Ok, What Just Happened to My YouTube?







Sooooo.... I see that Google has been tinkering around with YouTube.  Did you notice? Everything looks different.  I feel a little disoriented.  I'm not how I feel about the changes just yet.  

 Apparently they've decided after 12 years to finally update YouTube's look and functionality.  They've redesigned the desktop AND mobile versions.  

 According to Heavy.com,

 "The desktop version also gets the added feature of a dark theme. The mobile version made the header white and moved the navigation tabs to the bottom so they’re closer to the thumbs as well as adding Library and Account tabs. The ability to speed up or slow down a video’s playback was also added to mobile as well as the ability to view a row of suggested videos while watching in full screen. Probably the most drastic change is the new logo, which takes the play button icon from the “tube” part of YouTube and places it in the front of the word."

 And Google says they're not done yet.  Here's a list of some of the features of the mobile app:
  • Clean new design: We’ve made the header white to let content take the lead and moved the navigation tabs to the bottom of the app so they’re closer to your thumbs.
  • Videos that move with you: One of the things we’re working on is bringing gestures to YouTube. Earlier this year, we introduced a gesture that allows you to double tap on the left or right side of a video to fast forward or rewind 10 seconds. Give it a try! We already see billions of double taps per day. And I wanted to give you a sneak peek at another gesture I am really excited about. In the coming months, we'll experiment with a feature that lets you jump between videos with a simple swipe of your hand: just swipe left to watch a previous video or swipe right to watch the next one.
  • Watch at your own pace: Users love that they are able to speed up and slow down the playback of a video on desktop, and we're excited to bring this feature to the mobile app today, so you can enjoy videos at whatever speed you prefer.
  • Adapt to any video, beautifully: We've also been experimenting with new ways to display all videos in the best possible way. Soon, the YouTube player will seamlessly change shape to match the video format you’re watching, such as vertical, square or horizontal. That means you’ll always get the best viewing experience automatically – including vertical videos with no black bars on the sides!
  • Browse and discover while you watch: We recently added a feature that lets you view a row of suggested videos while you’re watching in full screen. We're also working on transforming the area below the player so you can browse videos in totally new ways.
The one thing that I've found so far that I DO like is the accessibility to more options in the settings menu:



We should get use to the fact that change is inevitable with technology. But isn't it funny how frustrated we get with the changes at first and then we move on.  (However, you can revert back to the old version of YouTube, but when I did, it still seemed to carried over some of the new features, so what's the point?) The lesson is, I guess we should give it a chance and let's just grow into the changes as they are released.  

Change is the new norm.  We better get use to it.  :-)


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Are You Preparing Your Students with the Right Future Job Skills?

Image
One of the major concerns of educators today is that they are preparing their students for a solid financial future when it comes to job preparation.  In our current digital age, technology is moving faster than our ability to keep up when it comes to the education sector. That's why I love the Google for Education platform.  It's Google's effort to equip today's teachers and students with the relevant technology to succeed in today's world.   For example, their Applied Digital Skills program is a set of  free computer literacy courses designed to prepare learners for a growing number of jobs that require basic digital skills.  These are the skills companies are looking for in today's employees.  Use this free resource to add to your digital course curriculum.  All these classes are created by Google and are aligned with ISTE standards.     Visit the Applied Digital Skills Website:  https://applieddigitalskills.withgoogle.com/
Read more

A Note to Parents about the MoMo Challenge

Image
So there's a lot of concern about the MoMo Challenge (this online monster meme & videos that tries to encourage kids to commit suicide) and some even think it's a hoax. My two cents on the subject - don't take these things for granted. Whether it's a hoax or not, we need to pay attention. And as parents, we're just going to have the bite the bullet and learn enough about technology so that we can stay involved with what our kids are being exposed to online and then have real- time, continual conversations with them about it. None of these apps, program, blocking software or restriction settings are fool-proof in keeping our kids safe. As challenging as it is, we have to stay a step ahead of this technology game when it comes to our kids. We have to do the work for the sake of our kids. And if you need help, don't be ashamed to ask someone. Here's one resource that may help:  https://www.commonsensemedia.org/blog/parents-ultimate-guide-to-parental-
Read more

Congratulations to Our 2019 Doodle4Google Contestants

Image
I made the clarion call  and these brave kids answered! We're so proud of these superstar students who rose the occasion and entered the 2019 Doodle for Google contest. The students had to create and submit their entries to Google by March 19, 2019. The entries will be reviewed to select state winners who will then move on to the national round.  The final winner will receive a $30,000 college scholarship, a $50,000 tech package for their school or non-profit organization, and their artwork will be displayed for a day on Google.com! Wow! How did we do it as these kids are in three different states (Illinois, North Carolina and Tennessee)? I asked their parents if they would let them join me on a Google Hangout on Tuesday nights for about 30 minutes.  We met online for a few weeks, going through the process of creating and then submitting the entries online with the help of their parents.  The students really enjoyed connecting online each week and getting to see eac
Read more