A new Xbox design, and a new Media Remote with it. When Microsoft announced the Slim Xbox 360, with a glossy case and black instead of the once proudly-displayed white matte finish, it only made sense that followup hardware would follow a similar route: slimming down and gaining a sleeker design. This holiday Microsoft released a few peripherals, one of which was the Xbox 360 Media Remote. I’ve used it since it a ton since IPTV through the Xbox became a reality, and it’s a great piece of hardware to own.

For comparison, let’s take a look at the original Xbox 360 media remote. It’s roughly the same length as the newer model, but is stockier, and has an overall larger feel. The white design is easy to see and matches original 360 consoles, but the size makes it inconvenient for a living room setting. It’s wider and thicker than almost every cable box or TV remote I’ve ever seen. Compare that to the Universal Media Remote, which is much larger and bulkier, and now you have a new king of remote controls by size alone.

The new model is thin and sleek. It combines the Universal Remote’s use-anywhere traits and the smaller size of the original Media Remote in an even smaller form factor. This new Media Remote is by no means thin at an inch thick, but it’s comfortable in the hand, far more than either two remotes before it. The button layout leaves a lot to be desired, however, depending on how you use it. As a universal remote the channel buttons are too low and video navigation (pause, play, fast forward/rewind, etc.) are too high. For Xbox 360 use, the button scheme is exceptional, though it feels better for the left hand than the right hand.

The Media Remote is much smaller than the universal remote. Unfortunately I've lost mine, so no direct size comparison

My bigger concern isn’t with the remote so much, but the lack of proper software implementation on the Xbox 360 itself. When watching TV through the game console, it’s impossible to switch to specific channels without going through the guide or flipping through one at a time.

The overall experience of watching TV through the Xbox with just the Media Remote isn’t as great as it can be. It can easily be improved in two ways: speed up channel flipping (right now there’s a 2-5 second buffer delay between channels), and allow for a more cable TV-like viewing experience. Today it just feels too slow and too cumbersome.

At just $20, it’s more expensive than most universal remotes but a much better option for Xbox 360 owners. Even if you just have the game console, new video apps like Crackle, and streaming apps like Hulu Plus and Netflix make owning the Media Remote worthwhile. Even if it spends most of its days sitting quietly on your coffee table, this remote is a solid, simple and worthwhile purchase that you can’t regret.

Editor’s Rating:

4 out of 5 stars

Great

Bottom Line: A great remote that’s better than the original, and does everything you need for a good price.

Pros:

• Smaller, slimmer, better than the original
• Packs two prior remotes into one with a solid build and design

The Microsoft Touch Mouse is not particularly special upon first glance. It has only the two main buttons – no scroll wheel, no middle mouse button, no thumb buttons. It is ambidextrous, but without anything on the sides, that hardly matters. It also only has a DPI range of 1000. But if you look closely at the top (below picture), you’ll see a series of X’s and dots that outlay the special feature of the Touch Mouse: a touch-sensitive region.

This area, which covers 60% of the mouse from the top, uses capacitive touch technology to register multitouch gestures. Best known currently on smartphones, capacitive touchscreens have typically been glass, but the technology doesn’t need a glass surface. Microsoft opted against a glass surface because, as anyone with a touchscreen phone has learned the hard way, the glass becomes abrasive with excess heat, and having a mouse becoming uncomfortable like this was out of the question.

There are about nine current functions of the touch features on this mouse, including taking the place of thumb buttons and the scroll wheel. And like some current trackpads, momentum scrolling (scrolling up or down hard, causing the page to continue scrolling after letting go) is also available, something I like very much after Logitech introduced frictionless scroll wheels. The thumb buttons are replaced with a swipe up or down with the thumb on the mouse’s side. To my knowledge, there is currently no middle mouse button, but I’ll update with a confirmation.

Other touch functions are specific to Windows 7. Two fingers controls specific windows. For example, a highlighted window can be maximized, minimized, or put to the right or left of the screen by swiping two fingers up, down, right or left, respectively. Three finger gestures control the entire desktop, so three fingers sliding up shows all open windows while three fingers sliding down cleans the desktop.

I tried out the Touch Mouse and it works flawlessly, albeit some of the Windows limitations may end up being frustrating and feeling outdated. In just seconds I was able to use all of the nine functions. It’s remarkably intuitive and simple, and the feel of the mouse is such that sliding one or more fingers up and down the capacitive surface is not bothersome in the slightest. I could easily see myself replacing my current mouse for this…of course, if I stuck with any one mouse.

The now-standard pinch-zoom function doesn’t work, as is true with most other touch gestures we’ve come to associate with cellphones and larger gesture-based devices. There’s nothing wrong with that though, because the mouse is a very different type of product. Zooming in and out is still based on holding down CTRL and scrolling, and I’m fine with that.

It’s also worth noting that because the Touch Mouse is made specifically for Windows 7 functions, it won’t work with Windows XP or Windows Vista. I guess that means I’ll have to upgrade my Vista desktop soon.

What I don’t particularly like is how the gestures only apply to highlighted windows. This is, of course, how Windows OS functions, though the growth in web-based applications and the importance and high-volume usage of web browsers has changed that. Many of us like being able to scroll through a page just by hovering the mouse over it and scrolling, without clicking on it. Ultimately, I believe the question of mouse hovering versus clicking is a matter of preference, though I prefer the former. Microsoft, the latter.

Still, the technology is fascinating, and I can’t wait to play around with it more. Even better, I can’t wait to see what the development community does with it once the mouse releases this May. Like Kinect, I have no doubt that we’ll see some incredible – and even more noteworthy, free – applications with a gesture-based mouse like the Touch Mouse. It should be great fun.

I’ve seen many art installations, public interaction projects and generally awesome things to do with an Xbox Kinect, but this blending of the Razorfish DaVinci gestural interface with the Kinect seems like the most intimate connection realized so far between physical reality and a playfully and subtly artistic virtual reality.

Objects are created, or rather drawn using hand gestures, and gestures also control the physics qualities affecting the objects and environment. Your hands are represented on screen which lets you draw and then manipulate what you’ve drawn once it’s become a ‘physically-enabled’ object.

Gesture-operated environments are the the natural evolution beyond touch-based interfaces, because they take into account the entire volumetric dexterity of the hands, their intention through space expressed on the virtual canvas that the Kinect creates in mid-air.

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3.5 out of 5 stars

Pros:

• Tight controls, stiff buttons
• Excellent art decal

Cons:

• Rubbery feel, bad for sweaty hands
• Rear buttons are too small to press
• $50 is steep for a wired gamepad

When a controller releases for a console, that’s really not a big deal these days. Not unless it comes from the big three, or if it offers something special. In fact, most manufacturers stopped trying outright because they simply couldn’t compete, for a number of reasons. Madcatz didn’t, and has partnered with Activision’s fast-selling and soon to be commercially acclaimed shooter. Does it make the cut?

PrecisionAIM got its name from the unique build of the controller. The shape is not all that different from the standard Xbox 360 gamepad, but it likewise doesn’t feel the same. At first, the differences are so moot, it just feels odd. Not good, not bad, just odd.

But as I settled in and broke the controller in a bit, those slight differences suddenly weren’t very slight. That’s because the smallest changes to a gamepad, one which is used tens of hours a week, are surprisingly significant.

With the PrecisionAIM, the face buttons are flat as opposed to rounded, which gives them easier grip, yet they are less clicky, and feel more rubbery to press. The D-pad is very soft, and far too similar to the current Xbox 360 controller design, which makes it feel junky. The analog sticks have smaller faces, and are more difficult to latch a thumb onto.

In fact, the rubbery feel of the PrecisionAIM influences much of the controller. Two rubber pads sit on both sides of the controller, intended to better the grip. It does, except for people with sweaty hands, for whom it does the exact opposite. The tighter triggers, after a good hour, actually put a strain on my hands, something I’d never felt before with any gamepad. Finally, the two rear buttons, which can take the place of any two face buttons, proved small and difficult to push unless I changed my grip style.

For a good two hours, I played poorly with the PrecisionAIM. In games like Halo: Reach, Call of Duty: Black Ops, Blood Stone and others, my performance was cut in half. But as I kept playing and acclimated to the new controller, I started playing better and better, especially in one specific field. And it ain’t from the glowing read thumbsticks.

The tighter analog sticks are intended for, guess what, precision. With a sniper rifle or any precision-based weapon, I was shooting better than I had in years. One game of Halo: Reach ended my count at 17 headshots with a sniper rifle, and four more with the DMR. The standard 360 controller is looser and is thus easier to move too much or too far, whereas the PrecisionAIM is very tight, and allows for slight, controlled movements much better than other gamepads.

Other button changes also proved to be a benefit instead of a detriment to gameplay. The Start and Back buttons are quick, easy to press and very clicky buttons. I always hated having to reach over and press them on the standard 360 controller, and that isn’t a problem with PrecisionAIM. The bumpers at first felt like they lacked firmness, but are actually tighter as well. They require less push to press, and have a satisfying click for each press. And the analog stick buttons (R3 & L3) are much, much easier to push, without being too easy to accidentally press.

That leaves just the grip on the analog sticks, and the rear buttons. Unfortunately, both are not up to par with PrecisionAIM’s biggest competitor. Grip on the analog sticks could be a deal-breaker. I found myself constantly fixing my grip on both sticks, because even without sweaty fingers, my thumbs just slide off of the thumbsticks.

In effect, the slippery nature of the controller as a whole ruins the rear buttons. A tighter grip is required on the controller to keep it steady, more pressure is needed for the thumbs to make sure they don’t slip, and that leaves the rest of your hand clutching the controller for dear life. It won’t give you arthritis or aching hands, but you won’t be pressing those rear buttons either. To press either one, I had to let go with my middle finger (on either had), move it up a centimeter, and press. That’s not nearly as easy as just hitting the button it’s meant to replace.

For the same price as an ordinary Xbox 360 controller, it’s tough to recommend the PrecisionAIM controller. Were it $40, then yes, the tighter controls and stiffer analog sticks would prove to be a great asset for gamers who find their gamepads too loose. Call of Duty fans may still want to pick up a set because of the great artwork, but besides that, there isn’t too much to praise about the PrecisionAIM. For more professional gamers seeking a tighter feel for more precise shooting, the PrecisionAIM is a fine choice to make. For regular gamers, not so much.

It’s Kinect. Microsoft’s baby, their biggest hardware release since the Xbox 360, meant to revolutionize gaming, specifically for everyone who doesn’t want a controller, forever. Here’s our first look from installation to an hour in!

The box for Kinect is surprisingly compact, but in a good way. I actually got lucky – the closest electronics store to me, besides for a 5×5″ Radioshack, is a 30 minute drive, and Kinect had no deals for same-day shipping anywhere. Out of nowhere, the Radioshack had one. Guess the population of old people in Malibu aren’t interested, or just forgot that the local ‘Shack sells things besides replacement cables.

The discreet packaging a quick install guide and Kinect Adventures, the included game

The Kinect Camera

In the Kinect box is the camera and three cables. If you own the new Slim model, then you’ll only need to use the one attached cable. I’ll show how to set that up in just a minute. If, however, you have the older, original Xbox 360, then you’ll have to use the included power cable as well. The final cable is a USB extender, and is going to be useless for nearly everyone. It adds a few extra feet to your cable, just in case.

This is a special USB cable that only connects to the new Xbox 360 Slim models.

On your Xbox 360 Slim, just plug the weird USB cable (the only one directly connected to the Kinect camera) into the slot pictured above. You’ll note the odd shape of this connector. It sits beside the ethernet connector. You can connect the cable with your Xbox 360 on or off, it doesn’t matter. I’d recommend doing it while the 360 is off, because it’s very easy to jerk the console around while plugging the cable in. If you do plug it in while your Xbox 360 is on, make sure to first remove any games to make sure they don’t get scratched in the process.

At this point, for original Xbox 360 owners, you should plug the power cable into a wall outlet, and connect the corresponding USB cables.

Once the USB cable is connected, place the Kinect camera either on top your TV (seen above) or on the same stand as your TV. Place it wherever it has the most coverage. You should know that the Kinect can adjust it’s vision thanks to one built-in motor, and does look up and down. Mine is placed above the TV because my TV sits pretty close to the ground, so the Kinect is about neck level for me. Then the following update message appears. Go ahead and say yes (if you accidentally click no, just unplug the USB cable and plug it back in, or restart the Xbox 360 console. Then the message will come up.

Interesting message…thanks Ninten…err, Microsoft!

The Xbox will update after clicking yes, so go ahead and give it a few minutes. It shouldn’t take more than 30 seconds, but may take up to 5 minutes depending on your connection speed.

Once the update completes, this screen will come up. The Xbox 360 will walk you through an initial setup for the Kinect, so just follow the on-screen instructions. They’re all basic and very straight forward. Please note that for this whole process you’ll require a controller to get through the installation.

Upon completing the installation, you’ll be taken back to the Xbox Dashboard (the main screen), only now a picture of yourself and tips for Kinect will appear on the bottom right of the screen. As you can see, my picture sits below and it’s telling me to wave to activate Kinect. To activate Kinect, either wave three times (right, left, right…with your arm), and hold your hand over the designated option. Alternatively, because Kinect is also voice-activated, you can say “Xbox, Kinect” and it will register your voice and take you to the Kinect Hub.

In the Kinect Hub, all your hand gestures and your voice are both registered immediately. This is very different from the main Xbox 360 dashboard, as seen in the previous screen, which is controlled through the Xbox 360 controller. The Kinect Hub doesn’t work with the 360 controller at all, so you’re fine putting it down, or even turning it off to conserve battery life. Once in the Kinect Hub, hold your hand over any of the listed channels on-screen, or say “Xbox, [channel]“, and that channel will open.

If you find that the Kinect sensor isn’t reading properly, or doesn’t see you right, the Kinect Tuner in the options is a quick way to fix that. Thanks to a motor, the Kinect camera has a pretty wide range of motion, about 45 degrees, perhaps more. The standard viewing angle probably won’t be right for your setup, so make sure you go and adjust the angle so that it fits your space. In the picture above, most of my body is visible, but I’m approximately 6.5 feet away from the camera. Microsoft recommends 6-10 ft., and more for additional players. At 6.5 ft. myself, my legs were touching my couch, and the first games I ran didn’t work until I adjusted the camera angle.

I also opted to calibrate my Kinect sensor, because it wasn’t working properly right away. I expect this to be similar for most users. To calibrate it, take a calibration card from (presumably) any Kinect game (Kinect Adventures includes a card). Then follow the on-screen instructions for the card.

The Calibration card

Initial Impressions

I played Kinect in a sunny room mid-day. At first, I had no problems, so installation wasn’t difficult (and in fact worked well, but did take quite some time). I was also surprised that a 360 controller was needed. It’s ironic that Microsoft’s advanced motion-detecting hardware requires a simple, buttoned controller to setup. Realistically, there’s no other feasible way around it, and all Xbox 360′s come with controllers anyways.

As time went on and the sun became more prevalent in the room, I noticed that the Kinect sensor had more trouble reading my movements. At one point, it couldn’t track my hands or my head whatsoever, thanks to the disruption from sunlight. While I expect most people to not have a problem with this, because most of us intentionally put a TV in a darkened room, or at least a room where the curtains can be closed, this isn’t the case for me. Kinect gameplay may prove difficult when the sun is shining in my case. More on that for the full review.

Movement was accurate, and it certainly took time to adjust to. Playing alone only, I quickly found that Kinect isn’t just about standing in place, it will require users to move side to side as well. Most commercials don’t show this, but every mini-game I played with rare exception required me to take at least one step right and left from the center position. Laziness won’t work with Kinect.

The few games I did play were simple, and they registered my movements fairly enough. The 640×480 camera is capable of reading body movements very well, and when I spoke with Microsoft representatives about it at E3 earlier this year, they mentioned that it is sensitive enough to read even finger movements, but not right now. Right now, we have basic body movements. We likely won’t see finger gestures for some time.

Thus far, the games I’ve played register my movements fairly accurately. Some don’t allow certain movements, such as turning your back to the camera. Doing so will make the on-screen avatar twist and bobble about. It’s also fairly quick, but anyone playing will have to recognize that moving at the last second isn’t good enough, because it takes Kinect a moment to register the action on-screen. Now we all have to move the second before the last second.

Just playing with the menus, I found that navigation is simple, though shifting between menus is not. This may be because of the light sensitivity and sunlight. Using the voice recognition was much easier, and the Xbox reacted to my commands quickly and efficiently. I only needed to repeat myself once. Interestingly, I caught myself speaking slower and denunciating more. I don’t even do that with children.

The simple installation is a little long, but it should be expected considering the newness of this technology. How the cameras become almost useless in some sunlight (not direct sunlight) is worrying, but I’ll investigate this matter further for the full review. So far, I’ve had fun with Kinect, but like anything else, it takes time to get used to. Unlike the Wii, you don’t just pick up a controller and wave it around. You literally are the controller, and that’s both the problem and the solution. Anyone using Kinect must be willing to move as the games show, otherwise you are just wasting your time. For regular gamers, that’s a far cry from Call of Duty or Madden, where it’s all about sitting still for hours on end. Here, if you aren’t active, you aren’t playing.

Stay tuned for the full review next week!

Microsoft has taken its sweet time to release a suitable phone operating system, leading many pundits have stated clearly that the software giant is too late to succeed. But it isn’t. While down, Microsoft isn’t out, and here are five reasons why the software giant may yet succeed in the ongoing smartphone war.

1. Windows Phone 7 Will Launch On All Carriers
The biggest reason people don’t switch to certain popular smartphones is because they can’t or don’t want to switch carriers. So while it took Android a year to hit all of them, and Apple remains exclusive to AT&T, Windows Phone 7 (WP7) devices will be available to everyone at launch, regardless of their current service provider.

2. Multiple Phones From Multiple Companies
Not only will WP7 be available on all carriers, all major handset manufacturers are already making Windows-based phones. Samsung, HTC, LG and Dell have all announced phones, and in just one day we learned about eight different models coming from just these four companies. Google started with just one, the HTC G1, and now it has dozens. Imagine how many WP7 devices we’ll have in a year’s time with eight launch phones.

3. Closed App and Hardware Ecosystem
Apple was right to close off the app store and limit their phones. Keeping it monitored ensures stability, ease of use and high-quality apps. Microsoft is following suit, but across many handsets. That means any app, regardless of the manufacturer or model, will work across all phones. Plus, the developer tools are free, so anyone can do it instead of paying a $100 surcharge with Apple. Microsoft is taking great care to ensure all WP7 phones have proper hardware to do anything the OS requires, so customers have the added benefit of knowing all WP7 are, in effect, certified by Microsoft.

4. Seamless Hardware and Software Integration
Apple may be the highest valued company in the world today, but it still has a dainty 10% market share in personal computers in the US. Microsoft, on the other hand, is essentially in every house with a computer, in the world. And just like Android works better with Google apps, so too WP7 will work better with Windows operating systems, Windows software like Office and Zune, and Microsoft hardware like the Xbox 360. From little things like sharing achievement points for games on your phone to perfect Exchange integration, having all of Microsoft’s services at your fingertips is what we’ve been waiting for from the company for years.

5. A Brighter Future For Windows Tablets
Just as the iPhone and Android phones were a stepping stone for tablet devices like the iPad and Galaxy tablets, a successful Windows phone may lead to future Windows-based tablets. We’ve already seen some interesting concepts from Redmond, but with a full-fledged phone OS out on the market, we might finally see the gap between phone and PC operating systems close up.

Released last year, Apple’s Magic Mouse has its fair share of both fans and detractors. I’m in the former category, enjoying the multitouch capabilities the mouse brings. Microsoft apparently likes it too, since they’re rumored to be developing a multitouch version of their Arc Mouse dubbed, you guessed it, the ArcTouch. Its just a rumor right now, but in terms of concrete proof, it doesn’t get any better than the “arctouchmouse.com” domain that’s now owned by Microsoft. No word yet on a release date, but hopefully we’ll see it by the end of the year.

For many Google Docs suffices when it comes to building a spreadsheet or writing a school paper.  Now Microsoft is feeling the pressure.  So much so that they’re offering a free online version of their Office Suite.  It won’t include all the bells and whistles, but enough to edit preexisting docs as well as create new ones.

In typical Microsoft fashion, though, they’ve opted for a cryptic URL to access their suite of tools: Skydrive.com

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What’s worth more to you – time or money?  When I got my MW2 Xbox 360 I manually transferred game saves to my new 250GB HD through my 64MB memory card.  To say the least, it took about an hour.  If you are approaching the scenario above and want to go a different way you are in luck.

The Microsoft  Store now sells their proprietary HD transfer cable for $15 and it should effectively save you a bunch of time when you get a new HD.  Worth the asking price?

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Well, folks, it’s not every day I see Legos converted into more useful things.  Sure, I had a host of Legos when I was a kid–I favored arming mine with small Lego weapons and making vast interstellar space fleets of horribly mismatched ships–but even I couldn’t have conceived of this device: the Lego Mouse.

Yes, it’s a mouse, made to look like a single huge (for a Lego) brick.  It’s compatible with both Windows and Mac, and it’s a basic two button mouse with a scroll wheel, along with an 800 DPI sensor and a USB connection.  The critical difference here is that it’s shaped like a huge red Lego brick.

And if you’re desperate to push a big red Lego around your desk to move your mouse pointer, then you too can get one of these for the pretty high price of $31.96.

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Zune HD owners rejoice.  Crickets?  Microsoft has recently announced that a batch of new 3D games is now available at the Zune MarketPlace.  For Free.  That’s right, the following games are available now for free:  Project Gotham Racing: Ferrari Edition, Audiosurf Tilt, Vans Sk8: Pool Service, Lucky Lanes Bowling, Piano, and Checkers.

Totally cool for free right!  Hopefully this will help Microsoft move some units this holiday season, but  having not yet seen an actual Zune HD in person, I’m interested in how good the gaming will be on this thing. If you are a Zune HD owner and download these free games and let me know just how 3D they actually are!

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I had a really great experience with Microsoft customer service when my Xbox 360 died.  The process was painless and took two weeks exactly.  Word has it that the newly opened Microsoft Store in Scottsdale Arizona is prepared to make Xbox 360 repairs.

That’s good news and I’m sure that will make many a Xbox 360 owner happy as well.  I’m not sure about how many Microsoft Stores are slated to open nationwide but it would be safe to assume that all stores will offer this service.

It’s not like we are all hoping that are Xbox’s die so we can run off to the Microsoft Store but it is nice to know the support is there.  The below is from somebody in the know:

All you have to do is walk in the store with your console, drop it off at the Answers Desk and a Microsoft Store employee will then diagnose the issue that you’re having. If it’s something simple — such as a faulty power supply causing the Red Ring of Death — they’ll rectify the situation immediately.

If it has to be shipped out, however, things are just about as awesome. Once the store has received your console, the main distribution center is notified and a replacement unit can be sent right away.

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Rumors are creeping around that the best part about Microsoft’s upcoming Project Natal will be its price point.  Right now we are hearing that it will go on sale for $50.  Sounds oddly cheap to me.

Will it be bundled with any Natal-style launch titles?

In other related motion controlled gaming rumors, Sony’s “Sphere” is rumored to be priced at $100.  Industry analysts predict that while the Natal is more of an ancillary peripheral in Microsoft’s mind, the Sphere is being looked at as more of a Wii challenger.

In either case, time will tell the true price points soon enough.

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With next week’s September 15th release of Microsoft’s potential “Worm in the Apple” Zune HD, word has reached the Blogs that the product will only be available on US soil.  Seemingly looking to bring a different experience to international markets, no announcement has been made as of yet in regards to releasing the Zune HD elsewhere.

Looks like it’s time to buy a bunch and fire up your eBay accounts.

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I’m sure pretty much everyone saw this coming, but the courts have weighed in, and Microsoft Word can still be sold in stores.  The injunction preventing Microsoft from selling Word, following a lawsuit by a Canadian company over a method to process custom XML, has officially been stayed.

However, the judgment against Microsoft still seems to be standing, and that means the evil empire will be shelling out forty million dollars to that company, which will probably take about a whole week’s worth of Word sales to make back.

Meanwhile, the appeal process continues, and Microsoft’s many lawyers are no doubt filing their teeth–I mean briefs, BRIEFS!  Please don’t sue me…–in anticipation of presenting arguments on September 23rd.

[via MSNBC]

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My roommate logs a good 12 plus hours a day with his Xbox 360 on a dusty old 32″ Sony Trintron in standard definition.  Scoff!!  I would never do that to myself but there are plenty of fools that do.  Up until now, Microsoft has had the stringent policy of requiring all games to have a minimum resolution of 1280×720 (720p).

That was a good thing right?  In my eyes and I’m sure many others, yes.  I went out and bought a HD TV specifically for my Xbox 360.  According to Black Rock Studio’s David Jefferies, this is a good thing because “now we are free to make the trade-off between resolution and image quality as we see fit.”  I don’t really understand that sentence.  What I make of this is that while I have yet to see any related statistics is that most households still do not have HDTV so that is why Microsoft has dropped the requirement.  What I ask is, does it matter for the gamer who is playing in SD?

In any case, Halo 3 was the only game where the requirement was waived and know I no longer have to wonder why I thought that game didn’t look all that great in places.  I really hope that developers don’t pander to this resolution free-for-all as the Xbox 360 in my esteemed opinion, was always meant to be played in HD.

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I got some big chuckles from the Family Guy where Stewie tells Bill Gates that no one cares about the Zune.  I myself have never even touched one let alone know somebody that has one.  In recent news however, Microsoft has announced that they will no longer produce “non” touch screen Zunes to make way for Microsoft’s newest version, the Zune HD.  It’s probably for the best as beyond minor firmware updates, the “clickpad” Zunes have not seen any improvements since 2007 nor an improvement in sales.  The hard drive based Zune 80 and 120 will also be included in this discontinuation, but you can still buy them until they run out.

The Zune HD ships on September 15th for $220(16GB) and $290(32GB).

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The proprietor of Neowin has some how scored in inside man at Microsoft.  More importantly the leak is willing to share info about the Zune HD, so much so in fact that he straight up admitted to Microsoft execs that he had leaked info previously, but some how went on breathing.  I think it’s all just PR spin with a dab of reverse psychology (why would Microsoft let a leak admit to telling execs if they were pulling the strings), but if the info is accurate does it really matter?  Nonetheless, on to the juicy stuff.

So the Microsoft programmer, who doesn’t work on Zune, says that we can definitely expect the Zune HD early September and that the price of the 16GB version will cost between $249 -$280.  Using my powers of deduction that probably means we can expect the 32GB to cost $299 – $349.  The leak also went on to say that Microsoft is considering a 64GB Zune HD, which I highly doubt because once you add a 3rd choice into the mix it gets more difficult for people to decide on which one and ultimately if they should actually purchase.

[via Gizmodo]

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According to a source close the Microsoft Zune project, the Zune HD will arrive September 8th and come in an 16GB and 32GB capacity.  There’s no word on price, but since this iteration of the Zune is said to sport Nvidia’s Tegra graphics processor and an OLED screen, something we should have seen in the latest iPhone, it will no doubt be a bit on the pricier side.  But it is a Microsoft product, so how many people can there be clamoring for this PMP?

Note: I own an Xbox 360, so I’m not totally anti-Microsoft, just anti-Microsoft when it comes to competing with Apple.   Flame on!

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Just like they did with the original Xbox console, Microsoft has announced that they will no longer produce Xbox Original games for the 360.  It appears to be a move to pave the way for their new premium “games on demand” marketplace, which will offer full retail versions of Xbox 360 games for download.  Microsoft says they will release one more Xbox original game and then the service will cease to be updated.  Hmmmm…any guesses as to what that game is?  I don’t think many people will be too upset by this news as I myself have never bought one of these games.  No word on whether the service will remain active or if it will just disappear at some point.  Get em before they’re not I guess.  Onwards and upwards Microsoft!

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