YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley in Dublin in 2010
In our round-up of the weekend’s top tech news, YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley is working on a mysterious new start-up that will enable video collaboration, Intel is believed to be hunting for a CEO from outside its ranks and Mozilla still refuses to build a browser for iOS devices.
YouTube co-founder planning another video-based start-up
One of the founding members of YouTube Chad Hurley is understood to be planning a new video-based start-up that allows users to collaborate over video and create content.
According to a SXSW report on AdWeek, Hurley said the intention is not to compete with YouTube, but instead create something better suited for collaboration.
While Hurley gave nothing away about his new venture, he did describe how YouTube was almost acquired by Yahoo!, before Google came in with US$1.6bn in 2006.
“Yahoo! didn’t necessarily step up the way Google did …We knew they were going to give us the support,” Hurley said.
Intel seeks CEO candidate from outside its ranks
Breaking with tradition, Intel is believed to be on the lookout for an outside candidate to replace Paul Otellini as CEO of the company.
According to Quartz, if one of them is selected, it would be the first time the world’s largest chip maker has gone with an outsider for its top job.
“Some of the names being considered include former Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha and VMware CEO and former Intel executive Patrick Gelsinger, along with other internal and external candidates, according to people familiar with the matter. It’s early in the process, and the board is being methodical about the search, so it’s too early to say who the frontrunners are, the people added.”
The aim is to announce the successor to Otellini by the annual shareholder meeting on 16 May.
The Google Street View story
TechCrunch had an insightful story about how the closest thing we’ll ever know to teleporting – Google Street View – came into being from its days as a research project at Stanford University in California.
“The concept of moving throughout the world freely without actually having to ‘physically’ travel is the Holy Grail for many. Being able to explore a physical space that is thousands of miles away without having to deal with the rigours of travel seems like something out of a science-fiction novel. With Street View, Google has brought us as close as we could possibly get to teleportation – without the actual physical matter transference, of course.”
New bill could facilitate legal jailbreaking of smartphones
Hilicon Valley reported that the new US Wireless Consumer Choice Act introduced on Thursday aims to legalise mobile phone unlocking and allow owners to switch their devices to other networks.
“The bill, sponsored by Sens Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), would instruct the Federal Communications Commission to order carriers to allow their customers to unlock their phones and switch providers after they have completed their contracts. Rep Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.) plans to introduce companion legislation in the House.
“Consumers should have flexibility and choice when it comes to their wireless service and they deserve to keep and use cellphones they have already purchased,” Klobuchar said in a statement.
Mozilla – no plans to build a Firefox browser for iOS
CNET reported that during a SXSW talk, Mozilla said it had no plans to build a Firefox web browser for Apple’s iOS ecosystem until Apple changed its ways.
“The sticking point for Mozilla is not being able to carry over its sophisticated rendering and javascript engines to iOS. Essentially, the organisation doesn’t feel like it can build the browser it wants to for Apple’s platform,” CNET reported.
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