YouTubeSocial is a new toy from viewing party software company SocialVision, and is an alum of the I/O accelerator program. Basically, it's a viewing party platform that lets you tune into YouTube vids with your friends, complete with chat capability in the sidebar that lets you discuss said video with your fellow watchers. Mashable's Jenn Van Grove and I watched some cat videos, as you can see below.
There are a few different ways you can share a video via the platform -- you can send a URL to the friend in question, type "social" into any YouTube URL (which takes you straight to YouTubeSocial) or log in via Facebook (this method still seems a bit buggy).
At the moment, the project seems merely like a fun diversion. (I mean, come on -- are you really going to sit around watching YouTube videos with your friend remotely?) Still, we could see this platform being used to full advantage during events such as Vevo's live-streaming concert series, as well as other live events, such as presidential addresses and the like. With everyone from Weezer to Hasbro hopping on the YouTube train, it will be interesting to see how YouTubeSocial is received.
What do you think of YouTubeSocial: toy or tool?