So this morning I thought I would take a look at some of the videos that showcase Windows 7. Maybe get excited about some of the new features, get my hopes up, why not? I went to their website but CAN’T view the videos!

First I get the, “Additional plugins are required to display all the media on this page.” bar, which is not a problem in and of itself. I realize I need to get the Silverlight plugin. So I try to do so and get this error message.

[ Click to enlarge ]

I’m not going to switch browsers in order to view videos people…

Oh Microsoft, why do you do this to yourself? I can’t keep defending you forever…

Anyone using Vista yet?

I haven’t felt a need to take the plunge yet, have you? Sure the Aero interface looks pretty, but that’s not enough to make me switch. I hear that setting up a home network is much improved in Vista, but right now my home network is working perfectly. Security is another thing that’s supposed to be improved with the new OS, but with ZoneAlarm Firewall and AVG anti-virus, I have yet to have a problem with security.

So the only real reason, as I see it, right now to make the switch is if you are a gamer. Windows XP is not capable of DirectX 10 like Vista’s is. If you are a gamer, and I am, then this is almost reason enough to make the switch, but there’s one problem – my Video cards. Two Geforce 7800GTX running in SLI mode are not DirectX10 capable. So once again, no reason to make the switch – yet.

Who’s made the leap to Vista and what’s your thoughts?

Microsoft’s new Silverlight platform search engine, Tafiti, is visually interesting and fun to play with.

When you enter a search and click Go the service swirls into action: The search box slides to the top left, and five icons spin into view below it for searching the Web, news sites, images, books, or RSS feeds.

Tafiti sports an animated interface developed by Microsoft’s Silverlight platform – a technology that Microsoft would like to see challenge Adobe’s Flash player.

Instead of sponsored links on the right side of the results, there are five empty shelves. Drag your results onto a shelf to save them in “stacks”; then log in to a Windows Live, MSN, or Hotmail account to see your saved searches the next time you open your browser. You can give your stacks names, send a stack to someone via e-mail, or post it to your Windows Live Space blog.

Play with Tafiti and see what you think…

Google – Top Searches in 2006

1. Bebo
2. Myspace
3. World cup
4. Metacafe
5. Radioblog
6. Wikipedia
7. Video
8. Rebelde
9. Mininova
10. Wiki

Yahoo – Top Searches in 2006

1. Britney Spears
2. WWE
3. Shakira
4. Jessica Simpson
5. Paris Hilton
6. American Idol
7. Beyonce Knowles
8. Chris Brown
9. Pamela Anderson
10. Lindsay Lohan

MSN – Top Searches in 2006

1. Ronaldinho
2. Shakira
3. Paris Hilton
4. Britney Spears
5. Harry Potter
6. Eminem
7. Pamela Anderson
8. Hilary Duff
9. Rebelde
10. Angelina Jolie

Anyone else find Google’s top 10 searches for 2006 a little strange; or at least different as compared with Yahoo and MSN?

Yahoo and MSN both have Pamela Anderson, Britney Spears, and Paris Hilton in their top 10 searches. Google doesn’t have any of these ladies?!

Can we say that Googles users are a little more highbrow than that of Yahoo and MSN?

And hats off to Pam Anderson. Did she do anything in 2006? Yet, still in the top 10!!

Microsoft’s Virtual Earth now offers a birds eye view when viewing locations. You can still drag the map and zoom in, but also notice you can click on north, south, east or west to pivot your view, very cool.

Here are a few shots around Denver (too bad they are all in the Winter):
- Mile High Stadium
- Coors Field
- Capital Building
- Denver Zoo
- World Trade Center buildings Denver
- City and County Building