YouTube helped make the ukulele a star

Ethan Miller/ - Ukulele virtuoso Jake Shimabukuro has become a YouTube sensastion.When Eddie Vedder, the reclusive, notoriously angry lead singer of grunge-band Pearl Jam, announced his latest album in March, the headline read like something from The Onion: “Eddie Vedder to release solo album of ukulele songs.”It wasn’t a joke. The singer, known better for his growling anthems about teenage suicide and the war dead, had turned to strumming tunes on a Hawaiian instrument that many on the mainland think of as a kitsch tourist gift.He’s not the only one. Other big name musical acts have suddenly christened the ukulele the instrument of choice,...

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British royal wedding live streamed 72 million times: YouTube

SAN FRANCISCO, May 6 (Xinhua) -- The royal wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was live streamed 72 million times around the world in 188 countries and regions on April 29, YouTube said in a statement on Friday.The online video site said the total streams on April 29 reached 101 million as global users tuned in to watch the ceremony, procession and the final balcony kiss. During the 10-second royal kiss, the YouTube channel experienced an additional 100,000 requests on top of the high load, an additional 10,000 requests per second, the company said.YouTube said live streams were highest in Britain and the United States, and rounding out the top five countries viewing the live event online were Italy, Germany and France.On April 8, YouTube launched live streaming service YouTube Live,...

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Skype Rumored To Be In Talks With Facebook And Google

Skype sure has hit it big. While there are dozens and dozens of VoIP calling applications, for some reason Skype's is the one that people flock to. Possibly being the first major one was what did it, but either way, the company seems to be growing in leaps and bounds, and the attention that they are getting doesn't seem to be slowing down. Now, a fresh Reuters report suggests that Google and Facebook are separately looking into a deal with Skype. In fact, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has reportedly "been involved in internal discussions about buying Skype." The one major feature that Facebook currently lacks is a real, trusted...

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Indians making buying decisions on Facebook reviews, social media open to marketers of all brands

MUMBAI: Till a few months ago Bhushan Kalap was happy to stroll into a neighbourhood mall to find out the best deals on consumer durables. These days the 30-year-old artist gets the same information at home - via online social networks like Facebook . "My buying decisions were totally dependent on either salespeople or friends who would give feedback based on their experience. But now I go by online reviews, as I assume that a majority of such consumers can't go wrong," says Kalap. Kalap is not just one of the estimated 30 million Indians hooked onto social media; he is also among those Indians who are spending more time on social media than on checking personal email, according to a study conducted by market research firm. The Nielsen Company in collaboration with research...

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Why Facebook Skype Is Not a Bad Idea

As Facebook evolves into a communications business, combining with Skype makes great sense. But why would Skype sell out?Did you hear that both Google and Facebook are looking either to partner with Skype or simply to buy it? Funny, because back in the days when Skype was in play (before it was acquired by EBay), Google had a chance to buy it, but Larry Page and Sergey Brin nixed the idea. Today some are speculating that Facebook might be a better suitor than Google, though I bet none of the sources quoted in the Reuters story has any first-hand knowledge of any deal. Reuters pegs the price of Skype at $3 billion to $4 billion, roughly three...

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Facebook CEO buys a $7 million house

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has purchased a new 5,617 square foot house in Palo Alto. Public records show the property in question sold in mid-March for $7,000,000. Here’s a description of the place, courtesy ofReal Estalker:The turn-of-the-century residence, set well back from the street behind walls and privacy hedges, was originally built in 1903 and remodeled and expanded over the years. The previous owners–who reportedly still occupy the home as of yesterday–gave the property a complete and expensive overhaul a few years ago that included the addition of an entertainment pavilion with outdoor fireplace and built-in barbecue and a lap-lane...

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Facebook of China' walks a fine line

Imagine buying shares in a company that could be closed down overnight. That is in some ways what Renren, dubbed the Facebook of China, asked investors to do. This week, investors complied: Renren raised $US743.4 million ($696 million) in an initial public offering and its shares jumped 29 per cent on their first day of trading on the New York Stock Exchange. But Renren's operations, which include social networking, gaming and online commerce, walk a thin line of compliance with strict Chinese regulations around freedom of information - and if they cross the line, the consequences could be very severe. "People at any social network in China that is going to be successful are going to be very sensitive to playing the game by the rules." said Dixon Doll, co-founder and general partner of...

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