Archive for February, 2010

HD Video Could Come to the Latest iPhone

Friday, February 26th, 2010

Source: http://tinyurl.com/33c44rr

Apple’s iPhone 3GS has generated a record amount of praise from technology enthusiasts and smartphone users. The record-setting device has sold more units than any other smartphone, rivalled only by Apple’s previous iPhone releases. But with 2010 underway and new technology looming on the horizon, it appears Apple could be retiring the 3GS in favour of a more tech-friendly mobile.

Leaked information from Apple’s developer kit suggests the ability to record in 720P HD mode, a blessing for iPhone users tired of the device’s relatively limited video recording capabilities. The recording upgrade would put the new iPhone on par with leading mobile video recorders, expanding Apple’s influence into another popular market.

While most users are interested in the device’s potential for digital video production, the developer community appears excited at the new iPhone’s ability as an augmented reality device. Mapping and navigation apps have been popular on the GPS-enabled iPhone 3GS – with added resolution and recording quality, many developers believe we could move one step closer to lifelike mobile worlds and mapping environments.

The release date, design, and specifications of the new iPhone are currently unknown. Industry analysts believe Apple will release further information later this year at a special press event.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Will the Mobile Web Change Online Video?

Friday, February 19th, 2010

Source: http://tinyurl.com/34asxu5

In August 2009, the Business Insider website reported an alarming trend for website owners and digital content producers: smartphones were on track to overtake traditional computers in sales within two years. Analysts believe that by 2011 the technology industry will be split between mobile browsers and PC-based internet browsers, with each accounting for half of all ‘net users.

While advertising platforms have prepared themselves for the change – Google now offers its popular Adsense program for mobile publishers – a large number of online video production companies have not. Websites supported by video are often unavailable on mobile platforms, Apple’s iPhone the chief example, leaving a large amount of potential advertising revenue untouched and as-of-yet unattainable.

There’s little doubt that mobile browsers will forever change online video, but slightly more on exactly how they’ll do so. YouTube’s answer to the lack of suitable advertising has been swift and simple – mobile applications for the website often fail to include copyrighted videos altogether.

However, we like to believe that web developers are still a step ahead of their media mogul counterparts. As advertising platforms adapt to mobile users and aim to monetize traffic that’s on-the-go, website operators will refine and optimize their own interactive video to the same degree.

Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Users Claim Sound Brings Down Amateur Online Videos

Friday, February 12th, 2010

Source: http://tinyurl.com/2v7dn7t

It’s been five years since the launch of YouTube, one of the modern internet’s most pivotal and important services. With millions of videos available on the community website, it appears as if a revolution has taken place in amateur video production and editing. Full-length features have been pieced together using little more than a cellphone and laptop, and entire TV shows have been filmed using inexpensive portable equipment.

However, YouTube producers appear to be falling for the same mistakes. With low-cost equipment the norm and minimal editing skills considered a blessing rather than a potential setback, today’s online video is often produced with little thought for how it will appear. Designed for a limited audience, a number of videos intended to be shown online are instead causing little more than frustration.

The biggest issue remains sound quality. Digital video production software gives editors immense control over appearance and video formatting, but few plug-ins or application extensions are able to reverse the effects of lo-fi recording equipment. Despite the YouTube community’s slight objection to professional footage, it appears users are still demanding more of the same – high-quality footage and crisp, intuitive audio.

Image:             http://www.flickr.com/photos/ethancrowley/3549308854/

Tags: ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »

Businesses Benefit From Online Video

Friday, February 5th, 2010

The last five years have seen a surge of marketing options for small businesses. Tailored social media connection services and reputation management have taken on new meanings, enabling even the smallest business to create an online profile and connect with new customers, return buyers, and proven clients digitally.

Source: http://tinyurl.com/36xm9sc

But there’s another piece of technology that’s attracting the attention of businesses: interactive video. With Youtube, DailyMotion, and other major video websites bringing in hundreds of millions of users daily, businesses that invest their marketing resources into online video are reaping the rewards – often as a substantial portion of their operating revenue.

The success of the ‘Will It Blend?’ series is well documented, and the now infamous blender company is certainly enjoying the exposure. The wacky video series pitted the powerful BlendTec blender against a range of objects – some valued well above $500 – in a test to see which would blend and which wouldn’t.

But it’s not just wacky videos that are attracting attention online. Cosmetic surgeons and dentists have taken to using YouTube as a marketing platform, showing their results and procedures online to draw interest from potential customers. Many businesses and service providers are reporting a large increase in business from the video efforts, often enough to push them ahead of traditional advertising methods.

Tags: ,
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »