Pete @ Microsoft

Did you know new technology is helping blind folks learn to see with their tongue?

I’m serious. It’s something I learned watching an episode of Wired Science on the PBS channel in Internet TV in Windows 7 Media Center.

Now, in the past, I‘ve written about the content you could find using the Internet TV beta and beta 2.0 versions – pithy pieces about “snack-sized” entertainment like Viral Videos or Movie Trailers. All of which we’re well and good, and readily available in Internet TV.

But the new Internet TV module released in the US with Windows 7 is a whole new ballgame – lots of channels with full episodes and tons of content – from CBS prime time shows to classics like the Love Boat and the original Star Trek series.

Above: Get your Charo on with 25 episodes of The Love Boat. I just watched this one where Isaac's mom comes on board for a cruise, only she brings her new boyfriend, who is the dentist-dude that Isaac does not like one bit, and then Captain Stubing keeps it real for everyone by goin’ “Ahhh, young people….when they do ‘the Hustle’ or ‘the Bump’’ it’s fun, but when we do it, we’re being silly…”     Too true, Captain. Too true.

The PBS channel has 11 shows with ten or more full episodes online.

While it’s great that I can watch full episodes of stalwarts like Nova and Independent Lens, there’s also shows like Wired Science and e2 Design that I am seeing for the first time because our local PBS channel doesn’t carry them. In fact, I’m eager to wrap up this post because I just noticed an episode dedicated to fighting robots!

If you’ve not checked out Internet TV in Windows 7 Media Center, you need to. There is loads of great content and all you need is ‘net connection and you’re ready to enjoy it.

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New to Windows Media Center? Check out WindowsMediaCenter.com to get started and learn more.

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We’ve been all Windows 7 in my house for two full weeks now. Here’s a quick look at one of the features in Media Center we’re using all the time: categories in the TV guide and a customized channel lineup.

(And thanks to my peeps for helping with the video!)

Let’s talk about netbooks, the small form, low-cost mini-laptop phenomenon that Asus kicked off a few years back with its Eee PC. As CNet reported this summer:

Netbooks are projected to grab a 20 percent share of the worldwide market for 2009, according to a report released Monday by researcher DisplaySearch

I have to admit it, I jumped in way too early in this category – ordering, in late 2007, one of the first Eee PCs (a 2GB Surf). I loved the idea behind it, but in practice found the keyboard too small for my fingers, and was no fan of the Linux OS it shipped with. It had a 7” screen that seemed like it was getting bullied by the speakers on either side.

Also, uh, let’s just say I thought I was getting a dark blue one, and instead a light aqua one arrived, and that the CEDIA dealers who saw me using this to write blog updates from tradeshows were particularly ruthless in their mockery.

Above: My manly 2 GB surf….

The category has come a long way since that time. I spent some time at a big box retailer recently trying out the variety of netbooks now available. Keyboards and screens have gotten larger, but for the most part, they are still coming in under 3 lbs. And, I find I still love the idea.

Mostly, I like the idea of a very portable tool I can take with me when my travels won’t involve video editing or photo manipulation. I like how easily it moves around the house – next to the reading chair or on my night stand.

The new era of netbooks that add Nvidia’s Ion graphics processor to the mix suggests a whole new reason to like the idea: the netbook: as another element of the Media Center ecosystem in my house. 

A search on TGB shows folks have been toying with Media Center/netbook scenarios since they first launched, but I’ve not found anyone posting to the site about their experiences running a netbook with the Ion processor and Win7 Home Premium.

So while my use case is not entirely media-focused (for example, I don’t envision watching live TV on it), I do like the idea that I can add it to my HomeGroup and watch our backlog of recorded TV, or access our music collection and pictures. When my kiddos are home sick from school, I can bring it into their room and let them watch recorded TV, stream movies from Netflix or play Cartoon Network games on it.

Nvidia’s website shows three models currently available – HP’s Mini 311, Lenovo Ideapad S12 and a Samsung N510 with the Ion included. Of these, I could only find the HP and Lenovo actually for sale, and I should note that these beefed up specs mean a beefed up price – pushing the low-cost netbook into laptop-pricing territory.

I’m leaning toward the HP at the moment. Of the three, it is the only one offering any significant customization options, including Wireless-N, which I would have thought would be a no-brainer for a device whose primary purpose is Internet connectivity. Other than the cost, there’s really only one thing holding me back: They only come with these swirly-circle designs on them:

Above: Do I have to?

Have any of you jumped on an Ion netbook yet, or planning to? Have you integrated a netbook into your Media Center ecosystems? What were your results? What advice can share?  If necessary, talk me off the edge before I drop five bills, peeps.

Last week, I wrote about upgrading all of my family’s PCs to Windows 7 with a Windows 7 Family Pack. One additional step I had to take a few days later was updating the rights for the music we have via Zune Pass.

Our Zune Pass allows us to download unlimited music from the Zune Marketplace and enjoy it for as long as our Zune Pass subscription is valid. On our main media center PC, our music and photos are on a different drive than our OS – meaning that when I upgraded the OS to Windows 7 and updated to the latest version of the Zune software, my music and photos were unaffected.

Then I noticed when trying to play some Zune Pass music via Windows Media Center that I kept receiving the message that my rights had expired.

Now, I usually keep the Zune software running in the background on my Media Center PC, logged in to my account, and this seems to have helped me avoid any rights issues when playing the music through Media Center. What I discovered, though, after my upgrade, was that I did indeed need to update the rights to all of my Zune Pass music. The good news is, it’s very easy to do in the Zune software.

Once logged in, I selected SETTINGS, then account.

Then, I selected Subscription History, which showed me all of the music we had downloaded with our Zune Pass.

Now, I simply clicked the Restore All button.

I started this process before going to bed one evening, so I am not sure how long it took. I can tell you that since I did it, I’ve had no issues whatsoever playing my Zune Pass music through Media Center, through the Zune software itself, or on my Zune.

The Zune Pass lets you enjoy downloaded music on up to three PCs and on three Zunes (you can swap out a PC or player once every 30 days). So, if I get a new laptop and want to enjoy my Zune Pass collection on it, I just need to repeat the steps above to enjoy my collection.

If you’ve got an X-box 360, setting it up as a Media Center Extender is easier than ever in Windows 7.

Microsoft’s Ben Reed showed Channel 9 how easy it is in this short video, and talks more about the synergy between these two products. Check it out!