- by Jim Edwards

© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
    http://www.thenetreporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Two things happened this week that brought my focus back to
online video and where all this hoopla will eventually take
us.

First, I read an article about Joost.com, a peer-to-peer
online TV distribution system created by the same people who
made Skype (which sold to eBay for a gazillion dollars).

Second, my wife pointed out to me last night that our TiVo
box will soon offer the option to purchase and download
movies directly from Amazon through our high-speed Internet
connection.

These two factors herald the true arrival of online video
this year!

Most people's experience with online video goes something
like this: a friend emails a link to a video on YouTube.com
or passes you a video file through your email pipeline.

The video normally contains something to make you laugh,
cry, feel inspired, shake your head in amazement, or
something else I can't mention here in a family-friendly
column.

Of course exceptions exist to every rule, but for the most
part, the vast majority of online video rates short, pithy,
home-grown, or pirated content.

Now, with the creation and impending release of the
Joost.com system and the widespread use of digital video
recorders, like the TiVo box, we will finally see online
video distribution comparable to cable TV offerings.

Joost.com will use a combination of a peer-to-peer network
along with specialized content and advertising servers to
stream high-quality video across the web.

The peer-to-peer aspect (similar to the setup used by the
original Napster, Kazaa or Lime Wire) enables the processing
power of potentially millions of computers to help stream
video, creating a distribution system that automatically
scales as the network grows.

Joost.com will also pair the social networking aspects of
successful sites like MySpace to allow users to recommend
and rate content while fostering a sense of community.

Further adding credibility, Viacom (owners of MTV, BET, and
Paramount) announced they will provide free content for the
network.

Joost also promises a "secure, efficient, piracy-proof
Internet platform that enables premium interactive video
experiences while guaranteeing copyright protection for
content owners and creators."

The second part of the equation may get you wondering over
my excitement.

After all, most cable companies offer "on-demand" content
and have done so for quite some time.

The drawback of traditional "on-demand" cable centers on the
fact that you must watch the content right then, can't
easily pause or rewind it, and must purchase it from the
cable company exclusively.

Now, I can buy video from someone other than my cable
provider, store it on a box I control, watch it whenever I
want, and pause, rewind or stop it whenever suits me.

To top it all off, the content gets delivered through the
Internet, not through my cable TV provider's system (though
it may come through their wire if I operate with cable
Internet access).

True online video arrives this year because we'll finally
have access to a distribution system with the power to bring
full-screen streaming video to your computer screen
(Joost.com) and the ability to easily purchase content over
the Internet to play on regular TV sets (TiVo and other
digital recorders).

This may just make a believer out of me that Web 2.0
represents more than just a hyped-up phrase intended to
separate another batch of online investors from their hard-
earned dollars.

–
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the
co-creator of an amazing course that will teach you step-by-
step and click-by-click how to get your own money-making
videos posted online…

-=-=-==-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Finally! A Quick and Easy Way For YOU To Painlessly
Create, Post and PROFIT From Your Own Money-Making
Online Videos… Without Being a Computer Geek or
Paying Outrageous Fees To A Webmaster!"
=> http://www.WebsiteVideoSecrets.com
-=-=-==-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

      - by Jim Edwards

© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
    => http://www.thenetreporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

One of the greatest features of the Internet involves that fact that people enjoy a high level of freedom to express themselves.

So much so that in many countries the governments restrict and censor what people can see and say online.

Sites like MySpace.com make it easy to find like-minded people to interact with, while review sites such as Epinions.com make hard for charlatans and con-artists to escape scrutiny.

However, all this reliance on authority figures and third party references can sometimes backfire when social pressure, ignorance, and negligence align to create a distorted reality.

When this happens, bad products, poor services, or inferior ideas propagate because "everyone’s doing it" and nobody stands up for the common-sense and obvious reality - exactly like the children’s tale of "The Emperor’s New Clothes."

Now, if you don’t remember the Hans Christian Andersen tale, let me give you fast a refresher.

The Emperor decided he needed some new clothes and called in tailors from around the world.

He was so self-centered that he couldn’t see reality, and that made him an easy mark for a couple of con-artists posing as tailors (authority figures).

"Their colors and patterns, they said, were not only exceptionally beautiful, but the clothes made of their material possessed the wonderful quality of being invisible to any man who was unfit for his office or unpardonably stupid."

Thus they used fear of appearing stupid and social pressure of "everyone else sees it but me, so I’ll just keep quiet!"

Only in the end did the voice of reason come in the form of a small, innocent child who, immune to all these psychological tricks, pointed out the emperor’s naked form and brought most of the adults back to reality.

Now, how does this "children’s tale" apply to the online world?

First, because people get busy and it rates much easier to repeat what someone else said than to do your own research, myths, half-truths or downright lies get passed along without a second thought.

The more popular the idea or timely the topic, the faster it gets transmitted and the less research gets done.

The moral: if something doesn’t look or sound right to you, no matter how many authority figures claim it’s true, do your own research and check the facts.

Second, charlatans and online con-artists depend on you to get swept up in the "hype" of online promotion.

This fact drives the classic "pump and dump" scam where unscrupulous promoters tout a stock, drive up the price, then sell off their own shares before people get wise.

The moral: become extremely wary whenever people tout a product or service using hyped up promises of instant wealth or results without any real substance or proof.

Third, people will use your fear of appearing stupid or different from others to drive your behavior.

This "social pressure" is perhaps the most dangerous because it is so engrained in us that we often act because of it with no clue as to why we do things.

The moral: any time you feel pressured into buying or doing something where fear is the primary driver, take a step back and reevaluate before moving ahead.

Lack of time and the overall frenetic pace of life online make it possible for anyone to sell us our own set of "emperor’s clothes" if we don’t exercise caution.

Slow down by 10%, think for yourself, and don’t always follow the crowd (because they might just be running off the nearest cliff)!

–
Did you like this article? Want more?

Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the
creator of an amazing site that will teach you step-by-
step and click-by-click how to get your own money-making
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"Here’s How YOU Can Cut to the Head of
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      - by Jim Edwards

© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
    http://www.thenetreporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The next logical step for the Internet involves moving closer to interactive television.

People love to watch TV, they love to surf the web, and tens-of-millions enjoy interacting with other people on "social networking" websites like MySpace.com.

Now imagine if you could combine all of these elements people enjoy so much into a single technology which enabled you to bring together up to a thousand people in one place to teach, demonstrate, sell and interact - all without anyone leaving their home or office.

Well you can, and this technology is called a "webinar!" Though webinar technology existed for almost a decade, it remained strictly the domain of well-funded, high-tech companies.

However, as with most "killer apps" online, advances in technology now places powerful webinar capabilities within reach of virtually any business person.

Webinars enable you to make presentations to up to a thousand people or more at once using audio and video.

Though webinar technology has advanced greatly, delivering the audio and video together through the Web still lacks stability.

I’ve personally found using a telephone conference line to deliver the webinar audio much more effective than trying to stream the audio live through the Web.

As for interactivity, webinars allow you to chat live with viewers, conduct real-time surveys (polls), and see exactly which of your customers and prospects attend your live webinar.

So not only can you see exactly which of your hot prospects attend your webinar, you can chat directly with them, answer their questions live, and poll the group for valuable feedback in "real time."

Over the last few months many of my subscribers and customers have asked me basically the same question:  "What groups of people will benefit the most by using webinar technology?"

My answer: Anyone who would normally make any type of public presentation in front of a group of 2 or more people in a boardroom, meeting room, or convention center can benefit immediately by using webinars.

The following examples will help you see the power of webinars to help make sales, develop information products, and save massively on travel expenses.

- A sales person who travels all over the country giving the same presentation over and over could use webinars to make that presentation without leaving her office.

- A software developer or marketer could use webinars to demonstrate his new software and receive immediate feedback from existing or potential customers.

- A trainer could make a webinar presentation to their customers and prospects, record it, and turn it into a valuable info-product for sale or archive it as an on-demand training program.

- A speaker could create a series of paid webinars and deliver them live to customers all over the world, earning speaking fees without ever enduring airport security again.

- An affiliate marketer could use webinars to demonstrate products for vendors and earn commissions from products they didn’t even create.

Any company, large or small, that sells virtually any product or service online can benefit from adding webinars to their online marketing arsenal.

In fact, any online business person who fails to do so risks putting themselves at a serious disadvantage.

— Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist
 and the co-creator of a step-by-step, "paint by numbers"
coaching program that guarantees to teach you how to go
from zero to making real money online with your own webinars!

"Here’s the Never-Before-Released Insider Secrets to ‘New’
Technology That Massively Increases Your Sales, ‘WOWS’ Your
Customers, Blows Away Your Competition and Pumps More Cash
Into YOUR Pocket…While You Sit At Home In Your Pajamas
Having More Fun…With LESS Effort Than Ever Before!"

==> http://www.WebinarSecrets.com/special/

      - by Jim Edwards

© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
    http://www.thenetreporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Unless you live under a rock, you know by now that online video represents the hottest thing to hit the Internet since the invention of the modem.

YouTube.com reportedly receives over 65,000 video submissions every day.

Video sites crowd the TOP 10 most popular destinations online and web video frequently appears on national TV while sometimes breaking the news before the networks even know a story exists.

Despite the popularity of online video, most video sites feel like the early days of radio when it comes to user-friendly features (or obvious lack thereof).

But, have not fear, the following tools will help you drastically improve both the flexibility and enjoyment you get from online videos.

** YouTube.com In Your iPod **

Most people would agree that YouTube.com carries the largest selection of free online videos available anywhere on the Net.

Once you get past the skateboard crashes and bike wrecks, some very interesting videos can be found with a little digging.

However, unlike Google Video, YouTube.com does not offer video downloads.

Google Video enables you to download almost any video in popular formats for your Apple iPod, Sony PSP, and other compatible portable video devices.

YouTube.com requires you to stay on their site to watch the videos or view them on a site with embedded code which streams the content.

Either way, YouTube.com wants your eyeballs on a web page when you watch their videos so they can make money from advertising.

So, if you want to start watching YouTube.com videos on your desktop, iPod, PSP (or other compatible portable video device), you need a little help.

These two tools will do just that!

** DVDVideoSoft.com **

Virtually all online video sites stream their videos in FLV (Flash Video) format, a format that works very well on both PC and Mac computers over the Web.

Unfortunately, the FLV file format does not work on most portable video players, so you need a way to convert them to a file format that will work.

DVDVideoSoft.com offers a free PC software program that will convert YouTube.com videos to MP4 format for use on your iPod or other portable devices, including mobile phones.

Log onto the site, look for the link that says "FLV to iPod" (currently in the lower right corner of the front page) and follow the instructions.

I found the software simple, easy-to-use and straight to the point with an intuitive interface (that means you can figure out how to use it without reading the instructions).

** Vixy.net - Online Conversions **

Vixy.net is an online service (currently in beta) offering online video conversion for both PC and Mac since it works through a standard web browser.

Just give the site the URL of the FLV video you want to convert, choose the format you want (AVI, MP4, 3GP, MOV, or MP3 audio-only) and click the button.

Once Vixy.net finishes converting, they give you a link to download the file.

My only complaint with Vixy.net is that they "throttle" their bandwidth, so it took forever to download the converted file.

Other than that, it worked like a charm!

–
Jim Edwards is a syndicated newspaper columnist and the
co-creator of an amazing course that will teach you step-by-
step and click-by-click how to get your own money-making
videos posted online…

-=-=-==-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
"Finally! A Quick and Easy Way For YOU To Painlessly
Create, Post and PROFIT From Your Own Money-Making
Online Videos… Without Being a Computer Geek or
Paying Outrageous Fees To A Webmaster!"
=> http://www.WebsiteVideoSecrets.com
-=-=-==-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

      - by Jim Edwards

© Jim Edwards - All Rights reserved
    http://www.thenetreporter.com
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The great thing about the Internet is that new things come
along all the time.

Every great discovery or tool seems to spawn at least two
new things to go along with it.

In fact, the world of "cool tools" grows daily and keeping
up can represent a real challenge.

The following 3 tools rate a closer look if you want to save
time and avoid effort in a big way.

** Clipmarks.com **

Ever seen something extremely cool online that you wanted to
pass along to a friend, but you didn’t see an easy way to do
it?

Maybe you wanted to pass along a web page or share specific
text from a site, but copying and pasting into an email just
wouldn’t do it justice.

Or perhaps you saw a video that needed a friend’s attention,
but you couldn’t download it.

Or maybe you just saw something cool and wanted to save it
for yourself, but didn’t have an easy way to archive the
material.

Well log on to ClipMarks.com, download the browser toolbar
(available for FireFox and Internet Explorer) and start
clipping!

Clipmarks makes it easy to select snippets of text (up to
1000 characters), pictures, and more and then email them to
a friend, print them, or even post them to your blog.

What makes this little tool so cool is that it’s so
versatile and easy to use.

I call it a "head slapper" because you want to slap your
head and say, "Why didn’t I think of that?"

Clipmarks also helps when you surf around the Web and want
to collect up ideas on a certain topic or research subject
and then store them in an organized fashion to review and
sort through later.

** UStream.tv **

Turn your computer, Internet connection and webcam into a
live TV station that can broadcast in real time to hundreds
of people all at the same time.

Currently available for free, this service allows you to log
in and start broadcasting to the world.

UStream.tv can make a great tool for everything from holding
a family meeting to doing question and answer sessions with
customers and prospects.

Now, before you start threatening Walter Cronkite’s iconic
status in TV history, understand that, though the technology
rates high on the "cool" scale, the audio and video does not
rival TV quality.

The audio jumps and the video can cut in and out, but, if
you have any experience with online video, the quality may
actually surprise you by how well it can stream to large
numbers of people.

** TubesNow.com **

Ever tried to send huge files as attachments through email
only to have your email time out, your attachment get
blocked by a firewall, or your message just plain disappear
from the face of the earth.

Well now you can use a free program called "Tubes" to
establish a secure connection between your computer and a
friend or business associate.

Once you open up a tube (peer-to-peer connection) between
your two computers, you can transfer files simply by
dragging and dropping.

—-

Jim Edwards is the co-author of an incredible new ebook that
will teach you how to write and publish your own highly
profitable ebook in a week or less… even if you failed
high school English class!

=============================================
Why are some people getting rich selling their ebooks?
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     "How to Write and Publish your own Outrageously
      Profitable eBook… in as little as 7 Days!"
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=============================================