Convert and save your favorite YouTube videos, or supposedly any online video, to a wide variety of playable video files for use on your computer, media player or mobile device with the website Movavi. While you’re at it, you can upload your own video files that need converting to another file type, without any software to install or complicated settings to remember.

The site is clean, simple and ad free, as the only product Movavi is pushing is their own suite of desktop video utilities. You can convert up to 5 files or 100mb at a time, with a max time of 10 minutes each, and it even gives you the option to merge all of your files into one seamless video file. Simply enter the YouTube URL links or upload files, choose your output format, enter your email and click “convert!” (I would recommend using your junk email address, as its unknown how Movavi archives or shares it.) Leave your browser window open for a brief ‘converting’ progress bar for each of the videos, and then they’ll email you a link to where you can download the finished results!

File output formats include:
• AVI format, Xvid (.avi)
• Mpeg-4 format (.mp4)
• MPEG-2 format, DVD Quality, PAL (.mpeg)
• MPEG-2 format, DVD Quality, NTSC (.mpeg)
• iPod video, 320×240 (.mp4)
• iPod 5G video, 640×480 (.mp4)
• iPhone video (.mp4)
• PSP video (.mp4)

I converted three YouTube videos to iPhone video, which took about ten minutes to wait through the ‘converting’ progress bars, then received the download link in about 30 minutes. The files play flawlessly on my iPod Touch so I can recommend Movavi to anyone who has been looking for a way to save online video on their local machine or convert for use on their mobile device.

Movavi Online Video Converter [via Lifehacker]

UPDATE: Upon closer inspection, the video files did not play flawlessly, or at all, on my iPod Touch. They required an additional, lengthy “Convert for iPod” from within iTunes. So, I would look elsewhere for converting local video for your mobile device, but Movavi still has my thumbs-up for a no-hassle way to get your grubby hands on your favorite YouTube videos.

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Everyone’s favorite little digital planet, Google Earth, recently received an update including new layers to display real-time weather information, including radar, clouds and forecasts. I, along with most everyone else it seems, has been wondering what took so long.

Although I didn’t find it right away, this update also includes looped radar and cloud animations. You can find it by clicking the “Information” tab under the Weather grouping, which offers links to download the 24-hour cloud animation or 6-hour radar animation. I’ve noticed these animations aren’t as fluid or high resolution as can be found directly on Weather.com, but its a good feature I hope they eventually refine.

Either way, this should make your Google Earth flight simulator adventures all the more realistic!

Google Earth 

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RetailMeNot.com is a great site to search for and, most importantly, find coupon codes and discounts for the majority of your bargain online shopping needs!

All of the coupon codes are user submitted, and user rated by asking “Did this coupon work for you?” For example, Kohl’s is having one of thier usual 15%, 20% or 30% Off sales, where Kohl’s Charge owners get drawn at “random” to receive one of the aforementioned coupons. More often than not, I get stuck with the measly 15% off. So this time, I just went up on RetailMeNot.com, searched for Kohls.com, and found the coupon codes for both the 20% and 30% off coupons! In addition, I also found a free shipping code I was unaware of! Exclamation point!

They’ve even made a handy little Firefox Extentsion, that when you install will give you a notification if the current website you are at has any applicable coupons for you to use! (I’ve noticed the plug-in isn’t totally reliable yet, as sometimes it tends to neglect to notify you for certain sites, so be sure to check the RetailMeNot.com website for the full coupon listings.)

Black Friday is fast approaching, so before you hit “Checkout” on your next online gift buying binge, head over to RetailMeNot.com and save some scratch. And, while you’re at it, if you have any coupon codes laying around the house, feel free to submit it to the site to further expand the coupon sharing euphoria!

RetailMeNot.com

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When a featured advertisement article on Yahoo Education named Entry-Level Jobs That Pay More Than $50k caught my attention, I didn’t expect my job to show up on the list. After all, my less-than-desirable salary was the very reason I clicked through in the first place. Yet, there it was, number nine on the list, mocking me: Web Designer — $51,931 entry earnings. I immediately let out a hearty Edna Krabappel style HA!

I’m not sure what Fantasy Happy Land they got their statistics from, but every full-time web design job I’ve had or interviewed for started at a $25,000 salary. Many of these requested 1-2 years professional experience, which is hardly “entry-level.”

This article provides yet another obvious source of comedic disinformation. Apparently, High School Teachers start their careers with $59,269 in entry earnings. I’m not sure the school district in which they may be referring to, perhaps one where Evian flows from the water fountains and the little children are curing cancer in the science lab, but I know a few teachers who would like to find out.

Some of these jobs, in some location, at some time, may pay this much. Or, at least, I can say that I hope they do. Yet, the overall lesson learned from this article (that was linked from the “Featured” section of the main Yahoo.com page) is that it, in fact, is not an article at all. It is merely a Trojan Horse, put forth by Yahoo, to populate the page with links to advertisements and listings of online college degrees on Yahoo Education. So don’t go taking these figures to your boss to use as evidence that you need a pay-raise unless, of course, you want to hear his best Edna Krabapple impression.

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