Following the success of YouTube’s are a number of companies looking to take that basic concept – of sharing videos made and uploaded by regular people – and adapting it towards very specific uses.

How To Websites

Both of these websites have only just launched, and so neither has a great selection of how to videos, but both are following a great idea - allowing anyone with the time and expertise to showcase one helpful tip or trick, to upload a video to their network.

VideoJug.com

Based out of the United Kingdom, but serving both North America and Europe is Videojug.com. Most of their videos are divided into steps, offer subtitles to follow, and come with a printable list of parts or steps. Many of the videos have the appeal of an instructor with a British accent which tickles many of the staff here.

Videos range from making a cat flap door, a winter bed for plants, cooking Masaman curry, and twisting up balloon animals.

The website includes a number of silly videos such as “How to kill a vampire” and the unintentionally funny “How to take a shower” which I highly recommend watching.

To test out the website I chose a task I’ve never performed before – making muffins. Their five star making muffins video was a breeze to follow and my first batch of muffins have turned out nice and tasty, although we’ll see what the Canada AM crew thinks. I’ve decided to nickname them “Kris Abel’s Babystep Muffins” as they are small, filled with orange zest, and are my first.

ViewDo.com

A similar website, but originating from here in North America is ViewDo.com which offers more variety of subjects, but without the easy-to-follow narration and subtitles of VideoJug.

Videos here range from playing popular tunes on a keyboard, performing backflips, making origami stars, and creating guacamole. They also have their share of silly videos such as playing “Beer Pong” and how to dress up like a ninja.

One feature they offer that VideoJug doesn’t is the option for you to embed any of their videos on your Myspace page of blog.

Online Cranium

I’ve featured this here on my blog before, but wanted to showcase on the show for our television audience.

Pop5.com

A brilliant take on the YouTube phenomenon, Cranium is asking online visitors to use their camcorders or webcams to record a pop trivia clue video and then upload it to their website where, if accepted, it'll be used in their new online game Pop5. A cash reward of $500 goes to the best clip each week. The game itself is free to play, just watch each clue video where people will hum a song, draw an item, sculpt something out of purple clay, or give letter hints. As the name implies, there's five questions, each about pop culture. Pretty simple, but what makes the game so compelling are the videos of people from across North America giving their goofy hints.