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Mix faster, MixerCast

MixerCast is a new Web based tool for creating sharable slide shows. It pulls media from several different popular Web services like flickr, YouTube, MySpace, and Getty images, and lets users customize the look and feel with basic design templates. The show can then be shared with others through a direct URL or embedded into several social networks.

I've played with a ton of these tools since I started on Webware, but this is one of the few that actually emulates the feel of a desktop application. In this case, it feels a lot like one of Apple's consumer applications from the iLife suite. You can pick various elements to drag and drop into the template, like photos, videos or even a map from Yahoo (which, by the way, I found to be a little buggy).

MixerCast is definitely aimed at the social networking crowd. A few of its themes and templates, including one that's a full-on Pepsi advertisement, forgo a slick, clean look as you can get with a competing, mixed-media sharing tool like SplashCast. It's still really simple to put together a rich slide show, and share it with others, which makes it worth a try.

I've embedded a MixerCast module below, with pictures from last night's Digg 1 million-user celebration here in San Francisco. More screen shots of the user interface are shown after the jump.

See also: RockYou

[via DownloadSquad, via GigaOm]

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Testing the Blue Raven iPod battery kit

iPod battery replacement kits are nothing new. Manufacturers like Sonnet Technologies have offered reasonably priced do-it-yourself battery replacement kits for the past few years. What distinguishes the latest line of Blue Raven iPod batteries from previous efforts is a boast of 30 to 50 percent better battery life over the factory original (depending on your iPod model). The Blue Raven batteries are also much more attractively packaged than other replacements I've seen, which seems silly to mention, but I think packaging can have a huge effect on how intimidating a DIY project appears. Kits are available for around $30 … Read more

Blinkx does TV shows with Blinkx Remote

Tired of searching YouTube for clips of TV shows, only to find it barren of your favorite show? Well, if it's a Viacom program you're out of luck anyway, but for most everything else, search tool maker Blinkx rolled out a new service yesterday called Blinkx Remote, a search engine for full-length TV shows. Blinkx sorts through clips and full-length programs, providing direct links to off-site sources where you can watch the entire episode.

In the case of CBS' Jericho, Blinkx sent me off to CBS' Innertube service, where I had to install a Real Player plug-in to … Read more

Video watch gets a 'big' screen

The makers of a video wristwatch we cited awhile back are apparently benevolent types who don't want us to go blind squinting at a 1.5-inch screen. So Chinavasion has come out with a new model that ups the size of its color LCD to a whopping 1.8 inches.

As Technabob notes, it's impossible to call this a widescreen display with a straight face, but it does claim a full 16:9 ratio for MP4 viewing, as well as MP3 playback and an FM radio. (Whether it actually tells time is unclear.)

We're not sure how … Read more

Viddler gets prettier, more functional [UPDATE]

Video hosting and sharing service Viddler has undergone a facelift this morning just in time for the Web 2.0 Expo. Embedded videos now have Viddler branding, and a new drop-down menu filled with sharing and embedding options. Users are also now able to comment on video clips, not just certain moments of a video.

What's neat about the update player is that it takes the community experience that you get on Viddler, and puts it on any site where a player is embedded. Anyone with a Viddler username and password can login from the embed, and add or browse comments, tags or notes. Pretty neat.

I've embedded an example video below. Previous Viddler coverage here.

Related: divShare adds video to file hosting service

UPDATE: Added Viddler's self-made explanatory video after the jump. We see quite a few screencasts here at Webware, and this is one of the better ones out there.… Read more

DivShare adds video to file-hosting service

File-hosting service DivShare quietly launched a video-hosting service this morning. Designed to help users share short video clips, DivShare is taking a slightly different approach, letting people upload video files, up to 200MB, which can then be shared on social networks, blogs, and Web sites. Users can upload files anonymously or register so they can keep track of every file they've ever uploaded to the service. (Those file, according to DivShare, will "never" be removed.) Each time you upload a file, you're also given a direct download link that can be shared with others.

I wouldn'… Read more

Wrap it up

This week we launched our live, call-in show, " CNET Live," thanks to our incredible crew, talented hosts, and our first guest, Justin Kan of Justin.TV. And a big thanks to those of you who called in with great questions! Sorry we couldn't get to everyone, but please call back with your questions next Thursday at 1 pm PDT ( p.m. EDT). Hey, did you know that you can find CNET TV on digital cable? CNET TV is in the on-demand section of our cable partners: Cox, Insight and Verizon. Go into your VOD menu, and look … Read more

YouTube one-ups MySpace, launches political 'Spotlight' service

YouTube has announced a new series on content for political candidates, called Spotlight. Candidates will be able to ask the YouTube community a question and monitor comments and video responses sent in from users. They'll then get a chance to respond to the group discussion later in the week. The goal is to provide an open forum for users to know candidates a little better, and for people to ask questions directly--an option that's historically been out of reach (outside members of the press or those involved in campaign events). The project is also taking advantage of a … Read more

Progressive Download is here! But what is it?

One of the most requested features since the launch of CNET TV has been progressive download. We've received countless e-mails asking for "the ability to pause and let the video load like you can on YouTube" and to "fix your bandwidth problem, so I can watch using dial-up." Although virtually none of the users requesting progressive download knew what to call it, they all knew how to describe it. Progressive download sends the video file to your computer as rapidly as you can receive it, whereas streaming sends the video to your computer as it … Read more