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Advanced file grabber

Aaron's WebVacuum promises to help users capture all of the pictures and other files they can handle from their favorite Web sites. This unique program could be a huge help to many, but runs the risk of being overly complicated.

The compact interface is densely packed with tabs, buttons, and check boxes, and may overwhelm novice users. Fortunately, a brief tutorial pops up to explain the program's purpose and how to get quickly started, which is very helpful. Like a browser, there's a field for the URL of the page you want to pull from. Below that … Read more

National Consumers League scolds MPAA on DVD copying

Updated at 8:50 a.m. to include disclosure by National Consumers League that RealNetworks helped finance survey. More details at bottom of the story.

It's not just the Internet's so-called freetards who are criticizing the movie industry for stating last week that consumers are not within their rights to make backup copies of legally purchased DVDs.

Count the National Consumers League, a 100-year-old consumer watchdog group, to be among those who argue the Motion Picture Association of America is much too inflexible when it comes to blocking DVD buyers from backing up their film discs.

The issue … Read more

Next battle for control of digital content: RealDVD

The question of whether consumers will be given a legal means to make copies of DVDs could soon be answered in the San Francisco courtroom of U.S. District Judge Marilyn Patel.

On Friday, Patel is set to begin hearing testimony in the RealDVD case. Last year, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) filed suit to stop the sale of RealNetwork's RealDVD software, which enables users to copy DVDs to their computer hard drive.

At the heart of the MPAA's lawsuit, the lobbying group for the six largest film studios, alleges that RealDVD violates the Digital Millennium … Read more

Joost shopping itself to satellite and cable providers

Joost is actively seeking a buyer and the beleaguered video service has told cable and satellite providers that it could be their online video solution, said sources close to the companies.

Time Warner Cable is one of the companies that has expressed interest in Joost, the sources said. Spokespeople for Joost and Time Warner Cable said they don't comment on rumor or speculation.

Joost is a story of missed opportunities, bad luck, and the folly of thinking whiz-bang technology alone is enough to forge a winning entertainment site.

Joost launched in 2007 with seemingly everything going for it. The … Read more

Sony Pictures is on YouTube, Hulu, but not Joost anymore

At the same time Sony Pictures prepared to post some of its TV shows and films onto YouTube, the studio's material quietly began disappearing from Joost.

Earlier this month, Joost CEO Mike Volpi, who is attempting to engineer a comeback for the once high-flying company, wrote on the company's blog that Sony Pictures' shows were removed but was vague about why. He said that content from entertainment companies often comes and goes due to licensing restrictions and "we are optimistic that we'll be able to reach a new arrangement with Sony soon."

He can stop … Read more

What does Hulu offer that YouTube doesn't?

When it comes to offering full-length content on the Web, YouTube isn't ready to yield to Hulu.

On Thursday, the San Bruno, Calif.-based video site of Google announced that it had reached agreement with notable entertainment companies, including Sony Pictures, Lions Gate Entertainment, and CBS (publisher of CNET News) to offer visitors full-length TV shows and feature films.

What this means is that YouTube wants to become a one-stop shop for everything video.

The strategy seems obvious. YouTube already has more than 100 million people visiting every month to watch a mixture of short clips created by amateurs … Read more

YouTube signs Sony, preps site for studio content

Move over Hotforwords, Lonelygirl15, and all the other YouTube stars. The video site is bringing in more professionally made content and plans to make it a marquee product.

The Internet's largest video site on Thursday announced that it has struck deals with a host of entertainment companies, including Sony Pictures, CBS (parent company of CNET News), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Lionsgate, Starz, and the BBC, to acquire "thousands" of TV episodes and hundreds of films. The new content will only be available in the United States.

YouTube executives also said during a conference call that they have redesigned part of … Read more

Look out, Outlook: Gmail adds in-line images

Gmail's got a new option in its labs section that lets users insert images directly into their e-mails, and not just as attachments. This has been something you've been able to do in standard e-mail software for ages, but Gmail's way of handling them for the last five years has simply been to stick them on as attachments that show up in the bottom of your outgoing message.

This wasn't the worst way to view images, but if you were using Gmail to put together a short photo tour of your travels, or a family newsletter, … Read more

Sony Pictures confirms feature-film talks with YouTube

Sony Pictures has acknowledged that it is discussing a deal to license feature films to Google's YouTube.

On Monday, CNET reported the two companies were discussing a deal that could help YouTube become an outlet for premium full-length content. Right now, YouTube offers mostly independent films and a handful of titles from Metro Goldwyn Mayer.

Sony Pictures wants to boost the profile of Crackle.com, the studio's own online video site, and a YouTube partnership could help promote the offering. Judging from other feature-film deals that Sony Pictures has cut with Hulu and others, Sony Pictures will likely … Read more