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As popular social-networking and video-sharing sites continue to gain popularity, a new class of start-ups is attempting to cash in on the bonanza.

Several companies that debuted at Demo '07 showed off slick new applications that are ready-made to take advantage of the content and audiences of successful sites like YouTube, MySpace.com, Facebook and others. Web apps like Panjea, Vuvox and Share2Me enable users to re-share media content that's already been uploaded on the Net.

Though building a company based on a single feature usually is not a wise idea, VCs are all over this stuff, shelling out … Read more

Web site discovery and recommendation site StumbleUpon, best known for its thumbs-up-or-down recommendation and discovery system for Web sites, has given its Stumble Video product a makeover that targets the coveted demographic of Wii addicts. The site now has an interface specifically designed for the Wii's Opera browser so that Wii owners can use their consoles to find cool new videos from YouTube and other sites, targeted specifically toward their prior StumbleUpon rating histories. It's a bit like Netflix's recommendation service.

StumbleUpon, which claims nearly 2 million registered users, has also released the 3.0 version of … Read more

It's really impossible to follow any tech blog these days without hearing something about Joost, formerly known as "The Venice Project," the mysterious online video start-up from the same minds that brought us Skype and Kazaa. There's been a lot of speculation, a lot of hype (usually involving the phrase "YouTube killer"), and a lot of hush-hush. That's because Joost, as I learned upon signing up for the private beta test, has a very strict non-disclosure agreement (NDA). Consequently, it's been difficult for me to address some of the more pointed questions … Read more

Earlier this week, Caroline took a look at VentBox, a place for people to get things off their chest. The limitation with sites like that is that they don't often solve your problems, which is where Change.org attempts to fill the gap. Change.org is designed to allow people to discuss and collaborate to make a change in a wide variety of fields. You also can vent all you want by starting your own change. It's grassroots, but on a global level.

Users can create their own cause, get others to join it, and begin discussions. You … Read more

Vandalism is a primal urge for some, and even little things like tearing up junk mail can unleash the inner vandal in all of us. Vidavee wants you to run with that feeling, with its new service Vidavee Graffiti. Essentially, Vidavee Graffiti lets you drop in a number of Flash animations that run on top of hosted Flash videos (like YouTube). The entire interface runs in your Web browser, so there's nothing to download and no rendering is required. The point is to have fun, and likely at the video's expense.

There are 21 preset animations at your … Read more

Lycos Mix is a new video-playlist creation tool that lets you string together video clips from various hosting services. The videos sit beside a live chat window based off of Lycos' Cinema technology. Casual observers can come in, watch videos, and chat with you. It's almost like a bar except a little creepier.

When you're done adding content, which is done by pasting URLs or using the Lycos Mix bookmarklet from the content's source page, you can watch, rearrange, or chat about the videos, all within the same screen. The adding process is a little arduous, as … Read more

We checked out MeeVee in September, and cited its lack of integration with recording and viewing services. Today, MeeVee has strengthened its viewing service with two new features: personalized networks and community video. Essentially the site lets you pick out your favorite shows and then aggregates relevant videos from hosting sites like YouTube and EVTV1 (with several more on the way). Clicking on any of these videos will actually take you outside of the MeeVee site, but there's a helpful frame put on the top of the screen to direct you back. We're told MeeVee is moving to … Read more

Part social network and part 3D virtual world, Kaneva also throws in a dash of YouTube, with media sharing for pictures and Flash video. I received news of the service today, but Kaneva has been kicking about since late 2004. Essentially you begin with a standard social-network profile, then earn prestige points to work your way up a site leaderboard until you're invited to join the 3D social world, which launched its beta in April of last year.

Points are given as rewards for adding content to your profile and interacting with other Keneva members. Once you join the … Read more

Boston -- Expo TV is a relatively new video-sharing site devoted to product reviews. Users videotape their rants or raves about products, and post them for all to see. Videos earn their creators money: 1 cent per view.

The site is great fun. As a rule, people don't tend to post videos about products they are ambivalent about, although the bounty on content means you do get some oddball reviews in there (glue sticks? OK). You'll also find reviews on tech products, toys, luggage, and more. Unfortunately, some categories have cheesy infomercials in them, a legacy of ExpoTV'… Read more