In today's offering, Allen and Mike discuss Microsoft's refinement of its policies regarding Spaces blog content that violate "local laws." This particular case involves a Chinese journalist whose blog was removed from MSN Spaces after complaints by the Chinese government officials.

I was excited to see that ESPN would be airing the World Baseball Classic games on ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPN Desportes. I am looking forward to my coverage of the WBC games (here in Arizona and in San Diego). I am not looking to encounter the wrath of Major League Baseball, Fidel Castro or the Treasury Department, so I will have no game footage. I will, however, have lots of pre-game action, events in and around the semis and finals in San Diego and whatever cool stuff related to the game happens to unfold in front of my lens.

If you'd like to see our thoughts (Mike and mine) on Google's new video service, click here and you can read all about it on our company's Web site.

A few additional thoughts:

*At launch, it lacks the visual elegance of Apple iTunes.

*It's not easily discernable as to what videos can be downloaded to the iPod.

*There should be some promos or freebies to whet consumers' appetites.

Mike and Allen try a new field-recording kit at a place where both have worn out more than a few shoes: CES in Las Vegas.