He'll reprise his classic songs, such as Show Me Your Genitals, Everyday Normal Guy and High as F--k. And when he plays Victoria tonight, comedian Jon Lajoie will also dispense valuable acting advice.

"I'll give my acting tips, tricks of the trade, if you want to become a success in Hollywood. What you have to do," Lajoie said from his Los Angeles home. "One acting tip I got from Bruce Willis is, always remember that squinting is an emotion."

This is part of a new 10-minute routine Lajoie has hatched — a humorous Powerpoint presentation on how to be a "super good actor like Jon Lajoie."The 31-year-old Montreal native is a bona fide child of the Internet generation. He first soared to international notice with his YouTube videos, attracting more than 250 million aggregate views.

Lajoie's quirky, satirical comedy — typically delivered deadpan — struck a resounding chord among web surfers. Among his most popular YouTube clips is Show Me Your Genitals, in which Lajoie, playing a dull-witted white rapper, rails at women. Sample lyric: "I wanna see your bum, I don't care what you say/No, I don't have feelings, 'cause feelings are gay." The deliberately misogynist spoof racked up more then 45 million hits alone.

While many YouTube sensations soar high and then fizzle, Lajoie used his notoriety as a career stepping stone, joining the cast of The League, a U.S. sitcom on the FX network. Its executive producer is Jeff Schaffer, a former Seinfield writer who has also directed Curb Your Enthusiasm.

The semi-scripted show is about a fantasy football league. Lajoie plays a stoned, unemployed musician called Taco MacArthur. Ratings have been at an all-time high, he says.

"Hopefully we've got a fourth season. It's a really good group of people, a lot of fun."Lajoie also tours as a solo comic and has had his own special on Comedy Central. His chief exposure continues to be his YouTube videos, however. They don't bring in big money, but do hoist his pop-culture flag high.

He admits his videos often straddle the line between being funny and being offensive. Lajoie likes investigating dark and edgy topics such as sexual taboos, racism . . . even suicide. "All those extremes, I think, can be really funny — if you do it right," he said. And it can backfire. When Michael Jackson died in 2009, Lajoie decided to write a comedy song. His bad taste ditty included "all the worst things you can say about Michael Jackson." Yet when he played it for a friend, a Jackson fan, he was told it didn't come across well.

Lajoie decided to switch aim. He wrote a new song, Michael Jackson is Dead, this time skewering the media's pandering — and to Lajoie's mind hypercritical — reportage on the pop star's passing.

"In reality they pushed him into the cave. It was about how, all of a sudden, they're praising the guy they crucified."Sometimes his satire is misunderstood. Some guys have told him they enjoy Show Me Your Genitals because they like the sexist attitude it expresses — the very attitude that Lajoie is, in fact, trying to criticize. "They'd be like, 'Yeah, you wrote a song about how I feel about women.' That reaction is the worst," he said.

Lajoie has his own limits. He won't indulge in gratuitous attacks on religion, mostly — he admits — because his own parents are "very religious."Indeed, his family is what keeps him grounded. Lajoie grew up one of nine brothers and sisters. His no-nonsense mom and dad have told him he'll "grow out of" making rude comic videos. As for The League: "They say, ah, we kinda don't really get that kind of stuff," Lajoie said with a laugh.

Today, Lajoie says he must make a conscious effort to retain the sense of devil-may-care whimsy that first garnered him followers four years ago. The danger, he says, lies in too much second-guessing.

"You can't be afraid to be silly, to do something childish or do something that may offend or something. You don't want to get too in your head about it."And living girlfriend-free in his Los Angeles apartment doesn't really help, he said.

"That's why I have to go back home to Montreal a lot. In Montreal, I stay at my parents' place. I feel like a kid again — that really gives me the feeling. All that Los Angeles TV thing, all that stuff doesn't matter. That's just silly stuff. Who the hell cares?

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If you're like most PCWorld readers, you probably have a few classic YouTube videos you love to share with friends, family, and coworkers. That's all fine and good when you're connected to the Internet, but what if you want to save a few of your favorite videos to a USB stick or burn some memorable clips to disc as a gift? If you want to download YouTube videos without having to pay a fee, install a toolbar, or run a dubious browser plug-in, we suggest you use YouTube Downloader HD. A free downloadable program, YouTube Downloader HD keeps things simple: You provide the URL of the video, select the video quality and format, and click the Download button. YouTube Downloader HD has a limited selection of output formats and can’t download from video sites other than YouTube, but it still shines with its adware-free installation, ability to download multiple videos simultaneously, and automatic conversion feature.

Installing YouTube Downloader HD
1. Download YouTube Downloader HD, then install and launch the program.

2. Select the quality of the video using the Download dropdown menu. Many YouTube videos are offered in multiple quality levels—from 240p to Full HD 1080p. Higher-quality videos look better but take up more hard-drive space and take longer to download.

3. Check one of the optional boxes if you want to convert an FLV video to AVI or MP4. The FLV format is not as widely supported as AVI and MP4, so you may find your media player won’t recognize FLV videos.

4. Insert the URL of the YouTube video you want to download in the Video URL field. Follow the format of the example provided below the field.

5. Enter a Save to location.

6. Click the Download button. If you selected a video quality higher than is available, the program will prompt you to automatically try the next-best quality setting. This prompt will repeat until the highest available quality setting is found.

If you selected an FLV conversion option, conversion takes place automatically after the download is complete. YouTube Downloader HD will notify you when the video is saved and ready for viewing. Unfortunately YouTube Downloader HD does not support batch downloading at this time, but you can launch multiple instances of the program to download multiple YouTube videos simultaneously.

Disclaimer
Some YouTube videos have a download button or link, but the majority do not. The YouTube Terms of Service prohibit downloading video clips that lack an official download button or link. You should also be aware that the YouTube FAQ states that downloading a video without a download button or link violates the video owner’s copyright.

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Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd has joined forces with YouTube sensation Natalie Tran to unveil a mobile application for the government's travel advisory website. The nerdy duo demonstrated how to use the Smartraveller web app, which is designed to make the services of the website more accessible, at Sydney Airport. "We are working hard to adapt to the changing needs of travelling Australians," Mr Rudd said in a recent release.

"It is vital that the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's consular services are as effective and accessible to as many Australians as possible."The Smartraveller website has also been overhauled, he said. "Smartraveller has well and truly entered the digital age, that is why we are re-launching the website," Mr Rudd said at the launch of the updated website and mobile app. "It's cleaner, it's clearer, it's more intuitive, it's easier to navigate."The site will also link to social media platforms and embedded videos.
Ms Tran, a YouTube blogger from Sydney who blogs under the nickname communitychannel and has around a million subscribers, said a strong online presence was essential for a service like Smartraveller.
"Two of my favourite things are travel and spending time online ... and I, like many other Australians are finding more and more that the two worlds go hand-in-hand," Ms Tran said at the announcement.

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YouTube is to make Disney's library of films available on its new movie rental site for the first time as part of the Google-owned website's ongoing bid to present itself as the No 1 destination for video on demand in a rapidly developing marketplace.

The deal means films from Disney, its wholly-owned subsidiary Pixar, and other studios such as DreamWorks (which distribute via the Mouse House) will be available to stream online. Titles initially available will include films such as Cars 2, Alice in Wonderland and Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides.

YouTube marketing executive Minjae Ormes said newer titles would be joined over time by classic movies from the Disney back catalogue. "Check back in because even more of the great Disney classics and new releases will be added in weeks to come, including our YouTube Movie Extras with behind-the-scenes clips, interviews and more," he wrote on the YouTube movies blog.

YouTube launched its movie rental site in May as it seeks to reposition itself as a one-stop shop for on-demand video. The site is also launching a co-branded channel with Disney with a reported budget of between $10m and $15m, one of more than 100 it plans to unleash, all based on original programming. The channel will be available on both Disney.com and YouTube, launching in early 2012. "Disney Interactive will produce and programme the co-branded video destinations for both Disney.com and YouTube, providing a family-friendly experience for viewers across both platforms," Disney and YouTube said in a statement earlier this month. YouTube was bought by Google for $1.65bn in 2006, and the investment reflects the company's view that the internet is the next phase in the television business.

In the UK, YouTube has moved into a soon-to-be crowded video-on-demand marketplace that already includes Amazon-owned LoveFilm's movie streaming service and will see US giant Netflix enter the fray in early 2012. The latter announced last month that it is making its first venture into Europe by launching in the UK and Ireland next year.

LoveFilm announced its own deal to show Disney films in April. The service also has agreements with film studios such as MGM, Momentum and Warner Bros. Netflix has more than 25 million users in the US, Canada and Latin America, while LoveFilm has more than 1.6 million subscribers in the UK and Europe.

YouTube remains the top hosting destination for amateur video with more than 3bn views per day, and boasts that more footage is uploaded to the site in one month than the three major US networks have created in 60 years. However, it has yet to prove itself as the No 1 destination for paidfor video on demand in the face of increasing competition from Apple's iTunes, Hulu and Netflix, among others.

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Google is continuing its full-fledged push for native HTML5 by adding support today for 1080p full-HD video playback to its HTML5 player on YouTube’s website. And even further HTML5 features released include native fullscreen playback, provided closed captioning, annotations, and a new menu that makes it more easy to embed videos and share videos links. Note that the YouTube HTML5 player is still in trial mode; to try it out, opt in on Youtube’s HTML5 trial page right here.

With the current war on Flash being driven by another technology company, Google themselves hasn’t entirely killed off Flash on YouTube, however. Some significant changes introduced today for the YouTube flash player includes buffer-free playback and seamless transitions between different video-quality settings. These settings haven’t been pushed out to all videos yet, but expect them to be very soon in the coming time.

This is great news for companies who have embraced HTML5 rich content on the internet, and, well, not so good for Adobe, which recently just for their mobile flash player. And full-on 1080P support on the HTMl5 player is yet another thorn in the side of Flash development ans sustainment in general. SlashGear readers, have you transitioned from the Flash to the HTML player on YouTube already? Leave your answers and thoughts in the comment section below.

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YouTube's new premium content push featuring the likes of Madonna and Ashton Kutcher spurred speculation that the Googleowned site is issuing a direct challenge to the television industry.

That suspicion was given further credence by reports that Google is considering offering paid cable-TV services to consumers. For Michael Hirschorn, chief creative officer of the recently launched IconicTV and one of the nearly 100 content providers participating in the initiative, there's something much bigger taking shape. The programming veteran believes that YouTube's initiative shows that walls between traditional television and digital video are collapsing. As evidence that the barriers are weakening, he cites the explosive growth of connected televisions and tablets.

"The new terrain lives in between TV and the Internet," said Hirschorn. "It requires a nimbleness and where appropriate, a humility, to be open to all the change that is approaching."Iconic is a joint venture between Hirschorn, a former Vh1 executive and the author of a controversial Atlantic piece on the demise of the New York Times, and Larry Aidem, the former chief executive of the Sundance Channel.

Iconic's initial offerings are Life and Times, which will focus on Jay-Z's cultural and artistic interests, "Uno Dos Tres," a bilingual channel featuring music, dance and telenovelas; and "Myish," a platform for emerging indie singers. Each channel will be responsible for 50 hours of programming a year, and in return, YouTube will advance the content creators a nine-figure sum against ad revenues. Hirschorn declined to comment on how any profits would be split.

Ultimately, cable networks may begin making carriage deals with YouTube. As part of the new offering, Hirschorn said that You-Tube is shaking up the way it is organized - a rhizomatic format that may have helped turn David at the Dentist into a viral phenomenon, but hasn't allowed the company's modest efforts at hosting premium content to get off the ground.

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That suspicion was given further credence by reports that Google is considering offering paid cable-TV services to consumers. For Michael Hirschorn, chief creative officer of the recently launched IconicTV and one of the nearly 100 content providers participating in the initiative, there's something much bigger taking shape. The programing veteran believes that YouTube's initiative shows that walls between traditional television and digital video are collapsing.

As evidence that the barriers are weakening, he cites the explosive growth of connected televisions and tablets. "The new terrain lives in between TV and the Internet," said Hirschorn. "It requires a nimbleness and where appropriate, a humility, to be open to all the change that is approaching."

Iconic is a joint venture between Hirschorn (above) and Larry Aidem. Aidem, the former chief executive officer of the Sundance Channel, and Hirschorn, a former Vh1 executive and the author of a controversial Atlantic piece on the demise of the New York Times, will oversee three programs for YouTube.

Iconic's initial offerings are "Life and Times," which will focus on Jay-Z's cultural and artistic interests, "Uno Dos Tres," a bi-lingual channel featuring music, dance and telenovelas; and "Myish," a platform for emerging indie singers.

Each channel will be responsible for 50 hours of programing a year, and in return, YouTube will advance the content creators a nine figure sum against ad revenues. Hirschorn declined to comment on how any profits would be split.

Talks between Hirschorn, Aidem and YouTube brass began six months ago, with the video service deciding what channels would be part of the launch in August and early September. Hirschorn believes that YouTube may have found the right formula to make broadcast quality digital entertainment pay.

"The battle for viewers' attention has become ever harder, but being good in this medium requires a different set of attributes," Hirschorn said. "This is a punk rock moment, it's not an arena rock moment. Helicopter shots are not going to impress this audience. Instead you need to do it with an intelligence and speed and brevity and a really good sense of humor."

Hirschorn maintains that the new normal with regard to entertainment consumption is "a steady diet of cable TV, YouTube, Hulu, Yahoo, and Amazon." As all of those offerings begin to be better integrated on various devices, the distinction between internet and television programing will become less stark.

Ultimately, cable networks may begin making carriage deals with YouTube just as they would a cable provider, Hirschorn speculated. As part of the new offering, Hirschorn said that YouTube is shaking up the way it is organized -- a rhizomatic format that may have helped turn "David at the Dentist" into a viral phenomenon, but hasn't allowed the company's modest efforts at hosting premium content to get off the ground.

"With its Google TV interface, YouTube is attempting to solve the problems of their search based discovery," Hirschorn said. "It's a little unanswerable, but all this influx of new content will change viewership patterns."

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Film-makers swear by the adage never work with children or animals. But home videos of giggling babies, cute kittens and sneezing pandas are earning thousands for families on the internet.

A 58-second clip of two young brothers has helped net their family more than £100,000 (about R1.2-million) after it was watched 386 million times. The unlikely internet sensation went viral on YouTube, earning the boys’ father Howard Davies-Carr a share of its advertising revenue.

YouTube claims hundreds of families are making six-figure sums through similar deals. “Charlie bit my finger - again!”, as it was titled, shows the moment one-year-old Charlie Davies-Carr sunk his teeth into his unwary older brother’s finger. The film of giggling Charlie “and the outraged reaction of his three-year-old brother Harry” was posted on YouTube in 2007 for friends and family to enjoy.

But it was featured on a US TV show and went on to become a phenomenon, spawning fan clubs and even mobile ring tones of Harry howling: “Ouch, Charlie, ouch!”The film, and other videos Mr Davies-Carr has uploaded, have earned the family more than £100,000 through a “partnership” with the website. The company monitors all uploads and if it believes a video will go viral, it contacts the person who posted it. Revenue from ads placed around the clip is then shared between the site and the film’s creator.

Mr Davies-Carr, 42, and his wife Shelley plan to put the money towards school fees for their children. The IT consultant from Buckinghamshire also sells T-shirts with the logo “Charlie Bit Me” after he realised others were making money from selling merchandise linked to his sons. But he has denied “commercialising” the brothers.

He said: “Ever since the boys were born, I’ve had the camera out, but ‘Charlie bit my finger - again!’ that was pretty much the first video I’d posted. It was just a small captured moment I wanted to share with their godfather in Colorado.”

Another beneficiary of the phenomenon is Jamie Hagan, whose videos of his younger brother Jacob have been seen by 16 million. In 2008 the teenager filmed his seven-year-old brother playing on a computer game, and his tearful reaction when it was switched off.

The resulting video went viral and since then Jamie, now 18, estimates he has made about £40,000. He became a YouTube “partner”, and receives about 60 p per 1,000 views of his videos.

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In 2010, Dan Savage launched the "It Gets Better Project" to connect gay teens with video messages of support from older gay people. The site now has thousands of video messages and has been credited with saving the lives of LGBT youth who were pondering suicide.

Now Google is launching a similar project for veterans. Called "Vet Connect," the YouTube and Google+ project is a collection of support videos from veterans who speak about their experiences of returning home from war.

The goal, according to a Google spokeswoman, is to have a database of stories for vets to turn to when they come back home from Iraq and Afghanistan. By browsing the videos and G+ profiles, vets may not feel so alone.

Here's how Carrie Laureno, founder of the project, explained it in a post Friday morning on Google's official blog: We believe that technology can be a force for good; one that builds and binds community. As a Googler, my proudest moments are when we take that technology and put it in the hands of people who can use it to communicate, collaborate, build and explore.

A website called Google for Veterans and Families is the hub for this project. More on that from Google's blog: This single interface brings together Google products and platforms for service members and their families. We believe it will be useful to all veterans, whether still in the service, transitioning out, or on a new path in their civilian lives. To post a video tribute to veterans, or to share your story of returning home from war, visit the Google

Veterans YouTube channel.
Mike Reeves, a 29-year-old financial analyst at Google who participated in the project, said it was strangely easier to tell the story of his return to the U.S. from Iraq on YouTube than it would be to talk about that with his family. "It’s very interesting but when you’re trying to help your fellow veterans it’s a little different than talking to loved ones," he sad in an interview on Friday.

The online videos from other vets would have been helpful when he returned from service, he said.
"I didn’t know how to navigate school - didn’t have an education yet. I was just lost," he said. "And I had no one to share this with. And I didn’t feel comfortable sharing it with my family. But with this tool, you can meet other vets and hear their stories… and really have that support group."Here's a look at a few of the more-compelling videos that have been posted on the site. So far, many of them are from vets who work at Google.

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YouTube and The Walt Disney Co. announced on Monday they are teaming up to produce an original video series and feature "family-friendly" Disney programming on the popular video-sharing site.

Disney Interactive and Google-owned YouTube said the programming will be available on Disney.com and on YouTube and the "complementary online video destinations" will launch in early 2012.

"Disney Interactive will produce and program the co-branded video destinations for both Disney.com and YouTube, providing a family-friendly experience for viewers across both platforms," Disney and YouTube said.

The programming will include original video from Disney, Disney Interactive original series, some Disney Channel programming and content created by Disney users. The first project will launch in February and will be an original video series based on Disney's mobile game "Where's My Water?"

"With online video consumption exploding and YouTube at the center of that trend, we see an opportunity for Disney Interactive and YouTube to bring Disney's legacy of storytelling to a new generation of families and Disney enthusiasts on the platforms they prefer," Disney Interactive co-president Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement.

"As we prepare to re-launch Disney.com in fall 2012, the Disney/YouTube destination will play a critical part in our next generation platform," he said. According to The New York Times, Disney Interactive and YouTube will spend a combined $10 million to $15 million on original video series.

The newspaper said Disney Interactive has lost more than $300 million in the last four quarters and described the deal as an acknowledgement by Disney that YouTube is a bigger draw for children looking for video online than Disney.

"It's imperative to go where our audience is," Pitaro told the Times. The newspaper said Disney will sell advertising inventory and split the revenue with YouTube. YouTube, which Google bought for $1.65 billion in 2006, has been gradually adding professional content in an effort to generate revenue and announced last month that it is adding about 100 channels of original programming.

YouTube remains the top online destination for amateur video, but it faces stiff competition when it comes to professional content from services such as Apple's iTunes, Hulu and Netflix.

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