xbox

Report: Microsoft's own 'Wiimote' due this year

Microsoft is reportedly working on its own version of Nintendo's Wiimote and plans to introduce it by the end of the year. The report comes from MTV News, which attributes the information to a developer "who has been brief on the project" but sought anonymity to preserve business relationships.

The source told MTV News that the project, supposedly in development since last August, is being designed by Rare, the U.K.-based game studio acquired by the software giant in 2002. Microsoft would not comment on the report.

Although its functions are similar to those of the … Read more

Microsoft producing series of Web shows

Watch out, Hollywood. Here comes Microsoft.

At an event it called Digital Showcase, held Thursday in New York, the software giant told a group of ad execs that it is getting into the business of producing original Web shows for its wide range of Web platforms.

According to MediaWeek, Microsoft told the ad execs that the shows it is funding will be naturals for supporting online advertising.

The shows are slated to run on portals like MSN, Xbox Live, and MSNBC.com. Among the initial series are: 50 Greatest, which MediaWeek said is "a spoof of the multiple pop … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 695: Pass the caffeinated rabbit

It turns out that if you give a rabbit enough coffee, it won't get dementia. And neither will you! (Long story--we'll explain.) In other news, Apple is now the No. 1 retailer in the United States, and Comcast launches 50Mbps broadband in Minneapolis/St. Paul, which actually launches us into a big Comcast rant. Sorry, Comcast. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 695

Apple passes Wal-Mart, now No. 1 music retailer in U.S. http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/ 20080402-apple-passes-wal-mart-now-1-music-retailer-in-us.html

As expected, MySpace unveils new music service http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9910344-7.html http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/03/ technology/03cnd-myspace.html … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 692: Shine on, Chumby

Chumby is the wave of the future, Shine is...shiny? And tomorrow is Molly's Day Without Google--and maybe yours, too. In other news, if you can call it that, Adobe Systems changes its Photoshop Express terms of service, while the rest of the Internet keeps theirs the same. Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 692

Yahoo targets women with 'Shine' http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9905786-7.html http://www.calacanis.com/2008/03/31/ content-owners-should-drop-yahoo-for-google/

Dignan: Yahoo brings media sense to the table http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=8329

Vista eventually goes down in pwn to own http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/03/29/ pwn_to_own_vista_finally_falls_when_adobe_flash_is_installed.html… Read more

Buzz Out Loud 689: Mousetronauts

Please, someone, make a Mousetronauts show. We're begging you. In other news, cell phones on airplanes appear to be coming to European airspace near you. Comcast and Time Warner are lining up behind WiMax, and South Park is coming online -- for free! Listen now: Download today's podcast EPISODE 689

Approval for mobiles on aircraft http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7314362.stm

TiVo's take: It's a Comcast mistake http://cultureofownership.org/?p=24

Comcast and Time Warner to bankroll WiMax joint venture http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-9903411-7.html

Motorola to split into two, … Read more

Xbox Live taking action on Gamerscore tampering

If you tamper with your Xbox Live Gamerscore, you might lose it and everything in it forever, administrators of Microsoft's online game service want you to know.

In a terse post Tuesday, administrator Major Nelson wrote, "Today we took action on some of the accounts we have identified as the most serious offenders who have violated the Xbox Live Terms of Use by tampering with their Gamerscore and achievements."

Specifically, Nelson was following up on an October post in which he warned that, "I strongly urge you not to tamper with your Gamerscore and achievements. If … Read more

Next PS3 firmware one more reason to buy console as Blu-Ray player

Update: This story now reflects NPD data showing improved PlayStation 3 performance in the first two months of the year.

For many people, Sony's oft-maligned PlayStation 3 video game console had one no-doubt-about-it selling point: when it launched, it was by far the cheapest Blu-ray player on the market.

That's no longer true, what with plenty of low-cost players flooding the market now that Blu-ray has effectively vanquished HD DVD as the next-generation playback standard.

But with its announcement of a forthcoming PS3 firmware upgrade, Sony has once again given consumers a reason to buy the console for … Read more

2008 will be the year of the PlayStation 3

Even though Sony's PlayStation 3 was slow out of the gates, it has found its stride lately and performed extremely well over the past few months. And as the latest NPD numbers show, more good times are in store. But in the end, it's what's coming that matters and if you ask me, Sony has everything in place to have the best year of any console maker.

Now I know what you're thinking -- aren't I the same guy who said the chances of the PS3 winning the console war are slim? Yep. And I still believe that. But what I also said is the PS3 will probably end up in second place when this whole generation is said and done and the main reason why that's true is because of what might happen this year

Unlike the Wii and the Xbox 360, the PlayStation 3 is poised to grow at a rapid rate and finally become a major player in this generation. And although some would say that it's because of Blu-ray (and that may be part of it), the real reason is that Sony has finally woken up and realized that it needs to change its strategy, refocus its efforts and make an impact now before it's too late.

It has.… Read more

Where the clap has not subsided

EPISODE 57

While Jeff is still out, we manage to press forward in the most depressing way possible (you'd think Dan Ackerman was on the show). Randall cheers for a recession like its 1999, Xbox 360 kids are kinda crazy (surprise!), and China bans YouTube. All that and more on this episode of the 404!

Listen now: Download today's podcast