YouTube, part of the Google empire, has launched an online video editing tool to help those who struggle with the free software available either through Microsoft or via other providers.

To use the Video Editor you must have uploaded your videos on to YouTube in the first place. I suppose you can block people from seeing your videos until you have edited them. The YouTube Video Editor allows you to edit your video, merge multiple clips and add voice and soundtracks, all without having to worry about file formats. Once the video is completed you can then publish it on YouTube. Try it out at www.youtube.com/testtube

Of course, this is simple software for the masses, not for creating a video that can be shown at a high quality level. What's interesting is Google's announcement that the software is "part of the cloud", a reference that may confuse a lot of people.

What is this cloud? Well, it is a much used and abused term that basically means using software on the Internet rather than it residing on your computer. What you need is a hell of a lot of bandwidth and a trusty connection. Got one?

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Who says that geeks do not have a sense of humour? That's the typical stereotype that ThinkGeek, which sells "stuff for the masses", has broken with gusto. It is a site where you can buy typically geeky stuff, such as Zombie Blood, a high-caffeine drink for those heavy nights of coding, or Rovio, the WiFi roaming bot.

ThinkGeek also sells canned unicorn meat, which it markets as the "new white meat". The phrase caught the eye of the US National Pork Board, which in May fired off a 12-page long cease and desist letter from its lawyers with the claim that ThinkGeek was infringing on its slogan for pork: "The Other White Meat".

This week Geeknet, a network to which ThinkGeek belongs, fired back a press release stating: "It was never our intention to cause a national crisis and misguide American citizens regarding the differences between the pig and the unicorn," said Scott Kauffman, president and CEO of Geeknet. "In fact, ThinkGeek's canned unicorn meat is sparkly, a bit red, and not approved by any government entity."

He could have added: "April Fools!" Geeknet owns and operates SourceForge, Slashdot, ThinkGeek, Geek.com, among other sites. I visit these sites a lot, but does that make me a geek? The site defines geeks as: "I'm not anti-social; I'm just not user friendly." Naw...I am just anti-social.

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If you are a geek, in the form of an IT worker, check out Computerworld's annual rating of the top 100 best places in the US to work in your profession. The magazine's annual employer scorecard has different categories for listing depending on company benefits, retention, training, diversity and career development, for example. The difference in the lists shows just how much companies differ in meeting all the standards.

The overall top company is USAA, a financial services firm that spends $400 million annually on benefits. Booz Allen Hamilton, a consultancy, is second for its tech focus groups. Sitting at number three is JM Family, an automotive company cited for its R&D programme that has launched new IT pilot projects. I note that 35 percent of its IT staff are women, compared to 28 percent for USAA.

The ratings are useful for Bermudians who are looking at gaining some IT experience overseas. Look especially at the top firms that invest in training and career development. In my experience, not enough companies make this kind of investment in the strange belief that they are training people for their competitors. Yes, people move on; but as attested to by the people quoted in the article, staff do notice and tend to stay if the training is relevant and meaningful enough. Check it out at www.computerworld.com

What qualities are you looking for in an IT job? I guess it depends on age. So send me a top five list in order of priority and some indication of your age. I will publish any comments anonymously so the youngsters can get some idea of what they should look for.

Send any comments to elamin.ahmed@gmail.com