YouTube users can now upload video clips directly from their phones and PDAs. This latest service offering should enhance the providers desire for "candid and spontaneous" clips which entertain millions of people daily. It's also a boon to budding citizen journalists says the Mobile Technolgy Weblog.

 Founders anxious to see how people will respond to this new ability says ZDNET :

"The good thing about it is that you don't have to go home to YouTube anymore," Chen said. "People may not carry their digital cameras with them when they go out. But everybody carries their cell phone...I'm interested in seeing what kind of content this will produce." Industry response seems positive with the Washington Post saying: "The service could accelerate the already rapid growth of YouTube, which previously required uploads to be made via computer. The new technology could enable witnesses to a news event to share on-site footage from phones equipped with video cameras." And since it remains free - why not give it a shot.

Users would continue using the service as before, the only difference now is a unique e-mail address generated for each user profile allowing file uploads via MMS. All account services and limits stay the same. Users can still upload up to 100MB clips daily and share them as before. SlashDot recently interviewed the founders and people have been adding their voice to the service and its apparent direction. Bandwidth cost seems to be the bane for mobile users presently.

One thing is clear - usage just keeps growing. I found this nifty graph comparing Youtube site traffic with Flickr presently the industry leader in photo blogging and social networking. Taking into consideration the larger file sizes of video clips vs photographs - the trend is still clear. YouTube should pass the Flickr soon.

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