GadgetReview

Just a little reminder that Microsoft will be issuing an Xbox Live update tomorrow, 11/17.  The update will include the ability to link your account to Facebook, Twitter and stream music and more from Last.fm.

We’ll also be at the Los Angeles Zune house at 12PM pst where we might score some stuff to give away.

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In what is going around as a MW2 inspired event, Microsoft has banned over a million Xbox Live users who have been using modded consoles online.  Word has it that MW2 appeared as a torrent before the official launch and that IW and Activision had been pressuring MS to do something about it.

And they did.  Having never really wanted a modded Xbox 360 I can’t imagine how all these people feel not being able to get there game on online.  What I did hear at the GameCrazy midnight launch was that only the actual modded Xbox 360’s are banned and not the the user’s account, therein meaning you could get a new Xbox 360 and be ok getting back online using your current account.

Thoughts?

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This is just in case you were questioning the launch date of Facebook, Last.fm, etc on Xbox Live.

Some people have hesitations when attaching their credit card information to various websites and services.  To help possibly ease those hesitations you can now buy Microsoft Points using your PayPal account.  Though it would be cooler if you could also renew your yearly Xbox Live account, it is still a positive step in the right direction.  Time will show whether people are buying enough points on the regular to make this worthwhile merger but the inclusion of the incoming “Games On Demand” service should help tie it all together.

Here’s how to do it:

1. Sign in to Xbox.com
2. Choose my account from the drop down menu to the right of your gamertag pic
3. Choose manage payment options
4. Add PayPal account
5. Follow the prompts and all should be good

That should be it.  Let me know how it works or if you have anything to add.

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Last night I scored the most recent Xbox Live update.  It includes a variety of improvement and tweaks, but there are really only two that are worth mentioning.  The first is the Netflix update.  Not only does it include Instant Queue management, but the ability to view select movies in ‘party mode’, which has a sort of Mystery Theatre 3000 like feel too it.  The other big update, or should I said addition, is the avatar marketplace, which includes animated objects as well as game inspired clothing, such as Monkey Island and Halo.   For a complete walk through of each check the videos below.  They were shoot with a camcorder so pardon the image and audio quality.  The official and public Xbox Live update will arrive August 11th.

If the videos don’t play go here

Well that didn’t take long,  Just days after announcing what will be included in the next Xbox Live update, Microsoft has told us that they’ll officially drop on August 11th.  In case you did too much nitrous over the weekend and already forgot, you can expect Netflix queue management (computer no more), games on demand and variety of other improvements and feature tweaks.  Apparently, the social network stuff will roll out later this fall.

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Microsoft just announced the hotly anticipated Xbox Live updates for this summer.  Although we won’t see the Games On Demand service until August, and probably the same for most of these, it’s always good to get all the deets on the stuff to expect.  The big take aways: Netflix instant queue management, movie parties and a smoother Netflix playback experience.  What’s lacking in this update is integration with the popular social networks (Twitter, FB), Last.fm, 1080p instant on and Zune video integration.  Apparently, a video demo will go live on Monday.  Full list below.

Netflix Updates

Now you can watch movies with your friends no matter where they are and manage your queue from the comfort of your couch.

Movie Parties – Xbox LIVE Gold members can sit together in a virtual theater with up to seven friends no matter where they are while your Avatars watch a movie, flirt or even throw popcorn at each other.

Manage Your Queue – Browse the Netflix Instant Watch video catalogue, choose from the most popular movies and genres and add to your queue all from the comfort of your couch – no computer required.

Enhanced Playback Experience – Enjoy a smooth viewing experience when your internet bandwidth fluctuates.

Friends Info – Richer information is now displayed in the Friends channel and in the Guide showing what you and your friends are doing.

Avatar Marketplace

Express yourself! Deck your Avatar out with the latest clothing and props from the top brands and game franchises.

Clothing – Download premium items, including branded apparel from your favorite fashion labels and Xbox 360 games such as “Halo.”

Props – You can now equip your avatar with animated items they can carry around and interact with.

Awardables – The ability to earn Avatar clothing and props as rewards within games has been added. Please stay tuned for an update on supporting titles.

Games on Demand(Games on Demand will be available in the preview beginning early August.)

Enjoy 24 x 7 access to a growing online library of popular full game titles on Xbox LIVE whenever you want them, in the comfort of your living room.

Purchase Options – Browse and download a great selection of full Xbox 360 games using Microsoft Points, direct debit, or credit card.

Game Manuals – Game manuals for Games on Demand titles can be viewed, downloaded or printed on Xbox.com.

It’s Yours Forever! – As with other Xbox LIVE content, Games on Demand titles are linked to your Xbox LIVE account, so you can delete and re-download anything you have already purchased to the same console or another console.

User Ratings

User ratings help you find games that other people think are awesome!

Rate it – You can now rate every game on the Xbox LIVE Games Marketplace using a 5-star system.

Sort and Find it – Now you can easily find the games that everyone’s been raving about by visiting the Top Rated games in the Browse All category of Xbox LIVE Games Marketplace.

Xbox LIVE Parties

Everyone loves to Party! Check out the new and improved Xbox LIVE Party features.

Party Reconnections – If you are accidently disconnected from your party, Xbox LIVE will automatically reconnect you.

Streamlined Party Invites – Invites are now just one click away! No need to click through multiple screens to get all your friends together.

Video Display Options

We’ve made it easier for you to see your entertainment in the highest resolution possible on your TV using an HDMI connection.

• Display Discovery – Make sure you can see and hear your entertainment in the highest resolution and sound quality possible with the option to override and select audio and video formats independent of the information your television sends to your Xbox 360 console.

Other Improvements

We’re always listening to you for feedback, and this Xbox LIVE update will include numerous dashboard updates.

Gold Member Veterans – Xbox LIVE Gold members get to show it off with a stamp on your Gamer Card that tells people how long you’ve been a Gold member.

• Indie Games – Xbox LIVE Community Games has been renamed Xbox LIVE Indie Games. We feel this new name better represents the independent spirit of these titles.

Achievement Browser – We’ve revamped the Achievements browser so it’s now easier to read through all the achievements while playing a game. You can now also launch a game directly from the browser.

Achievements Tracking – A new view inside the profile panel which includes a summary of Achievements earned across all the games played, and shows of all your completed games.

• Streamlined Navigation – Streamlined navigation, including new entry points in the dashboard for Active Downloads, redeeming codes, recovering Gamertags and more.

Voice Messages – No more blank voice messages! When recording a voice message, a warning will pop up if no audio is detected.

Friends List Sorting – It’s now easier to find your friends! Find and sort your friends by activity, Gamertag or online status by pressing the Y button while viewing the friends list in the Guide.

Memory – Time stamps now appear in the memory area, which particular handy when managing saved games.

Account Management

We’ve made some changes to make your life easier.

Subscription Notification – If your Xbox LIVE subscription is about to run out, you will now be notified when you sign into Xbox LIVE.

Updates for Invalid Windows Live IDs – If the Windows Live ID you provided has expired, you will now be prompted to update it the next time you sign into Xbox LIVE.

Account recovery – We’ve enhanced the account recovery process to make it faster and more reliable.

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In this day and age, just about any mobile phone allows you to snap a pic of someone and assign their face to their contact info.  Cool, but what about the people who live far and away or for some odd reason don’t have a Facebook profile?  Enter Persona, an iPhone app that allows you to create individual avatars that can be assigned your contacts. TUAW played with the app and although they state that it is a good idea, the amount of customization, or should I say individualism that you can create is pretty limited.  In fact, each Avatar or face is always staring in the same direction.  But hey, at just $0.99 why not?

Of note, this makes me wonder why Microsoft doesn’t build a free app for us Xbox 360 users?  Sure, they’re are the fine proprietors of Window’s Mobile but let’s be honest, they’ve got a pretty significant strong hold on the market already and if you can’t beat them why not join them.  Without going too delusional, perhaps they could even enable the app to show when my Xbox friends are online and enable me to chat with them while playing or not.  It would also be a great delivery method for upselling game add-ons through push notification as well as Xbox news.  I found this free app that allows you to see when your friends are online and what game they’re playing.

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Metallica are guitar heroes to many and today Xbox Live members can download the demo for the new Guitar Hero Metallica game.  Guitar Hero Metallica will also be the first Guitar Hero game to incorporate a second kick drum pedal as GameStop protests that “It ain’t metal with out the second pedal.”  Too true.  The demo will have four playable songs:  “Sad But True” and “Seek and Destroy” as well as two non Metallica songs “No Excuses” by Alice in Chains and “Stone Cold Crazy” by Queen.  Huh.  Demo modes include:  single player, band quick play, head-to-head, face-off and battle.  Aimed to hit US streets on March 29th and Euro ones by May 5th.

[OhGizmo]

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