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Posts with tag msnbc

Filed under: Internet, Video

Microsoft launches MSN News Beta for Windows Vista Media Center

MSNBC TV
Microsoft has begun rolling out a new application for Windows Vista Media Center that lets users browse, search, and watch videos from MSNBC News on their media center PCs. The new MSNBC News Beta should be available under the TV + Movies section in Vista Media Center. If you don't see it, try forcing an update by navigating to the automatic downloads option in the settings tab and hitting the download updates button.

Microsoft has been making some MSNBC content available through the Internet TV menu for the past year. But the MSNBC News Beta application has a completely new interface. You can browser top stories, election related stories, or view weather forecasts for your area. There's also a search box which lets you find recent news videos related to a specific topic, like Sarah Palin.

The interface is also unusual in that you can easily browser for additional content while watching a video in full-screen mode. Just click the OK button on a Media Center remote control and a window will pop up allowing you to navigate through the various news categories.

It's nice to see Microsoft release a new application for Windows Media Center. It would be even nicer if Microsoft would make more of the content that's available on MSN Video available using the 10-foot Media Center interface. Hulu content, perhaps?

Filed under: Fun, News, Microsoft

Spectra Visual Newsreader: get your news in bright rainbow colors

Spectra
Are you bored of reading news sites that all look the same, or staring at rows and rows of headlines in your RSS reader? MSNBC has something you might want to see. The new Spectra Visual Newsreader grabs MSNBC stories, color-coded by category, and sends them flying around your screen like index cards in a wind tunnel. Maybe you don't want to get your news this way all the time, but it's fun to play with.

Spectra has three modes: you can put it on automatic and let the camera fly around your floating news stories, or you can leave the camera in place, watching the stories spin. The third mode is the most interesting: it lets you use a webcam to manipulate the stories with "human interaction." Unfortunately, it didn't want to cooperate with a MacBook's built-in iSight.

We don't want to completely write off Spectra, because it's a lot of fun, but it seems like MSNBC put a lot of work into a cool toy that doesn't do too much. Webcam integration in browsing is definitely an interesting trend to explore, so it would be great to see that feature working on more platforms. For now, though, we'll just get our news via RSS.

[via Josh Spear]

Filed under: Internet, Web services, Social Software

MSNBC acquires social news site Newsvine

NewsvineMSNBC has acquired Newsvine, a socially driven news site. Newsvine will continue to operate as an independent news site and will not be folded into MSNBC.com, but Newsvine technology will be added to the MSNBC website.

That means you'll probably see more social features including user-generated articles and links to news elsewhere on the web. Content from Newsvine columnists could also wind up on MSNBC's home page, giving citizen journalists more exposure.

The deal also means Newsvine will have more staff, more resources, and the ability to roll out improvements to the site more often. Newsvine currently has articles and images from the Associated Press, and now you'll see MSNBC content as well.

[via TechCrunch]

Filed under: Microsoft

Microsoft ditches MSNBC TV

MSNBCThe New York Times is reporting that "Microsoft and NBC announced yesterday that they would dissolve their joint ownership of the cable news channel MSNBC, with NBC taking control." NBC will be taking an 82% stake in the channel and will be the sole owner within two years. Their online partnership, however will continue. Head over to the NYT article for plenty of details.

Featured Time Waster

Forumwarz - a potentially offensive time waster

I pwn UAfter spending the better part of an hour on Forumwarz I still can't decide if it's just sick or if it's kind of fun. It's a bit like a car wreck on the highway. I know I shouldn't be looking but I can't quite turn away.

It's sick, it's twisted, it's the internet on it's worst level and darn it, it's kind of fun. At least for a little while.

Forumwarz is a parody role-playing game that takes place on the internet - or at least the Forumwarz version of it. Your goal is to complete missions that are given to you through a mock up of GoogleTalk called Sentrillion.

Your first "friend" is ShallowEsophagus who begins giving you missions to pwn various forums by being a troll. Depending on the character type you are assigned at start up, you have tools like drooling on the keyboard or bashing your head on the keyboard that you can use to destroy forum threads and eventually, pwn a forum.

Future missions involve buying illegal software from the Russians, pwning more difficult forums and other internet oddness.

Completing missions gives you cash, called Flezz in game, and items that you can pawn or use in other missions. The game is NOT for those easily offended. It's crass, coarse and there are frequent f-bombs in the fake chat sessions.

This is also a game for a more mature audience as it requires you to shop at the Drugs R Fun store to get various concoctions to improve your playing, engage in certain cyber activities to get more Flezz and just generally use a more adult perspective.

If you can get past that, here are the more enjoyable and time-wasting aspects.

View more Time Wasters

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