Is this the end for Hints From Heloise? No, the nationally syndicated household-hints column is still up and running. But I imagine that after Tuesday, it’ll have a bit more competition. That’s because Google launched its Helpouts service this week: The initiative aims to bring live video tutorials, instructions and services to users via the company’s Hangouts streaming video platform. Think of it as an on-demand video marketplace for how-to miscellany, a way to receive walk-throughs on concepts as simple as spackling a hole in your drywall, or how to make the perfect turkey stuffing for Thanksgiving dinner. “If you look at live video today on the Web, it kind of reminds me of the beginning of the Web back in the ’90s, with its low-resolution images and video,” VP of engineering Udi Manber told reporters at an event on Monday.
