Google, Amazon Add Online Video

Plus: Your next Wi-Fi network; XM with your MP3 player.

You can contact PC World Senior Editor Eric Dahl at eric_dahl@pcworld.com.

Video Options Grow

The Buzz: Google got a lucky break when Kobe Bryant dropped 81 points on the Raptors, sending NBA fans running to download the historic game just after the company launched its video store in January. But at press time Google's video offering deserved its ubiquitous beta tag, due to a number of annoying issues. The store's interface is hard to navigate, the service tethers most videos to your browser, and the overall video selection is small (beyond the NBA archive). The search giant isn't the only company looking to emulate Apple's iTunes Store in selling TV and video downloads. Amazon also has its own video plans in the works, with an online show hosted by Bill Maher set to premiere this June and rumors swirling of an innovative try-before-you-buy movie download option.

Bottom Line: See this issue's Up Front for the big boss's take on online video. For me, though, instant access to video isn't that big a draw, so Netflix and TiVoToGo serve my needs just fine.

802.11n...Not Just Yet

The Buzz: We've tested wireless networking gear that delivers over 100 mbps already, but at present that speed entails a sacrifice: These superfast wireless products don't adhere to the upcoming 802.11n standard. Although the first draft spec for that standard was approved in January, this next stage in Wi-Fi's evolution still has a long way to go. The final 11n standard won't be approved until September 2007--with products close behind.

Bottom Line: Don't depend on vendors' claims of firmware-upgradability to the final 802.11n spec. If compatibility is a concern, stick with your 11g hardware, or cross your fingers and buy all your new gear from one manufacturer.

Pocket-Size Satellite Radio

The Buzz: Pioneer and Samsung are set to take satellite radio service to the next level, with nearly identical $400 devices (Pioneer's is called the Inno; Samsung's, the Helix XM2Go) that combine a portable satellite radio receiver with a 1GB flash-based MP3 player. Both devices let you listen to live XM radio, record and time-shift your favorite tracks, flag songs you like for later purchase through Napster's online service, and create playlists using tracks from both XM radio and your own MP3 collection. Plus, they run for about 16 hours on a single battery charge--enough for a long day, or two, of hard-core listening.

Bottom Line: If that Napster feature works well, sign me up. I'd pay $400 just to avoid those moments when I finally get to the record store, only to immediately forget what discs I wanted to buy.

Future Tech: New TV Type: SED

What's as bright as a CRT but as flat as an LCD TV? A new breed of high-def display called a Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display. SED TV uses millions of tiny electron guns to power its pixels, instead of the one scanning electron gun used in CRT displays. According to backers Toshiba and Canon this technology creates a superbright, flicker-free picture that leaves traditional LCDs and plasmas in the dust. Toshiba wowed CES visitors with its demo units at CES in January and hopes to sell its first 50-inch--plus SED TVs this year for premium (read: very expensive) prices before ramping up production for 2007. At that rate, I may even be able to afford one before the end of this decade.

Here\Now

1. ScanR: Point your 1-megapixel camera phone at a whiteboard, and get a cleaned-up PDF of the image.

2. Kosmix: Promising new search site targets health, travel, and politics.

3. More TV: Download at your own risk, but Ted--the Torrent Episode Downloader--is terrific at finding torrents of your favorite television shows.

4. MadeHow: Illustrated and understandable explanations of the manufacture of products.

5. AmazonConnect: Keep tabs on blogs by your favorite authors.