|
A thin and energetic Steven Jobs, with his characteristics outfit of jeans and black turtleneck, reappeared this week in a Apple news conference, and among other things announced a new version of its iTunes (iTunes9), and a new line of iPod Nano music player with video camera and built-in mic, speaker, FM radio tuner and pedometer. It starts at $149.
Jobs compared the Nanos, which are the size of a five-pack of chewing gum, and Cisco's popular Flip video cameras, which are the size of a pack of playing cards. However, Flip records video in HD.
"This is perfect for emailing or posting on Facebook, YouTube or MobileMe", Apple says. It comes with fifteen video effects, such as film grain or motion blue. Sync is via computer. On a Mac, user can browser or edit video in iPhoto.
"All which means your indispensable music player is now your indispensable video camera," claim ads.
There are 8 or 16GB version, for 8 or 16 hours of video, at 640x480 pixels, at up to 30 FPS, H.264 VGA formatted with ACC audio. It means that it is not required a third-party conversion when sending it to YouTube, Facebook or MobileMe.
Here is the full presentation. And here the official explanation.
New YouTube Tools To Improve Metrics
YouTube announced this week new tools for better measuring audience performance. This effort has been called YouTube Insight (video).
The new features are "Discovery over time", "Mobile views" (views coming from mobile phones or platforms that use their APIs), and "Views from subscribers".
In addition, YouTube rolled out a new social feature that recommends other YouTube users user may know.
Taking Classes Via Live Web Video
Taking classes via live web video is a new phenomenon. A company like eduFire.com has raised, in a second round of capital, $1.3 million, for his educational marketplace.
This company has expanded beyond its initial focus on learning languages to offer classes in standarized test preparation and technology training. Now classes on how to use Facebook and Twitter are catching on with audiences.
Also there is an emergence of almost-real-time classes. For example, when Iran protesters were on the spot, classes on the modern history of Iran started popping up on the site.
Launched a year ago, eduFire has now 5,000 teachers and 30,000 students have signed up so far.
Students can take unlimited classes for $29 a month.
The main idea is that a visitor to eduFire community can either jump into a spontaneous session with a teacher that's already online, or schedule a lesson for a later date. Prices for each session are determined by the teacher. Cost is no less than $10 an hour, of which eduFire takes a 15 percent cut.
Anyone can sign up to be a teacher. The community rates them. Teachers can provide an intro video to help sell their services. The first 10 minutes are free. So far only one-to-one sessions are offered, but there are plans to roll out one-to-many sessions as well.
