Zune vs. iPod

Posted By: wraggster

We're kind of surprised it took this long to get the two of 'em side by side, but here they are. The Zune is, of course larger, but it's kinda weird how much more exaggerated those size differences are when you're really eyeing the extremely-curved corners of the iPod. Ok, we're done, go ahead, get it all out.

Screens Via Comments

3 comments - Last Comment By Alicenov

Zune to use Microsoft Points

Posted By: wraggster

Microsoft's portable media player, Zune, will accept Microsoft Points as currency in exchange for music downloads.

Already a system in use for transactions via Xbox Live Marketplace on the 360, users will be able to purchase songs at a price of 79 points per track, or around US $0.99 (EUR 0.77).

Although speculation regarding interconnectivity between the Xbox 360 and Zune has been rife, this is the first time that Microsoft has revealed a system unique to the hardware.

As with a majority of MP3 players, the Zune is able to connect with the Xbox 360 to play music and other media, or via a Media Centre PC streaming content to the console.

Zune will go on sale in North America on November 14th, priced US $249.99 (EUR 197).

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Zune targets 360

Posted By: wraggster

It's no secret Microsoft is preparing an Apple / iPod rival but details on the MS player are now beginning to filter through. A Microsoft spokesperson told Next-Gen.biz: "You can plug your Zune device into your Xbox 360 to stream music, pictures, and video, via USB cable, to enjoy all your Zune content on the TV in your living room."

The statement added: "Additionally, you can connect your Windows PC to your Xbox 360 using Windows Media connect to stream your Zune content that way as well." No further details were offered about the possibility of transferring Xbox Live Marketplace content from the Xbox 360 to Zune.

Zune's online music store will also accept Microsoft Points in the same way 360 gamers use them to buy downloads over Xbox Live Marketplace.

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Zune Sharing explained

Posted By: wraggster

Some of the comments below indicate that the details of Zune sharing aren't completely clear. Let me walk through the Zune does and Zune doesn'ts...

Zunes have wireless built in. Zunes can thus set up "ad-hoc" (Zune to Zune) connections to one another. This enables the following scenarios:

You can search for nearby Zune owners to interact with.
You can send them a song, album, etc... for a 3-day/3-play trial listen. Songs come over with metadata and album art (neat). After the 3 days or 3 plays are up, the song gets deleted from the Zune on the next sync, but the info on the song stays in a "journal" on your PC for later purchase or acquisition.
You can send them photos for unlimited viewing (and these can sync back onto the recipient's PC).
The wireless happens to be wifi (802.11 b/g) but Zunes will not (at launch) connect to the internet via your home base station network. Zunes can not download songs over the air from the internet service. Zunes cannot act as telephones or personal teleporters.

Caution: Zune may suddenly accelerate to dangerous speeds. Zune Contains a liquid core, which, if exposed due to rupture, should not be touched, inhaled, or looked at. Do not use Zune on concrete. Discontinue use of Zune if any of the following occurs: Itching, Vertigo, Dizziness, Tingling in extremities, Loss of balance or coordination, Slurred speech, Temporary blindness, Profuse sweating, or Heart palpitations.

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

ZsnexBox v2.98

Posted By: wraggster

Nes6502 released a new version of ZsnexBox, a port of the Zsnes Super Nintendo emulator to Xbox

What's new

* Added Xbox Lightgun support for Super Scope games. The buttons are mapped to the lightgun A (the trigger) and B Buttons.
* Added lightgun support without having to flash the screen in white. So when you fire the lightgun, there will be no (distracting in my opinion) screen flash. I don't think the Super Scope makes this flash on a real SNES, so this way should be more accurate.
* Added Lightgun calibration for 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i. The calibration settings are saved to the Xbox hard drive in the TDATA folder. On my Xbox it is the E:\TDATA\00000000 folder. I haven't tested the lightgun in HD modes, but it should work fine. If not, please post what happens, and I will look into fixing it.
* Added support for the lightgun in any of the 4 Xbox controller ports.
* Added option to use the crosshair with the lightgun.
* Added option to enable/disable force feedback for the lightgun. This is connected to the trigger.
* Added options to control the Lightgun rumble strength and time
* Added support for 10x11 pixel aspect ratio for the GUI and the emulation
* Added a loading screen for switching skins.

More Info

2 comments - Last Comment By Cap'n 1time

Burger King Xbox games

Posted By: wraggster

Burger King plans to bundle one of three Xbox games with its Value Meals in the US this November - although sadly they will not be as cheap as chips.

Instead you'll pay US$ 3.99 for one of Pocketbike Racer, Big Bumpin' and Sneak King, each of which offers a few levels of basic arcade-style gameplay on either Xbox or 360. There won't be any unlockable achievements though.

Developed by Blitz Games, each game draws upon various Burger King "characters", although we're not sure anyone cares.

You can read more about the games, and even glance at a few screenshots, by checking out the media alert on Gamerscoreblog.

The UK Burger King website doesn't mention the possibility of the promotion being extended here, but it does point out that you can get one of three Batman gadgets with your Value Meal. MUUUUUUUUM!

4 comments - Last Comment By Video_freak

Zune unboxed on camera

Posted By: wraggster

We kind of wish Microsoft would stop putting their best foot forward with the marketing peeps on Zune, and instead let the product stand on its own. Having Chris Stephenson get on camera for CBS and say stuff like "brown is the new black is the new white," and "welcome to the social -- that's one of our key lines" smacks a mite bit disingenuous and wanton, but at very least they learned their lesson about package design from that internal video of theirs -- we're going to miss the "excessively human" marketing materials with "shelf presence" that "communicates the richness of the product." Ah well, one less surprise to look forward to when we finally get our hands on a unit.

Screen Via Comments

6 comments - Last Comment By NoQuarter

RF Wireless Controler

Posted By: wraggster

New from Divineo USA



Cosmo wireless RF controller has a range of up to 6 metres! It uses radio frequency technology which gives very accurate results even if you are far from the receiver. Autonomy is about 15 hours with a full charge. 2 vibration motors are built in as well as 2 expansion slots for memory card on receiver. There is as well a turbo function (with a Led indicator, and another LED for battery status).

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Xenium Gold Solderless available

Posted By: wraggster

News from Divineo USA

Since the SP adapter is unavailable at the moment, we created a package of one Xenium Gold and one Generic Solderless Adapter.

The Generic Solderless Adapter is fully compatible with the Xenium Gold, and do the exact same thing than the SP adapter. Like the SP adapter, it work on all xbox version.

And of course, like any other product, this combo is protected by the divineo warranty.

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Insurance firm sues Microsoft over Xbox house fire

Posted By: wraggster

AN INSURANCE COMPANY acting on behalf of Melvin Young has sued Microsoft because his house suffered an extensive fire because an Xbox malfunctioned on January 5th last year.
Allstate Insurance had an insurance policy in Young's name, and alleges the Xbox was "unreasonably dangerous" and was, defective, malfunctioned and caused smoke and fire damage in his house.

Allstate alleges Microsoft is responsible for all loss, damage and injury and was negligent in proving an Xbox with defects.

Allstate is demanding Microsoft shell out $250,000 to cover the insurance costs on the house. The case was filed in a circuit court for Prince George's County. An earlier case, linked below, was settled between the Weatherfords and Microsoft last year.

5 comments - Last Comment By Tulvert

Metareview - Scarface: The World is Yours

Posted By: wraggster

It's been over twenty years since Al Pacino, Oliver Stone, and Brian DePalma gave us one of Hollywood's classic crime lords (and set the benchmark for f-bomb usage in a film). Given Rockstar's success with Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, it's not surprising that someone decided to cash in on the original coked out vision of 80s Miami. Enter Sierra and Radical Entertainment's Scarface: The World is Yours, an extension of the movie that finds Tony Montana very much alive and out for revenge on the cock-a-roaches who destroyed his drug empire. Reviews suggest that the amount of enjoyment you get out of this game will depend on your patience with its mission structure. Tony doesn't break his balls for anyone, but some of the side missions in Scarface just might break yours.

IGN (87/100) thought Tony's rage mode was the balls: "By performing a number of 'ballsy' moves, you'll fill the Balls meter. Targeting certain body parts (kidney, head, arms, groin, etc.) will earn you Balls, and taunting someone after you kill them will earn you even more. It's a great system that works almost flawlessly."


Game Informer (85/100) felt immersed in the power struggles of a drug kingpin: "Unlike Grand Theft Auto, in which you're frequently at the mercy of powers much greater than yourself, Scarface allows you to blaze your own path to greatness. The epic scope and the sheer amount of money at stake give Scarface a sense of urgency that few games in this genre have achieved."


GameSpot (64/100) was looking for more freedom of movement: "The developers accomplished the task of bringing Tony Montana back to life. But by taking the focus off of the gameplay elements that you'd want in an open-city game and putting it more on the game's bland mission design and all the dull side tasks you'll have to do to earn a reputation, Scarface doesn't play to its potential strengths."

1 comments - Last Comment By Hawq

ZsnexBox v2.99

Posted By: wraggster

New version of the port of Zsnes the snes emulator to the Xbox, heres whats new:

-Added a music player to the GUI. Music is played at 44100 16-bit stereo. The following file formats are supported: GBS, SPC, NSF, VGM, GYM, and VGZ.

This covers the following systems:

Nintendo
Super Nintendo
Sega Genesis
Sega 32X
Sega Master System
Sega Game Gear
Gameboy
Gameboy Color
SG-1000

-Updated the FAQ.

Usage:

-I have included some sample music for all formats.

-For files that contain multiple tracks (like Gameboy and NES), the white button goes to the next track and the black button goes to the previous track.

-To stop a track (and resume the background music), press "X". Otherwise, the selected song will loop.

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Xenium Gold Solderless available

Posted By: wraggster

News from Divineo USA

Since the SP adapter is unavailable at the moment, we created a package of one Xenium Gold and one Generic Solderless Adapter.

The Generic Solderless Adapter is fully compatible with the Xenium Gold, and do the exact same thing than the SP adapter. Like the SP adapter, it work on all xbox version.

And of course, like any other product, this combo is protected by the divineo warranty.

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Why the Zune wasn't called Xpod

Posted By: wraggster

In an interview with The New York Times, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer discussed the naming of Microsoft's Xbox and Zune products:

"When it came time to name Xbox, there was certainly a class of people who wanted to have Microsoft and/or Windows more prominent. They all lost. And it was a wise choice. Not because Microsoft is bad. But it wouldn't have meant what it needed to mean to that audience. And Zune could have been Microsoft music system or Microsoft entertainment system or Xpod, I guess. But again, we thought the experience was different and it was worth giving its own identity."

Well of course ya didn't name it the Xpod, ya big silly! We'd expect it to play games if you had named it that, and Zune has no capability in the games department. (Looks like Apple beat you to the whole Xpod thing, anyway.)

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

COD dated - Xbox version canned?

Posted By: wraggster

November is looking like a busy month for 360 shooter fans. The carnage kicks off on Xbox 360 first on November 10, with Gears Of War and Rainbow 6: Vegas following only weeks later.

The PS2 version is due on November 24 and World War Wii launches on December 1, a week before Nintendo's next-gen system goes in sale in Europe. The PS3 version is currently set for next March.

Interestingly there's a distinct lack of ANY release date for the Xbox version, which was seen up and running only a few weeks ago at an Activision event in Paris.

We know that because we were there. We've put a call into Activision to see it the Xbox version has been quietly canned, but no one was available to comment.

1 comments - Last Comment By MasterChafed

X3 Ir *usb Kit*

Posted By: wraggster

New from Divineo USA



The official IR mod by Team Xecuter with USB Programmer INCLUDED!

A very advance IR mod compatible with any modchip and with very advanced programming functions.

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

X3 Ir *usb Programmer*

Posted By: wraggster

New from Divineo USA



This is the USB programmer stand alone. It requires the X3 IR *SERIAL* to work and is meant for customers who already own a X3 IR.

For the full kit (X3 IR + USB Programmer) the product X3 IR *USB KIT* is available.

1 comments - Last Comment By masterpsp2.6

Zune now available for pre-order

Posted By: wraggster

Amazon.com have Microsofts Zune its answer to the Ipod up for preorder, heres the details:

30GB digital media player stores up to 7,500 songs, 25,000 pictures or 100 hours of video
Features wireless networking so you can share tracks and other media
3-inch color screen features a landscape mode for video viewing
Compatible with Zune Marketplace for media downloads and subscriptions
Automatically imports your existing music, pictures and videos from iTunes and Windows Media Player in a variety of formats

2 comments - Last Comment By MasterChafed

Xbox COD 3 exclusive to Game in UK

Posted By: wraggster

After recently coughing up a release date for every other platform version of the highly anticipated WWII shooter, poor old Xbox was left out in the cold leaving owners of the big black box crying in a heap. Call Of Duty 3 was shaping up to be the last great game on Microsoft's first-ever console...

But the Xbox release is still on the cards we've learnt, although if you're looking to pick it up this Christmas it might be a good idea to pre-order it. Activision has struck a deal with high street retailer GAME to offload its remaining roster of Xbox games. Stocks of each game will be pretty limited compared to the big brother COD3 release on Xbox 360, we're told.

An Activision spokesman told CVG, "Call Of Duty 3 is a GAME exclusive in the UK, as is Tony Hawk's Project 8 and Marvel Ultimate Alliance on Xbox too."

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Brand New Thomson Drive in stock

Posted By: wraggster

New from Divineo China

We received limited qty of the brand new Xbox Thomson Drive (TGM600) , place your order now if you have been looking for it for long time !

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Microsoft Ditches Zune DJ Feature

Posted By: wraggster

The Zune patent filing originally explained a DJ Wi-Fi feature where one person could DJ for up to four other Zune users via the Wi-Fi. That idea has since been canned according to Cesar Menendez. Menendez doesn't state specifically the reason that the DJ feature was removed, but many Zunenites out there are suspecting a Wi-Fi battery issue may be the culprit.

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Zune unlikely to hit UK until 2008

Posted By: wraggster

Microsoft’s iPod-rivalling Zune digital media player – still rumoured to eventually include games capabilities – won’t launch in the UK until at least the end of 2007, a year after the US launch.
Although the device is on track for release in the US on November 17th, it will miss the lucrative Christmas market in the UK and Europe this year and possibly next. One reason for the delay is reported to be that Microsoft has had no one to head up a UK and European launch – however the recently appointed head of Zune International will be building relationships in those areas. “They will be working on rolling out the Zune in the UK and Europe with its compatible Zune Market place,” said Dene Schonknecht, media and entertainment alliance manager at Microsoft. “We haven’t yet selected a music store provider to build marketplace in the UK, which means we’re way off launch.”

1 comments - Last Comment By Accordion