Future of YouTube and Google

On the Google Blog today they reveal more details on the Google Video & YouTube integration:

YouTube, as we've stated previously, will remain an independent subsidiary of Google, and will continue to operate separately. Google will support YouTube by providing access to search and monetization platforms and, when/where YouTube launches internationally, to international resources. YouTube co-founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen and the rest of the YouTube team will continue to innovate exciting new ways for people to "broadcast themselves."

It sounds like they will be allowing YouTube to grow on it's own just as they did with the Blogger acquisition a few years back, but the goal is clear. Include YouTube video in Google search results and find a way to show ads and monetize the traffic. In the same post Google refers to a new Adsense test with Warner Music Group and Sony BMG Music Entertainment where they will provide ad supported video content from Warner and Sony to a select group of web publishers for display on their websites.

It will be interesting to see what ad format dominates the video revolution. Will it be pre-roll, post-roll, small screen or something else?

Looking for a Good Domain?

A very cool tool for finding good domain names is Instant Domain Search. The website is simple, clean and easy to use. Just start typing in your name and the website tells you instantly if it is available for .com, .net, or .org with easy to view green and red shading. If your preferred name is taken then you can get suggestions for other names from GoDaddy, request SEDO to aquire it, or backorder it from GoDaddy again. You can also get the WHOIS record to see who has it registered, view really cool Hacks, get traffic details from Alexaholic, or just visit the site.

If the domain is available the site shows the price for registering it at 5 different domain registrars.

Sacram.com is available from Yahoo for $1.99.

SacStarts February Dinner

Join a couple of geeks and entrepreneurs for food, fun, and conversation. The next SacStarts dinner is planned for February 22 at Hoppy.

Revionics Moves to New Digs

Sacramento based Revionics, is moving up in the world. Up to Granite Bay exactly. The company announced this week that along with the move effective February 12th, that they have tripled their base of subscribing customers in the last six months. The company recently closed a round of series A funding in December.

Keep an eye on this company, they are going places.

Sacramento Saves the World from Global Climate Change

Corn is a "Low Carbon" Fuel, Join the Clean Energy Diet and Lose Unwanted CO2

Last night, President Bush, in his State of the Union called for more intensive use of ethanol and other alternative fuels in an attempt to cut gasoline use by 20 percent by 2017. This initiative could boost the prospects of many Sacramento Clean Energy companies. Shares of Sacramento-based Pacific Ethanol Inc. jumped 6 percent in anticipation of Bush's State of the Union speech. Pacific Ethanol recently moved its headquarters to Sacramento from Fresno.

Among other things, Bush proposed a mandatory fivefold increase in alternative fuel consumption by 2017. Corn-based ethanol is the leading alternative fuel, although the president also called for greater use of products like biodiesel and cellulosic ethanol -- a form of ethanol made from things like agricultural waste.

Even Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is calling this week for a "low carbon" fuel diet to lighten California's greenhouse gas load. The executive order issued Thursday establishes a statewide goal of shrinking the carbon footprint of California transportation fuels by at least 10 percent by 2020.

Nationally, a consortium of ten large energy and industrial companies, including California energy giant PG&E, Inc. has broken ranks with some other U.S. business groups by calling on the federal government to enact strict limits on emissions that can trap heat in the atmosphere and help create a market for credits issued to companies that cut emission.

With companies like Nu Edison, Mariah Power, and Jadoo Power getting support from organizations like Sarta and the Clean Start Power Up business plan competition, this region may just become the first major Clean Tech hub. The key will be attracting and growing these companies in the Sacramento region. The business plan competition is nice, but how about introducing a world-wide technology competition for Clean Energy with a big payoff like the X-Prize. Or requiring these companies to move to the region in order to receive funding and support. If we really want to go green local cities and counties could give clean energy a huge boost by mandating clean energy policies and initiatives on home builders and large corporations.