YouTube launches video bar wizards for blogs

News: YouTube has announced on its blog a new video bar wizard that can be embedded into blogs and websites. The wizard allows you to display a menu of thumb nails of videos (grouped by a particular YouTuber’s videos, by a certain search term, or by the most recent, the most viewed, or top rated videos on YouTube). The wizard is basically like the Vod Pod I have on this blog on the right hand column, but tailored for YouTube videos. YouTube has an easy way to get your own wizard.

Analysis: This is a great idea, although it took YouTube awhile to launch the new wizard (since similar technology has been out for some time).  The size of the new wizard is what  I think would have been good for the overly large new advertising Video Units from YouTube (that I can’t imagine will fit easily into websites). The wizard, though, doesn’t have advertising.  And, unfortunately for me, I can’t figure out if the new wizard can be embedded into WordPress blogs.

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NBC Nightly News on the Ron Paul campaign

News: After being ignored or dismissed by mainstream media, Ron Paul is slowly beginning to get coverage.  It certainly helped Ron Paul that he could get his message out on YouTube, unfiltered by the mainstream media.

Analysis: He’s been raising a lot of money, but can he win the Republican nomination?

NBC Universal terminates YouTube channel

News:  NBC Universal pulled the plug on its YouTube channel, without explanation.  The NBC channel on YouTube had some of the most popular videos on YouTube, including the megahit with Justin Timberlake and a strategically placed box.  The move is likely in anticipation of the launching of NBC’s joint video site with News Corp “Hulu,” which is now in beta.  (More)