News Flash: Creative just released a beta firmware update on Friday so that Napster to Go works with the Zen Micro :). I'll have to try this out later.

I had no idea this was coming.  I saw the Pepsi/iTunes ad early last week, but the Napster ad, "Do the Math" was a complete surprise. To sum it up, it basically says:

Do the Math. How much will it cost to fill up your player?

• iTunes + iPod (10,000 songs to fill) = $10,000
• Napster to Go + (choice of devices, 1M tracks available to fill) = $15/mo

It's back to the whole purchase vs. rental issue which is a personal decision.  I bet this is going to turn some heads though. Napster has almost exactly the same library as iTunes and works with more devices.  This will be interesting to watch over time. I wonder if Apple is working on an iTunes subscription model?

Oh and I just noticed the first 1000 people to sign up for a year of Napster to Go get a free iRiver H10 5GB Music + Photo player with FM radio built-in.

Napster to go also works with Portable Media Centers by Creative and Samsung ;).

Enough people have noted I don't have an "About" page up, I've buckled and put one up in the navigation list.  It's nothing fancy, but gives you some context.  Photoshopped/Fark'd pictures of my mug can be send to the email address included. :)

Thanks Robert for the Nine Guy earlier this week.  My Moblog pic this week is of my new Nine Guy on his perch in my new office. :)

Variety.com is reporting that script development has begun on a major theatrical release inspired by Microsoft's smash-game franchise, "Halo". Reportedly this is being penned by the scriptwriter for "28 Days Later" and "The Beach". Once the script is complete and approved by Microsoft & Bungie Studios, reportedly ex-Columbia Pictures President Peter Schlessel will keep a close eye on its development.

No doubt the movie opening will be an unofficial Microsoft employee holiday just as the launch of Xbox and Halo 2 were ;).  That's what floating vacation days are for. 

One of my favorite online retailers, Gamestop.com has just launched the Windows XP Game Advisor.  This cool utility will check to see if your system is optimized performance-wise for running a particular game or games.  There are also some discounts ranging from $5 to $25 on select games. 

A cool link that explains how the new MSN Search works.

Matt Goyer points us to new updates for the HP Digital Entertainment Center z545 (dual tuner) and I just discovered the same for the z540 (single tuner) version as well.

It's great to see HP doing this. There are some really good fixes included here for USB-related issues and PC performance related to the LCD et al.

Matt wishes for a cult around MCE.  I would argue an enthusiast community is much more valuable long-termand they already exist in the blogosphere, sites like The Green Button and the explosion in 3rd party apps that have been appearing both pro and enthusiast on sites like MCESoft.  Even TiVo just announced their own SDK and you have to wonder if this is in response. 

My recommendation: contribute to the MCE Wiki and the community will follow.

Good news for Sony Vaio Media Center 2004-based systems- you're going to get an upgrade after all. Click here for more. 

Family has been sick so I've been taking a break from blogging to take care of them.  Here are a few notes I've been meaning to make:

- MSN launches new cleaner homepage and new search with a letter from Bill.  No doodles so far as I can tell.

- Peter Gabriel Music Videos in 5.1 surround sound now available. Now you can get sledgehammered six-ways from Sunday.

- WM Player 10 Album Art Fixer: Thomas reviews and says it's pretty darn good. Waiting to do it myself.

- Skype: Chris points out I've joined the Skype bandwagon. I've learned the array mic in my tablet PC makes the ultimate wireless speakerphone so that "Granddad" can talk to my son.  Son is still weirded out by the voice coming out of the tablet. But all is not perfect- I spent 20 minutes fixing my Dad's computer because the recording device was set to "Modem" and Skype would just throw a recording error.

- Visual Thesarus is very cool and somewhat useful for marketing folks.

- Passed 100,000 Unique Users on the blog. Welcome.

- Thinking about starting an, "Ask the Microsoftie Monday" segment.  Send your questions in email and I'll start compiling answers. Keep in mind I'm not going to talk about Longhorn... yet ;)

- Now I've almost seen it all - the iDog. Still waiting for the iSheep or have they already arrived? ;)

- Matt says we need better DIY guides for building MCEs.  MCE was never designed for individuals to build and that's clearly outlined on the kits intended for pro system builders that are being sold on NewEgg and other sites. But, why not use the MCE Wiki to create a new area on building your own MCE? Unofficially of course.

- I was contacted by a rep for another celebrity who wants to buy a Media Center PC and wants advice on which one to get.  He wasn't even trying to get a free one. Is Hollywood taking notice? ;)

- I received a notice and guide book in the mail making it official- Comcast is upgrading customers with HDTV set-top boxes to Microsoft TV Foundation Edition very shortly in the Seattle area. Two points for Comcast but I'm taking one back because they've forgotten I returned my stand-alone box over a month ago. ;)

You gotta love NetFlix- I received AvP in the mail on Tuesday - the same day it released.  I've just started watching and noticed at 10 mins 12 secs into the movie, "Weyland" is using two Compaq Tablet PCs next to each other. Cool.

One more cool thing from Netflix- I found two movies I reported as lost earlier and was billed for the value of the DVD.  Upon returning, Netflix "apologized" for the billing error and refunded the previously charged amount. That's customer service.

ATI's new Home Theater 550 Pro-based ATI TV Wonder Elite TV Tuner board was just released and started shipping to retailers today.  I just got my hands on a board and have personally seen the quality of this standard-def tuner beat that of an upsampled signal on a high end HDTV set from a major manufacturer.  That's saying a LOT.  Thanks to the 3D comb filter, you don't get the "jitter effect" you normally see on overlayed graphics such as a CNN or NBC logo or sports scorebox. I cannot wait to put this board through it's paces personally on my MCE box this weekend.

The Imaging Science Foundation (ISF) has certified this board as meeting or exceeding specifications for high-end consumer AV electronics.

If what I've seen hold true, this board significantly raises the bar for other PC-based TV tuner manufacturers. I know ATI has been investing heavily to develop this card to exacting quality.

Thomas, I think this board was made for you.  While I understand the perception might be that "Media Center" doesn't deliver the level of video quality you're looking for, it's important to distinguish between the OS's capabilities, and the particular components that make up your Media Center system. I agree- the bar needs to be raised across the whole but we both know there's variability in hardware for everything from gaming to overall system performance, hence the need for an ISF logo program.

The premiere of "Rize" at the Sundance Film Festival was a historic event—the first feature film to be delivered via wireless technology.

...But first, here's how it worked: Intel technicians in Hillsboro, Oregon, encrypted Rize, which was shot on high-definition digital video. The file was streamed to Salt Lake City, then beamed via microwave to Park City and through a WiMax connection to the top of a 10,000-foot mountain.

A receiver at the ski lodge sent the file to an HP Media Center PC, where it was decoded and projected through a high-end digital projector. Intel's wireless connections allowed huge amounts of data to travel quickly -- at up to 24 Mbps, about 20 times as much throughput as DSL provides...