What do you over the weekend? Read a book? Hike? Party? Binge watch Netflix?
Personally, I divide my time between homework, reading, and YouTube. So for this week I decided that I would review the famous video-sharing application, YouTube. What I have seen is not a disappointment; but, with a powerhouse like Google behind it, how could it be?
With millions of videos and viewers, Google had its work cut out when creating an app that could satisfy anyone. While holding the YouTube app, one is holding nearly the entire YouTube library. It is like holding the whole website at your fingertips.
The app is entirely self contained! Everything you want to do is within the YouTube app; there is no need to go to the website because the app is one with the site. Unfortunately, there is a flaw.
Opening a new video is always an exciting experience, but sometimes people's excitement can be overrun by the fact that whoever uploaded the video did not make it available on the mobile platform. This, however, seems to only be a problem for videos with music lyrics. If it is a popular song, don't worry, because you are sure to find it on artist's Vevo.
The greatest feature that Google has added to the YouTube app is the "Watch and Search" feature, which, surprisingly, has not yet been added to the website. While watching a video on the mobile app, you can tap the down facing arrow and the video will become a small screen allowing you to search for new videos and watch your current video simultaneously.
Another great feature is that there is so much content on YouTube that I doubt anyone could ever watch it all. If you want to learn math or physics, all you have to do is search a video and you will find MIT lectures on calculus and many of the branches of physics, even quantum mechanics! There is also great free music from anything as old as medieval chant music to something as new as Ariana Grande.
So whether you want to listen to music, learn something new, watch pranks, or hear a lecture, I suggest you download the YouTube app (assuming you don't have it already) as soon as possible. Like right now. Seriously, stop reading and go download it.
Because of these reasons and many more I have decided that the app deserves a 4.5 Bars of Reception rating out of 5.
Reach the columnist at rcalvar2@asu.edu or on Twitter @Professor_Boby.
