Motorola is working to create cool new features for mobile devices, including one that allow mobile phone users to be video bloggers. 

The company conducted a beta test with MIT students earlier this week using the new specially programmed Krazr phone. 

The phone allows users to capture videos on the phone and upload them to MMS-compliant blog platforms directly through the air.  Very cool.

I spoke with Motorola’s Chief Technology Officer Padmasree Warrior who is very excited about this new application and the company’s commitment to mobile video.  She was a speaker at the Emerging Technologies Conference organized by Technology Review.

The Krazr, which is just now going on sale, records video, but will not be enabled to post directly to blogs, not initially. I bet that’s going to happen before too long, if the enthusiasm of the young vloggers at MIT is an indication.  Check out their posts.   

Oh, and here’s tip for better sound using a mobile phone to vlog: Use a Bluetooth headset as your wireless microphone — the sound quality is pretty good.

Thanks ClipBlast — great way to search video on the Web. They have organized our Beet.TV posts on dedicated page.  Cool stuff.  Much appreciated Gary Baker — you have a great tool there!

Youtubenyt Is YouTube Playing Video Poker? — NEW YORK TIMES scribe Saul Hansell visits with YouTube CEO Chad Hurley for a big feature in Saturday’s paper.

Saul’s piece is tough: it raises some questions about the viability of the revenue model and the copyright issues. 

Beet.TV has learned that advertising on YouTube can be quite inexpensive.  Some advertisers are charged as little as a $1 CPM (cost per 1000 impressions). Not sure how the economics work with such a low price? But, I bet Chad and his crew will win this little "video poker" game. Here’s my interview with Chad from July.  (Photo of Hurley by NY Times/Andrea Mohin)   

Newsweek Has Great Vlogging Tipscheck out this story on video blogging from the current issue by Anna Kuchment.

Love Wikipedia — check out the very interesting entry on video blogs.

Andy Plesser

, , , , , , , , , ,