Strange New World: Picks of the Week

Feb. 14, 2008 — -- The Super Bowl may be behind us, but this week we have more sporting news of super techno-proportions.

CBS Sportsline and the NCAA have finally gotten with the Internet program. They are showing just about all of this season's 64 college basketball championship games — no local blackouts or hidden late-round events — on the Web and on TV. We're willing to bet the move not only won't hurt either feed, but will boost ratings for both versions. Also this week, what's hot in mainstream video games — and a Prius for your knee?

Yep, this is the Strange New World. Here are our picks for the top tech stories of the week.

In a move that is sure to destroy productivity and actually crush our country's GNP in March, CBS and the NCAA announced this week that 63 of the 64 games in the NCAA Men's Division 1 Basketball Championship (a.k.a. March Madness) will be streamed online for free.

Now, loyal alums, college hoops fans and workplace gamblers will be able to watch all the games they want without worrying about local blackouts. It's about time CBS wised up and realized that an Internet feed is not going to affect its TV numbers because, duh, if you are near a TV, you are going to watch the game on TV. And if the game you want to see isn't available in your area, then CBS will get its money from online advertising.

If you wonder why only 63 of the games will be shown it's because nobody really cares about that first game in the tourney, where the 64 and 65th teams play to see who will get destroyed that weekend. If you really want to see that game you are either an alum of a really small school or you have a gambling problem.

Awards show season has kicked into high gear with last weekend's Grammys and the upcoming Oscars. But the awards we were really jazzed about were last week's 11th annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the video game industry's big honors. (Sorry, we don't know of a cute nickname for the coveted trophies.) In a surprise win, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the high-octane anti-terrorism thriller developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision, took top honors.