The “Professional” Way To Open Your Xbox 360

This article was written on May 26, 2006 by CyberNet.

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People are always skeptical about opening video game systems because it will often void the warranty. That is why the tutorial below is so nice because it will show you how to open your Xbox 360 without even making a mark on your system. They are careful to use only tools that most people have laying around the house like a CD spindle cover (very clever).

This looks like it will be a good start to modding your Xbox 360, now we just have to wait for the mod chips to be created. I am sure that they aren’t too far away.

View The Tutorial On Opening Your Xbox 360

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Big Xbox 360 Update Coming (Yep, DivX)

This article was written on November 30, 2007 by CyberNet.

Xbox 360 Beach

On December 4th at 2:00AM PST Xbox 360 owners (with an Xbox LIVE subscription) will be able to get some awesome new features at no additional cost! At the top of the feature list is MPEG-4 Part 2 video support, which means that most of your DivX and Xvid files will now be play on the system! This was expected, however, because of the DivX/PS3 compatibility that was announced earlier this month.

Another one of the cool features in the list is access to Xbox Originals, which are classic Xbox games that will be available for download at $15 each. The selection will be rather limited at first, but it is expected to grow as more of the game publishers jump on board.

Here’s the full list of features coming on December 4th, and a video demo of the new Dashboard:

  • New video features – The convenience of full-screen movie previews and enhanced video codec support further expand the options when it comes to the Xbox 360 entertainment experience.
  • Xbox Originals – You can download-to-own full original Xbox games that were previously only available at retail. The digital shelves will always be stocked with classic titles, such as “Crash Bandicoot: Wrath of Cortex” “Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge,” “Halo,” “Fable,” “Fuzion Frenzy,” “Psychonauts,” and more as the catalogue grows over time, at 1200 Microsoft Points ($15) per game.
  • Xbox LIVE Arcade Hits – On Xbox LIVE Arcade, the Arcade Hits program kicks off where some of the best selling Xbox LIVE Arcade games will become available at permanently reduced prices, making it easier than ever for everyone to build a library of downloadable games! The first games to become Arcade Hits will be “Bankshot Billiards 2” and “Lumines LIVE,” which will be available for 800 Microsoft Points each, and “Marble Blast Ultra,” “Small Arms” and “Zuma Deluxe,” which will be available for 400 Microsoft Points each. With free trial downloads for every game and over 100 games to choose from, Xbox LIVE Arcade offers something for every member of the family.
  • Inside Xbox – A new direct feed brings current news straight from Xbox.com into the Xbox LIVE Dashboard.
  • Enhanced online profile – Members interested in sharing a few more details about themselves will have the option to. 
  • Expanded Friends List access – Members will be able to see the Friends Lists of other Xbox LIVE members, boosting their social networking experience on the service.
  • Enhanced Parental Controls – Parents can set the amount of time their Xbox 360 can be used on a per-day or per-week basis by their children or other members of the household.

Gamerscore Blog [via Joystiq]

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Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard update video leaks, tours Metro in silence




Last month, we sat down with Microsoft for a quick look at the Xbox’s upcoming Dashboard update — it was sleek, searchable, and extremely camera shy. A quick trip to Europe seems to have cured it of its bashful ways, however, and the budding update can now be seen in a slightly blurry piece of French cinema. This leaked video shows a Dashboard with a smidge more polish than the demo we saw in September, and silently plods on without so much as a bleep or bloop. Our mute host briefly peeks at the Xbox Live Marketplace, casually glances at the Bing search page and scrolls leisurely through the new Dash’s very Metro menu. The whole shebang is en français, of course, and the update’s snappy voice-control gimmick is sadly absent. Sure, there’s not a lot of depth here, but if you want a glimpse of what’s coming when the update drops later this Fall, it’s definitely worth a look.

[Thanks, John]

Xbox 360 Fall Dashboard update video leaks, tours Metro in silence originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 03 Oct 2011 02:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Xbox 360 Dropping Down to $299

This article was written on July 11, 2008 by CyberNet.

xbox 360.jpgGizmodo received a tip a few days back that pointed to updated pricing for the Xbox 360. It appears that a $50 price drop down to $299 is on the way, and might be coming as soon as this Sunday. Accompanying the price drop signs is a memo stating that the enclosed materials are not to be displayed before July 13th… I guess Internet leaks are okay as long as no one physically puts out the signs. ;)

I do have to say that this is pretty competitive pricing coming from Microsoft. This will put the 40GB Playstation 3 $100 more than the Xbox 360, but the Wii is still $50 cheaper. Then again you do get a 20GB hard drive with this Xbox 360 which puts it between the PS3 and Wii.

What still amazes me is the incredible demand for the Wii. When that console makes its way into an advertisement the stores normally say something like a “minimum of 12″ will be available. You know you’re talking about a hot item when stores have to say the minimum amount that they’ll have.

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Sony PS Vita caps 3G downloads at 20MB, encourages extensive mini play

Just two months to go, and gamers of the Sony persuasion can get their thumbs-on the PS Vita. While we were getting comfy with the available list of this PSP successor’s dos and don’ts, out comes further info to rain on our anticipated PlayStation Suite parade. According to a report from ASCII, game downloads over 3G connections will be limited to a max of 20MB. What does that mean for you, prospective buyer? Well, kiss that 500 – 600 strong library of PSP titles goodbye, and say hello to a catalog of minis. Sure, you could always hook up to some decent WiFi to purchase and play those old favorites uninterrupted, but that kind of defeats this portable’s on-the-go design. Rest assured, this download cap could still change before the handheld launches in the US and UK. And anyway, you didn’t think you were going to get far on that three to five hour charge, now did you?

Sony PS Vita caps 3G downloads at 20MB, encourages extensive mini play originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 01 Oct 2011 08:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Will the Mac App Store Kill Steam?

This article was written on May 05, 2011 by CyberNet.

Mac App Store on Mac OS X Lion (credit: Apple)Centralized software purchasing is a hot topic these days. It all began with the iOS App Store. About six months ago, Apple announced that it was going to launch an App Store for desktop computers, following in the footsteps of Ubuntu‘s Software Center. Leaked screenshots from Windows 8 show that Microsoft is working on an app store too. Does this have implications for specialized app stores such as Steam?

Why the app store model makes sense

The big Linux distributions have one big advantage over Windows: they centralize software updates in a package manager. On Windows however, you’ve got a Google updater, an Adobe updater, an Apple updater, a Java updater and so on. This isn’t very efficient. By creating a central app store, Microsoft would effectively enable developers to utilize a standardized protocol to offer software updates.

There are more advantages to the Linux packaging system: application dependencies don’t have to be downloaded if you’ve already got them. If an application depends on OpenGL and you already installed it, your application download will be considerably smaller. Less bandwidth is required on both sides and you’ll save hard drive space.

From the business side, there’s a lot of money to be made by the app store maintainer. Apple has been very public about getting a 30% cut of every sold app. App developers are incited to let Apple take this cut because it gives users a quicker way to install their software.

If a user gets a new computer, they can re-download all apps they own. Perhaps the app store even supports the synchronization of app settings. This effectively makes for a less painful OS re-install experience.

Because of the huge advantages that an app store ecosystem can offer over plain old downloads, piracy rates may drop significantly like they did for certain games thanks to Steam. Who knows?

What will happen to specialized app stores?

SteamSpeaking of Steam, this brings us to an interesting question. If the Mac App Store and the proposed Windows 8 Marketplace App Store (whatever its terrible product name will be) take off, what will happen to existing app stores that have already carved out their niche, such as Steam? Here are three scenarios.

  1. Generalized app stores will absorb game sales – People will prefer to buy their games at the operating system’s official app store because they want all their purchases in one place and don’t like having two separate app stores on their computers. This will lead to the loss of such Steam-specific features as in-game voice chat, achievements, instant messaging, social networking and gameplay statistics.
  2. Generalized app stores will get features that tailor to gamers – Apple has attempted bring gaming features to its iOS App Store by introducing Game Center, but it hasn’t quite taken off yet if some vague figures are to be believed. If app stores manage to integrate crucial Steam features, the now popular game manager may be going the way of the Netscape, Digg and ICQ soon. However, let’s not overlook the fact that Steam operates on both Windows and Mac, so if people abandon Steam for their native app store they would no longer be able to play with friends who use the other OS.
  3. People stay loyal to Steam – If Steam’s features are important to gamers and the native app stores fail to incorporate them (or they don’t gain critical mass), the alarm is off… for now. There’s a lot of money to be made in game sales, so Microsoft and Apple will be determined to get it right sooner rather than later. Valve’s dominant position in the digital game store market has remained unchallenged until now and it will be interesting to see how they perform in a more competitive environment.

Copyright © 2011 CyberNetNews.com

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MadCatz now shipping Tritton Detonator headset, official Xbox 360 stereo sound for $80

PS3 owners have been sportin’ their own official gaming headset for a few weeks, and now — after months of teasing — Mad Catz is finally granting Xbox 360 owners a similar privilege. The company’s announced that its Tritton / Microsoft co-branded Detonator Stereo USB gaming headset is available and shipping, priced at $80. Positioned as the first of a trio of its upcoming headsets — including its wireless brethren, the stereo Devastator and Dolby 7.1 Warhead — the Detonator keeps it to the FPS-pwning essentials. The cans are loaded with massive 50mm drivers and along its cord you’ll find an inline remote for adjusting game / chat volume, voice monitoring and mic muting. Impressively, aside from its detachable boom mic, the inline controller is also removeable, allowing you plug straight into your PMP when you’re done trash talkin’ on Xbox Live. We’re still anxiously waiting for the Warhead (scheduled to ship this holiday season), but if wired stereo is your thing, hit the PR past the break for more info.

Continue reading MadCatz now shipping Tritton Detonator headset, official Xbox 360 stereo sound for $80

MadCatz now shipping Tritton Detonator headset, official Xbox 360 stereo sound for $80 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple axes iPod click wheel games in iTunes, is the ‘classic’ model next?

We’re all well aware that a new iPhone will see daylight next week. What’s still a bit unclear is whether or not Apple plans on discontinuing the ol’ faithful iPod classic. However, we may be getting a clue as to what fate the PMP may soon meet. The folks over at AppleInsider discovered that the link to iPod Click Wheel Games no longer appears on the App Store drop-down menu in iTunes. Since 2006, the folks in in Cupertino have been offering added entertainment for the popular mobile jukebox for $7.49 each, but only about 50 titles were available for purchase — it’s kind of hard to develop software when a third-party kit wasn’t publicly released. So if you’re planning on hanging onto your iPod classic for a little while, we hope you’re content to keep playing Vortex, Klondike or whatever else you’ve already downloaded.

Apple axes iPod click wheel games in iTunes, is the ‘classic’ model next? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Datel Xbox 360 controller packs LCD screen, parties like it’s 1998

Datel’s latest controller for the Xbox 360 is inducing waves of nostalgia, with a curious LCD display channeling the ghost of the Sega Dreamcast’s VMU. The Turbofire EVO also packs in button mapping and fine-tune rumble options alongside third-party controller staples like turbo button settings. These can all be tweaked through the 1.7-inch screen, with extra custom profiles available if you connect the proudly unofficial controller to a PC. Check the video after the break and if a baked-in display presses your buttons, it’s available now direct from Datel.

Continue reading New Datel Xbox 360 controller packs LCD screen, parties like it’s 1998

New Datel Xbox 360 controller packs LCD screen, parties like it’s 1998 originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Sep 2011 10:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When Guitar Hero and Nerds Collide

This article was written on April 23, 2008 by CyberNet.

It’s pretty crazy the things geeks can come up with when they get an idea. A group of undergraduate students over at Texas A&M have obviously been playing too much Guitar Hero, and decided that they could make a robot to conquer the game for them. After much thought they have named their dubious creation Slashbot. They even started a blog for people who want to follow the progress of the project.

Slashbot is able to jam with the best of the best thanks to some actuators, wires, code, and of course a guitar. It’s actually using what appears to be an unmodified guitar, and literally “presses” the buttons while strumming by using actuators. The video below shows just how crazy fast you have to be if you want to become a Guitar Hero expert.

How well does it work? On expert mode it was able to achieve 96% on “Cliffs of Dover” and 97% on “My Name is Jonas.” Unfortunately the system isn’t able to maximize its score because it has a hard time keeping multiplier streaks. Disappointing, I know, but it’s still a sight to see. Here’s a video that demos Slashbot’s ability to tear up the Cliffs of Dover song:

Slashbot [via Engadget]

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