YouTube breaks records with 4M Creative Commons videos

YouTube topped all records today by tallying up 4 million Creative Commons-licensed videos in its trove -- more than any other video hosting company in the world.

This means that users have literally millions of choices for snipping bits of footage, adding scenes, and building onto videos they're making. Everything in this collection comes branded with the Creative Commons Attribution license, meaning users don't have to get explicit permission to use the content from the creators.

YouTube launched its Creative Commons video library last year and since then it said its users have added in "40 years' worth of video." Much of the content is from well-known media distributors, such as C-SPAN, Voice of America, and Al Jazeera.

Creative Commons licensing has been available for some time on a growing number of video- and photo-sharing sites. Yahoo's Flickr has the record for the most Creative Commons-licensed photos, and Vimeo started up its Creative Commons-licensed videos in 2010.

[Source: cnet]

Podcasts iOS App to Receive Bug Fix Update Later Today [Update: It's Out]

After Apple's Podcasts app was released last month, many users had complaints about bugs, crashes and other issues.All Things D says that an update should debut later todaythat will fix the problems and "vastly improve it":

Podcasts users take note: Apple has been hard at work tweaking the app to fix the problems that currently plague it and sources say the company expects to post an update to it this afternoon that should vastly improve it.

Nearly two-thirds of reviews for the Podcasts app on the App Store gave it a one - or two-star review, with the app having a two-and-a-half-star review overall -- one of the lowest of all Apple's apps.

Podcasts had traditionally been housed in the iTunes app on iOS devices, but Apple has been working to streamline the user experience by breaking out some categories into their own apps, including Podcasts and iTunes U.

Podcasts 1.0.1 provides a number of improvements, including:

• Significant improvements to performance and stability
• Podcasts in your library now show the number of unplayed episodes
• Top Stations now show the podcast title if artwork is missing 
• Playback speed is now remembered when playing the next episode
• Fix for a problem where the Subscribe button is inactive
• Resolution of an issue where Top Stations artwork may not appear

[Source: MacRumors]

Apple Releases Firmware to Activate PowerNap on 2011 MacBook Airs

One of the new features found in OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion is PowerNap. PowerNap was introduced at WWDC 2012 and allows your Mac to continue to perform tasks such as receiving email and updating software even when it's sleeping. 

Apple lists the full capabilities in this Knowledge Base document. Capabilities include getting new Mail, syncing Calendar, Contact and Reminder changes, and more. When plugged into power, your Mac can download software updates and make backups with Time Capsule. 

Apple only supports PowerNap on 2011 MacBook Airs and beyond as well as the 2012 Retina MacBook Pro. The capability should move over to more of Apple's laptops as Apple makes a full transition to SSD. Built-in flash storage is listed as one of the requirements of the technology. Apple just released a firmware update that enables this functionality in the 2011 MacBook Airs, while support for the Retina MacBook Pro is said to be "coming soon".

[Source: MacRumors]

Huawei Device Partners with Eurosport for the Broadcast of this Summer’s Biggest Sporting Events

Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today announced its partnership with Eurosport, the number one pan-European TV channel, for the broadcast of this summer’s biggest sporting events. This partnership is a significant step in Huawei Device’s efforts to build its brand among consumers across Europe, while celebrating the commercial availability in the region of its flagship smartphone, the Huawei Ascend P1.

As part of the agreement, Huawei’s Ascend P1 advertisements will be broadcast during selected Eurosport’s sports event coverage from July. Additionally, RSS feeds of Eurosports news updates and sporting results will be placed on Huawei Device online platforms including its website www.huaweidevice.com and global Facebook page.

“Our partnership with Eurosport provides an opportunity for consumers in more than 129 million households across Europe and North Africa to engage with the Huawei Device brand as we transition from a B2B to B2C company,” said Shao Yang, Chief Marketing Officer, Huawei Device. “Throughout this year our focus is on building the brand by introducing premium products, such as the Ascend P1, that enhance the consumer experience.”

Eurosport. “With our record breaking audience performance in 2012 and our multi-media communication platform Eurosport will provide Huawei with a powerful and effective communication plan for the Ascend P1 launch.” 

“We are delighted that Huawei Device has selected Eurosport, Europe's number one sports entertainment network, to be their exclusive pan-regional media partner for the forthcoming launch of the Huawei Ascend P1 smartphone in Europe,” said Mark McFarlane, Commercial Director,

The Ascend P1 is a super-slim smartphone that delivers outstanding speed, power and functionality. With sales in China commencing from mid-April, the Huawei Ascend P1 is available through more than 3,000 retail stores throughout China. The Ascend P1 will be available in Denmark, Germany, France, Portugal and Italy in July, with other markets to follow.

O2 offering free WiFi around London's busiest streets

O2 is making good on its promise to coat the busiest parts of London in free WiFi. Between now and the end of July, seven locations including Oxford Street, Regent Street, Exhibition Road, Leicester and Piccadilly Squares will offer unfettered access -- even if you don't subscribe to O2's cellphone network. There's no word on if the network will remain free forever, but given the painful time we spent crouching in Starbucks doorways on recent trips to New York and Paris, we hope the company does the right thing for the sake of harassed visitors to the capital.

[Source: Engadget]

9 Apps For Editing Video On Your Smartphone

Just a few years ago creating your own movie would have required an expensive camcorder to shoot, and your own –- often expensive -– video editing equipment in order to polish your video into something you’d want to share with others.

Now most smartphones come with built-in video cameras that can often capture high-definition videos worthy of your 50-inch high-definition television.

In addition to replacing the camcorder, your smartphone can also be used as a video editor. There are a variety of different apps available on the market today for editing video. From basic video editors that let you trim out pieces of your video you don’t want, to themed editors that let you change the frame rate and filter of your video to make it look like an old school 8mm film.

Whether you’re packing an iPhone or an Android handset in your pocket there’s bound to be a video editor perfect for helping you create videos on the go just how you want them to be.

Not just for your TV anymore, most mobile video editors also allow you to share your finished creation instantly on the web with built-in integration to sites like YouTube and Facebook. Connect your phone to your television and you can watch your masterpiece on the big screen.

iMovie

iMovie is Apple’s video editor made for the iPhone and iPad. Much like the desktop version of the app, the mobile version of iMovie lets you edit your videos, add music and transitions, and create a trailer for your finished flick.

Completed movies can be shared to your camera roll for sharing via email or iMessage, or can be uploaded and published directly to a number of websites including YouTube, Facebook, Vimeo, and CNN iReport.

iSuper8
Miss the days of Super 8 cameras? iSuper8 lets you give videos you’ve recorded on your iPhone a vintage look, grading each pixel of your video to give it a unique vintage look. The app allows you to adjust the frame rate of videos you’ve recorded to 12, 18, or 24 frames per second and has number of customizable film stocks you can use to make your video look its best.

Vyclone

Vyclone uses the GPS in your phone to determine where you are shooting a video, and then matches you up with other people who are doing the same to create a multi-camera look at the same scene. The free iOS app edits videos from up to four different iPhone cameras together automatically. You can also edit the videos together manually on your own. The finished product can be shared in one tap on Facebook and Twitter, and can be saved to your phone’s camera roll.

VidTrim Pro

VidTrim Pro is a video editor and organizer for Android that allows you to trim and edit your videos on your Android device as well as compress your finished videos and share them with friends via email or on video sharing sites such as YouTube. The app also has a built-in "frame grabber" you can use to grab specific frames out of your video to use as stills.

Viddy

Not for longer-form projects, Viddy lets you capture, edit, filter and share 15-second video clips, or "viddys." The app comes with a number of built-in effects and filters to use to create the ultimate short video . Finished videos can then be shared in one lick on asocial media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Videolicious

Videolicious lets you edit videos and photos from your iPhone’s library, turning them into a documentary-style film. The easy-to-use app has number of built-in video ideas and instructions on how to create things like a video thank you note, a product or restaurant review, or your own news report. Finished videos can be saved to your phone’s camera roll to share with others, or uploaded directly to Facebook or YouTube from within the app.

Lapse It Pro

Lapse It Pro is a quick and easy way to create time-lapse videos using your Android phone. The app lets you capture time-lapse videos, add different effects, and flip and trim your finished product. Videos created with the app can be rendered to MP4, MOV, and FLV and can be shared to directly to a number of sites including YouTube, Facebook, and Google+.

AndroMedia HD

AndroMedia is a full-featured video-editing program for Android that offers many of the same features you might find on a traditional desktop video editor. Features include the ability to add effects and transitions, to overlay title clips and captions, and to fade in and out video. The app supports MP4,MOV,JPG,PNG,MP3, and WAV file formats, and finished videos can be exported in standard or high-definition and uploaded directly to YouTube from within the app.

CinemaFX
CinemaFX gives your finished videos a new look with its palate of 55 effects. Stackable with up to three effects at a time, effects can be adjusted to create your own unique finished look. Videos can be previewed side-by-side against the original, and finished videos can be exported to your phone in a variety of different formats as well as uploaded directly to YouTube or emailed to friends from within the app.

[Source: Mashable]

Pebble smartwatch missing September shipping date

The latest update sent to Pebble's Kickstarter investors (and a few Engadget editors) is a double-edged one. After announcing that the smartwatch will be available in a new orange edition, the makers admitted that the crowd-funded wrist candy won't be shipping to its backers on schedule in September. No new date has been disclosed just yet, but the delay was attributed to the project having to abandon early plans of making just 1,000 smartwatches. The level of production has now ballooned, meaning the factories involved are aiming to hit 15,000 Pebbles per week "as soon as possible."

[Source: Engadget]

Huawei reveals the Mediapad 7 Lite, exact specs a mystery

What we see here is the latest Android device to emerge from Huawei, the Mediapad 7 Lite. We'd love to be able to run through the full list of specifications, but as yet very little has been revealed about this tablet. From the press shots it appears to be running pretty much stock Ice Cream Sandwich, but otherwise it's a pretty mysterious device thus far.  What we do know about the device is that the 7-inch IPS display will be capable of full HD video playback. Additionally, the Mediapad 7 Lite will be a metal unibody construction, house a rear facing camera, and be capable of 3G cellular voice, SMS and MMS. 7-inch phone anybody? Otherwise, we know nothing of the processor, the RAM, on-board storage.   It looks really well designed, and packing cellular features could potentially make it a bit of a hit. We'll have to sit tight for the time being though, as there is no indication of launch date, price, or which markets will be seeing it. 

[Source: Android Central]

Intel confirms development on Jelly Bean for Atom chips

In not particularly surprising, yet reassuring news, Intel has confirmed that they are indeed working on a port of Android 4.1 Jelly Bean for use on their Atom chips. While we're still waiting for Intel to really make headway in the Android space, working on Jelly Bean reaffirms that they're here for the long haul.   There was no timeframe provided, and we still haven't seen a timeframe for Ice Cream Sandwich either, but the following statement from a company spokesman confirmed the news.   Intel continues to work closely with Google to enable future versions of Android, including Jelly Bean, on our family of low power Atom processors  Currently, Intel devices are being pushed out carrying Android 2.3 Gingerbread -- such as the Orange San Diego -- which works superbly, but is still hideously outdated at this point in time. We're still waiting to see the partnership with Motorola take off, and even Vizio is supposed to be using Intel architecture in a forthcoming 10-inch tablet. Hopefully these two companies will at least launch with ICS on board -- else face a monstrous failure -- but to see that Intel is working towards catching up remains positive. 

[Source: Android Central]

Google Nexus 7 available at Carphone Warehouse from 26th of July

Wanting to get your hands on the Google Nexus 7 in the UK, but come up empty-handed so far? Carphone Warehouse sends word that it'll be stocking the highly-anticipated (and highly-demanded) Jelly Bean tablet from this Friday, July 27. Carphone's only stocking the more expensive 16GB version, which retails for £199.99 in the UK. That's also the version that's currently sold out on Google Play, so if you want to get hold of a 16GB Nexus 7 in Old Blighty, this may be your best bet.  In addition to the option to buy an N7 outright, Carphone is also offering the ASUS-made tablet on a tethered contract, which includes a Mifi and an (undisclosed) data allowance. Normally we'd say you'd have to be a bit mad to pick up a tablet on-contract with a mobile operator, but if you're after a Mifi anyway, you could certainly do worse than picking yourself up a free Android 4.1 tablet in the process. Prices on the tethered contracts are said to start at £20.50 per month.

[Source: Android Central … Click to read full story]

Ten things you might not know about Mountain Lion

I've written about developer Saied Ghaffari and his company It's About Time before; well, they have another new Mac app that's pretty amazing, and the great thing is that TUAW readers can get a free sample of the app right here, right now.  The new app is called Hello Tips, Tricks & Secrets (US$1.99) and it's full of OS X tips that you might not know -- including a bunch of new tips especially for OS X Mountain Lion.  Saied made ten tips available in the sample web app that I've embedded below, but there are over a hundred tips in the Mac app, all presented in an easy-to-understand video format. Give the example below a try (click the Next button to start cycling through the tips), and then consider buying the app. It's a great way to learn some tips that you can show off to your friends and relatives, and they'll end up thinking you're an amazing Mac whiz!

[Source: Tuaw]

Microsoft releases Bing Get Me There London in the App Store for iPhone

Microsoft is releasing its Bing Get Me There app for iPhone users today, providing door-to-door directions for Londoners. The app, available for Windows Phone users since January, provides live tube updates alongside Bus, District Light Rail (DLR), and Overground information throughout London.  Bing Get Me There makes use of Bing Maps on iOS and includes options to save journeys as favorites along with custom delay alerts. The default landing page of the app provides a map with the nearest train and tube locations automatically overlaid. Although there are plenty of Tube and National Rail apps available on the iPhone, Bing's Get Me There free app might come in useful ahead of the London 2012 Olympics as it provides live departure information, service updates, and a weekend schedule for users.

[Source: The Verge]