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YouTube

  • 8 YouTube channels that’ll make you a much smarter human

    By on 4 July, 2017

    Not every YouTube channel will rot your mind away with videos of wipe-outs and dancing cats. There is actually a part of YouTube that people go to learn. Not only is the site filled with DIY guides and sharp commentary on current affairs, but there are actually channels that will teach you about science, history, the world -- and many other topics you might have never considered. We've scoured past the cat videos (no regrets) to find these gems -- eight YouTube channels that will make you smarter. 1. Kurzgesagt - In a Nutshell Kurzgesagt is one of the best educational channels on...

  • Young man killed by pregnant girlfriend in failed YouTube stunt

    By on 29 June, 2017

    Pedro Ruiz, 22, was shot and killed by his girlfriend Monalisa Perez, 19, during a YouTube stunt gone wrong. The duo, who had a following of around 2100 subscribers, were filming a video in which Perez fired a gun through a book that Ruiz was holding in front of his chest. According to a criminal complaint provided to Buzzfeed, Ruiz had convinced Perez to shoot him by providing her with another book that had stopped the bullet. Perez now faces a charge of second-degree manslaughter, which could see her serving a maximum of ten years in jail. She is currently released on bail. Perez had...

  • Here’s what to read instead of YouTube’s #ProudToBe comment section

    By on 28 June, 2017

    Every year YouTube produces a video as part of its #ProudToBe campaign that celebrates the LGBT+ community, and every year hateful homophobes and racists flood the comment section with vitriol. And if you, like each human being on the planet, do not have the time or energy to deal with people who deny your existence then it's best to not even spare it a glance. (The first comment is by a user who goes by Adolf Hitler, and that's all you really need to know.) So here's a list of things to read instead, in no particular order. This article on gender from MedicalDaily that breaks down...

  • VidCon: YouTube launches VR180 video format, cheap VR cameras in tow

    By on 23 June, 2017

    YouTube intends to make VR content creation and consumption easier with the launch of VR180, CEO Susan Wojcicki announced yesterday at VidCon. VR180 is a new video format that is intended to be easier for creators to work with, as well as visually appealing for viewers. "VR180 video focuses on what’s in front of you, are high resolution, and look great on desktop and on mobile," Product Manager Frank Rodriguez writes in a blog post. The videos can be viewed using Cardboard, Daydream, and PSVR. They also allow for livestreaming. Rodriguez writes that creators will be able to set up and film their videos like they normally would, but...

  • YouTube updates Restricted Mode to include LGBTQ content

    By on 20 June, 2017

    YouTube has taken advantage of Pride Month to update its Restricted Mode policies that back in March saw innocent LGBTQ content blocked. The company acknowledged that this mode, intended for schools and libraries, was unfairly targeting videos featuring the likes of same-sex kisses at weddings or "personal accounts of difficult events". ALL 3 OF MY RECENT VIDEOS (ABOUT ME BEING TRANS) ARE GONE AFTER YOU TURN ON HE AGE RESTRICTION FILTER I'M SO UPSET. 😡 https://t.co/IpVnL7zfph — Seaine (@SeaineLove) March 17, 2017 YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki asserts that she has personally spoken to teens and creators alike on the importance of sharing this content, and...

  • 5 oddly fascinating and serene YouTube food channels

    By on 20 June, 2017

    No matter your hobby or obsession, you're bound to find a YouTube channel that caters to you. Me? I like ASMR and food. But what happens when you combine the two of them? Why, you might get these strangely fascinating and maybe even relaxing YouTube food channels. Food Surgeon One of the more popular channels on the list, the Food Surgeon, as the name implies, conducts surgery on... food. These procedures include transferring the insides of a peanut butter cup onto an Oreo, extracting seeds off a strawberry (and injecting Nutella into said fruit) and repairing a clogged liquorice artery. All of these videos...

  • YouTuber Austin Jones admits to soliciting child pornography from fans

    By on 19 June, 2017

    YouTuber Austin Jones, known for his acapella scene covers, has admitted to soliciting sexually explicit videos from underage fans. The 24-year-old has been released from a Chicago federal court on a US$100 000 bond. He has been ordered to stay in his mother's home at all times until his trial. According to a document released by CBS Chicago, Jones admitted to using Facebook to engage in sexually explicit conversations with some of his followers. "He directed them to make videos of themselves dancing in a sexually explicit way and instructed them on what to wear, say, and do in the videos, including...

  • 11 SA gaming YouTubers to keep an eye on [Digital All Stars]

    By on 22 May, 2017

    Digital All Stars is a series of articles which aims to celebrate the best of South African digital. The articles, which will appear on Memeburn and Ventureburn, recognise and celebrate South Africa’s best digital entrepreneurs, business people, advertisers, and media professionals among others. Gaming is massive business on YouTube. Don't believe me? Well, take a look at the most popular YouTuber in the world, PewDiePie. Take a look at the rest of the top 50 most subscribed channels, and you've got gaming personalities like VanossGaming and Jacksepticeye. What about South Africa though? Well, we've got our fair share of gaming YouTubers finding a...

  • Ellen DeGeneres, Katy Perry and other stars debuting free YouTube shows

    By on 5 May, 2017

    YouTube, seemingly reinvigorated by its website's visual refresh and the ridiculous advertising potential of its platform, has announced a slew of "exclusive" shows with pop culture's top brass. "We’re thrilled to announce that beginning later this year, some of the biggest YouTube creators and Hollywood names will be featured in seven new series on YouTube -- bringing more can't-get-enough-of and can't-find-anywhere-else shows to everyone, everywhere," explains Robert Kyncl, YouTube's chief business officer. The company's planning an initial run of seven series, starring cultural superstars, people you might've heard of, or Katy Perry. Ellen DeGeneres will host a "twice-a-week series built just for...

  • YouTube’s website is a-changing: here’s what you need to know

    By on 3 May, 2017

    YouTube is finally polishing its dated, tired and inflexible website layout to better suit the needs of its more than one billion users. The company updated the world in a blog post this week, detailing its "redesign of the desktop experience that highlights your favourite videos and creators while making YouTube easier and more fun to use". If you're pining for an interface change this very instance, you might need to take a seat. The Google-owned company is only rolling out these chances to select individuals during a feedback and bug-quashing stage. You might be able to access a few features,...

  • DaddyOFive owners lose custody of two kids following child abuse claims

    By on 2 May, 2017

    After YouTube channel DaddyOFive, owned by Mike and Heather Martin, was accused of child abuse and deleted its entire video history, many probably thought that that would be the end of the story. But nope. On Monday, a video emerged on YouTube announcing that two of Mike and Heather Martin's children featuring in prior DaddyOFive videos, namely Cody and Emma Martin, were handed back to their biological mother, Rose Hall. The video also features Hall's lawyer, Tim Conlon. "Emma and Cody are with me," Hall announces in the video. "I have emergency custody. They're doing good. They're getting back to their playful selves,"...

  • YouTube puts LGBTQ+ content back on Restricted Mode

    By on 24 April, 2017

    Last month, YouTube's family-friendly Restricted Mode caused an uproar after YouTubers realised it was blocking LGBTQ+ content. The mode is meant to be used as an option for schools, libraries and parents who don't want children accessing "mature content." But YouTube's algorithm blocked out makeup tutorials by trans-women, and period education by bisexual women. On Friday, YouTube put those videos back in Restricted Mode's good graces -- along with 12-million others. "We were unintentionally filtering content from Restricted Mode that shouldn't have been," VP of product management Johanna Wright writes in a blog post. "On the engineering side, we fixed an issue that was...

  • Pranking YouTube family ‘DaddyOFive’ accused of child abuse

    By on 20 April, 2017

    YouTube channel DaddyOFive has deleted all its videos after accusations of child abuse. The channel, headed by dad Mike Martin, consisted of videos in which the parents "pranked" their five children -- often pushing them to the point of mental breakdown. It accrued 765 800 subscribers. In the most talked-about video, Martin and his wife spilled invisible ink and accused Cody, their son, of doing it. Cody grew visibly upset as his parents screamed and cursed at him, until his face was bright red and he screamed at them to stop. Only once he'd calmed down did Martin let him know it...

  • April the giraffe finally gives birth and the internet loses its mind

    By on 18 April, 2017

    On 10 February, educational animal park Animal Adventure began a livestream of its pregnant giraffe. It soon went viral as viewers from all around the world tuned in, hoping for a glimpse at the glorious miracle of life. While the stream spawned theories of an April Fool's hoax (Animal Adventure were pulling in a lot of cash and also no good thing in 2017 is to be trusted), it turns out our worries were for naught. On Saturday, April gave birth to a healthy baby boy -- with more than a million people watching. It all started on Friday when April began pacing,...

  • Muzikifi: the story behind South Africa’s top trending YouTube video

    By on 13 April, 2017

    South Africa's most watched video on YouTube this week isn't a movie trailer, a snapshot of Pretoria's anti-Zuma protests, or even the latest episode of Skeem Saam. Nope. It's a mesmeric short of a man experiencing Soweto's cultural and musical delights for the first time. Random? Definitely. A remarkable watch? Oh yes. "Did she REALLY put a spell on me?">Did she REALLY put a spell on me? was published over the weekend and took South Africa's YouTube charts by storm. It steamed to the top of the trending list within three days, and remained there for much of the week. At present, the...