Audio and video

YouTube has revealed which news stories riveted the video-watching masses during 2012.

As part of its year in review, YouTube noted that Superstorm Sandy was a popular, if sobering, topic on the site this year, with 39,000 hurricane-related videos showing up on the video site in just one week. A video of an exploding substation caused by the storm topped 4 million views in just 24 hours.

Moving to the U.S. presidential election, YouTube revealed that videos tagged "Obama" or "Romney" were viewed 2.7 billion times and that the candidates' debates nabbed 27 … Read more

YouTube watchers kept busy this year checking out videos related to "Gangnam Style," the presidential elections, and Facebook parenting for the troubled teen.

Rewinding back through 2012, YouTube yesterday posted its list of the Top 10 trending videos for the year.

A video devoted to Korea's "Gangnam Style" craze took the top spot. A music video of the song "Somebody that I Used to Know" by Canadian band Walk off the Earth took second place.

Going viral and taking third place was Kony 2012, a video campaign urging the capture and arrest of … Read more

iTunes users in a wider range of countries can now buy or rent movies, though some will bump into certain limitations.

Citing reports from some of its readers, AppleInsider says that iTunes movies are now up for sale or rental in more countries, such as South Africa. However, the movies available vary from country to country.

Some countries provide only films from Disney, Sony, and their subsidiaries, AppleInsider noted. Others don't offer movie rentals or high-definition films.

Last week, Apple expanded its iTunes Store into Russia, Turkey, India, South Africa, and 52 other countries. At that time, movies were … Read more

Rolling Stones fans may find they can get what they want after all, namely a live stream of the group's upcoming 50th anniversary concert.

Streamed by Yahoo and entertainment company WWE, the pay-per-view special will be shown on Saturday, December 15, at 6 p.m. PT via Yahoo Music. Dubbed "One More Shot: The Rolling Stones Live," the concert will be the latest in a series of events marking this year's 50th anniversary of the group's debut.

Fans who tune in to the stream at 5:30 p.m. can catch a special called "… Read more

PARIS -- For telecommuters who just aren't happy with Skype videoconferences or Google+ hangouts, why not try a telepresence robot?

David Cann, co-founder and chief executive of Double Robotics, showed off such a beast today here at the LeWeb show. The $2,000 design looks, in Cann's words, like an iPad on a Segway.

The robot, called Double, is basically a mobile videoconferencing device. On the bottom is a pair of wheels and a motor; in the middle a thin stalk; and on the top a bracket with an iPad. The operator can control the robot remotely, steering … Read more

Skype has updated its iOS app to give it some of the same features as its full client software.

Released today, the latest version lets you log into Skype with your Microsoft account and chat with contacts on Messenger, Hotmail, or Outlook.com.

Users new to Skype can create an account directly from the app. You can now tap and hold down an instant message to edit it. You can also edit your saved phone numbers directly from the dial pad.

Those of you who like to spruce up your instant messages with emoticons can choose one when typing a … Read more

Maker Studios, a company that delivers professional programming to YouTube, is getting a big cash infusion from Time Warner, according to a new report.

Time Warner Investments, the venture-capital division at the media conglomerate, is leading a $40 million round of financing for Maker, All Things Digital reported yesterday, citing people with knowledge of the deal. The round is expected to close by the end of the year.

Maker Studios stands with Machinima, a company that produces gaming videos, at the leading edge of what has become a more professional push on YouTube. Maker Studios offers what's called "… Read more

Those of you in search of gifts for family or friends now have another option: Skype gift cards.

Available through the VoIP provider, the gift cards can be used to make Skype calls to mobile phones or landlines or to send text messages, either inside or outside the U.S. Skype gives you a few options for buying a card.

You can grab a physical card at your nearest Target, OfficeMax, or Microsoft Store. Or you can pick up an e-gift card from Skype's Web site or its Facebook page, which are then delivered to the recipient electronically.

Buying … Read more

A large number of artists have signed a letter saying Pandora should not be allowed to "slash musicians' pay."

MusicFIRST, an organization that represents performers and their rights, along with music industry supporter SoundExchange, announced today that 125 artists, including popular band Maroon 5, Missy Elliot, T.I., and the Zac Brown Band, have signed a letter entitled "A Musicians' Perspective On Pandora," that criticizes the music-streaming company for seeking to cut its royalty payments.

"Why is the company asking Congress once again to step in and gut the royalties that thousands of musicians rely … Read more