YouTube Better Watch Out

…the new iPhones are coming with a new video and “send to YouTube” capability. And yes, David signed us both up for when they come out, as we’ve got 1st Gen phones, and we get a better deal because we didn’t upgrade before now. So I’m expecting somebody will be working on a WordPress plugin for iPhone-to-blog video, or maybe there’s already a way to get stuff from YouTube to post on WP blogs.

The New iPhone Breaks Ground — and News – Media Decoder Blog – NYTimes.com

In its introduction of the next-generation iPhone on Monday, Apple demonstrated a new video recording function that will turn millions of the company’s phones into video cameras. Perhaps most important, the software includes a “send to YouTube” option, suddenly making it simple to upload iPhone content to the world’s foremost video Web site.

The possibilities for on-the-scene videos of breaking news are profound. The iPhone isn’t the first platform to include a “send to YouTube” option, but it is the most popular, and it will very likely lead to increased uploading of eyewitness video.

“Mobile is the future of citizen journalism,” said Rachel Sterne, the founder and chief executive of the citizen journalism site GroundReport. “Helping people report on the ground, wherever they are, will only increase the speed of newsgathering.”

Ms. Sterne said the “send to YouTube” function is important because it “not only streamlines the newsgathering process, but educates the public on how to report.”

“Most people are still learning how to independently document news events, and there’s a learning curve,” she said. “This will support citizen journalism efforts because it trains laymen to be reporters.”

GroundReport is an official content partner of YouTube.

UPDATE: It’s getting confusing. First it’s “Oh, wait, we have to wait until our contract is up” to upgrade our 1st Gen iPhones, or we’ll pay a high fee. Then earlier today David said that from the AT&T website it appeared we were eligible for some kind of upgrade. But then there’s also this:

NPR: iPhone Cost, Service Fees Stir Upgrade Debate

Costly Upgrades

The $99 price for the base model of the iPhone, however, is far from the cost you’ll pay if you’re an existing iPhone user and your contract is not up for renewal.

But Apple’s unveiling on Monday of the third-generation iPhone coincided approximately with the expiration of the two-year contract for those customers who signed up for the original iPhone. So, they’ll be eligible to buy their choice of a new iPhone at the same price as new customers.

But if you want to upgrade early — before your current contract with AT&T expires, or if you don’t want to sign up for a two-year commitment — then be prepared to pay a higher price. (You can check your eligibility for an upgrade online.)

An early upgrade for the new iPhone triples the price to $299 for the 8GB iPhone 3G (the 16 GB model will cost $349). For the iPhone 3G S, the upgrade price is $399 for the 16GB model and $499 for the 32GB version.

And if you don’t want a contract at all, then you’ll pay $499 for the 8GB iPhone 3G or $549 for the 16GB. And for the iPhone 3G S, it will cost $599 for the 16GB model and $699 for the 32GB version.

These sky-high prices for owning the latest iPhones are raising eyebrows online among Apple aficionados.

But some people joining the online chorus are also glad to see that there are some discounts available for users with an existing contract who want to upgrade now.