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'Impact' is the best vertical video we've seen this year
I normally hate vertical videos. Why shoot with an upright phone when so many people will watch the finished article on their laptop, TV or PC monitor? After pressing play on a YouTube or Facebook clip, I don't want to see a tiny slither with swathes of black on either side. Slowly, however, I'm starting to appreciate the portrait format. Periscope and Snapchat use vertical video to great effect, and now there's the short movie Impact by French director Jean-Charles Granjon. It's a beautiful snapshot which uses the inherent shape of a vertical video to better express its subject matter: Lionel Franc, a world champion cliff diver plunging into the ocean.
Oculus VR is getting Twitch streaming soon, Netflix today
At the Oculus Connect 2 event, the virtual reality company just announced that it's getting a number of video services streaming to VR. The biggest one, Netflix is going to launch an app "in about 20 minutes", but Twitch, Hulu, Vimeo and more are going to be right behind it. We didn't get a ton of details on the experience, but we expect to see something like the current Oculus Cinema, where viewers can watch movies in a virtual theater. For the Twitch app, viewers will be able to chat and comment on gaming streams they're watching too. The slide at the event also showed logos for Facebook (obviously), Fox, Lionsgate and even TiVo.
Breaking up is painful, so is this vertical music video
If it's been a while since you've had your heart broken, and you forgot the feelings it can provoke, watching the vertical video for Harrison's song "How Can It Be (feat. Maddee)" will bring up that distinct combination of disbelief, loss, regret and nausea all over again.
'I Dream of Wires' synth documentary is streaming on Netflix
Looking to learn about the history of modular synthesizers? The documentary I Dream of Wires serves as a primer and it's now streaming on Netflix in the US. If you don't happen to live in the States, the film from Robert Fantinatto and Jason Amm is also available on-demand from Vimeo and for purchase over at iTunes. Featuring interviews with Trent Reznor, Gary Numan and others, the documentary focuses on "exploring the passions, obsessions and dreams" of those who are smitten with the instruments. Sounds like some solid weekend viewing if you ask us. [Image credit: Mark Venema/Getty Images]
Vimeo completely revamps its iPhone video editing app
Vimeo has just released a redesigned Cameo video app, more than a year since it purchased the startup. According to the company, it rebuilt the app "from the ground up starting from scratch," though it retains its core feature: the ability to create, edit and share video clips. The team made editing a lot simpler and video rendering a lot faster; they also added a bunch of new themes, fonts and soundtracks for background music that you can use. You can easily import straight from Vimeo or your iPhone camera roll, as well, without having to worry about file size and length. And, as you'd expect, the redesigned app makes it simpler to upload clips to Vimeo, where your stuff might get featured in the new "Best of Cameo" channel. The new Cameo's now out on iTunes (or it will soon be, if you don't see it yet) and remains separate from its parent company's application.
HBO is bringing Vimeo's first original series to TV
If there was any doubt that conventional TV and the internet are blending together, HBO just erased it. The premium channel has picked up the third season of High Maintenance, the pot-fueled show (yes, the 4/20 announcement is convenient) that became Vimeo's first original On Demand series. You'll only see six new episodes in this production, but all of the existing 19 episodes will be available through HBO sometime later this year. Is Vimeo heartbroken? Not at all, if you ask CEO Kerry Trainor -- it'll continue to support the show, and this is an "incredible validation" that proves internet shows can hit the big time. There's no mention of when the new season will air, but it's clear that you'll have more options for chronic-loving TV in the near future than reruns of Bored to Death and Showtime's Weeds.
Two 'Firefly' stars are crowdfunding an online comedy series
The cast of Firefly knows a thing or two about the importance of creative control (ahem, Fox), and they're taking advantage of the internet to make sure they hold the reins for their next effort together. Both Nathan Fillion (aka Mal Reynolds) and Alan Tudyk (Hoban Washburne) are crowdfunding Con Man, an online-only comedy series about a down-and-out sci-fi star learning to appreciate the convention scene -- a field that hasn't received the tribute it deserves, the actors say. Fillion and Tudyk are the main stars, but they're promising a cast that you'll probably recognize, including Firefly pals Gina Torres and Sean Maher as well as Amy Acker (Angel), Felicia Day (The Guild), James Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy) and Seth Green (Family Guy).
Maker Studios' YouTube stars are making exclusive content for Vimeo
Maker Studios, the group of popular YouTube hit-makers Disney snapped up for $500 million, has just agreed to release a series of original videos throughout 2015 -- on Vimeo. While it doesn't sound like the group has completely switched allegiances, the deal requires them to make these videos available through Vimeo's Video on Demand service first. Maker Studios has more than 55,000 content creators, including Snoop Dogg, Kevin Smith, PewDiePie (of Let's Play fame) and Lloyd Ahlquist (who created the Epic Rap Battles of History series). Viewers can only watch those clips exclusively through the service within a certain timeframe, though it's unclear if the internet celebs can post their videos elsewhere after that.
Vimeo will let you download (but not stream) 4K videos
YouTube embraced 4K video a long time ago, but Vimeo is at last catching up... well, more or less. The internet media hub now lets you download 4K clips from both Vimeo Pro members and Video On Demand providers. If you just snagged a Retina iMac or a lower-cost 4K display, you now have one more source that will do justice to your extra-sharp screen. However, there's no streaming here. As Vimeo explains, it's waiting for the technology to make this technology work -- not many people have 4K-capable displays, and internet connections typically aren't speedy enough to deliver that many pixels in real time. Even so, it's an important upgrade if you've been meaning to watch Video Game High School and other online productions in the highest resolution possible.
Vimeo sorts videos for later viewing from your mobile device
If you're using Pocket or some other method to store Vimeo content for later viewing, you're in luck. The video repository revamped its mobile offering, and in the process, tacked on a Watch Later option to keep those interesting bits easily accessible. There's a tidier UI too, and in addition to getting better organized, the app got a speed boost for swiping through the options on the go. YouTube debuted a similar feature a while back, but while Vimeo is playing a bit of catch-up here, the menu item is certainly a welcome addition for regular users. And perhaps best of all, this is all on the outfit's mobile site, so there's no need to install an app on your gadget of choice in order to take advantage.
Vimeo plans to offer video subscriptions
You'd think that YouTube would launch a subscription video service ahead of its rivals given its love of original content, but someone might just beat it to the punch. Vimeo's Kerry Trainor tells Recode that his company already has a subscription option in development. He's not providing details of how it will work, but it would be a logical extension of Vimeo's successful On Demand option. Viewers want to pay for a "whole world of content" that wouldn't reach them any other way, he says. However it pans out, Vimeo might want to hurry -- YouTube is openly toying with the idea of its own subscription service, and it could easily steal the thunder from competitors if it's first out of the gate. [Image credit: Brian Crano, Vimeo]
Vimeo snags 'MST3K' catalog and exclusive access to future releases
If Vimeo's determined to develop a pay-per-view streaming service, then the outfit is going about it in a rather strange way. The website has signed a deal with Mystery Science Theater 3000's distributors to bring 80 "cleared" episodes to the site's on-demand platform. Because of the myriad rights issues that surround the show, more than half of the episodes aren't legally available. Of course, that doesn't mean that you can't find them if you've got some time, a lax attitude to intellectual property and don't mind typing in phrases like "mst3k.s08.e20" into YouTube. If, however, you'd prefer to get your stuff through legitimate channels, you'll be able to rent each movie for $3, buy them for $10 or purchase the whole collection for a heavily discounted $300.
Vimeo's video app gets a major facelift on Roku
Discovery features are becoming the norm among video and music applications. Vimeo, naturally, has been taking note of this and is now introducing a redesigned app for Roku streaming devices. Along with making it simpler for viewers to find fresh content on its homepage, Vimeo's new application also lets Roku users get smarter search results and have easier access to their personalized feeds -- such as Incoming, Likes, My Videos and Watch Later. The online video company says this was all done with the future in mind, too; the application is setup to support in-app purchasing for the Vimeo On Demand service, which will soon allow creators to charge for productions directly from any Roku. Vimeo on Roku definitely looks much prettier than it did before, let's just hope those looks match its overall performance.
Five bucks will let you stream Joss Whedon's latest movie early
Joss Whedon might currently be shooting the follow-up to The Avengers, but that hasn't stopped him from making waves with another of his projects. Just moments after In Your Eyes premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, the Firefly creator announced that the supernatural love story he penned and executive produced would be immediately available to rent on video streaming website Vimeo for $5. It's a huge coup for the website and its On Demand pay-per-view service, which finds itself in a market dominated by Google's YouTube. As part of the agreement, it'll get the chance to distribute the film to fans globally for a period of 72 hours, around three months before it's due to hit theaters. Unable to attend the premiere himself, Whedon confirmed plans while taking a break from production of the Age of Ultron. "It's exciting for us because we get to explore yet another new form of distribution," he said, "and we get $5."
Wave your hands like you just don't care to control videos on Vimeo
There's never been a better time to just kick back and watch whatever you want, what with the many ways in which content can be consumed nowadays. And if you enjoy watching videos on Vimeo, things are about to get even easier. The company recently announced that its Couch Mode feature is now friendly with the Leap Motion controller, allowing you to take over media commands by simply using your hands. A circle gesture with your finger can fast-forward or rewind; tap your finger in the air to play or pause; and swiping gets you to the next video.
Vimeo On Demand celebrates first birthday, gives filmmakers money, viewers a fresh interface
Web video's growing up before our eyes, folks. A year ago, Vimeo On Demand made its debut to help content makers get paid by content consumers (that's you) directly, and, presumably, to help folks think of Vimeo as a purveyor of online video that's more Netflix and less YouTube. In celebration of its first 12 months of existence, Vimeo's making some improvements to the on demand portal's interface and announcing plans to help fund digital filmmakers. First off, joining the standard comedy, documentary, animation, etc. content categories, the site now has curated collections of videos that share common themes to help users discover new videos. And, there's a new UI, inspired by brick-and-mortar stores with "well-designed shelves," that really just makes Vimeo On Demand look more like Netflix on the web -- users get rows of content categories that each scroll horizontally to show more videos within them. Vimeo's also rolling out a My Library feature for users that keeps track of all the videos you watch, rent and buy in one place, too.
iPhone 101: How to add Facebook, Twitter, and other social network accounts to iOS
Apple has made it easy for iOS owners to share content across their social networks thanks to the integration of services like Facebook and Twitter into iOS itself. You can download Facebook events into your iOS calendar, upload videos to Vimeo from the Photos app and share links in Safari. It's very convenient for iOS owners who are active on social networks. To connect iOS directly to your social network accounts, you only need to add your account credentials into your iOS settings. Here's how: 1. Open the Settings app. 2. Scroll down until you see the entries for your social networks. Depending on your device and geographic location, you will see listings for Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Vimeo, Sina Weibo and Tencent Weibo. 3. Tap on the social network to access a screen that allows you to enter in your username and password. 4. You can also download the official iOS app for that service and configure additional settings like import contacts, sync with calendar and more. Once you enable these social accounts, you'll be able to share links, post status updates and sync contacts between iOS and your social networks. This useful chart from Apple summarizes the features available for each network. Some services like Flickr, Vimeo and Tencent Weibo require iOS 7, while the others require iOS 6 or later.
Vimeo redesigns its HTML5 player for speed and on-the-spot rentals (video)
While Vimeo was one of the first to adopt HTML5 for streaming web video, its player hasn't kept up with the times; it hasn't been very fast or powerful. That's changing with a redesigned player launching today. The new version starts playback much more quickly, resizes elegantly and will even sync preferences across multiple players in a single browser. And if you're enamored with Vimeo On Demand, you'll be glad to know that you can now buy or rent videos in-player, no matter where the clip is playing. The improvements are big enough that Vimeo is now making HTML5 the default across all platforms -- you'll only have to use Flash if you're using an outdated browser. You can try the player for yourself by watching the promo video below.
Vimeo On Demand now allows pre-orders, offers separate purchase and rental prices
Video producers that sell through Vimeo On Demand now have much more flexibility in marketing their wares. Starting today, Vimeo Pro members can offer both purchases and rentals at separate prices. They can also supply pre-orders and promo codes, while stat hounds will see more advanced viewership data, such as trailer play counts. It's up to content creators to use the new features, but we've already spotted at least a few titles that take advantage of the upgrades; head over to Vimeo if you'd like to give them a try.
Shortcat: Spotlight for your screen
It comes as little surprise that OS X supports many flavors of user interaction, nor that certain users gravitate towards certain input styles. For example, there are trackpad wizards who beckon with careful gestures and there are mouse users who prefer to point with their cursor. And then there are keyboard fiends, those like myself, who live and die by our home position. If you're a keyboard-based user like me, every physical movement that draws your hands away from the keyboard is a loss in efficiency, a break in concentration. We are the arrow movers, the shortcut makers, the Spotlight addicts. And it is us that the Shortcat app targets. Currently in public beta, the app offers a new take on keyboard-based interaction. Instead of launching Spotlight (Command-Space), you launch Shortcat (Command-Shift-Space). Enter a few letters and Shortcat searches the frontmost app for matching text. This solution is brilliant for apps and websites that don't support keyboard shortcuts. I've now used it to prepare TUAW posts in Safari, to navigate between chat rooms in Colloquy and to jump to messages in Mail. This is still a beta and I did encounter beta issues. At times, Shortcat would go into endless-spinny-progress mode, ignoring me until I quit and relaunched the app. Also, I quickly discovered that Shortcat doesn't walk through menus, only windows, although for many purposes that's perfectly sufficient to my needs. Even so, this is a really promising app and one that I'm already seeing could become a big part of my daily work routine.
