Yesterday, we softly launched our YouTube search feature by announcing it on our blog. Marshall Kirkpatrick picked it up and blogged about it on SplashCast and the story is one of digg’s top stories for today. At this moment when I am writing the post, there have been 616 people who have “dugg” the story!!

We are still trying out this new feature and are very surprised to get such an overwhelming response to this. (And happy that someone is reading our blog! Marshall: Thanks!!! If you would like to chat on this some more, we are happy to have a conversation.)

Many people have contributed to the comments section of digg with questions on the technology we are using and how we are indexing the YouTube videos. We will review those comments on digg and provide answers where we can over the next few days. Please feel free to post any other questions here or send us an email at feedback@podzinger.com and we will be happy to answer them.

PodZinger already makes content from creators like CNN, The New York Times, and CBS Radio searchable; however in 2007 you can expect to see a great deal more. For example, we recently worked with the Associated Press to make all of their podcast material searchable on PodZinger! In other exciting news, we have leveraged the huge amount of user generated content on YouTube by making it searchable on PodZinger right from our home page .

YouTube has garnered a huge amount of press and interest over the past year. Its reputation as a grass roots online forum for sharing is cemented by it being the driving force behind Time Magazine’s choice to name the online generated content user/owner as their “Person of The Year”. Now with this new PodZinger feature, you can access and search YouTube material allowing for more specific search of their user generated content. Now besides simply searching on the metadata of the video files, you can search for terms that are actually mentioned inside the audio, allowing for a greater likelihood you will find relevant material. We’re also automatically organizing the videos into channels based on the actual content of the video. Today you can narrow your search within entertainment, sports, and anime. And we’ll continue to add more.

So give it a try and let us know what you think!

Microsoft launched Zune today, hoping to be the next iPod killer (that’s what they all say). Many are anticipating Zune to be the next big thing for Microsoft after the success of Xbox 360. Reviews have been lukewarm including Ryan at Engaget who complains about installation issues and John Biggs of Crunch Gear seems to agree. Leo Larporte and gang also gave a relatively bad review on the TWiT’s show.

On the other hand Gizmodo gave ZUNE the thumbs up for a “relatively painless installation” and points out that it plays nicely with iTunes. Zing! us to check out what others have to say about Zune here.

Besides Zune, PS3 will also launched this Friday (November 17) and Nintendo Wii on November 19. Although both have different target audiences, there will still be a lot of chatter and comparisons as everyone anticipates Nintendo to be a comeback in the game console market after its huge success of DS Lite.

Amanda Congdon and Joanne Colan of Rocketboom have reached the “online celebrities” status in the world of online video. As online videos gain more popularity, The New York Times reports that even traditional Hollywood talent agencies are creating new divisions to scout for talent to create Internet content.

According to the agencies’ executive,

“The goal…is not only to recruit the next generation of television and film writers and directors from the relative obscurity of sites like YouTube and Revver. It is also to help the major Web portals that are hungry for original content to find the creative people they need.”

So the moral of the story is this: Submit your audio and video podcasts to PodZinger, watch your audience and visibility grow, and wait for Hollywood to come calling!

The St. Louis Cardinals clinched the National League last night to go head to head with the Detroit Tigers for the World Series title. And it was a pretty interesting game too, considering it was tied in the ninth and determined by a two-run homer by Yadier Molina, who had a .216 ERA and only six home runs in pre-series games!

The series starts tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. ET in Detroit, and since Boston’s beloved Red Sox are out of the picture, it’s going to be a tough decision which I’ll be routing for. I usually go for the underdogs, but between the Cards winning the NL with a homer by a no-name player, and the Tigers going from being the worst team in the league during the past three years to the Series’ favorite, it’s going to be a hard decision.

Either way, I’m just glad the Yankees lost in the first round!

For all of you baseball fans out there, I’ve included a few links to some of my favorite baseball podcasts below. For more suggestions, visit PodZinger.

Baseball Geeks PodCast - Gregg Keer and Rob Reed present a MLB (with a Fantasy spin) podcast from links and information submitted to the BaseballGeeks.com and PlayerTrack.com sites.

Pro Baseball Central - A weekly radio show that discusses the happenings in Major League Baseball.

Baseball Prospectus Radio Podcast – Provides up-to-date news on happenings in the baseball world.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Star Trek and the occasion is marked with a three day auction of items from the archives of the show at Christie . According to the official site, the auction will have costumes, weapons, artwork, accessories, rare starship models and MUCH MORE!

It’s amazing that Star Trek still have such strong followings after 40 years and a quick check with our search shows more than 1900 results!

So, Trekkies, this weekend, head down to New York and “to boldly go where no man has gone before”!

Rocketboom ran a story I suggested (!): The Glass Pumpkin Patch at MIT. Steve Garfield, the Boston corresponent, did an interview of the MIT Glass Lab Director, Peter Houk. The patch is a great thing to see when they have all the pumpkins on display. They show over 1500 pumpkins! Look out for the Glass Pumpkin Patch next year at this time.

Although the summer is coming to a close, vacation time is winding down, and the streets of Boston are full with the moving vans of students heading back to school, TV fans everywhere have something to look forward to: a new and exciting season of their favorite network shows.  I am looking forward to the next season of American Idol, finding out whether Meredith will choose McDreamy, and finally, learning whether Link will face execution, as Fox’s Prison Break starts tonight!

While I wait in anticipation for this season’s plot twists, wondering what new show I’ll add to my already-hectic schedule, thousands of podcasts are discussing the latest TV developments and making their own predictions as to season outcomes.  Some of my favorite podcasts on the topic include:

The Lost Podcast With Jay and Jack   
A podcast dedicated to ABC’s show “Lost.”  Join Jay and Jack as they recap the latest episode, discuss Lost news and spoilers, devote a large portion of time to listener feedback, and more.

S’mores American Idol Radio Show   
American Idol talk show.

24 The Podcast   
Welcome to 24 The Podcast, the podcast that follows the show “24,” every intense moment, every week, the day after the show.

Fall TV Preview Podcasts

TV Guide Talk  
Check out this podcast from the popular weekly magazine to stay on top of the upcoming fall TV season.  Join the TVGuide crew as they discuss your favorite shows along with the new series that will soon be hitting the tube.

Reality TV Podcast   
The Reality TV Podcast discusses all of the latest happenings in the world of reality TV, including recaps and commentary of shows like “Survivor,” “The Amazing Race,” “Big Brother,” “The Apprentice” and others.

For more podcast suggestions or to find out the most talked about television series visit our Zing Index. 

This week, PodZinger announced the addition of yet another popular player in the vlogosphere population to its partner roster.  88SLIDE, the popular one-minute daily trivia video podcast, has selected PodZinger to power its search capabilities on its Web site.

Hosted by Rachel Rhodes and Blaine Rucker and executive-produced by Noah Bonnett, 88Slide produces a daily one-minute video trivia challenge, where viewers are invited to submit their answer for a chance to win prizes. They also feature weekly outtakes and bloopers.  The video podcast is watched by thousands of viewers around the world on a number of different platforms and it’s even available on your mobile handset.

It’s no wonder why 88SLIDE has grown in popularity since its inception earlier this year. They are kooky, funny and they provide interesting theme-driven questions each day, sometimes with special guests from all over the world. Check them out!

With August just around the corner and fall close behind, the sunny days of summer are coming to an end faster than I’d like.  But there is still a month of warm weather to make on-the-fly vacation plans or take a last-minute road trip. Americana is in full bloom during the summer–from Fenway and its franks and folk art festivals to blueberry pie and bluegrass.

Without too much planning, a quick weekend getaway can be easily done and if you’re looking for tips about what to do and see, I’ve discovered several podcasts that give you an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at what’s happening in Americana.

Whether it’s visiting Mike’s Pastries in Boston or escaping the city heat by touring New York’s Metropolitan, there are plenty of ways to tempt your taste buds, enjoy the night life, and relax on a Sunday afternoon.

Here are some podcasts to check out:

Boston Behind the Scenes
Ever wonder what makes a city tick? Join Adam Weiss for a look behind the scenes in Boston.

The Metropolitan Musem of Art Special Exhibition Podcast
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s official podcast features exclusive commentary and programs relating to special exhibitions. The Museum’s exhibitions span the ages and represent cultures from every part of the world.

Trends Taste and Travel
Captain Cy Emerus is your Host for Trends, Taste and Travel.  Captain Cy is an actual airline captain who has spent the last 35 years taking travelers to exotic destinations the world over.

Talk Theatre in Chicago
A weekly podcast about Chicago’s theatre scene.