Hasta La Gadget!

Halo 4 will definitely be one of the biggest games of the year, so it really isn’t much of a surprise that some Xbox 360 owners are eager to download a pirated version of the game that popped up on torrent sites over the weekend. Microsoft isn’t taking this leak lightly though, as MCV reports that the company is handing out permanent Xbox Live bans to anyone caught playing the game with their console connected to the Internet. In other words, you might want to think twice before taking advantage of those Halo 4 torrents.

Of course, pirated versions of Halo 4 will only work on modded Xbox 360s, and why anyone would take their modded console onto Xbox Live is entirely beyond us. Some particularly dumb 360 owners are doing just that, though, as evidenced by the email MCV posted. The email is from the Live Enforcement Team, and lets the user know that they’ve violated the Xbox Live Code of Conduct. The punishment? Permaban, baby.

Though the email states that users won’t be able to log into Xbox Live during their suspension (which is never-ending in this case), it’s a little unclear at the moment if Microsoft is banning consoles or just gamertags – two very different things. If Microsoft is banning consoles, that means the console will never be able to access Xbox Live again, effectively bricking it as far as multiplayer and Xbox Live Arcade are concerned. If Microsoft is only banning gamertags, then the infringing gamer could just create a new tag and go online with that, which is a far less severe punishment.

In any case, you’re in for some headaches if you’re caught playing Halo 4 ahead of release while your 360 is connected to Live. Microsoft has launched an investigation to find out who leaked Halo 4 ahead of release, but in the meantime, the company is showing us that it has no problem at all with dropping the banhammer left and right. We’re going to go ahead and suggest that you just wait for Halo 4‘s official release on November 6 – yes, its release is still a few weeks off, but we’re thinking that waiting three weeks is much better than having your Xbox Live privileges taken away.

Halo 4 pirates feel the wrath of Microsoft’s banhammer is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Sharp has worked hand in hand with Gundam Front Tokyo in order to deliver a range of Halo robot vacuum cleaners which are based on the Sharp Cocorobo vacuum cleaner, where it is able to carry out a conversation with you. We are talking about a vacuum cleaner that is capable of helping you keep the room clean without having it talk back or pull a long face, especially after a particularly long day at work. Basically, Halo is a robot character who has appeared in different Gundam anime and video games, which has resulted in it being a mascot for Sunrise anime studio and Gundam franchise. (more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Evolution Robotics Mint robotic vacuum ships this summer, Asus Robotic Vacuum Cleaner,

A new Halo 4 trailer has launched, and this time around it’s all about the weapons, baby. With a dubstep song serving as our backing track, we’re introduced to weapons new and old, and get a chance to see how each one functions in Halo 4. Microsoft has also released a second version of the trailer that ditches the music so it’s nothing but you and the gunfire, so if you hate dubstep, you’re in luck.

A decent amount of the weapons featured in this trailer return from previous games, including the Assault Rifle, the fan-favorite Magnum handgun, the Battle Rifle, the DMR (yes, Halo 4 features both the Battle Rifle and the DMR), the Shotgun, the Rocket Launcher, the Spartan Laser, and of course, the Sniper Rifle. For the most part, these guns seem largely unchanged from the last time we saw them, which longtime fans should appreciate.

In addition to the returning weapons, we also get a look at three brand new weapons: the Saw, the Railgun, and the Sticky Detonator. The Saw is a light machine gun capable of holding 72 rounds at a time and firing ridiculously fast. The Railgun, on the other hand, is a weapon you’ll want to take your time with, as it charges up before unleashing a powerful explosive round. Finally, the Sticky Detonator is a gun that fires a sticky grenade at your opponent and allows you to detonate it whenever you like. Expect to have a lot of fun with that one.

All of these weapons have been detailed in depth over on the Halo Waypoint blog. Halo 4 is scheduled to launch for Xbox 360 on November 6, and even though some fans are hesitant to trust 343 Industries with the franchise now that Bungie has moved on, Halo 4 looks like it’ll be a blast to play. Stay tuned, because we’ll definitely be seeing more Halo 4 media as we inch closer to its release date.

New Halo 4 trailer shows off weapons to dubstep is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Anticipation continues to build this morning for the next installment in the Halo series: Halo 4. We already saw the Halo 4 limited edition Xbox 360 be revealed this morning, and now a new live action trailer has been released at Comic Con.
(more…)

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Halo 4 Limited Edition and multiplayer aspect detailed by Microsoft, Halo 4 release date set to November 6, 2012,