Youtube rolls out live streaming site.

YouTube started the initial rollout of its live streaming service Friday, which will add live video capabilities to the Google-owned site for the first time.

 

YouTube Live is, well, live at youtube.com/live. Tune into live shows or add upcoming episodes to your Google calendar.

 

YouTube Live is currently advertising a show about the NBA Playoffs Preview, which will air tonight at 7pm Eastern. Google will also offer a live tour of its headquarters at 7pm Pacific. LA Film Critic Association members, meanwhile, will offer reviews of new movies at 8pm Pacific. There are also several other shows airing today and over the next week, with a live comments feature that lets users chime in.

 

YouTube said it will also gradually roll out its live streaming platform to certain YouTube partners with accounts in good standing. "The goal is to provide thousands of partners with the capability to live stream from their channels in the months ahead. In order to ensure a great live stream viewing experience, we'll roll this offering out incrementally over time," YouTube said in a blog post.

YouTube kicked off a test of live streaming in September. The two-day pilot included four partner Web sites: Howcast; Next New Networks; Rocketboom; and Young Hollywood.

 

Earlier this week, there were reports that Google will invest as much as $100 million into original content for YouTube and organize it into channels around arts and sports. YouTube is reportedly seeking a middle ground between the professional content that dominates sites like Netflix and the amateur video upon which YouTube was founded, according to the Wall Street Journal.

 

In August, Facebook launched it's "Facebook Live" video streaming channel, though the site is intended to keep users updated on the goings on at Facebook and does not feature original content from users or partner sites.

Samsung to launch Bada 2.0 operating system in July, with India first in line.

Looks like India is going to be the first to receive Samsung's updated bada 2.0 operating system, in July, according to a report. Speaking to the Financial Express, Samsung India executive Dipesh Shah stated that Samsung intends to hit 30% of the smartphone market share in India by 2011, more than twice their 2010’s closing figures.
The Samsung Wave and its many variants have been popular in India, and according to Samsung India, these bada handsets have been doing almost as well as its Android devices in the country – perhaps the biggest reason for launching it in India first, apart from the strong bada developer presence here.

The update will bring the version from bada 1.2 to bada 2.0, and will deliver a new UI, SDK support for Linux and Mac, third party SNS integration, HTML5 support, WAC compatibility, and FlashLite. Features like operator billing support are also expected.
Are you a Samsung Wave user? Tell us what you feel about bada in the comments section below. Does it have a future, are there enough apps, why is it so popular in India?

Microsoft Begin Shipping early builds to Windows 8 To Key OEMs

Tantalizing bits of Windows 8 have been revealed since June last year, and at CES 2011, Microsoft officially revealed the hardware agnostic nature of the upcoming platform, touting support for both ARM and x86 designs. Now, accompanying the latest leak of a Windows 8 System Reset feature, come reports that Microsoft has already begun shipping early builds of Windows 8 to key OEMs, such as HP.Microsoft is supposedly distributing build 7971.0.110324-1900 (Windows 8 Milestone 3) through its Connect external testing system. The OEMs who have received this build are part of what is known as the Windows 8 and Server vNext Pre-Release program – companies that will help Microsoft test builds and offer feedback.Microsoft is expected to release a full-fledged beta of Windows 8 by September.......