AntiSpyware

I figured I had some spyware running on my home PC because pop-up ads were getting out of control (despite using Google's pop-up blocker). Anyway, I downloaded Microsoft's AntiSpyware free (Beta) software to test it out and try and clean things up. While I knew I had a problem, I was shocked to find that over 20 spyware programs were running on my PC. If you don't have anti-spyware protection I would definitely recommend getting some...you'll probably be surprised by what it finds.

Monday, Jan. 24, called worst day of the year

A U.K. psychologist has definitively determined that Monday, Jan. 24, is the worst day of the year. I guess everyone should focus on enjoying this weekend because the bottom is going to fall out come Monday. Apparently, this guy specializes in "seasonal disorders"...who knew that was even a legitimate specialty? My favorite part of the article is the formula...which definitely gives the analysis an air of legitimacy!

HD Wireless Media Player

I noticed that Buffalo Technology has released an HD media player (Buffalo Technology�s PC-P3LWG/DVD HD Wireless Media Player - Engadget). Sounds like a pretty cool device, but not too mainstream as yet. To be honest, outside of hi-def television, what other HD content is even available. I know Microsoft is promoting the WMV HD format, but I don't think a lot of content is available yet. Apparently, Atom Films also supports the WMV HD standard, but again I don't see any real compelling content. Buffalo's media player also supports DivX HD, which is all well and good if you want to watch a movie trailer in HD, but you seem to be out of luck as far as full length feature content goes. Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of HD...comparing HD and regular content is akin to the difference between VHS and DVD. But at this point, I just can't rationalize investing in an HD media player. Maybe once all the standard wars between HD-DVD and Blu-ray are settled we'll start to see more HD content.

RSS News Feeds

I recently signed up for NewsGator Online, and I have to say I'm a big fan of RSS. I used to be one of those guys that would spend the first 30 minutes of each day surfing various websites just to catch up on the latest news...espn, wsj, etc., plus assorted other weblogs I enjoy reading. Now I get all this news aggregated for me and I'm updated when headlines change so I don't need to "recheck" all the same websites throughout the day. MyYahoo has similar capabilities and there are several other free readers out there. If you're not familiar with RSS it's basically a standardized XML format used for syndicating content. If you're really interested, XML.com has a more detailed description and history.

Mark Cuban

Just found Mark Cuban's weblog. I'm a big Cuban fan...if for no other reason then I love basketball and we both went to Indiana (and Dirk is on my NBA fantasy team). I also think he's a pretty smart dude. Not just from founding broadcast.com or selling it to Yahoo, but also for some of his investment moves post sale. Anyway, check out this blog entry on tracking NBA statistics: Stats that make you go hmmmm� - Blog Maverick - www.blogmaverick.com. I didn't go through the actual numbers or calculations because, frankly I don't really care. I just find it fascinating the real world applications of statistical analysis. You see it a lot in baseball, but my guess is that it's largely absent in most other sports. Most basketball is coached based on instinct and experience.

TiVo

First off, anyone that knows me would verify that I'm a huge TiVo fan...after all, I have the sticker plastered on the window of my car. It sounds like TiVo is really looking to take their service to the next level. First they're developing TiVo togo which will allow you to transfer programs to a laptop or multi-media device and burn programs onto DVD. I just noticed this article on teaming up with Netflix from some kind of VOD application (PCWorld.com - Netflix, TiVo Team Up on Broadband Movie Delivery). Granted this sounds like it's a ways off, but talk about cool. Despite Blockbuster's move towards eliminating late fees, VOD is the future and it looks like our TiVo boxes are going to get more powerful.

Namco II: Ms Pac-Man with 5 TV Games

While I've missed the xbox/playstation craze, I recently purchased one of those 5-in-1 game consoles where you get 5 classic games built into one joystick (Namco II: Ms Pac-Man with 5 TV Games - RZone.ca). Let me tell you, these things are AWESOME. Talk about old school...they just don't make games like Ms. Pac-Man, Pole Position and Galaga any more. It's amazing that what once required a whole game console and 5 different cartridges can now be built into a simple joystick selling for only $20. It really puts technological advancements into perspective.