So I'm not sure how many people out there are AOL members, or AIM email users, but for those that are there's a new product out there for you to check out.

AOL Streamliner

Streamliner is an All-In-One application that puts everything right at your fingertips. Browsing, Email, IM, Media. Check out some screenshots below:

You can also resize each window to meet your needs. In this screenshot you'll notice how the browser window is maximized and the others are pushed aside.

So how does it stack up to other browsers and AOL 9.0SE? Pretty nicely… I've been using IE7 beta for some time now and the performance is about the same, as it is with AOL Explorer also. Firefox seems to be a bit speedier, but I haven't tested 2 Beta, so I can't really compare it with the other nex-gen browsers. Browsing itself goes quickly and works fine as you'd expect, the slowness of Streamliner is in it's transitions from one module to another. Granted I don't have the latest and fastest computer which will obviously make a difference, but most AOL users don't, and my system really isn't that slow. The Media portion is well laid out and integrates AOL pictures, as well as the ability to show a slideshow of images on your PC (though this feature is still pretty rough). The AOL radio is fantastic is actually plays in Hi quality, unlike AIM Triton. As for the Buddy/IM/People module, I haven't really been able to test this feature, but it looks great!

NOTE* Streamliner is still in beta, 1st beta actually, so test at your own risk.

If you're daring and bored with the current offerings available, head on over and give it a run!

I'm a big fan of WindowBlids, but it's a resource hog and costs money (2 things I don't like). So when I read about the UXTheme Multipatcher I was stoked! Bacially you can use tons of free Themes that aren't truly supported by Windows.. for free and without sacrificing system resources. My favorite is pictured here (click for fuller size).

*My background isn't usually white, I just did that so you cold see the black portions a little better.*

Some of you may have heard of Widgets before, my guess is most haven't so I'll take a moment and explain what they are.

Widgets are basically small windows or programs that sit on your desktop and do specific things like show pictures, display a clock, or play music. You can see a screenshot of widgets here (as made famous by Apple).

Several companies are releasing widget programs, including Google, and I still can't see what the freaking use is. I mean, isn't there a clock in the corner of my screen already? And doesn't AIM notify me of email? And if I'm not mistaken, Windows Media Player can be minimized to my taskbar and still be controlled… right? I've tried several widget programs and they all seem completely useless! Can someone please explain their usefullness?

I couldn't make this up.

I was reading a story about Jose Conseco on MSNBC.com. It seems that MSNBC has decided to hire Romance writers to fill-up their offices as noted by the following quote:

"One day after his 42nd birthday, Canseco showed up at the ballpark tanned and toned with his short, black hair slicked back. He sported tight jeans and a black button-down shirt, with several of those buttons open, exposing his muscular chest. "

Wow, that's interesting journalism.

Yes, I'm aware that I'm all of a sudden posting a lot. I'm not sure why, but try to stay caught up.

So there's that new movei coming out by the Wayans called "Little Man" which looks almost somewhat funny. But it's interesting because when I first saw it I knew I had seen it before in the most unliley place: The Little Rascals. Yup that's right, there was an episode of the Little Rascals exactly like that. A crook who was really small pretended to be a baby to hide out and steal. Now, I can't find the info on the episode anywhere because Iknow nothing about The Little Rascals, so if you come across it, post a comment. Until then, just know that Hollywood has made yet another remake because they're out of ideas.

Remember how I just mentioned the new Microsoft Word had a blog posting feature? Well after a little looking (like 2 minutes) I discovered I should be able to configure it to post to chrisaroz.com. So basically this is a test.

Yesterday was a pretty busy day ‘round here. Gracie had school, Trinity got shots, and I worked in the yard (mowed the lawn and assembled a little tarp over Gracie’s swing set so it won’t get too hot for her to play on during the day). Kari and I also ran a lot of errands – which included a stop at Starbucks of course. If you want to see the swing set stuff I’m sure Kari will be posting pics at some point.

*Edit* It seems that while is appeared to successfully post it didn't and I had to manually enter the post. That's unfortunate because it would have been a nice feature if it worked.