Trivia are unimportant (or "trivial") items, especially of information. In the late twentieth century the expression came to apply more exclusively to information of the kind useful almost exclusively for answering quiz questions.

Quiz shows

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Before the trivia subculture became widespread, via radio and TV quiz shows and books, the term commonly referred to bits of information to which most adults in the culture had at one time been exposed, via standard education or via popular culture. In time the term came also to comprise more obscure and arcane bits of knowledge. In 1974, a former Sacramento air traffic controller named Fred L. Worth published The Trivia Encyclopedia, which he followed in 1977 with The Complete Unabridged Super Trivia Encyclopedia, and in 1981 with Super Trivia, vol. II. The popularity of these books laid the groundwork for the first edition of Trivial Pursuit in the early 1980s.

The enormous success of this game led, in the United States, to the re-launch of Jeopardy!, reviving a quiz show genre that had been dormant since the scandal of the 1950s. ABC had a surprise hit with Who Wants to be a Millionaire, an import of a successful British quiz format which launched another wave of interest in trivia. In the UK, the quiz format has enjoyed continuous success since the 1950s, untouched by the scandals that dogged the American format.

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Yahoo! Shopping: Most Popular Video Games

Nintendo DS
Tue, 29 Mar 2005 19:47:05 -0800
$139.99 - $299.98 from 11 stores. User rating:4.3 out of 5. After dominating the handheld video game market for over a decade with the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance, Nintendo diverges from its winning brand with the Nintendo DS. First announced in spring of 2004 and scheduled to launch near the end of that same year, the Nintendo DS is based on an unusual design that suggests possibilities of innovative player interfaces and new styles of gameplay. The most prominent feature of the DS, or "Dual Screen," is its two backlit display screens. The rectangular Nintendo DS is about the same size and shape as a contemporary PDA. It has a clamshell design, with a conventional display screen above, centered on the inside of the lid, and a touchsensitive screen, which can be used for both display and control, on the bottom of the unit. The two screens are aligned, one directly above the other, when the Nintendo DS is opened for use. Both screens are about three inches measured diagonally, comparable in size to the screen on a Game Boy Advance. Games for the Nintendo DS are stored and sold on DS cartridges, which are similar in size to the flash memory cards used in digital cameras and PDAs; considerably smaller than Nintendo's previous handheld media formats. The DS is backwardcompatible, however, and can also play the sinlgeplayer modes of nearly all existing GBA games. The device features two separate cartridge slots to accommodate the two media formats. Game Boy cartridges fit in a slot on the front of the handheld, and Nintendo DS cartridges go in a slot on the back. The control buttons of the Nintendo DS are somewhat similar to those of a Super NES. A crossshaped Dpad is to the left of the bottom screen and four action buttons "A," "B," "X," and "Y" are arranged in a diamond to the right. In games that support the distinguishing dual screen design, the bottom display may also be a primary means of control. The touchsensitive screen can be used with a precision stylus that comes with the handheld, or simply with the player's fingers and thumbs. The Nintendo DS also has two shoulder buttons. The overall performance power of the Nintendo DS has been equated to that of the Nintendo 64 console. The handheld is designed to produce audio, video, and 3D rendering of speed and quality comparable to the late1990s console. The DS supports both IEEE 802.11 and a proprietary format of wireless connectivity, allowing two or more players to join in multiplayer DS games without a physical "link cable" connection. The handheld also features a headphone jack (unlike its GBA SP predecessor) and microphone input for voicerecognition functions. A builtin, rechargeable battery provides an estimated 10 hours of gameplay. ~ T.J. Deci, All Game Guide
ESPN Game Station
Tue, 29 Mar 2005 19:47:05 -0800
$179.99 from 1 store. User rating:3.3 out of 5.
Halo 2
Tue, 29 Mar 2005 19:47:06 -0800
$19.99 - $54.95 from 25 stores. User rating:4.7 out of 5. The sequel to developer Bungie's best-selling Xbox launch title returns for more first-person shooting action against a host of new alien races. Players once again assume the role of a genetically engineered soldier known as the Master Chief as he battles the remaining forces of the Covenant for control of the galaxy. The Master Chief will now be able to acquire new weapons from fallen enemies and explore the planetary landscapes from inside more than double the number of vehicles found in the original. In addition, Halo 2 features both a single-player campaign playable across multiple difficulty settings as well as online competition using the Xbox Live broadband service. No matter which mode is selected, players won't be alone in the conflict: allied forces will once again join in the battles and skirmishes to help repel enemy forces. ~ Scott Alan Marriott, All Game Guide

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Puzzle & Word Games - Best Software Downloads

Smile 1.00.02
Sat, 04 Jul 2009 09:54:32 -0000
Turn all the frowns to smileys in this puzzle game.
Jigsaw Puzzle Lite 1.8.0
Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:06:58 -0000
Free jigsaw puzzle with lots of puzzles included and ability to make your own.
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Solve and construct real cryptograms on your Windows computer.

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