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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

YouTube hits 4 billion daily video views


YouTube, Google Inc’s video website, is streaming 4 billion online videos every day, a 25 per cent increase in the past eight months, according to the company. The jump in video views comes as Google pushes YouTube beyond the personal computer, with versions of the site that work on smartphones and televisions, and as the company steps up efforts to offer more professional-grade content on the site. According to the company, roughly 60 hours of video is now uploaded to YouTube every minute, compared with the 48 hours of video uploaded per minute in May. YouTube, which Google acquired for $1.65 billion in 2006, represents one of Google’s key opportunities to generate new sources of revenue outside its traditional Internet search advertising business.  Last week, Google said that its business running graphical “display” ads – many of which are integrated alongside YouTube videos – was generating $5 billion in revenue on an annualized run rate basis. Still, most of the 4 billion videos that YouTube now streams worldwide every day do not make money. Three billion YouTube videos a week are monetized, according to the company. YouTube recently redesigned its website to more prominently showcase specialized “channels” organized around different types of content. In October, YouTube announced that it had struck 100 original video programming deals with media partners including Madonna and Jay-Z.

8 killed in twin car explosions in Baghdad


Iraqi officials say two separate car bombs have exploded in in eastern Baghdad, killing eight people and wounding 32 others. Police officials say the first attack targeted an early morning gathering of day laborers in Baghdad s Sadr City on Tuesday. Seven people were killed and 21 were wounded, according to police. Minutes later, an explosives-packed car blew up near a pastry shop in the same district, killing one civilian and wounding 11 others, police said. Hospital officials in Baghdad confirmed the death toll. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media. Attacks in Iraq have surged since the U.S. troops left. More than 160 people have been killed since the beginning of the year.

Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy is Pakistan’s first Oscar nominee


Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy became the first Pakistani filmmaker to earn an Oscar nomination with her film Saving face, which was nominated in the “Documentary, short film” category as the Oscar nominations were released on Tuesday. Obaid, who has directed several documentary films, won an Emmy award in 2010 for her documentary Pakistan: Children of the TalibanSaving face, which the Karachi-based filmmaker has co-directed with Daniel Junge, depicts the life of a British Pakistani plastic surgeon who donates his time to heal acid victims in Pakistan. The film is set to be released in March this year, while the Oscars will be held on February 26.