Now that we are in December, the final month of the year, I thought it would be fun to go back through our archives and take a look at some of the highlights of different sectors of our industry, and reflect on everything that has happened over the year 2008. January seems so long ago. So much has happened.

Today, Joost launched a new flash-based version of its popular (but not popular enough) online video service, which will allow users to use it without having to download an application. They announced over a month ago that they would be launching this, but it has just now finally come to fruition.

A new player in the online video game is emerging in Sling.com. Well the service is new, not really the player. Owners Sling Media have been around for a while, focusing primarily on hardware, but that is all about to change, starting with Sling.com, which has just begun beta testing to select users.

As online video (particularly online TV) grows in popularity, at least one provider has been left in the rear view mirror. Joost, which excited many people upon its launch, isn’t so exciting anymore.

Dirk-Willem van Gulik departs video service startup Joost for the warm embrace of Auntie Beeb as BBC Future Media & Technology Chief Technical Architect.

When watching a movie in a public theater, it’s usually best not to talk.  But when watching online videos in your own home, there’s no reason not to, and Joost and Meebo have just partnered to provide a new communication option.

So Joost says that it is now finally open to the public (Liz Gannes at NewTeeVee and Kara Swisher at BoomTown have the details, including interviews with CEO Mike Volpi), after a long beta program that started as invitation-only.

Studio 2.0, the original programming, digital branch of the Warner Bros. Television Group (WBTVG), has begun production on 23 new shortform series projects for broadband and wireless.

For you Tour de France fans – you fans whose favorite cyclists haven’t been booted for lying or doping, that is – there’s good news: Cycling.tv just made distribution deals with Blinkx and Joost.  But the arrangement is really intended to draw in those of you who aren’t fans.

National Lampoon said today that it would launch the National Lampoon channel and bring its program content to Joost, an Internet television service.

It seems like form Disney exec Michael Eisner is determined to make online video his next domain, with the beta launch this week of Veoh TV.

Internet Television company Veoh has launched the beta version of VeohTV. VeohTV acts as a video browser and DVR for finding, viewing and managing online video.

First, Google comes out about their video fingerprinting tool (we mentioned it earlier this week)

(via Barry Schwartz at SEL)

Internet television service Joost has named Mike Volpi as their new chief executive officer. Mr. Volpi is taking over for the company’s founding CEO, Fredrik de Wahl, who will become Joost’s chief strategy officer.

“Joost Names New CEO”

Joost has partnered with Next New Networks who will offer three channels on the Internet television service.

“Joost Adds New Content Partner”

Steve O’Hear — who also writes for ZDNet on social media — has a great post up at Last100 about how bandwidth-stingy Internet Service Providers threaten to stall many online-video apps such as Joost by throttling the download speeds that their users get.

The Creative Artists Agency (CAA) represents some incredibly famous people, including Stephen King, Robin Williams, and Bruce Willis.  The CAA also represents Joost, the Internet television service, thanks to a deal announced earlier this week.

Groklaw has the whole lawsuit and response posted in their legalese glory online, and asks a question about Viacom’s involvement with Joost.

Internet television service Joost has raised $45 million in venture funding from five companies.

It may not be a $1.6-billion takeover, but Joost seems to be doing pretty well nevertheless, attracting $45-million in funding from a group of backers — including CBS and Viacom, two of the TV networks it has signed content deals with.

Internet television service Joost, has announced partnerships with five major content owners including Turner Broadcasting System who will distribute content such as CNN news programs and talk shows on the online network.

Joost Squeezes New Content Deals

Viacom’s content distribution partner Joost, founded by the creators of Skype, has inked a number of ad deals with very prominent brands.