Hasta La Gadget!

Even after five iterations, Ben Heck‘s portable Xbox 360 models are still a spectacle to behold — he seems to keep outdoing himself every time, both in functionality and style. This latest model has the appearance of an oversized plastic polycarbonate Macbook when closed, and packs a 17-inch Gateway LCD panel. The big improvements here include the Jasper motherboard, a flush-mount DVD door and side panels, digital potentiometer / button volume controls, and an ethernet port in addition to WiFi. Not everything’s been kept, as Heck says he ditched the camera, not seeing a point for it — but hey, there’s still two USB ports if any of his (already spoken for) customers want to add it. Impressive work, indeed. See it for yourself in the video after the break.

[Via TechEBlog]

Continue reading Ben Heck’s latest portable Xbox 360 adds sleek white finish, Jasper motherboard

Filed under: Gaming

Ben Heck’s latest portable Xbox 360 adds sleek white finish, Jasper motherboard originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 05 Jul 2009 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We don’t know exactly what’s going on, but both Xbox Live and Zune Marketplace are apparently acting up right now — we’ve gotten reports that the entire Zune user database is more or less MIA, while Xbox Live seems unable to process purchases reliably. If we had to guess, we’d say that Microsoft’s free Thriller video giveaway is causing some pretty massive server strain, but that’s just a shot in the dark. Keep us posted on how you’re doing, and we’ll let you know if we hear anything official.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Filed under: Gaming, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Xbox Live and Zune Marketplace both acting flaky right now originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 28 Jun 2009 18:48:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Got a knack for fighting titles? Have a particular fondness for Tekken? If so, you definitely shouldn’t be playing with a stock controller, and that’s exactly why Hori has crafted the beauty you’re inevitably peering at above. The stick, which will ship as part of a Tekken 6 Wireless Fight Stick Bundle bundle, will be made available soon for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 (shown after the break), and according to our pals over at Joystiq, it’ll be on sale at a variety of respected retailers for $150. Said MSRP also includes a collectible art book and a pinch of pride, which totally justifies the somewhat steep asking price. Right? Right.

Continue reading Hori’s Tekken 6 Xbox 360 / PS3 joystick ain’t a bad way to burn $150

Filed under: Gaming, Peripherals

Hori’s Tekken 6 Xbox 360 / PS3 joystick ain’t a bad way to burn $150 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:42:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Taking aim at Microsoft’s recently unveiled Project Natal, Stephen Colbert unveiled a new-new console on The Colbert Report the other night. The XXbox (or Ex-Xbox, one of our readers cleverly pointed out) bests Natal’s lack of controller by at least one point, lacking a console and games. For about 500 bucks, it sounds like a steal. But you know, we’ll buy any new gadget. Video is after the break.

[Via Joystiq]

Continue reading Video: Stephen Colbert unveils the Microsoft XXbox

Filed under: Gaming

Video: Stephen Colbert unveils the Microsoft XXbox originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 20 Jun 2009 18:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Despite our incessant pleading, not a soul at Microsoft — including newly-minted media darling Kudo Tsunoda — would give up a release window for Project Natal, except to say “not in 2009.” Well, at least we know we won’t be waiting too far into the future. Company CEO and cheerleader Steve Ballmer told attendees to his speech at The Executives Club of Chicago today that the Xbox 360 motion control interface is coming in 2010. That’s still a large timeframe, but hey, at least you can go ahead and start planning your block-breaking 2011 New Year’s Eve party now.

Update: Looks like Steve might’ve spoken out of turn. Microsoft just us over an official statement reiterating that they “have not confirmed a launch date at this time.” Full reading after the break.

Continue reading Project Natal recognizing retail shelves in 2010, says Ballmer (update: maybe not)

Filed under: Gaming

Project Natal recognizing retail shelves in 2010, says Ballmer (update: maybe not) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 18 Jun 2009 17:14:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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