BitTorrent is an impressive way to share big files online. It explains why it has become a favourite among people looking to get the latest episode of Lost or dodgy recording of a Hollywood blockuster, illegally of course. But there are signs that the media industry is realising it cannot fight the technology, with major studios announcing a deal with the BitTorrent company to distribute their movies. Under the plans,

File under news of the obvious. According to a poll for the BBC, Brits who watch video over the internet or by mobile watch less TV. Unsurprisingly, online and mobile video is far more popular among the young, with 28% of those aged 16-24 saying they watched more than once each week. This does not mean that TV is going to go away any time soon. But it does mean

This video has been around for a while. But I found it again, thanks to Mindy McAdams. It is a take on the War of the Worlds – in this case, it is old media that is facing an invasion from an unseen but numerous enemy. The video is based on Chris Long’s The Long Tail

One of the big debates in journalism is the question of how in touch news editors are with the audience. News sites increasingly offer a section which shows the most popular stories with readers. This neat page ranks how in touch the BBC News website is with its readers. It works by comparing the top 10 headlines on the front page with the 10 most read stories, pulling the information

The great thing about podcasts is that you can listen to them at any time, on any device and in any place. The convenience has led to a growth in the number of people who say they download podcasts, according to a Pew Internet study. Now 12% of American netizens download podcasts, up from 7% earlier this year. But the same Pew study suggests that few are becoming hooked. Few

CBS is getting into a frenzy about YouTube in this press release. The two are best pals now, a month into their partnership that offers CBS clips on YouTube legally. CBS has uploaded more than 300 clips since the service launched on October 18. It says these have been viewed 29.2 million times on YouTube, which is an average of 857,000 views daily. In the words of Quincy Smith, President,

Since when was it a good idea to hand over your key assets to one of your main rivals? This is exactly what 176 newspapers in 38 US states are doing. As the New York Times reports: “A consortium of seven newspaper chains representing 176 daily papers across the country is announcing a broad partnership with Yahoo to share content, advertising and technology, another sign that the wary newspaper business

So Tom and Katie got married at the weekend. Not, in my book, the biggest story of the day. But this didn’t stop MSNBC TV going overboard with its breaking news alerts. MediaBistro has a sample of the constant breaking news astons that peppered five hours of “breaking news” coverage on the celebrity wedding. Among the choice entries: Wedding of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes to begin in minutes Cruise

All is not well at the net giant Yahoo. The Wall Street Journal has a story about a senior vice-president bemoaning Yahoo’s current strategy. A four-page memo by Brad Garlinghouse , SVP of Communications, Communities, and Front Doors, compares Yahoo’s strategy to peanut butter. Why peanut butter? In his words: “I’ve heard our strategy described as spreading peanut butter across the myriad opportunities that continue to evolve in the online

The MediaGuardian has made a bit of a splash with its story that the BBC is going to pay for photos or video sent in by the public. The article talks about this is a “departure for the BBC” quoting comments by the head of News Interactive, Pete Clifton, from three weeks ago. At the time he said he did not expect to pay for content from viewers. The new