U2 Live on YouTube

Rock giants U2 will be broadcasting tonight’s concert at the Rose Bowl in a global webcast on YouTube. You can view the concert on the official U2 channel, which will be available in 16 countries.

Tonight’s concert will be an acid test for streaming live video on YouTube. In the past, Google (who owns YouTube) has said they were not interested in live streaming because of the cost. In recent months, they have begun experimenting with live streams of an Obama press conference and the Outside Lands festival in San Francisco.

The concert begins tonight at 8:30 PM PDT. That’s pretty late for those of you on the east coast, and if you’re in Europe, prepare to wake up in the wee hours of the morning. In reality, choosing to webcast a west coast concert was a shrewd choice, as the time alone will reduce the audience a bit. I like U2, and I’ll be tuning in to see how well the stream holds up under stress. It will be interesting to see how many people are able to watch simultaneously.

Texting Your Way to Love

Time have changed. People no longer send handwritten love notes. No, technology has forever transformed the way we connect with other people, as wickedly illustrated in this instructional video on text messaging your way to love. You’ll learn when to send that first “post-makeout” text; when (and when not to) drunk text; and how to turn even the most innocuous text message into a flirtatious, innuendo-laden communique.

Ring true?

Twittering Taco Truck

This week’s Sunday Funny is from the Truth-is-Stranger-Than-Fiction category. Kogi BBQ in LA may not be the only one, but it is different. They combine Korean and Mexican food in a taco truck that Twitters their followers the location of their next taco fix.

If that whets your appetite for more, you can check out Kogi BBQ on the web, or follow KogiBBQ on Twitter.

Tip o’ the hat to Current.TV for the video.

Google Wave Video Overview

Earlier today I shared the announcement of Google Wave — the new, as-yet-unavailable web app that might — if Google has their way — revolutionize the way we do email, instant messaging, communicate and collaborate. Now we’ve got the entire Google Wave keynote from the Google I/O developer conference. See it for yourself, then share your opinion. 

Is Google Wave the next best thing since sliced bread? Or is this yet another Google product destined to wither on the vine?

Celebrity Twitter Overkill

Happy Mother’s Day, folks. For this week’s Sunday Funny we bring you the long-awaited sequel to Twouble with Twitter: Celebrity Twitter Overkill! 

Gotta love the jump the shark reference. Now tweet this to your mom and give her a reason to smile on Mother’s Day! 

 

Sunday Funnies: Emoticon War

Communicating via instant messaging or text alone has challenges. You don’t get to read the body language or see the telling smirk on the other person’s face. And so emoticons were born — a shorthand code to help inject text messages with emotions. And thank god — without them this entire video would be irrelevant. 

Enjoy this week’s Sunday Funny: Emoticon War. Read more

Sunday Funnies: Twitter Frenzy

Welcome to a new series at BigBlueBall we’re calling the Sunday Funnies. With everything that is going on in the world of social media, sometimes you need to sit back and have a good laugh. Each week we’ll be sharing something fun — just for the helluvit.

This week, Jon Stewart and the Daily Show on Comedy Central skewer the Twitter frenzy that has taken hold of the news media. Read more

Secret Moves of Antisocial Smartphone Users

Renny Gleeson gave this 3-minute presentation at TED, outlining how smartphones can lead to dehumanizing behavior by expecting availability. Just because we can be available, doesn’t mean we should be. As Gleeson notes, “…the technology we use to connect, actually separates and isolates.”

How available should we be? What about the here and now? Poignant for both mobile phone users and the people creating these brave new technologies.

What is Twitter?

What is Twitter? Current TV offers this humorous explanation in Twouble with Twitters.  Watch for the Fail Whale.