videos

LookAway Player mimics the Smart Pause feature that will (as of this writing) soon be coming to the Galaxy S4, automatically pausing a video when you look away from your iPhone.

The app functions on YouTube only, so you will only be able to use LookAway Player's features on YouTube videos. In my testing it worked pretty much as advertised. Simply play a YouTube video, and when you turn your head to look away, facial-recognition software automatically pauses the video. When you turn back toward your iPhone, the video starts up again. It also worked when I looked down, … Read more

The number of video conversion programs available makes choosing a good one difficult. Though it's basically functional, the lack of features and problematic setup make VidConvert for Mac a less desirable option.

VidConvert is available as a free trial version with a three-minute conversion time limit; the full, unrestricted program requires payment of $7.99. The program installs quickly. Unfortunately, after initiating the program, the user must complete an additional download from a separate site before conversion can take place. This second download requires Terminal operations, which is a lot to ask of all but the most experienced Mac … Read more

The field of Internet video converters is not short on contenders, some good at what they do and others, not so much. Mega Video Converter (MVC) from Clip Extractor is a new challenger in a very competitive market. Thankfully, it is one of the good guys.

We like Mega Video Converter for being fast, simple, and intuitive. Installation is quick and compact, only taking up about 20MB on your hard disk. However, you do need MS .NET Framework 4 before you can proceed and MVC will alert you if you don't already have it.

Upon launching Mega Video Converter … Read more

When it comes to generating consumer lust, Microsoft often comes up short.

Windows 8 sales seem to be falling shy of analyst expectations. And despite its best design and engineering efforts, Microsoft continues to struggle to get anything more than a toehold in the smartphone market.

And yet Microsoft's success with the Xbox continues to undermine any argument that the company is preternaturally unable to understand consumer desires. The Xbox 360 has performed so strongly in its seven-year run that Microsoft is in the enviable position of being able to wait for rivals Nintendo and Sony to unveil their … Read more

Spotify is trying something new to promote its service to would-be users.

The company today has overtaken YouTube with a large documentary ad at the top of the video site's page. The ad encourages YouTube visitors to "follow" the band Phoenix throughout the day to see what a typical day is like for the members. This morning, only a portion of the 18-minute documentary is available, but as the day goes on, users can come back and watch more. By the end of the day, all 18 minutes will be viewable.

Spotify's ad takes up the … Read more

Microsoft has signed on Advaned Micro Devices to deliver the processing power in its upcoming Xbox console, a new report claims.

The next Xbox, which could be unveiled next month, is a system-on-a-chip (SoC) boasting both AMD's Jaguar CPU and a graphics chip more powerful than the one available in the current Microsoft console, Bloomberg reported yesterday, citing someone who claims to have knowledge of Microsoft's plans.

According to Bloomberg's source, the chip is based on x86 architecture, meaning it will make it much easier for game developers to port their titles from PCs or mobile devices. … Read more

Disney has shut down LucasArts, the video game arm of the Lucas entertainment empire, laying off its staff and ceasing its development of two forthcoming "Star Wars" games.

"After evaluating our position in the games market, we've decided to shift LucasArts from an internal development to a licensing model, minimizing the company's risk while achieving a broader portfolio of quality Star Wars games," LucasFilm said in a statement. "As a result of this change, we've had layoffs across the organization. We are incredibly appreciative and proud of the talented teams who have … Read more

Often, users want to watch Internet videos or edit them offline. Kigo Video Downloader for Mac, despite problematic operation in some instances, works well when it comes to saving and converting online videos.

The native installer set the program up quickly without any user agreement required, which was good for a freeware program. Upon startup, Kigo Video Downloader for Mac did contain a link to user instructions. In addition, the program's interface included arrows and descriptions of the particular buttons and their functions. The user interface was well-designed and intuitive, with good graphics and detail for each of the … Read more

The best April Fools' pranks are absurd but also have a kernel of believability at their core just big enough to reel people in.

While the notion that YouTube has been a 8-year-long contest and Google is finally choosing a winner and shutting the site down tonight is pretty hard to swallow on its face, Google did shock many people by announcing the shutdown of Google Reader recently. Perhaps Larry and Sergey are beginning to go all Howard Hughes on us?

That's how the below video just put out by YouTube operates. The basic premise is that YouTube has … Read more