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The Toshiba A3 and the A30, both award winning players are on sale at Amazon. The A3 can do 1080i while the A30 can do 1080p, at $140 and $180 respectivly it is a GREAT buy.
I know someone is going to be like "Warners going don't waste your money, well, heres a excerpt from a old post:
Spoiler!
Now, people are going to say: "Oh Warner switched, HD DVD is going to die a slow death"! Well here's what I say to you all:
Warner will officially go exclusive July 1 08, new HD DVD owners will have roughly 6-7 maybe 8 months, to build up your Warner collection, after Warner switch's, you will still have a great selection of Universal, and Paramount titles to choose from (Including Subsides). A majority of the good Warner stuff is already out on HD DVD, so your really not going to be missing much. On top of that, a lot of Sony, Fox, Disney, etc titles that are on Blu Ray in North America can be imported from Europe on HD DVD discs, because of publishing rights. So you can own great titles like the Terminator series, Rambo, Underworld, etc on HD DVD. Since all HD DVD's are region free, it will work anywhere in the world!
See the link below for more details and links to the sale:
The Whisper Max - with the new nitro switch, has more cooling options and tuning options than any xbox cooler available! The ultimate Xbox 360 cooling fan.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
The world's largest software firm could become the world's leading peripherals manufacturer if rumors linking Microsoft with a takeover of Logitech bear fruit.
According to a Reuters report, rumors are circulating amongst traders that Microsoft may be about to launch a takeover bid for Logitech at 48 francs per share, representing a premium of 38 percent and valuing the company at 9.16 billion francs. The speculation has seen the Swiss company's shares gain up to 12 percent Thursday.
US telly therapist Dr. Phil has heard how Microsoft is not doing enough to combat racist bullies on Live.
On the show this week, concerned and irate father Terry told viewers he had been called a "monkey" and been threatened with lynching when playing on the service.
Worse for Terry is having to prevent his children from using the console online in an effort to shield them from the abuse.
But despite the atrocious comments made by spotty boys in their underpants, Microsoft needs at least 10 complaints about a particular customer before it does anything about it, says Terry. And Terry is not happy.
As a result of the show, Terry had a Microsoft investigator assigned to him to check it all out and Dr. Phil called the anonymous abusers bullies.
Personally though, I don't seem to bring myself to care. Perhaps I'm in the minority, but the idea of turning my games console into a jack of all trades multimedia monster never really appealed to me. I accept that having extra features available are welcome as a convenience, but to be honest, I don't think it would make any difference to whether I'd want to buy the console or not. I'd want to buy it on the strength of its games library, rather than its ability to browse the web or download TV shows.
As far as the gaming capabilities of Blu-ray go, while it does give the PS3 hardware a boost, power of hardware doesn't correlate with quality of games. The PS2 was the best console of the last generation because of its fantastic games library, despite the original Xbox being a more powerful machine and packing in a hard drive. The victory of Blu-ray would be by no means a good thing for the Xbox 360, but in the long run, the console battle will be fought with games, not hardware.
Microsoft was also a big disappointment this year. Vista is failing to inspire, the Tablet PC isn't going anywhere, and while the Microsoft Surface prototypes demonstrated compelling and imaginative use of touch-screen technology, we're still not exactly begging the PR company to give us one. Surface is one of those brilliant - simply, brilliant - technologies that unfortunately doesn't resolve a problem or serve a consumer 'want'.
As this was Bill Gates' last keynote appearance at CES, we undoubtedly expected a big finish - Zunes on sale in Europe, a Zune phone, an Xbox handheld to rival the DS and PSP, a new (and prettier) version of Windows Mobile... But there was no big-bang announcement, no dramatic CES goodbye.
Like many companies exhibiting at CES, Microsoft has settled into a period of consolidation rather than innovation. So CES 2008 was mostly a show of incremental product improvements and hearty back-catalogue re-selling. When what we really wanted was more outlandish product concepts with the promise of affordable life-improving technology to come...
What Toshiba Could Do Next
1. The most attractive and apparently least risky path is to sue for peace. This is where the losing side goes to the winning side and says that for some predetermined consideration it will walk away and give up the fight. Sony and its partners might still be willing to pay a large sum of money and/or give Toshiba significant concessions to simply walk away.
2. Assess what it would take to move Time Warner back into the Toshiba HD-DVD camp and execute against this plan. All of the studios, thanks largely to the writers' strike, are looking at what will likely be a massively bad year when it comes to both revenue and profit (it should easily reach over a billion dollars by mid year). Sony likely already paid it a lot to make this move, but if Sony paid the subsidiary Warner Brothers, there is a chance the parent Time Warner could override.
3. Go after Disney instead. One of the mysteries in this segment is why Disney jumped from the HD-DVD camp to the Blu-Ray camp, and the back story behind that move might identify a negotiating vector that could open up a major opportunity for HD-DVD.
4. Do an end run and move to blended download and/or dual-mode devices. The market is moving to downloads, but it will take some time to get there. Offering a player that could both play HD-DVDs and gain access to the content already being licensed to Microsoft (which includes most of the Blu-Ray camp) could provide a compelling consumer mix of the present and the future. Were the company to subsidize a combination Blu-Ray, HD-DVD player, given that the existing content is split, it could put the consumer in the position to make the choice.
5. An interesting alternative or addition would be to work with Microsoft to create the same thing, but as a significantly improved and price-reduced HD-DVD enhancement to the Xbox 360, which has a market penetration of over four times the Playstation 3. Alone, I don't think this would be strong enough to change the outcome, but coupled with any one of all but their first plan this could ensure an eventual HD-DVD victory.
After 37 days, Microsoft issued 43-word statement on the report of a strange, strong radio apparently generated by its Xbox 360 game console, and noticed by Morrisville State College, Morrisville, N.Y.
The entire statement, averaging about one word per day, is: "Any number of scenarios could account for wireless LAN disruptions in a college dorm environment where several electronic devices operate in close proximity. Xbox 360 complies with all applicable FCC regulations and we have not received reports that would indicate such a problem."
The story described an anomalous signal discovered by the IT department at Morrisville State College, which has deployed a campus-wide 802.11n net based on equipment from Meru Networks. The IT staff were exploring the radio environment in one of the college dorms, using Cognio's RF analysis software. The software revealed a signal, in the 2.4-MHz band, that was quite strong and jumped around through many of the frequencies in that band.
The signal was created even when the Xbox was not actually turned on. Barber speculates that it might be the continuing attempt by the console to find and connect to Microsoft's companion wireless handheld gaming controller. When Barber shrouded the Xbox with a static discharge bag the signal dropped noticeably but was still present, according to the Cognio scan. When the Xbox was unplugged from the wall, the signal stopped.
Barber emphasized then that there was as yet no indication that the signal was actually interfering with the Morrisville WLAN access points or clients. But the IT staff discovered that in the presence of this strange signal, they had a problem getting their wireless Bluetooth headsets to associate with their Bluetooth-enabled cell phones. They had to actually touch the two devices together to set up that connection.
In a bold move, Sega has launched an online competition for Xbox 360 players, with a $5000 cash prize for top place. Xbox live subscribers will be able to play their latest release The Club, a gritty third-person shooter, and submit their scores in an attempt to win the top place.
We caught up with Sega today - check out our preview of The Club here. To sign up for this competition, check out this link.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
features
Darkness Falls…Destiny Awaits! While the Lords of Light and Darkness have alternately ruled the world throughout time, the Alliance of Light was triumphant in the latest battle.
Choose your hero: Six heroes from Kingdom Under Fire are available, each with their own unique fighting style and weapons.
Varied worlds: Each world features randomly generated maps and destructible environments to ensure a unique experience every time for extended gameplay.
Customization: Evolve your characters and customize your armor and weapons. There is a nearly infinite combination of weapons, abilities, and spells.
Multiplayer: Four player co-op mode allows you to team up with friends and try out new strategies by combining fighting styles and sharing abilities.
description
Kingdom Under Fire™ Circle of Doom is an action role-playing game set in another dimension with randomly generated maps. Save the world from eternal darkness as you battle hordes of enemies using your skills to build powerful weapon combos for each hero. Take your game online with the seamlessly integrated multiplayer over Xbox LIVE®.
Rock out to the third entry in in Red Octane's music series for guitar gods! Songs for Guitar Hero III include Barracuda by Heart, Sabotage by Beastie Boys, Rock And Roll All Nite by Kiss, and much more! In addition, players can experience an incredible number of added features and explosive content including a new multiplayer action-inspired battle mode, grueling boss battles, a bevy of exclusive unlockable content and authentic rock venues.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Universal Studios issued a terse statement today, denying rumors that the HD DVD stalwart is looking to take advantage of that lapsed exclusivity contract and jump ship for cross-town high-def adversary, Blu-ray. Ken Graffeo – veep of HD strategic marketing at Universal and also co-president of the HD DVD Promotional Group – said simply "Universal's current plan is to continue to support the HD DVD format." That Universal's response was almost verbatim to HD DVD ally Paramount's should come as little surprise. How about this, movie executive types: let us know about your future plans and we'll skirt this whole song and dance, okay?
Football Manager 2008 will emerge from the console dugout on March 28 for Xbox 360.
Sports Interactive's football management series is no stranger to Microsoft's console, having already graced it twice. This new version will be fully updated for the new season, including transfers being made in the mid-season transfer window.
The developer explains that the 360 version boasts the same feature set as the already-available Football Manager 2008 on PC. However, the console iteration has seen online play revamped "permitting you to challenge friends to one-on-one matches and even host tournaments."
US telly therapist Dr. Phil has heard how Microsoft is not doing enough to combat racist bullies on Live.
On the show this week, concerned and irate father Terry told viewers he had been called a "monkey" and been threatened with lynching when playing on the service.
"I love playing videogames as much as I like eating food. I've been a loyal customer to Xbox Live and Xbox 360," began Terry.
"Now it's gotten worse with the racial slurs, the name-calling and the bullying online. I've been called 'monkey,' or 'Are your hands greasy from eating all that chicken?' [and] 'I'm going to put a lynch on your door.'"
Worse for Terry is having to prevent his children from using the console online in an effort to shield them from the abuse.
"I've had to stop my children from playing online, my 10-year-old daughter, my 13-year-old son, and even my 5-year-old son. He asks me, 'Daddy, why can't I play online with you? I want to play that,' and I say, 'No.' He goes, 'Why? Are they going to call me names?' I think that's sad for a 5-year-old to know that," said Terry.
But despite the atrocious comments made by spotty boys in their underpants, Microsoft needs at least 10 complaints about a particular customer before it does anything about it, says Terry. And Terry is not happy.
"I called Xbox Live. I gave them all the information they needed to know, and they told me before they can do anything, take any kind of action, there has to be 10 complaints filed against [the other player]," he said, blood boiling.
"That's like you coming to my house, robbing me, and I call the police. Are they going to tell me, 'Well, if that guy comes back to your house 10 times, we'll come out and do something about it'? I think that's disgusting. I think Mr. Gates needs to change that rule, and I think it needs to be changed immediately."
His family are genuinely scared, too, even if Terry tries to hide the worst of it from them.
"I just feel like on the Internet, in this situation, anything is possible. I don't know who these people are. They claim to be the KKK, and I have a really big problem with that," Terry's wife Nydia tells Dr. Phil.
"They're calling my children monkeys, that they're going to hang them, they're going to kill them, they're going to kill me. It's crazy, and it's out of control. Nobody is trying to do anything about this. My husband has contacted Microsoft for many years, and I don't understand why the FBI is not all over this."
As a result of the show, Terry had a Microsoft investigator assigned to him to check it all out and Dr. Phil called the anonymous abusers bullies.
To read more of the post and Download, click here!
Let us count the ways Albert Pennello, marketing manager for Xbox hardware, told us in a sitdown that the [Reuters] story was wrong, and when HD DVD really is buried in Microsoft's mind.
1. The "headline misconstrued the context of what I said."
2. Microsoft is "not thinking about it."
3. It is "fairly definitive" Microsoft is not doing it.
4. Microsoft has "no plans" to build anything Blu-ray.
5. Microsoft is "totally committed to HD DVD."
So just when is HD DVD dead in Microsoft's eyes? It's "over when Toshiba says they're not doing HD DVD anymore."
A rumor that concerned the recent issues with Xbox Live being responsible for wiping out some of the achievements 360 gamers played hard to collect. Despite several comments on that story indicating otherwise, word from Microsoft's Larry Hryb is that this is not the case. The following comment appeared in Larry's Twitter widget early this morning.
"Regardless of what you have read, achievements are not disappearing for users"
This afternoon Microsoft officially responded to our request for a comment, saying mostly the same thing Hryb said:
"Xbox LIVE is not erasing Achievement's earned while playing on the service. If any member is having trouble with their Xbox LIVE service, we urge them to contact 1-800-4-my-xbox."
Lian Li has designed an all aluminum Xbox 360 replacement enclosure that lives up to Lian Li's reputation for quality and sleek, stylish design. The chassis was a prototype, but it contained a fully-functional Xbox 360 on which I had time to do a quick race in PGR4.
Lian Li's solution is a vast improvement over the Xbox 360 chassis' cooling, which means that it will be a much quieter design and overheating should be less of an issue as well.
This product is by no means final, but Lian Li is hoping to launch it later this year.
The weeks long connection troubles many Xbox Live users have experienced since the holidays was due, according to Microsoft, to heavy Xbox Live server load brought on by a record number of users attempting to access the service. Xbox group marketing manager Albert Penello told us that "It's wasn't a malicious thing." He explained "We had the biggest concurrent day we've ever had on Live. We had more people than ever signing up on Live, it was 9 million, then 10 million, and it literally was that a lot more people were trying to get on, sign up and play than we had expected over Christmas."
The continued problems were a result of not simply too many people trying to connect and play on Live, but also that too few Xbox Live team members were in the office to react. "It's easy when we're all the office in November, but on December 25th, it's harder to get a hold of everybody," Penello said, later adding "I hope people feel like [giving away a free Live Arcade game] is a fair make good for the inconvenience."
Soon to be sort of retired Microsoft chief Bill Gates has called Xbox 360 the most reliable console on the market.
His comments were made at CES to the BBC, which fired reader concerns at him - a remarkable amount apparently concerning Xbox failure rate.
"Well we certainly had to apologise to our users about the number of boxes that had to be replaced. We did that for free, for all those people, and we got a lot of positive feedback about the way we handled it," said Gates.
"We've got incredible reliability on the new work that we've done. Our commitment is that it will be the most reliable videogame box out there. People love the Xbox because of the content, but we've got to make sure the hardware never stands in the way of that."
