YouTube lets you embed and play videos in Android app

As per an official statement on the YouTube API blog, users can now embed and play YouTube videos in their app, courtesy the new YouTube Android Player API. Ross McIlroy, Anton Hansson and Horia Ciurdar of the YouTube Mobile Team add further that the API, which had been pre-announced at Google I/O 2012, allows users high-quality video playback using Android 2.2 (Froyo) or newer. Users do not require WebView anymore and the new Android Player API offers easy integration with a user's Android application. Users can now go in for fullscreen and orientation change support, as also closed captions. It supports YouTube ads. The API currently is experimental though. 

You don't need WebView any more!

The post further lists down some apps that users can explore. First among these is Flipboard, which users can explore for all their news and life's great moments in one place. Users can watch YouTube videos from wherever they are in Flipboard without leaving the application. Then there is the BuzzFeed app that delivers original reporting, scoops and social content on the web. Android users can view their chosen BuzzFeed content featuring YouTube videos in the BuzzFeed app and share it with them. The 9x9.tv is another app that allows users to discover and watch videos organised into TV-like channels. SoundTracking app allows users to use their mobile phone or tablet to share their music moments and favourite jams with friends and family. Lastly, there is Fitness Flow by Skimble that helps users get in shape with high quality exercise videos by professional trainers. 

Google recently launched the YouTube Capture app for all those iPhone and iPod touch users who love recording, enhancing and sharing videos on YouTube. Reed Morse, Software Engineer at YouTube, shared in an official blog post that the newly launched app is the search giant's attempt at speeding up recording, enhancing and sharing videos for users to share with their friends or the whole world. 

The app is ready to record as soon as you open it. Once you are done filming your video, you can write a caption, select the audience you want to share it with and then hit Share. The video continues to be uploaded in the background, even if you have minimised the app. Users can decide the audience they want to share their video with – be it private (only the user can see it), unlisted (only those with a link to the video will be able to view it) or public. 

By way of an official blog post recently, Raul Furnica, Vladimir Vuskovic and Pepijn Crouzen of the YouTube API Team raised the curtain on the YouTube API version 3.0. It will enable users to to make better integrated video experiences. Elaborating further, the post adds that the new API is easy to use, courtesy the rich client library support, improved tooling, reference documentation and integration with Google’s common API infrastructure. “Version 3.0 only returns what you ask for and is using JSON rather than XML encoding for greater efficiency. The API introduces new core functionality including Freebase integration via topics, and universal search.  If you develop social media management apps, you’ll love channel bulletin post and full subscriber list management, also new in this release. Version 3.0 of the API constitutes the API's biggest overhaul to date and we’re eager for you to try it today!” the blog post explains.