In these darks times, what does the world really need? Good old fashioned cheesecake. Here’s a tech story that’s a great excuse to run images of wholesome, yet scantily clad, young women.

It turns that the McG flop “Charlie’s Angels: Full throttle” is Hollywood’s favorite crash test dummy for new technical formats.

When the first batch of Blu-ray high definition video discs came to market earlier this year, what films were offered for distribution? “The Godfather?” “Star Wars?” Nope. “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.”

When high-definition films were first offered for disc-less download at CinemaNow.com, what films did where offered? “The Matrix?” Maybe “Superman?” Nope. “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.”

When movies showed up on Yahoo!, what films were offered? “Saving Private Ryan?” Or perhaps “ET?” Nope. “Charlie’s Angel’s: Full Throttle” yet again.

“Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle” seems to be a good test vehicle: close enough to a real piece of content to learn if a new distribution model could work; but not valuable enough to have anybody care.

We think it would make a great story to get Dru Barrymore — or her make-up person — to comment if when signed to make that movie, did she have it in her sites that this film would be the chimp-in-the-space-capsule for testing out new forms of digital distribution?

http://www.joeythefilmgeek.com/reviews/angels2.jpg

2) Reality Games: Video games love boob tube.

You’d think all those gaming nerds would be happy to keep games and TV separate. But that would be wrong. Gamers love TV.

In what has got to be the strangest trend of the summer, traditional old-school TV stunts are coming to the cutting-edge world of video games: several game makers are merging their marketing efforts with traditional media.

Gamestop announced earlier this week that it will host over 3,000 Monday Night Football parties across the country starting with the regular season football schedule. These events will be held in both bars and clubs.

http://desktops.consumerelectronicsnet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=58448

And if that was not nutty enough, World War II simulation game “Call of Duty” is sponsoring a reality TV talent hunt for the best gamer for an upcoming version. The idea is make an American Video Game idol, we assume.

http://www.gamespot.com/contests/spiketvcod3/index.html

If you on the national beat the story here is in spite of gaming’s supposed hipness, traditional marketing still has a strong roll.

If you’re beat is more local, it would be a great story to find a virtual football player in your area. Who exactly spends a virtual night out with “Monday Night Football?”

Is Madden 2007 better over beer and Buffalo wings? What about a singles night?  Does e-Harmony or Match.com get involved. The stories go on and on.

3) I want my VZE! Cell phone companies becoming content companies.

Only in this strange new world: Cell phone companies are trying to cast themselves as content companies.

It is not enough that Verizon is entering the TV industry, now everybody from Cingular to Sprint Nextel to Verizon is pushing their content as means to attract subscribers.

Verizon launched free gaming service last week.

http://www.betanews.com/article/Verizon_to_Launch_Free_Gaming_Service/1155225318

And Sprint has been hyping its NFL deals over the Summer. And the buzz is T-Mobile will break the bank to buy some spectrum to offer similar services later in 2007.

http://camcorders.consumerelectronicsnet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=52162

Honestly, getting a clip or two over the phone is cool and all, but are we really going to subscribe to Sprint so We can get New York Jet’s highlights on our phones. Please.

Cool stuff worth tracking

Remote finger print identification is coming. How creepy is that.

http://www.wirelessiq.com/content/topstories/1500.html

The San Jose Mercury News notices that Iraqi kids are kids too.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/world/15320664.htm

Sirius Satellite Radio launches first universal tuner

http://gadgets.consumerelectronicsnet.com/articles/viewarticle.jsp?id=58425

Sandisk offers 8 gigabyte flash player.

http://www.sandisk.com/Corporate/PressRoom/PressReleases/PressRelease.aspx?ID=3512

J&R Music opens store in Macy’s

http://www.twice.com/article/CA6363839.html

What the kids will be wearing this winter on the slopes.

http://www.asrbiz.com/asr/1620/index.jsp

And finally … how to complain.

At last, the Web come up with something we really need. Surprisingly effective.

http://www.howtocomplain.com/