Photo by Shht! (Creative Commons)

Thanks to a U.S. district court, media megalith Viacom Inc. could be about to find out.

Last week, in the latest round of legal wrangling over copyrighted material on YouTube, a judge ruled in Viacom’s favor and ordered Google to hand over the IP addresses, user names and viewing histories of all YouTube users – including all of us non-Americans who theoretically shouldn’t even be subject to U.S. law.

As far as I’m concerned, this is bad news – and not just because I’m embarrassed by my addiction to old episodes of America’s Next Top Model.

Yeah, yeah – I realize that watching copyrighted clips of TV shows and movies without permission is, technically, stealing. But if the police wanted to search your cupboard for stolen granola bars, they’d have to get a warrant – they can’t just search everyone’s cupboard simultaneously in the hope of finding some contraband. So why should YouTube viewing histories be any different? Whatever happened to privacy laws, anyhow?

According to Viacom, they’re not looking to prosecute individuals – only to prove that YouTube’s copyright-infringing content is more popular than its homegrown videos. If that’s the case, I don’t see why they haven’t acceded to Google’s request to anonymize the data – removing IP addresses and user names – before handing it over.

I’m a big fan of citizen journalism – and YouTube has become an important tool in the citizen journalist’s arsenal, and in making the happenings in this crazy world more and more accessible to all.

So if anyone at Viacom is listening, I say this: Back off. You’re messing with a lot more than my ANTM habit – you’re also robbing me of my privacy, and threatening to take away one of my means of connecting with the world. Both of those things mean a lot more to me than whatever sh*tty reality TV show you’ve just launched on MTV.

Hey, speaking of copyrighted material and bad reality TV, here’s an entertaining mash-up of the most over-used line in modern television: “I’m not here to make friends…”

(Hattip The Remote Island for the video)

Photo by DanielaNob

Yup, it’s really that simple.

The European Travel Commission has launched a movie-making contest, and the prize for the best travel video (set in Europe, naturally) is a trip for 2 to any European country.

Get full contest rules, watch competitors’ entries, and upload your video here.

And hey, if you win, remember the friendly blogger who tipped you off!

Community Connection:

Check out my past post, Tips To Get You Video Blogging, and follow the links to videos made by other Matador members.

Over at Brave New Traveler, Olivia Giovetti serves up the 20 Most Memorable Travel Films (That Aren’t Really About Travel).

My wife won’t let me have any of the video game consoles I used to own – if I tried to hook up an actual Playstation to the TV in the living room I would get stern looks of disapproval.

But the Nintendo DS is different. It’s small, cuddly, and can be packed on the road. It’s perfect for passing the time during long bus/plane trips. And with the touch-screen controls, the games are actually fun to play.

Anyway, long story short – I received a review copy of a new game Crosswords DS. It’s like Crosswords…only on your DS.

Here’s a little taste of the heated action:

What I like: the crazy amount of puzzles will take you 8 years to complete. It’s fun using the stylus to actually write the letter. You’re timed and graded at the end of every puzzle.

What could be better: The puzzles on Easy are just that…pretty easy. And you have to complete them to get to the higher levels. Also I’ve started to notice repetition on a fraction of the puzzles, which is probably unavoidable.

Bottom line: This little baby made my trip to Vermont a few weeks ago fly – at least until we hit the border crossing and my friend got taken in the back room for additional questioning. But that’s a different story…

Check out Crosswords DS here.

Have you played Crosswords DS? Do you even have a Nintendo DS? If not, I pity you.

The Pulse editors share a love for film. This week, we’re servin’ up a menu of our favorite–and least favorite–films about place.

Eva’s Best Picks:
Shake Hands With The Devil – Moving, harrowing, and deeply compelling docu-drama about General Romeo Dallaire, the commander of all United Nations forces in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide, who was given orders not to intervene.

Bonus points for filming on location in Rwanda (sometimes literally on the sites of massacres), and also for having its characters speak French at times – rather than miraculously conversing in English. You can see my short review of the film here.

Zodiac – There’s a school of thought that says reading mystery or crime fiction is one of the best ways to prepare for a trip – and if that’s the case, why not detective movies, too? I saw David Fincher’s carefully constructed, beautifully acted, slow-building thriller not long before my first visit to the Bay Area, and that night, it was the scenery, and the unfamiliar, enticing place names, that kept me up as much as the grisly murders.

Eva’s Worst Picks:
Boys and Girls - Nerdy Boy and Cool Girl go to Berkeley, strike angry sparks, become best friends, then… well, you know. Can their secret love survive that one fateful night? Can boys and girls ever just be friends? Could there be a bigger waste of the Bay Area as backdrop? Again, I’ve got a short review here.

Made of Honor – I didn’t even like “My Best Friend’s Wedding” that much in the first place – I liked this messy remake even less. It managed to simultaneously brutalize two of my favorite places: New York City and Scotland. In fact, the Scottish scenes were so appalling I’d guess the movie’s release could have touched off riots in Glasgow. My mini-review is here.

Julie’s Best Picks:
Bling – I rolled my eyes when my husband added this to our Netflix queue, but the beauty of “Bling” is that it shows just how powerful and important travel is. When RaeKwon of the WuTang Clan refuses to get off the tour bus to meet Sierra Leonians lacking limbs due to genocidal violence and says, “This shit is blowin’ my mind,” you understand how being in a place rather than just reading about it changes everything.

Beyond the Gates of Splendor- This is another documentary I was hesitant to see, not being particularly interested in another story about the veiled imperialism of Christian missionaries, but I was converted. The story of five couples who went to Ecuador as Christian missionaries and attempted to convert the indigenous Waorani is fascinating, resurrecting persistent questions about the effects of travel, both for those who are visiting and those being visited.

Julie’s Worst Picks:
Reel Paradise and The Man Who Bought Mustique:
Quite possibly two of the worst documentaries ever, but definitely two of the worst place-based films. Both marked by the arrogance of their main characters– displayed in both men’s belief that they were making positive differences in the lives of locals, their inability to think of people other than themselves, and their patent refusal to learn much about local culture while taking full advantage of it–these two documentaries confirm that the ugly American (or the ugly Brit, in the case of “The Man Who Bought Mustique”) is indeed alive and well.

What are your most and least favorite films about place? Leave your list in the Comments section!

Photo: Tala (creative commons)

Maybe you’re young and hip and think PBS is for old fogies and fans of obscure British comedies, nature shows, and Masterpiece Theatre.

But PBS has something in the pipe for you.

This summer, the public television station rolls out the new travel documentary series, “Roughing It,” a show about two 23 year olds from California who set off for Mongolia in search of adventure.

A preview promises the show will be interesting– the guys managed to have tea with the Mongolian president, test their might with a local wrestling champion, and test their intestinal fortitude with some yak vodka.

Keep an eye on the Roughing It website, which will publish broadcast dates as they are announced.

Photo: jonathan_m (creative commons)

Here at Matador Pulse, Eva and I receive lots of e-mails notifying us of new books, products, events, and websites related to travel. Getting the inside scoop on new releases and deciding what’s the best of the best to share with readers are a couple of the perks of our job.

Truth is, we love sharing our opinions with you!

Sometimes, though, we like to leave the final call up to you.

In the past week, we’ve learned of two newish travel-related websites, UrbanStrolls, and Chickable, which seem as if they haven’t reached a critical mass of users just yet.

UrbanStrolls offers self-guided walking tours of San Francisco, Istanbul, and Singapore in MP-3 format for $12.99.

Chickable, on the other hand, is a website creating an online travel community for women “to capitalize on the explosive growth of the women-only travel market.”

Take a look at these sites and let us know what you think… What does a travel website need to do to be relevant, to reach a critical mass of users, and to engage you as a regular visitor? Share your comments below.

Photo: lavendamemory (creative commons)

I recently posted an entry about TripFilms, which I dubbed the traveler’s version of YouTube.

Afterwards, I received an e-mail from Matador member Chris Scott, co-founder of Triporia, another travel film website. I’d describe Triporia as YouTube crossed with TripAdvisor.

Most of Triporia’s content consists of short clips that are reviews of hotels, restaurants, and other travel-related sites. What makes Triporia’s niche distinct is that the videos are posted by travelers and businesses. In effect, Triporia serves as a visual, virtual guidebook… but may raise questions about the “true” nature of the places being reviewed. The site is still young, though, so time will tell how the public responds to the concept.

Have you checked out Triporia? Do you use TripAdvisor? How much do reviews of any type influence your travel decisions? Leave some feedback in the comments below.

Photo: bayswater97

Trains may not be Americans’ preferred mode of transportation, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have their devoted fans.

Arlo Guthrie, Johnny Cash, and Willie Nelson have all sung about them.

Jack Kerouac, John Steinbeck, and William Vollmann have written about them.

And a man named Shawn Lukitsch , rail rider, documentarian, and organizer of the Hobo Film Festival, has made films about them. And he wants you to see them.

The Hobo Film Festival recently made a stop in New York City and will be in Brattleboro, Vermont tonight. Be sure to catch Lukitsch’s own 22 minute documentary, which splices together video clips and narratives of Lukitsch’s travel around the U.S. by box car.

This form of train travel, Lukitsch says, “is pure, unadulerated, unhomogenized America.”

Photo: Marky Bon (creative commons)

Video blogging (sometimes called vblogging, or vlogging) is the new(ish) frontier, and while I don’t have a clue how to go about it a whole lot of YouTube users do.

Interested in vlogging on the road, or making short videos about your travels once you’re home? Here are a few videos to get you started:

How To Make Your 1st Vlog!

How To Make Your Audio Better!

No Lights, No Camera, No Action

How To Make A Web Show

Community Connection:

Matador member Jenny Williams has made videos about her travels in India, South East Asia and Colorado – check them out here.

Another member, anne137, created this ode to misadventure and backpacker one-upmanship on a six-day Trans-Siberian train ride.

And speaking of videos, here’s a dose of travel inspiration, courtesy of the Matador community:

Maradona talks to El Comandante.
(He could have gotten a little dressed up for the occasion.)

24 hours ago, I didn’t know who Diego Maradona was.

But after Matador editor David Miller shot over an e-mail about “Maradona,” the just-released documentary by Serbian director Emir Kusturica, I fell head-over-heels for the soccer star turned political activist.

It’s not because he’s handsome. The guy’s worn down by some wild drug and alcohol abuse.

It’s not because he’s remembered as the soccer star who scored the “Goal of the Century.” I could care less about sports.

It’s because Maradona is a big-time traveler, using his celebrity to gain audiences with Hugo Chavez and Fidel Castro and to speak out against imperialism. And I’m always a sucker for people who realize how important it is to get out into the world and see things with their own eyes.

For some great blogs from Matador members who’ve gone into the world to check things out for themselves, click over to durban.swartz’s entry from Venezuela, YoLeven’s dispatch from Afghanistan, and ross’s entry about a cocaine cowboy in Colombia. Also, if you missed it the first, time, check out 7 Reasons to Travel to Iran NOW, written by Jason Rezaian and accompanied by some gorgeous photos by Matador member Horizon.

Photo: cardiffteam (creative commons)

Whether you’re a city hopper or a slow traveler, the newish website Dopplr.com, founded in 2007, may be an interesting social networking tool to add alongside your Facebook, MySpace, or LinkedIn accounts.

The idea of Dopplr is simple. By creating a free account and noting your upcoming travel plans, you can let friends, family, and acquaintances keep you on their radar. If they also create an account and indicate their travel plans, then Dopplr will automatically let you know whether your paths might cross. Dopplr makes calling ahead and making arrangements to get together seem downright antiquated.

Clean of ads and functional, Dopplr has gained favorable coverage from TIME, The Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian.

Do you have a Dopplr account? If so, share your experience with Dopplr in the comments section!

Photo: upshift

Photo by Eva Holland

Matador’s own Erin Granat has just launched a new season of her successful vblog, Erin 411!, showcasing the best in Reno-Tahoe nightlife, outdoor activities, quirky cultural events and more.

Be sure to check out the new episodes here.

Even if you’re not headed to the area anytime soon, swing by anyway and give Erin some support!

Your page hits and comments keep independent travel media running.

And speaking of Nevada: while you’re at it, give the Top 10 Lessons Learned at Burning Man ‘07 and The First Timer’s Guide to Participating at Burning Man a read, too!

Plan to be in Cairo, Kigali, London, Los Angeles, Mumbai, or Rio de Janeiro on May 10? (Yes, that’s tomorrow!)

If so, be sure to check out Pangea Day festivities in these cities that are asserting the power of community through massive public events. On May 10, live performances, inspiring speakers, and 24 short films will be shown in public venues–all with the purpose of “helping people see themselves in others.”

Conceived of by filmmaker Jehane Noujaim, the Pangea Day festivities are intended to be a catalyst for year-round community-building activities that link the citizens of the world in creative and inspiring ways.

Talk to us! What creative community building events are happening in your community? Leave a comment below.

How do you get information about what’s going on around the world? Here are three of the best websites offering dynamic content about countries that rarely make it into the news.

1. Frontline and Frontline World
Frontline has been producing fantastic documentaries for years, but their online archive has allowed a much larger audience to learn about places and events that are often off the general radar screen.

More than 70 documentaries are available for immediate viewing online—and best of all, you don’t have to sign up as a user. Type “Frontline World” into the “Search” box, and you’ll see more than 100 short documentaries from around the world. Be sure to check out the FlashPoint slideshows, too.

2. Magnum Photos
Beyond being a stunning archive of some of the best photos, period, Magnum’s website offers essays, podcasts, and blogs about people and places in every corner of the world.

What could be more timely than photos from the demonstration at the Olympic torch relay in Paris? Want a quick photo fix? Type any country into the “search” box and feast your eyes on the thumbnails that pop up.

3. Leonard Lopate Show, “Underreported”
Tired of the same old news? Check out the online version of “Underreported,” a segment from the Leonard Lopate Show, which airs on New York radio station, WNYC. Lopate chooses a new topic every week—recent subjects have included “Swaziland’s Royal Family,” “Eating Insects,” and “The News from East Timor”—and goes in depth to tell stories no one else is tackling.

Photo: Frabuleuse

Share your favorite sites in the Comments section below!

Tripfilms. It’s the YouTube for travelers.

Started by a group of friends in New York, Tripfilms currently offers viewers almost 2000 videos shot by amateurs and pros around the world. From Antarctica to Zanzibar, Tripfilms’ members take you on two to four minute culinary tours, mini-adventure treks, and homages to favorite places, both famous and obscure.

The best Tripfilms are the videos that don’t just show you a place, but take you behind the curtain to really let you experience what makes that place special. Here are some of our favorites:

“Setubal, O Que“: In the span of just 4 minutes & 50 seconds, filmmaker Antonio Aleixo takes you around Setubal, Portugal, showing you the city through the eyes of locals. Vivid color, the absence of vocal narration, and Aleixo’s creative approach evoke pride, nostalgia, humor, and frustration simultaneously.

“Dog Walkers“: Sure, you’ve read lots about Buenos Aires, but somehow Lauren Saffa manages to tell you more about daily life and the economy in this 2 minute, 39 second film about a Bs As dogwalker than any guidebook overview.

“Tea on a Train“: You’ve gotta love Matteus Frankovich for his name alone, but he’s got some pretty quirky videos, too. In this one, he prepares green tea while riding a train through Vermont.

Photo: konaboy