YouTube named 'Invention of the Year'

Co-founders of YouTube Steven Chen (left) and Chad Hurley, beat out a vaccine and a shirt that simulates a hug to win top honours. -- REUTERS

NEW YORK - YouTube, the video-sharing website recently acquired by Google for US$1.65 billion (S$2.58 billion) has grabbed top honours as Time magazine's 'Invention of the Year for 2006'.

It beat out a vaccine that prevents a cancer-causing sexually transmitted disease and a shirt that simulates a hug.

Time magazine, owned by media conglomerate Time Warner, wrote in an article that YouTube's scale and sudden popularity have changed the rules about how information - along with fame and embarrassment - gets distributed over the Web.

It had 27.6 million unique visitors in September, according to Nielsen NetRatings.

YouTube came along at just the right time, according to Time: social-networking websites were hot, camcorders were cheap and do-it-yourself media was expanding beyond text-based blogs.

YouTube inherits the tiara from Snuppy, a cloned puppy and winner of the magazine's 2005 award. -- AP

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