Strange New World: Picks of the Week

May 23, 2008 — -- This week's picks have us placing our health information in the hands of almighty Google, returning to the couch to watch some Netflix, and planning a trip to Pittsburgh for a hockey game. Here are the Picks of the Week:

1. Google Health

Google's foray into health care goes live this week. Well, maybe not so much live, but it's the permanent beta that Google is famous for. Google Health is not like WebMD or other health Web sites.

It's a place to keep all your medical information in one area. Site users enter all their health information into their profiles and the site alerts users to drug interactions and gives other helpful news. You can even upload your medical records.

The site is more of a medical portal than an Internet doctor's office, which is good because that's what Google does well. It has an index of medical Web sites and will help you locate the right doctor for you once it has all your info.

There may be some security concerns, though. You tap the site with your universal Google log in, and with so many services now under that, if someone gets your Google password he or she would have access to extremely personal details about you.

2. Netflix Player by Roku

Netflix, the online DVD rental company, recently launched a successful streaming movie service. Now, by teaming with Roku, it has managed to take these movies from the PC to the TV.

The new player competes directly with the Apple TV set top box, but it only costs $100 upfront. It works with your existing Netflix account and is automatically updated when you update your queue online. When movies you would like to stream become available, it lets you know.

It also has some stellar connectivity options (HDMI, S-video, composite and component ports). The tiny device isn't quite as sleek as the Apple TV, but it is small enough that you won't notice it. It doesn't have access to the complete Netflix library, but Netflix is updating the library of streamable movies all the time.