The chief executive, Mike Volpi, has stepped down but will remain as chairman.
The London-based company said it will shift its focus from being an online video site for consumers supported by advertising - similar to Google Inc.s YouTube. Instead, it will help businesses manage their videos on the Internet as they build brands.
Its target market will be media companies such as cable and satellite TV providers, broadcasters and video aggregators.
“In these tough economic times, its been increasingly challenging to operate as an independent, ad-supported online video platform,” Volpi said in a statement.
Joost was co-founded by Janus Friis and Niklas Zennstrom, [...]

In a nod that migration of content viewing is rapidly moving online and to the mobile phone, Time Warner, one of the worlds largest entertainment companies, and Comcast, the nations largest cable operator, said theyll start online video trials nationally in July.
“Its clearly something demanded by consumers,” said Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes, at a press conference in New York. “If this approach gets adopted … it will go past broadcast viewing (online), which is basically three networks on Hulu.”
The test will involve 5,000 Comcast customers who will get access to Turner Broadcasting System Inc.s TNT and TBS cable networks. [...]

Now, Intel Corp. is pushing slightly more powerful chips for slightly larger computers that still have key netbook qualities such as a light weight and long battery life. Could this be a Goldilocks moment for laptops - when we get machines that are just right?
I tested two new models with the new processors, Acers Timeline 3810T and MSIs X-Slim X340. Acers model achieves a great balance of weight, features and power. The second … well, Goldilocks would have moved on after trying that bowl of porridge.
The disappointing thing about both models is that they list at $900, twice the price [...]

The phenomenon of Susan Boyle, seen by millions of Britons on ITVs “Britains Got Talent,” has been a worldwide digital storm played out in sporadic installments on the Internet. Videos of her first performance in April - “I Dreamed a Dream” from the musical “Les Miserables” - have been watched more than 220 million times, according to Internet video research firm Visible Measures.
Boyles semifinals performance over the weekend showed the craze is far from over. Her version of “Memory” from “Cats” has been the most popular YouTube video of the week in the U.S., the U.K., and just about everywhere [...]

The contract means Dublin-based MUZU can now air videos from the four biggest music labels — Warner, Universal Music Group Inc., EMI Group Ltd. and Sony Music Entertainment — in the U.K. and Ireland. At the same time, a dispute between YouTube and a British royalty collection agency continues.
YouTube has blocked access to videos from the four labels since March after talks with the collection society, PRS For Music, collapsed over a disagreement about license fees. MUZU, which began broadcasting videos 18 months ago, has a [...]

One of the most popular current online crazes is something called “Play Him Off, Keyboard Cat,” a user-generated video meme.
The formula is a simple. A clip is played of a pratfall or some unfortunate, self-inflicted accident. This is immediately followed by (always the same) old clip of a cat playing an upbeat tune on a keyboard.
The keyboard cat is, in a way, the smiling face of fate, perpetually making light of silly human failures. Its not stupid pet tricks, its stupid people tricks. Like the old vaudeville hook, the keyboard cat will play you off the stage.
The phenomenon was started [...]

Gamers set world records, the TV show “Thats Incredible” broadcast a tournament to a national audience, and then-mayor Jerry Parker dubbed Ottumwa “The Video Game Capital of the World.”
The glory days didnt last long. The Twin Galaxies arcade closed within a couple years, and memories of Pac-Man and Donkey Kong dimmed for everyone - except arcade owner Walter Day, who dreamed of making Ottumwa into a permanent game destination.
“You know how your average person fantasizes, when they daydream about having a new car or having a beautiful wife or inheriting from their uncle $2 million or something like that? Im [...]

Time Warner Cable Inc., the nations No. 2 cable operator that recently separated from parent Time Warner Inc., is in talks with Joost for a possible acquisition, according to two people who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment on confidential negotiations.
But the cable operator will only be interested if it can buy Joost at a low price, which might not be difficult in this market.
Philadelphia-based Comcast Corp. already turned down Joost, which approached both cable operators, one of the persons close to the talks said.
Comcast, the nations largest cable TV operator, owns a competing [...]

Vivendi SAs Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group Corp., EMI Group Ltd. and Sony Music Entertainment are negotiating to add music videos to Hulu, said the people, who declined to be identified because talks are private.
Hulu, whose owners include NBC Universal and News Corp., plans to compete with Vevo.com, the music service announced by Universal Music and YouTube, the dominant video Web site. Sony, EMI and Warner Music are being asked to join Vevo.com, YouTube and Universal Music said on April 9. [...]

With technology often moving more quickly than bureaucracy, state legislators are updating laws that bar drivers from having video display screens within their line of sight.
The laws, originally intended to prevent distractions from televisions and video devices, went into effect before the proliferation of portable GPS navigation units. But because their screens include moving images beyond simply text, they technically could be interpreted as violating the law - though police say they certainly are not lurking with their ticket books to spot and cite GPS users.
“They certainly are a fact of life on our roads and do require a certain [...]