talent’s Susan Boyle sings Celine Dion’s My Heart Will Go On in this clip. The West Lothian singer was being interviewed by Larry King for his CNN show when she performed for the US chat show host. BGT judge Piers Morgan was also being interviewed and raved about the ITV show’s discovery, even asking her out on a date with him in London… which she accepted. – from the Mirror
The Susan Boyle Scam update! Was this all a hoax planned by Simon?! Regardless, she sure can sing. Here’s her YouTube sensation:
This isn’t to suggest that Boyle herself is a hoax (though she does seem a bit too comfortable on that stage, parrying with Cowell, to be a complete naif). But the notion that Cowell was unaware of Boyle’s existence, let alone discordant looks and talent level, before she ever took the stage, is flatly ridiculous. And the song Boyle chose – if she, in fact, chose it – so seamlessly provides the meta-narrative that it’s easy to miss how calculated it is. From “Les Misérables” (“the miserable,” the way we are meant to perceive Boyle), she sings “I Dreamed a Dream.” Boyle opens on the second stanza: “I dreamed a dream in time gone by/When hope was high/And life worth living.” In “Les Misérables,” it’s sung by a lonely, unemployed character on the fringes – just like Boyle, who sang with the undignified descriptor “unemployed, 47″ slung across the bottom of the screen. – from NYPost
Cynical New York Post columnist Maureen Callahan believes “there is something disturbing” about how quickly Susan’s modern day Cinderella story captivated the world after her humbling performance of “I Dreamed A Dream,” from the musical Les Miserables, on Britain’s Got Talent this month. After learning that judge Simon Cowell has reportedly been working on both movie and album deals for Boyle’s future in showbusiness, Callahan has become convinced that the acid-tongued mogul engineered Susan’s tale in a bid to garner ratings for the ITV series. – from Popcrunch
First of all, in order to be accepted on the show, Britain’s got Talent contestants must be true amateur performers and not have been recorded for commercial purposes before. The Daily Record however, has dug up a CD where Susan Boyle sang “Cry Me A River” as one of the tracks. The CD was for a charity organization and only 1000 copies were ever produced. – from here
After all, doesn’t this earlier recording that has been dug up sound just a tab bit … sophisticated? – from here
Internet sensation Susan Boyle, who garnered at least 30 million YouTube views with her Cinderella performance on Britain’s Got Talent, is a player in a giant fraud. – from here
Hoax, Scam, fraud or Real? Was this staged? Comment below.
Britain’s Got Talent singer Susan Boyle may not be as naive as she would have us believe. The 47-year-old spinster told viewers of the U.K. TV talent show that she lived alone, had a cat called Pebbles, and had “never been kissed.”
But it wasn’t true.
Boyle, who has competed in countless talent shows, used the line to curry favor with the audience. She told a TV interviewer from U.K. breakfast show GMTV, “That was made as a joke! Never been kissed? I’ve never stopped.”
The blogosphere has lit up at the news.
“Angel or crazy for publicity? You decide,” was how fan site CafeArjun.com responded. “I’m forced to believe it was all a planned show!”
- from Yahoo
Susan Boyle insisted she wouldn’t change after she shot to worldwide stardom following her appearance on Britain’s Got Talent. But as she stepped out yesterday it appeared she had been on a shopping trip. The Scottish singer had swapped her matronly look for a new, patterned dress and leather-look jacket, along with a pair of high heels. – from DailyMail
Should Britain’s Got Talent singer Susan Boyle have a makeover before tomorrow’s show? Be honest. Do you think she could do with a bit of lippy, a touch of frizz ease on her hair and maybe a few minutes with Gok Wan to show her how to dress?
Boyle, 47, appeared on the show last weekend, surprising the audience and stunning the judges with her rendition of the Les Miserables tune I Dreamed A Dream. Since then she’s had over 20 million views on YouTube, appeared on CBS, NBC and been duly patronised by everyone from Drew Barrymore to Demi Moore.
Lets take it as a given that our reaction to Boyle proves we are all as shallow and vacuous as Amanda Holden – after all, we get the television presenters we deserve.
“She needs to stay exactly as she is because that’s the reason we love her. She just looks like anybody who could live on your street.
“The minute we turn her into a glamour-puss is when it’s spoilt,” says paragon of natural beauty Amanda Holden, in today’s Mirror.
- from Guardian
When Extra contacted us this morning to help them give this singing sensation a makeover, we couldn’t resist! We kept her look natural, but evened out her skintone with foundation, groomed her brows and opened up her eyes with mascara and soft grey liner.
As for her hairstyle, we tried two looks–a tousled bob and a sleek bob with bangs. Longer, sleeker hair gives her a more polished effect. I prefer the look with the bangs–they give her face more contour. – from DailyMakeover
These photos of Susan Boyle rocking a cute little dress and a hip leather jacket will no doubt have some folks crying “blashphemy!” Ever since the Britain’s Got Talent video of the frumpy, bushy-eyebrowed, never-been-kissed Boyle singing angelically first hit the Web a week and a half ago, many among the sobbing masses have lamented an inevitable post-stardom makeover. Few will blame the sweet Scottish songbird herself but will instead blame a ruthless, unfair entertainment industry that forced a woman with a hidden inner beauty to succumb to a plastic, cookie-cutter standard of external beauty. – from E!
Beyonce says her upcoming tour will be more ‘emotional’ and discusses her frustrations with YouTube.