Sharpen your political ‘iCue’

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NBC has launched a new politics website with a historical spin. ICue is designed as a flashy, video-driven learning tool for students – and political junkies will no doubt get a kick out of it as well.

The site rummages through NBC’s extensive video archive and presents presidential coverage, candidate ads, and news analysis from throughout the TV era. The slick interface is somewhat counterintuitive and hard to navigate. But once users play around a bit, they can catch up on the ‘08 race, relive past elections, and test their knowledge with political trivia games.

Accessing iCue requires a log in, but the site is free. Once inside, the videos play on virtual index cards – what it calls “cue cards.” They can be flipped over to reveal categories and information on when the clip aired. Users can also jot down notes on the backs of these cue cards, then save and share them with friends or study buddies.

Christan Science Monitor