As we count down the moments till the ball drops, more than a few special features are being planned on by the likes of YouTube, YellowPages.com and others… just incase you’re not heading out to Times Square.
YouTube and Warner Music Group are planning to follow the countdown to New Year’s all the way around the globe with YouTube New Year’s Eve Countdown presented by Chevrolet.
In another example of YouTube getting cozy with corporate sponsors, Chevy will be the exclusive sponsor of YouTube all New Years Eve and Day. The site will feature a “special edition” homepage to host all of the specially created New Year’s content.
YouTube will be broadcasting videos every hour from New Zealand to Los Angeles as the time zone change progresses. The videos have been created by YouTube regulars Boh3m3, Smosh, Terra Naomi, Renetto, Chad Vadar, The WineKone and YourTube News. Other videos will be “almost live” concert footage from Panic! At the Disco at New York City’s Times Square, The Flaming Lips and the Goo Goo Dolls from Los Angeles, Paolo Nutini from Scotland and other artists elsewhere.
YouTube saw a spike in videos around last New Years and posting “resolution videos,” so clearly the company’s looking to capitalize on it again this year.
But if you are going out, “don’t drink and drive and don’t forget your cellphone!” could be the motto for YellowPages.com. The venerable phone listing service is offering a mobile service to help revelers call taxis on the big night through setting up a “Send to Mobile” site feature. The idea being that you search for your local taxi service at YellowPages.com, and then send that number to your cell phone for use on the big night. It’s not relegated to taxis alone, of course, but that does seem to be the timeliest use.
And if a real world splash of champagne isn’t your thing, you can still buy some at inflated prices in the virtual world.
Sjoeblom Winery in Napa has partnered with MindArk’s virtual world Entropia Universe to offer a limited number of virtual “champagne” bottles. Sjoeblom distributed the bottles on December 15th, and the trading began. Unlike other virtual worlds, like Second Life, Entropia uses real U.S. currency to run its barter system in world, and at last check the Sjoeblom bottles were selling at $15 bucks a pop. Not bad for champagne that won’t get you drunk.
Not matter what your plans, online or off, this New Years Eve, be sure to be safe and have a good time!