Webware100

Site: Ustream.tv
Category: Photo & Video

uStream is a video-broadcasting platform that lets anyone with a Web cam and a fast connection create their own live video show. It mixes a video stream with user chat, asynchronous commenting, and places for show creators to post archived clips and links to their other work. It's completely free to use and has been a launch pad for people looking to create video shows with no professional equipment or experience required.

What makes the service especially useful is that it blends live and archived footage seamlessly. Users can watch a show as it's happening, or simply go back and watch shows after they're off the air. The player can be embedded on third-party Web sites or sent to more than 20 social networks.

Along with its public-facing product, UStream also powers a private-label service called Watershed that groups can customize both in look and feel. It also lets them limit the distribution to selected users.

(Credit: CNET)

Site: Picnik.com
Category: Photo & Video

Picnik is a browser-based photo editor. It feels similar to a desktop application with top and side navigation, and instant previews of any effects or edits. Picnik can grab photos from your hard drive, or online photo hosts and social networks. It can also export any edited photos back out to these sites, letting you make changes to large files without having to download, then re-upload.

Picnik has two levels of service, both a free and premium one. The premium service removes ads from the site, and adds extra effects filters, fonts, and features that eventually trickle down to free users.

(Credit: CNET)

Site: Justin.tv
Category: Photo & Video

Justin.tv is a live video streaming service. It began with founder Justin Kan who wandered around the streets of San Francisco with a Web cam that was hooked up to a laptop in his backpack. That was connected to EV-DO card that was streaming everything he was doing live to everyone through the Justin.tv platform.

Following that trial run, Justin.tv was opened up to others who wanted their own channels, and eventually to everyone. It's now a large live streaming network that also keeps archives of everything that's streamed online. Each video room includes live chat, and simple ways to share the live and archived content, either on blogs or social-networking sites.

(Credit: CNET)

Site: Vimeo.com
Category: Photo & Video

Vimeo is a video hosting and sharing site. Users can upload high-definition video that plays in a gorgeous wide-screen player with minimalist controls. One thing that sets it apart from other services is that it was one of the first sites to offer HD video. It also gives video creators the option to let registered Vimeo users download the original file to their hard drive for offline viewing.

Vimeo is also a social network, with a friends and subscription service, along with a way to both rate and share videos. This information goes into a new feed that you can monitor, helping you discover new and interesting videos that your Vimeo friends are enjoying.

In late 2008 Vimeo launched its long-awaited Plus service, which removes the site's advertisements, and jumps up the number of HD videos users can upload, along with their weekly upload cap.

(Credit: CNET)

Site: Photobucket.com
Category: Photo & Video

Photobucket is a photo sharing and hosting site owned by News Corp. In addition to photo hosting, Photobucket lets its users upload video clips, which can be edited with an integrated video remixing tool designed by Adobe. Users also can make their own profiles and portfolios to share with others.

The service hosts more than 7 billion user photos and is one of the most-trafficked photo services on the Internet. This past year Photobucket launched a new version of its mobile site, revamped its sharing tools, and overhauled its album organization features.

(Credit: CNET)

Site: Picasaweb.google.com
Category: Photo & Video

Picasa Web Albums is Google's Web photo-hosting service. Users get 1GB of free hosting, and images can be uploaded and manipulated using Picasa, Google's free desktop photo management application. Users who want additional storage can shell out up to $500 a year to bump up the hosted space to 400 times the size of the free hosting service.

We really like the integration between the desktop and Web application. Similar to .Mac and iPhoto, Picasa makes it really simple to take photos from your desktop and publish them online for others to see. We're also fans of the built-in geotagging that lets you set where photos were taken either by single photo, or by entire albums. It's a great way to browse photos if you feel like exploring.

(Credit: CNET)

Site: Hulu.com
Category: Photo & Video

Hulu is a Web video service from NBC Universal and Fox Entertainment Group. Designed as a deterrent for online privacy, Hulu lets users watch full-length movies and TV shows right in their browser, and with limited commercials and other on-page advertising.

Unlike sites like YouTube, everything on Hulu comes directly from the content providers, and not from users. Another thing that sets it apart from most other video sites, is that content is set to expire after a certain amount of time on the service. This is in part to encourage users to watch programming while it's on TV, as well as boost DVD sales.

Hulu is currently limited to desktop computers, however a mobile version is rumored to be on the way later this year.

(Credit: CNET)

Site: Flickr.com
Category: Photo & Video

Flickr is a popular photo sharing and hosting service owned by Yahoo. It supports an active and engaged community where people share and explore each other's photos. You can share and host hundreds of your own pictures on Flickr without paying a dime. There's also a pro service that gets you unlimited storage and sharing for about $2 a month.

Besides sharing your photos, Flickr supports HD video. Unlike other sharing sites though, users videos are capped to about a minute, which the creators hope will create a whole new genre of videography that's a little more like a long-form photo.

Both photos and videos can be accessed in Flickr's API, which has led to some interesting third-party mash-ups. It's also made for some neat ways to integrate Flickr shots into blogs and social-networking profiles.

(Credit: CNET)

Site: Amazon.com/videoondemand
Category: Photo & Video

Amazon's Video on Demand is a cross-platform, video delivery service. Users can download videos from Amazon and watch them on a number of devices. Also, certain televisions and set-top boxes allow users to browse, purchase, and watch the videos without ever visiting Amazon.com.

Amazon's Video on Demand has both movies and television shows that can be purchased outright, or rented. Rentals only last 24 hours, but are usually less than a third the cost of purchasing the content.

(Credit: CNET)