After Toshiba pulled the plug on HD DVD the rumor was that Microsoft was going to offer support for the Blu-ray devices both in Windows and on the Xbox 360. Now Microsoft is claiming that they're not presently working on such a device for the Xbox 360:"Xbox is not currently in talks with Sony or the Blu-ray Association to integrate Blu-ray...Read more...
According to a report in the Financial Times, Sony is in talks with Microsoft about offering a Blu-ray drive for the Xbox 360. As many of you know, until recently Sony has touted Blu-ray as an advantage the PlayStation 3 holds over the Xbox 360. Microsoft had backed Toshiba’s HD-DVD format and offered an affordable, external HD-DVD...Read more...
With PCs for sale well under $1,000, nowadays $2,600 would be considered an expensive computer. But what if it's a unopened, new in the box (NIB), vintage Apple IIc? What would you pay for that?Though bidding on vintage computers can often start as low as $1, this Apple IIc from what was then called Apple Computer Inc. was more valuable: It...Read more...
There seems to be one last detail we need to take care of before we put the fork in the HD DVD format: The hard drive for the Xbox 360. It appears Microsoft is preparing to offer an Xbox360 with a stand-alone Blu-ray drive as early as May of 2008.Michael Ephraim the Managing Director of Sony Computer Entertainment said: "We would welcome...Read more...
Call this a rumor, but a particularly cool one.Netflix may consider extending its Watch Instantly movie streaming feature to game consoles, says one customer presented with a survey by the company. Polling its subscriber base, the rental outlet asks households if they would like to watch both movies and TV shows through either the PlayStation...Read more...
It must be really cold outside, because something just froze over. It appears the Xbox has managed to turn a profit.In the last six years, there's been one constant when discussing Microsoft's foray into the strange and seductive world of video game console manufacturing: they had yet to turn a profit on any of it. No more, with today's...Read more...
Poor box office receipts have been blamed on a number of things (besides a bad movie, that is), including poor weather, natural disasters, embarrassing news for the stars, strong box office competition, etc. This is the first time we have heard a video game blamed for bad box office.Industry expectations for "The Heartbreak Kid," the...Read more...
On August 31st, NBC Universal said it would not be renewing its contract with iTunes, after a dispute over pricing. Later that day, Apple said it would drop NBCU content prior to the fall season - and prior to the expiration of the contract. NBCU didn't waste any time, as today in a joint announcement NBC Universal and Amazon.com announced...Read more...
Microsoft and Google have been locked together in a corporate struggle of titanic proportions for the past few years, one from which a clear victor has yet to emerge. The battle sprawls from search engines, to office suites, and now the video services are becoming the new focal point of the conflict.On the Google side of the line is the reigning...Read more...
Perhaps based on the brouhaha over the iPhone battery replacement plan, which some have said, because it was not unveiled until after the iPhone went on sale, is "lawsuit-worthy", AT&T is making sure you know absolutely everything about your iPhone bill - such that the bills themselves run into so many pages that forests are being threatened....Read more...
I'm sure you've heard about the price drop that was just announced for the Xbox 360; the Xbox 360 Premium model has dropped from $400 to $350. However, more quietly, Microsoft has also added a freebie into the mix - a hardware refresh that includes an HDMI port, previously available only on the Elite model. This was rumored at first, and...Read more...
If you’re an Xbox 360 owner and you’re looking for a place to download more of your favorite shows and movies, then you may want to look into CinemaNow. A recent update to their software package has enabled more than 7000 videos to be downloaded and viewed by Xbox 360 owners: “CinemaNow Inc., the premier online destination for downloadable...Read more...
A Microsoft investigation of the Xbox has turned out to be favorable to existing owners of the system, and to those who wish to grab one in the future. In light of the results of the inquiry, which revealed a number of factors that contribute to the infamous overheating problems of the Xbox, Microsoft today announced that it will extend the...Read more...
Valve Software just released some cool images of the cover artwork for the 'Orange Box'. Here's what the packaging is going to look like for the PC, XBox360, and PS3 version of 'Orange Box', which includes Half Life 2: Episode 2, Portal, and the much anticipated (and very cool looking) Team Fortress 2......Read more...
The least Hot Hardware in the world might be your set-top cable box. It unscrambles your signal and changes the channel. The FCC thought it would sex up the lowly technology and spur competition by requiring set-top boxes be configured to allow the end user to purchase the box, with an installable card supplied by the cable provider to make...Read more...
Yes, literally speaking, Microsoft has made an announcement to deal with the Xbox 360’s chronic overheating problems by enhancing the level of cooling in the Xbox 360. Microsoft has installed a new heatpipe and heatsink to cool the AMD Xenon chipset in the console. The new heatpipe and heatsink will reduce overall case temperature and prevent...Read more...
Major League Baseball is joining the growing ranks of companies who are less than enthusiastic about the "placeshifting" feature. Here's a tidbit from Ars Technica: "Like other professional sports leagues, Major League Baseball is jealous of its content. The latest company to come under its scrutiny is Sling Media, makers of the Slingbox...Read more...
The Folding@Home team is constantly striving to add support for more devices to join the good fight against diseases ranging from Parkinson's to Alzheimer's. First they added support for alternative OSes, then video cards, and now a second gaming console, the Xbox 360, looks like it has a fair chance at showing its processing muscles off....Read more...
The Inquirer is reporting that the Xbox 360 is about to get a web camera, and that it will be initially used for instant messaging: "Microsoft will provide the Xbox 360 spring update access to Windows Live Messenger with people able to console themselves by chatting to up to six folk at once...Read more...
Starting the week of May 7th, Xbox 360 users will have access to Windows Live Messenger features, and be able to taunt their friends seamlessly. Here's a pic of the QWERTY beast you can do it with: Members of the six-million-strong Xbox Live community currently send more than two...Read more...
When going to a party, it's customary to not show up empty handed. Depending on the type of party, a cake, pastries, a bottle of wine or maybe even your favorite beer are all acceptable items to bring as a gesture to the host, thanking them for the invitation. When it comes to a LAN party, however, the term 'customary'...Read more...
So, does the popular gaming magazine confirm the rumors of a new Xbox 360 version? According to some leaked scans, yes it does. The new Xbox 360 Elite is expected to come in black, with a 120GB Hard Drive, HDMI output, and a $479 price tag. It's also rumored that once the new Elite's sell out, the hardware will replace current...Read more...