Pope Francis hangs out with YouTube creators in the Vatican -- His Holiness takes group selfie


Regardless of your religious affiliations or beliefs, meeting the Pope is a very monumental thing. After all, he is the leader of the Catholic Church, which has many millions of members. The current Pope, who adopted the moniker of "Francis", is quite popular with some folks thanks to his apparent rebuke of riches and excess.
Eleven lucky YouTube creators got to meet Pope Francis, even taking a selfie with His Holiness. However, the meeting was not just a photo opportunity. Actually, they got to speak with the Catholic Church leader, even asking him questions.
Google launches Spaces for sharing links, YouTube videos, images and more with small groups [UPDATE: It's live!]


Google is introducing a new way to share content with a group. Spaces is a collaborative tool that Google wants people to use to share everything from articles and images to YouTube videos and messages.
So keen is Google for a huge take up of Spaces, that the service is launching in mobile and desktop web versions, as well as iOS and Android apps. It's billed as an alternative to group conversations, and Google wants to help streamline sharing by eliminating app switching -- this is achieved by integrating Google Search, YouTube, and Chrome into a single tool.
Amazon announces Video Direct in an effort to compete with Google's YouTube


Despite competition from the likes of Vimeo, YouTube has remained at the top of the heap for streaming videos, mostly because of content that comes from its users. While it's hard to see it being toppled anytime soon, it will have a new rival trying to do just that.
Amazon, which already runs its Prime Video service filled with TV shows and movies, is expanding its footprint, adding user content.
Feedbro is a one-stop reader for RSS, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, more


Feedbro is a versatile feed reading Chrome extension which keeps you up-to-date with RSS/ Atom/ RDF sources, blogs, Twitter, Instagram and more.
The extension is stand-alone, rather than being a front-end for a website, which means there’s no need to sign up, create accounts, log in or anything else.
Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx wants YouTube to pay artists more royalties


YouTube is not paying artists enough in royalties for music videos, and Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx has had enough. He says that the Google-owned video site pays just a fraction of the likes of Apple and Spotify.
Sixx is calling on other musicians to join forces in a bid to make YouTube dig deeper into its pockets and pay artists a fair share. He is quick to point out that this is not just about getting more money for himself, insisting that he is also looking out for "the little guy -- the up and comers that we were at one point".
Hey, ladies! Google and the United Nations are celebrating your voices on YouTube


Regardless of sex or gender, everyone deserves to be heard. Nothing is more frustrating than feeling powerless and unimportant. By having an outlet to express yourself, you can gain self esteem, and ultimately, grow as a person.
Unfortunately, one of the most oppressed groups throughout history, women, have sometimes been made to feel powerless. They often make less money than men in the workforce, and frequently have to deal with sexual harassment and 'mansplaining'. Things can get even worse than that, including violence. Luckily, services such as YouTube can give voices to women that may not be heard otherwise, and today, Google is celebrating that fact.
Watch the final Democratic debate live on YouTube


It's that time of the year. Campaign season, like the holiday shopping season, seems to begin earlier all the time. It's fascinating in some inexplicable way, but then again people slow down to look at car wrecks also. Regardless of who you are throwing your vote behind, it's good to watch the seemingly endless debates to get a feel for each candidate in the presidential election. And with Iowa right around the corner it's crunch time.
Tonight is the final Democratic debate and, unlike the plethora of folks on stage in the Republican contests, there are only three to focus on. We won't go into the good and bad of any of them, that's personal opinion and you should make up your own mind.
Google further legitimizes YouTube creators with upcoming interview of President Obama


As the media landscape changes, alternative media is becoming much more popular. Creators on online platforms like YouTube and Twitch are becoming stars, rivaling their mainstream media counterparts. In other words, someone like PewDiePie could possibly attract a bigger crowd than some network TV stars.
Unfortunately, there is still a stigma that being a YouTube creator, for example, is a lesser level of celebrity. Well, Google is aiming to change this, and today, it announces that it will continue the tradition of giving some YouTube stars the opportunity to interview President Obama a few days after his final State of the Union address. Does this further legitimize YouTube creators?
Google to work with Israel to censor Palestinian YouTube videos [UPDATED]


Coverage of any conflict is rarely free from bias, with propaganda being a staple tool. This certainly rings true of the war between Israel and Palestine, and Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister has engaged in talks with representatives of YouTube and Google with a view to censoring videos coming out of the region.
Tzipi Hotovely met with Google's Director of Public Policy, Jennifer Oztzistzki, and YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki. On the agenda was discussion about how to censor Palestinian video footage deemed to be "inflammatory" or "inciting violence and terrorism" by Tel Aviv.
YouTube will help users fight DMCA takedowns in court


The use of other people's copyright material on YouTube is permitted in certain circumstances. Fair use rules allow for the use of copyright material for the purposes of review, parody, and more -- but this doesn't stop copyright holders from issuing DMCA takedown notices.
YouTube is a natural breeding ground for copyright violations, but there are also countless examples of fair use that end up in court. This is something that many people are scared of, and rather than fighting back, will tend to cave in. Now Google has said that it is willing to stand up for users and will defend them in court.
Watch YouTube as you browse the web


You’re watching something great on YouTube, but you’ve also got real work to do elsewhere. Which do you choose? Decisions, decisions…
Sideplayer is a free Chrome extension which enables you to do both, watching YouTube clips in a floating player window while also carrying on browsing elsewhere.
Virtual reality comes to YouTube -- let PewDiePie 'brofist' your face with Cardboard


My favorite video service is probably not what you expect. No, it is not Netflix or Hulu, but the free YouTube. Yes, when I am on my PC or tablet, I prefer watching Barnacules, iJustine and PewDiePie rather than Hollywood movies and prime-time TV shows. Say what you like, but I am certainly not alone in this regard.
Today, Google is improving YouTube in a really cool way -- it is delivering virtual reality. Using the search-giant's Cardboard face mask, you can experience VR-optimized content as if you are really there! Existing non-VR content can be viewed using Cardboard too.
Google makes 'CODEGIRL' film free on YouTube for a limited time -- watch it here


As a trained Sociologist who has a few sisters, yet no brothers, I have a keen eye for recognizing sex and gender inequalities -- especially when it comes to females (at least I like to think so). Truth be told, many such claims of girls and women being excluded or underrepresented in certain industries aren't always the case of purposeful oppression. In other words, a certain gender having a larger role in something could be organic -- men and women are different, and that is OK.
When it comes to STEM ( Science, Technology, Engineering and Math), however, it has largely been a boys-club, due to years of arguably intentional exclusion based on ignorant thoughts regarding the minds and capabilities of women. Actually (and obviously), girls and women can absolutely thrive in the sciences, and Google has long been a proponent of its encouragement. Today, the company continues it its positive focus by making the documentary "CODEGIRL" free for 5 days on YouTube. The film shows thousands of girls competing in a coding competition, which should not only be inspiring for other girls, but all people regardless of sex or gender.
YouTube Red: Trigger for cord cutting?


YouTube announced its first-ever subscription service last week, YouTube Red, with the usual set of (uninteresting) "premium" features -- ad-free videos and offline/background playback. The only interesting tidbit was that YouTube Red would also house "original" movies and TV shows starring well-known YouTube personalities. While it may seem mundane, this move has the potential to present a true disruption to the TV industry.
For years, industry observers have talked about the looming threat of cord-cutting -- consumers were expected to drop expensive cable subscriptions in favor of on-demand streaming services like Netflix. But while Netflix has seen exceptional growth, we are yet to see a tipping point in cord-cutting behavior.
YouTube Red is instant gratification


Wow, and weird, is my reaction to YouTube Red, which is live starting today. The experience is so different from the regular service, I am stunned. Fast-loading is the first thing, so be careful what you click—or turn off autoplay. Videos on Facebook feel like a moped racing a Lamborghini compared to YT Red.
Using this 2012 MissFender video as example: Pressing the stopwatch on my Nexus 6P at the same time I click to enter the URL, 9 seconds passes before I can start watching the vid. The time includes the auto-loading ad, how long it plays before YouTube permits me to skip, and lag caused by my own responsiveness dismissing the advert.
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