Andy Plesser

NEW YORK/SAN JOSE (via Telepresence) Cisco’s high-end video conferencing platform for big companies and institutions, with endpoints costing $300K or more, now has a low-priced solution for small businesses.

As the technology of news creation, distribution and consumption is quickly changing, publishers have the opportunity to connect with new audiences through original content creation, site design, search and discovery.

With consumption quickly rising on mobile devices, Ooyala has released a specific "player experience" for Android devices.

Brands like Zappos, who are using rough and authentic user-generated video are finding traction on Facebook, where slick production does not necessarily work, says Dan Reich, Dirctor of Account Manager at Buddy Media.

Slickly produced product videos of the North Face gear drives traffic and helps communicate the value and supports the premium price point of the company's line, says Shay Miles, digital marketing manager for the North Face.

Mid-roll video ads have the highest completion rate of in-stream units, finds VINDICO, the New York-based online video ad management platform.

The immensely popular Weather Channel App for the iPad re-launched its App today.

More and more publishers are using Facebook as a content distribution point. They are finding high engagement and now can understand performance and the demographics, says Ooyala's President of Products Bismarck Lepe in this interview with Beet.TV.

Taboola, the video recommendation platform which generates related thumbnail images on the pages of major news sites, including Bloomberg, CNN, Gannett and The New York Times, now has agreements with Reuters and the Washington Post.

Tremor Video, the biggest independent video ad network, has released a pre-roll unit which can expand to cover a majority  of the screen when activated by a viewer.

Starting out three years ago with a Webcam in their bedroom in Kingsport, Tennessee, uploading quick beauty tips to YouTube, Elle Fowler, 23, and sister Blair, 18, have created a massive following, have big brand deals and have moved to LA where they are mobbed by teenage girls at malls.

As consumption of media fragments moves increasingly to digital, big brands are looking to their agencies for ways to associate with hard-to-reach audiences.

Vinod Khosla has closed a new venture fund of $1.1 billion, one of biggest funds created this year. 

SAY Media, the San Francisco-based digital media company/advertising network, will be doing “a lot of acquisitions” in the coming year, says Troy Young president, in this interview with Beet.TV

SAN BRUNO, Calif — As YouTube expands its education offering beyond what is mostly college-level classes, it is encouraging secondary and primary grade school teachers to make and share videos through the YouTube Teacher's Channel.

DBG, the New York-based video ad network and branded content creator, has made its first acquisition with Digital Sports Venture, a platform which syndicates college sports videos.

SAN BRUNO, Calif — YouTube has introduced a new editing functionality which allows content creators to convert conventional video files to 3-D. YouTube also supports the upload and publication of content shot with 3-D equipment.

With consumers spending time online, many big brands are reaching them online through the development of original Web series and exclusive online program sponsorships.

SANTA MONICA, Calif — Yahoo! has the exclusive worldwide rights to live stream the "Decade of Difference" concert, the star-studded benefit honoring the ten-year anniversary of the Clinton Foundation and a celebration of the former President's sixty-fifth birthday.

LOS ANGELES – There is an emerging upside for Web original video content, but it has to be good and the role of sponsoring brands needs to be discreet, says these Web studio executives from AOL, Blip.tv, Disney, Indelible and The Collective in this 45-minute session.