YouTube is the #1 Source For Music Among Teenagers

Oh kids these days…. CDs are lame. MP3s are so 2008. According to a recent Nielsen study, the vast majority of teenagers get their music from YouTube. Here’s the scoop from the Wall Street Journal:

Nearly two-thirds of U.S. teenagers under the age of 18 say they use Google Inc.’s video-sharing site to listen to music, more than any other medium, according to a new consumer survey from Nielsen Co., one of many challenges facing record companies as they transition into the digital world.

This surprised the hell out of me, but perhaps it shouldn’t have. The first time I went online with a computer was with a 300 baud modem on a Commodore 64. I listened to eight-track cartridges and records as a kid. I can’t imagine what it’s like growing up with the easy access to information that the Internet provides. I would have guessed that teenagers preferred getting music from a digital retailer like Amazon or Apple. After further thought, YouTube is free and simple. Considering that many American teenagers have 24/7 Internet access then it’s no wonder that YouTube is the most popular music source for that demographic.

Any of you surprised by Nielsen’s findings?

Source

Classic Videogame Hats

While sorting through all my junk that’s still at my parents’ house, I unearthed all sorts of videogame-related treasures. Here are a trio of caps that cracked me up. The first is a media hat from E3 1998. This was the last Atlanta E3 and I’m happy the show is no longer held there (fine city, but bad for a trade show). Next up is a 3dfx hat. Remember those guys?!? The company used to be one of the top names in PC graphics before crashing hard. I fondly remember slapping together an SLI setup with two Voodoo 2 graphics cards. Last, is a Jade Cocoon hat. This RPG was developed by Genki and published by Crave in America. It had a Pokemon-like aspect to it, which made it a bit different from other PlayStation RPGs.

Any of you happen to have old videogame hats around the house?

 

Today’s Poll: Do You Use YouTube on Your Consoles?

Google recently announced the release of the official YouTube app for PlayStation 3. The Xbox 360 has had an official app for some time already. With some typical Nintendo Internet silliness, you can enjoy YouTube on the Wii too. Do any of you use YouTube on your home videogame consoles?

As for me, I never do. Between my computers, tablets, and phones, I have several options that offer better YouTube experiences. That said, I understand that my situation is unusual. Maybe lots of you use and enjoy watching YouTube videos on your consoles. Kindly vote in today’s poll and let me know what you think of YouTube for home consoles.

[poll id=”160″]

Fudgie the Whale is a Charmander Rip-Off!

Since I don’t visit the east coast too often, I haven’t been to a Carvel in years. My brother and I went the other day, and I was shocked to see that Carvel has a Fudgie the Whale mascot. The first question that popped into my head is, “Why is he standing upright?!? He’s a whale!” The next thought was, “The Fudgie mascot looks very familiar….”

After I posted the picture above on Facebook, my hot friend Emily asked if it was a photo of a Charmander. A-ha! Fudgie the Whale looks like a brown Charmander sans tail. I wonder what Fudgie’s move-set consists of. Does he spray ice cream and those delicious chocolate crunchies at enemies? Maybe he coats himself with fudge armor for increased defense and special defense. I think I’ll take a bunch of pokeballs, head to Carvel, and try to catch Fudgie this afternoon.

Caroll Spinney (Big Bird, Oscar) Documentary Seeks Kickstarter Funds

Millions of people have been influenced and entertained by Caroll Spinney, the man that has provided the voices of Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street since 1969. Spinney is the last of the original Sesame Street puppeteers and Copper Pot Pictures thought it would be a fine idea to make a documentary about the man. The film will be called I Am Big Bird. The company has reached its Kickstarter goal of $100,000, but there’s still time to contribute to the film.

Unlike an upstart Android console or an LGBT gamer conference, there shouldn’t be any debate about this Kickstarter project. Spinney is an awesome man that has voiced two of the most iconic characters in the history of children’s television. He has spent most of his life making children of all ages happy. A documentary about him and his work on Sesame Street sounds wonderful! Check out the video below for more details on I Am Big Bird.

Coffee Talk #509: Your Favorite 2012 Olympics Moment

The 2012 Olympic competition is over. London did a fantastic job with Olympics XXX, with classy venues, a great opening ceremony, and a fantastic closing ceremony. In between Mr. Bean and the Spice Girls, lots of great sports events took place. What were some of your favorite moments? Were you dazzled by the speed of Usain Bold? Did you gasp when Nicolas Batum ball-punched Juan Carlos Navarro? Perhaps Michael Phelps capping of his stellar Olympic career pulled on your heartstrings. I want to hear all about your favorite Olympic moments.

As for me, it was all about McKayla Maroney…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, devouring NY pizza, devouring NY bagels, or devouring NY chicken parm heroes, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

The 2012 Olympic competition is over. London did a fantastic job with Olympics XXX, with classy venues, a great opening ceremony, and a fantastic closing ceremony. In between Mr. Bean and the Spice Girls, lots of great sports events took place. What were some of your favorite moments? Were you dazzled by the speed of Usain Bold? Did you gasp when Nicolas Batum ball-punched Juan Carlos Navarro? Perhaps Michael Phelps capping of his stellar Olympic career pulled on your heartstrings. I want to hear all about your favorite Olympic moments.

As for me, it was all about McKayla Maroney. In general, I love watching Olympic gymnastics and figure skating; it’s awesome when they fall down and cry. You would expect a 16-year old girl like Maroney to cry after botching a landing that cost her a gold medal. Instead, she got pissed, started an internet phenomenon, and thoroughly embraced it. This girl is awesome and it was fun watching her blow up (and teach Jenna Bush how to “Dougie”).

Now it’s your turn! What were your favorite moments from the 2012 London Olympics?

Jeffrey “Osang” Soliven Rocks X-Factor Phillipines

Osang is better than anybody I’ve seen on American Idol in the last five years. This transgender contestant rocks Drowning Pool’s “Bodies” and goes in an entirely different direction with Shaggy’s “Mr. Boombastic“. Underneath Osang’s effeminate facade is a hard-rocking power singer with enough versatility to tackle reggae grooves. Watch this video (please) and become a witness to Osang taking over the world (well…at least Southeast Asia).

This Week’s Videogame Releases

After several dry weeks, summer 2012 heats up with three big game releases. First up is Square Enix’s Sleeping Dogs. If you dig Grand Theft Auto-style games and Hong Kong action flicks then you’ll love this game. It’s pretty sweet. On the other side of the spectrum is The Last Story. This RPG was directed by the legendary Hironobu Sakaguchi, famous for his work on the Final Fantasy series. Finally, Darksiders II should dazzle gamers with a great blend of action and puzzles.

Any of you picking up new games this week?