Search Engine Smackdown is a flash game in which you choose your player and your opponent among six computing big-wigs: Larry Page, Sergey Brin, Jerry Yan, David Filo, Bill Gates and Paul Allen. 

How do you play?  Answer a series of search-related questions in order to score hits, but if you answer wrong your opponent will pummel you. 

Give it a go and see if you can make it to the high score board.

[via The Presurfer]

Read on for my comprehensive wrap-up/opinion of this week's video gaming announcements, from E3 2006...

Cheers to Boot Camp!  You know, because pretty blue screens are so much nicer to look at than those crummy 'dead mac' boot screens from OS9.


Dan Baxter writes, "I just finished all the Windows updates and rebooted like 5 times. Everything was great then I I clicked the USB devices icon listed in my computer and I got a blue screen." [via Cult of Mac]

Just watch it

I could... All day!

This appears to be a real ad for Microsoft Office.  Wow.

Microsoft Office Ad

There's been a lot of buzz over the last few days about a new ultra-portable, tablet pc product that Microsoft will be launching soon.  It looks like MS even kicked off a bit of a viral campaign, posting an extended spot on YouTube and a cryptic flash site.

I'm told that this is something entirely seperate from the Windows Mobile group, so my guess is that it'll run the latest incarnation of their full-fledged tablet OS instead of something more akin to the embedded OS on the Pocket PCs.

We should know more details "very soon" (likely tomorrow), but from the looks of things, it's a half-notebook sized PC tailored for portability and device connectivity.  The video emphasizes the device's handwriting recognition capabilities, which I'm hopeful for.

I got a chance to play around with an XP Tablet PC a couple years ago, and I ended up becoming really frustrated with its voice recognition system.  Hopefully we'll see some improvements here as well.

What has me excited about this, I guess, is that it appears that MS is making a stab toward a combined hardware/software platform, similar to what they've done with the XBox, or Apple has done with all their music products.  Perhaps with control over both the hardware and software, they'll be able to really fine tune some of the more advanced interface features.  Fingers crossed for the best.

What if Microsoft came out with their own version of the iPod?  What would their packaging look like?  Would it have a clean look like Apple packaging? 

Check out this hilarious parody on Microsoft iPod packaging. 

Check out this hot 1990 Lexus LS400 on EBay.  It comes with power everything, automatic transmissoin, car phone, cd player...

Oh, and it was Bill Gates' daily driver for 5 years.

The Specs

• owned/driven by Gates from 1990-1995, during his rise to world prominence and the development and release of his famed Windows operating system
• includes a copy of the original title signed by Gates
• original Washington State license plate
• comes with Bill Gates' actual car phone (not his fake one)
  
• Gates was driving this car while he dated and subsequently married his wife Melinda French Gates

Did you catch that last one?  There's as good a chance as any that you could own the car that Bill Gates actually made-out in.  Just think what this ride could do for your love life!

This quote is my favorite:

I was looking for any lost Microsoft paperwork that could be of any historic significance, but to no avail.  I did find, however, a light brown hair that could very likely be from Bill Gates' head.  Ever think of cloning Bill Gates?  This could be your chance!

Oh, man.  When your Bill Gates clone grows up, you can let him drive Bill Gates 1's car to prom!

Bill Gates' Car on EBay - 7 days left to bid.

Here it is: The long awaited sequel to MS History 2005. This video highlights the stupidity of Microsoft, and all the people involved in it. It includes many clips that you have seen, and probably some you haven't. If you hate Microsoft, even a little bit, you will love this video.

Microsoft History 2006

Or, if you haven't seen the prequel, you should watch it first, they are better watched in order.

Microsoft History 2005

Happy watching, everyone!

If you have a digg account, i'd be grateful if you could digg it:
http://www.digg.com/movies/Microsoft_History_2006

Screencaps after the break.