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Week of May 1, 2005
More Pictures: Xbox 360 skinnable?
>> Lots of Xbox360 related pictures these days ;)
After the Xbox360 Logo and Xbox360 launch month leaked from MTV's 'The Next Generation XBOX Revealed' show recording and the Xbox 360 console shot and Windows Media Center Remote + Final Xbox 360 controller picture sneakily taken at Microsoft's Xbox360 Revealed launch party in Los Angeles last night, we now get a new picture - this time coming from Microsoft's ourcolony.net Alternate Reality Game. The picture was given to all teams that answered the last challenge correctly.
It clearly shows Xbox360's huge 'powerbutton' with the 'ring of light', but each time with what looks like a different design around the button. So this may indicate the Xbox360 case (or front panel) will be customizeable/skinnable.
Xbox-Scene Discussion Thread: forums.xbox-scene.com
Virtual Xbox CD Ripper v0.0.2
>> XceL released another new version of Virtual Xbox CD Ripper(info) - a tool originally written by BlueCELL that allows to transfer audio files from PC to Xbox, without having to worry about converting audio formats. What's new/fixed:
* Revamped FTP Code
* Added default settings profile (hopefully fixes some errors)
* Fixed other minor bugs
Official Site: n/a, by XceL
Xbox-Scene Forum Thread: forums.xbox-scene.com
Download: here
News-Source: xbins.org
More leaked pictures: Xbox360 Controller and Windows Media Center Remote
>> Engadget.com comes with 2 new leaked images. A picture of the Xbox 360 console itself was already leaked a few hours ago (see news item below), and now Engadget comes with 2 new pictures sneakily taken during the launch party for the Xbox 360 in LA.
The first one (on the left) is Xbox 360’s DVD player/Media Center remote control. Note that button to turn on/off the console, to open/close the tray, the YXAB buttons, the windows logo on the bottom and the Xbox360 logo on the top.
The 2nd image (on the right) is a close-up of the wireless Xbox360 controller. The controller looks like the leaked prototype pictures released over the last few days and weeks, but it's the first time we see the silver thing in the middle. Besides sporting the Xbox 360’s logo, it is also supposed to be some new kind of button or something or other according to Engadget. There's a small connector on the bottom which suggest the headset will still be wired connected.
X2ool v1.0.2
>> NghtShd released another update of X2ool(info) - a tool to easily create a x2config.ini to configure the features of the new X2 Bios Config Live. What's new/fixed:
* Made LED cycle setting simplified.
* Bug affecting LED setting (probably didn't affect the output file).
Official Site: http://home.alltel.net/nghtshd/x2ool.html
Download: here
News-Source: xbins.org
Xbox 360 console shot leaked!
>> Engadget.com reports that someone managed to sneakily take a picture of the Xbox360 at Microsoft’s Xbox360 Revealed launch party in Los Angeles last night.
You can see the Xbox360 console (with the harddrive addon on top) and wireless controller that look very similar to the pictures/renders leaked over the last few weeks. On the left you can also see the Xbox360 Live headset and on the right something that looks like sony's eyetoy (a camera of some sort anyway).
News-Source: Engadget.com
Xbox-Scene Discussion Thread: forums.xbox-scene.com
X2ool v1.0.1
>> NghtShd released an update of X2ool(info) - a tool to easily create a x2config.ini to configure the features of the new X2 Bios Config Live. What's new/fixed:
* Fixed random camera path always 0.
* Fixed (I think) edit boxes not honoring XP theme colors.
Official Site: http://home.alltel.net/nghtshd/x2ool.html
Download: here
News-Source: xbins.org
Virtual Xbox CD Ripper v0.0.1
>> A new version of Virtual Xbox CD Ripper(info) - a tool that allows to transfer audio files from PC to Xbox, without having to worry about converting audio formats - has been released.
What's new/fixed (since build 101904 by BlueCELL):
* ST.DB handling should be 100%
* New FTP code
* Can delete songs from soundtracks
* (Un)Select all has been added to local songs
* When deleting song/soundtrack it deletes the associated file(s)
* Autoselects the first soundtrack on connection
* Other minor bug fixes
Official Site: n/a, by XceL
Xbox-Scene Forum Thread: forums.xbox-scene.com
Download: here
News-Source: xbins.org
Xdsl v0.2
>> A new version of Xdsl(info) has been released - it's a small (about 50MBs) but fully functional Linux distribution for the XBOX, based on Damn Small Linux.
What's new/fixed:
* Based on Damn Small Linux 1.0.1
* Boots from a livecd
* Added scripts for native install, frugal install, loopback install
* Lifted uncompressed size limitation of 45MB for DSL extensions (requires swapfile)
* Recompiled kernel with much better support for various usb devices
* Added xbox-tools
* Audio CDs now work correctly in XMMS
* Added joyd to allow Xpad(info) buttons to run commands. Start using the cheatcode 'joy'
* Removed overscan script (To correct overscan edit linuxboot.cfg as described in CHEATCODES.txt)
* Lots of other small fixes
Official Site: http://www.x-dsl.org
Xbox-Scene Forum Thread/Full Readme: forums.xbox-scene.com
Community/Support Site: http://www.dslxbox.com
Download: here
MTV schedule dates Xbox360: November 2005
>> As you all know already, on May 12th 9:30pm EST the Xbox360 will be unveiled on MTV (show was recorded today - see news item below for more info). Today MTV updated their TV timetable on their website with a description for the show.
While we already knew the Xbox360 would be released somewhere at the end of this year in USA ... MTV's show description now dates/confirms the Xbox360 for a November 2005 launch:
[QUOTE]
MTV Presents: The Next Generation XBOX Revealed
This special highlights the exciting new generation of XBOX. Packages include: Tours of the design labs Interviews with the designers Behind-the-scenes and inside scoop Never-before-seen footage of new videogames. Trailers of the newest games that are due out in November for the new XBOX. The next generation will be revealed at an event at the Avalon club in LA, hosted by Elijah Wood and featuring performances by The Killers and Snow Patrol
[/QUOTE
Xbox 360 Logo Revealed at MTV Show Taping and Major Nelson's Blogcast
>> The Xbox/MTV show that will unveil the Xbox360 and that will be broadcasted on MTV the 12th of May has been recorded yesterday at Club Avalon in Hollywood. While photos of the show itself have not been leaked (yet), pictures of some of the celebrities that attended the filming, as well as the walk on the 'green' carpet have been released. And in the background you can find a logo ;)
From TeamXbox.com:
[QUOTE]
This is the first official appearance of the new logo, which confirms that those logos seen in last year’s marketing studies were indeed the final design.
The new logo has replaced the green orb for a titanium-like sphere that has the X inserted in it. The font for the Xbox title has also been changed to more traditional characters.
[/QUOTE]
TeamXbox made a nice collage with all the logo images they found, go check it out: TeamXbox.com
TriXie has some photos and more star details on her blog: trixieblog.com.
The norwegian newspaper 'Verdens Gang' also posted several pictures of the event on vg.no (Thanks to J-S L. for the link!)
Major Nelson (alias Larry Hryb or the Xbox Live Director of Programming) posted some info about the event too, including a blogcast with an interview of Elijah Wood:
[QUOTE]
Ok, it’s late and I am exhausted, but I wanted to get you guys a blogcast as quick as I could. Before I get to that, let me just say what a great bunch of winners we had. I spent a few hours with them before the show, and they were all very nice…and very excited. After I met with them, I had to go and work the green carpet. You can see some of the green carpet photos here or in the sidebar of my blog. I can’t show any of the photos from the inside of the party yet…you’ll have to wait for next week to see that. Oh and the stars? I need to get the whole list…but Tony Hawk, Alyssa Milano, Chris Kattan are just a few of the folks I bumped into on the carpet. I’ll get my hands on the larger list when I am more coherent.
On to the blogcast:
The audio is not as good as usual since I don’t have my normal mic with me. That said, I was able to get a few minutes with show host Elijah Wood (which I recorded with my Creative Zen Micro.) Yea the party was great. YES the new console is dead sexy….no you can’t see it (or the name) until the world premiere on MTV next week. Until then, enjoy the sites and sounds that I have provided here. I’ll have more to share after the premiere.
[/QUOTE]
Go download the blogcast in mp3 or wma on majornelson.com
Hack Microsoft IIS 6.0 and win an Xbox!
>> Windows IT Pro magazine is organising an original contest.
They have a sever set-up on www.hackiis6.com running on Microsoft Windows 2003 SP1 with all patches and hotfixes installed and with Microsoft IIS 6.0 installed as httpd.
You are legally allowed to try to hack the www.hackiis6.com server and if you succeed to deface the web site or capture the "hidden" document as first you'll win a Microsoft Xbox. Read the contest rules for what does and doesn't constitute a successful hack (no DDoSing for example, ...).
From hackiis6.com
[QUOTE]
Contest Summary:
We are starting the contest with the very basic, static HTML Web site you can currently see on hackiis6.com. Later, we'll add an ASP.NET Web site and a back-end SQL Server. We're starting with the basic site to test whether Microsoft's IIS 6.0 on Windows Server 2003 is secure by itself. This is to satisfy the purists who think hacking ASP.NET is hacking an application and not the server. So, if you've got skills in one area versus the other, you'll have a chance to try both attack types.
The contest ends June 8th, and we will announce the results at Microsoft's Tech.Ed conference on June 9th.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site/More Info: http://www.hackiis6.com
Mandriva (Mandrake) LE 2005 Xbox ISOs on Public FTPs
>> As we reported here a few weeks ago, the Limited Edition 2005 (v10.2) of the Mandriva(info) ("Man-dree-vah"!) Linux distribution (previously known as Mandrake) has been released and comes with Xbox support. Check out this news item for more info.
Until now the ISOs were only available to Mandriva Club members or from the Mandriva Store. But as Mandriva promised, they now made the i586 3CD/DVD/Mini ISOs and the Xbox DVD/Mini ISOs, available on their public FTPs.
So you can now download the Mandriva for Xbox distro for free from one of your local Mandriva public mirrors, click the download link below for the full list.
Official Site: http://www.mandrivalinux.com
Xbox-Scene Forum Thread: forums.xbox-scene.com
Download: here
Edge Uncovers the New Xbox
>> From TeamXbox.com:
[QUOTE]
Edge, Future's internationally respected multiformat videogame magazine, celebrates its milestone 150th issue later this month with a world-exclusive expose of Microsoft's next videogame console.
The first videogame magazine in the world to deliver details of the next-generation Xbox hardware, Edge hits newsstands on Tuesday, May 17th with unparalleled coverage of the new technology.
Before the global MTV unveiling was announced, Edge was given access to the next-gen console, its peripherals and Microsoft's massively ambitious strategy for the platform. In true Edge tradition, the unveiling of the new console gets a comprehensive eight-page rundown.
[/QUOTE]
You can read the full press released on TeamXbox.com oe futureplc.com.
X2 Config Maker v2.4.1[MAC] and [LIVE]
>> Klutsh released a new version of the MAC and LIVE (Online/Web/Flash) build of X2 Config Maker(info) - a tool to easily generate the x2config.ini for the new X2 5032 Bios. It allows you to easily configure all the X2 bios features.
What's new/fixed:
* Power LED preview
* Fixed random anim switch
* conforms to x2 5032's ini layout
* Force all Dash path's to lower case
ToDo:
* Logo\Flubber Presets
* Preview Flubber screen.
* More LED options
Official Site: http://x-projects.xbox-scene.com/
Download MAC build: here
Live (Online) build: here
sXbonastick Beta 1
>> The team that previosuly already released sXb(info) and sXb mini(info) - ports of the Slackware linux distro to Xbox - now come with a new version called sXbonastick.
From keckstar.com:
[QUOTE]
Bollywood has released an archive with files and a readme for getting sXb booting from a USBKEY. Aptly named sXbonastick :)
This is his first Beta release, so we will be rolling out updates frequently.
If you can hold your own pretty well, grab it from our SourceForge page, which will host all of our major releases from now on.
UPDATE: Now forums are available for sXbonastick.
Also, be careful before running sxbusb-install.sh script if you have a larger (F partition) hard drive.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: http://www.keckstar.com/nuke/html/
Xbox-Scene Forum Thread: forums.xbox-scene.com
Download: here
More Pictures from OurColony.net: PowerButton and Logo Animation?
>> Well, 2 new images have been released today to the teams that answered the last challenge correctly on OurColony.net, an Alternate Reality Game that is (probably) a Microsoft marketing campaign building up to the launch of the next generation Xbox (like Ilovebees was for Halo2).
What the first (on the left) image shows is not so clear. As TeamXbox.com suggests it could very well be a part of the Xbox 360 start-up animation and/or maybe a part of the Xbox360 logo. The start-up animation was mentioned some days ago by Major Nelson (alias Larry Hryb or the Xbox Live Director of Programming) on his blog.
The 2nd (very blurry) image (on the right) looks like the Xbox360 power button surrounded by the 'ring of light'. But the source of the image is not ourcolony.net - atleast not directly. It was supposedly posted on Gamem8ker's Photobucket page.
Xbox-Scene Discussion Thread 1st image (logo animation): forums.xbox-scene.com
Xbox-Scene Discussion Thread 2nd image (powerbutton): forums.xbox-scene.com
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(Wednesday 04 May 2005 21:35 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
X2 Config Maker v2.7.1[PC] *update: v2.7.1.a[PC]*
>> Klutsh released a new version of the PC build of X2 Config Maker(info) - a tool to easily generate the x2config.ini for the new X2 5032 Bios. It allows you to easily configure all the X2 bios features.
What's new/fixed:
* Read x2config.ini from HDD
* Read x2config.ini from Xbox
* Fixed Listing of x2logo.bmp's
* FTP code simplified. (Need feedback).
Known Bugs:
* Does not set Colour Preset or x2logo selection when loading Config file
* FTP does not always work.
ToDo:
* LBA48 Patching
* Preview Flubber screen.
* More LED options
UPDATE: v2.7.1.a[PC] has been released with a few fixes.
What's New/Fixed:
* Power LED preview
* Fixed loading of Colour info.
* Altered FTP code (Again)
* Fixed No Reset On Eject & Do DVD Check Toggle's
Notes:
* This new X2 Config Maker[PC] is ONLY for the new X2 5032 Bios (not for earlier builds)
* The Live/Online (flash) version of X2 Config Maker is currently offline until it is updated to work with X2 5032 Bios. The Mac version is in progress aswell.
Official Site: http://x-projects.xbox-scene.com
Download (v2.7.1.a[PC]): here
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(Wednesday 04 May 2005 17:27 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
X2ool v1.0.1b5
>> NghtShd released an update of X2ool(info) - a tool to easily create a x2config.ini to configure the features of the new X2 Bios Config Live. What's new/fixed:
* X2 5032.
* Logo transfer/delete.
* UI tweaks.
Official Site: http://home.alltel.net/nghtshd/x2ool.html
Download: here
News-Source: xbins.org
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(Wednesday 04 May 2005 11:16 EST) - (Category: (default)) - (Posted by::
)
Xbox 360: New Picture of Controller *updated*
>> The guys over at TeamXbox.com posted a new leaked picture of a supposed Xbox 360 prototype controller - it looks a lot like the pictures released on ourcolony.net begin april, but this one has a cord attached to it (note: this does NOT mean the final will have a cord - this is a prototype):
[QUOTE]
Once again, the glossy look of the enclosure and the absence of a logo in the front make us think that, if real, this is just a prototype of the Xbox 360 controller as the console will utilize wireless technology for its controllers.
So far, the pictures released would confirm the replacement of the Black and White buttons with two shoulder buttons while the Back and Start buttons have been moved toward both sides of the Xbox 360 logo.
[/QUOTE]
UPDATE: Spong.com has more info about it:
[QUOTE]
SPOnG received word that this is the version of the pad as shipped with the long-awaited updated SDK units for Xbox 360, with some studios receiving upgrade packs of late.
“It (The big button in the centre of that pad, that will be called the 'Xbox 360 Button') gives you instant access, globally, from whatever you’re doing, to your Xbox360 menus,” explained our source, speaking under terms of strict anonymity. “They’re going to show it at the E3 conference in all its glory, but in a nutshell, if you’re watching a DVD, you’re still signed into your Friends list, so you can still be invited into games, discussions and other Live events. You’re always connected to the community. It’s like the interactive button for digital TV. And this really is the key factor to bear in mind with the upgraded Live system. It will be a lot more like a digital TV experience, just more interactive. Microsoft is looking at the viability of Live competing with the set-top box and this Xbox 360 button in the key to this.”
[/QUOTE]
News-Source/Read the whole article on TeamXbox.com and Spong.com.
New TeamXtender Product: MagicBox XFPS Pro
>> From TeamXtender.com:
[QUOTE]
Are you ready to take your Xbox® FPS experience to the next level? The XFPS Pro has now launched – fully loaded with even more features ready to shoot away all those Xbox® controller caused FPS woes.
More Pictures: top view, side left view, side right view.
Many of you may be aware of the standard version of the MagicBox XFPS, which offers no configuration options in order to be as user-friendly as possible. However, despite the shooting success of the standard edition we have been inundated with requests by consumers , distributors and retailers alike who crave even more options.
We have listened to your requests and now have what we believe the ultimate keyboard and mouse adapter for FPS titles on the Xbox®. The increased ammunition in the XFPS Pro comes by way of the following key upgrades in comparison to the standard MagicBox XFPS :
* Complete configuration of ALL keys on a PS/2 Keyboard and mouse
* A fully optimized ‘instant play’ sensitivity setting
* Compatibility with all Xbox Live headsets
The XFPS Pro has a vast array of weapons in its arsenal but for now enjoy the following product images – We will follow up with a full press release in the coming week!
[/QUOTE]
Gears of War Sighted at OurColony.Net?
>> Today a new images has been released again the teams that answered the last challenge correctly at OurColony.net, an Alternate Reality Game that is (probably) a Microsoft marketing campaign building up to the launch of the Xbox 360.
Here's TeamXbox.com's theory about the new image:
[QUOTE]
When Epic Games unveiled for the first time its next-generation Unreal technology back at GDC 2004, the developer displayed a demo with some unknown characters and beasts interacting in both indoor and outdoor environments. Since that presentation, there have been many rumors that those assets belong to one of the games Epic Games is developing for Microsoft Game Studios.
Today, a new image has appeared at OurColony.net and after tweaking bright and contrast we have found out that the image shows a weapon and one of the characters seen in the Unreal Technology page.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article (with image comparison) on TeamXbox.com.
U.S. Rejects Canadian Rejection of DMCA
>> From slashdot.org:
[QUOTE]
Slashdot readers may recall that last month Canadian policy makers rejected the DMCA for Canada. Not so fast apparently -- the U.S. Trade Representative has released the annual Section 301 report which each year tells the rest of the world that they need stronger intellectual property protection. This year Canada is a particular target -- the U.S. plans to conduct a special review of Canadian policies and explicitly rejects Canada's rejection of the DMCA. A good summary on what this means from Canadian law professor Michael Geist.
[/QUOTE]
Next Xbox a contender, says Gates *updated*
>> From money.cnn.com/forbes.com/GamesIndustry.biz:
[QUOTE]
SEATTLE - The next generation of Microsoft Corp.'s Xbox gaming console, due to be unveiled later this month, will give the world's largest software maker a chance to overtake the leader in the gaming business, Sony Corp., Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates said Monday.
"Our goal in the last generation was to be in the game," Gates told reporters, "We came out of this round a strong number two."
Speaking at a business writers' convention in the United States, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates has confirmed that the next-generation Xbox console will launch this year.
He told that Xenon's software menu would be similar to that of the company's Media Center edition of Windows, which is designed for computers meant to be located in the living room.
Gates said that the newest version of the Xbox would have an array of features that will make the device a more versatile tool for games, music, video and pictures in the living room.
Gates also emphasized how Xenon would take advantage of the growing availability of televisions and content in high-definition (HD) format, which allows clearer pictures to be displayed on large, wide screens.
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole article on money.cnn.com and forbes.com/GamesIndustry.biz.
Limelight Networks Chosen as Delivery Network for Xbox Live
>> From a Limelight Networks pressrelease:
[QUOTE]
Limelight Networks today announced it has been selected by Microsoft® as the Content Delivery Network for Microsoft’s Xbox™ Live, the online gaming service for the Xbox® video game system from Microsoft. With full implementation of Xbox Live on Limelight Networks’ powerful delivery network, the synergy of Xbox Live and the Limelight Networks platform will provide millions of gamers unprecedented online access to games, content and downloads from Microsoft and leading game developers directly via Xbox Live.
Xbox Live will utilize Limelight Networks’ technology and high-performance distributed network to provide on-demand games and other multimedia content to its full network of online subscribers. “Limelight has an unmatched track record of fast, reliable delivery of rich digital content, ensuring that our customers will continue to have a superior online entertainment experience,” said Xbox Live Operations Manager Eric Neustadter. “The Limelight Networks platform has demonstrated it can support the needs of Xbox Live subscribers today, and can scale with Xbox Live as we continue our rapid growth.”
[/QUOTE]
Read the whole press released on limelightnetworks.com.
More info about Limelight Networks is available here.
X2 Config Maker v2.6.6[PC] *update: v2.6.7[PC]*
>> Klutsh released a new version of the PC build of X2 Config Maker(info) - a tool to easily generate the x2config.ini for the new X2 5032 Bios. It allows you to easily configure all the X2 bios features.
What's new/fixed:
* Force all Dash path's to lower case
* Custom x2logo.bmp's added to logo
* Upload x2logo.bmp via FTP
* Conforms to X2 5032's ini layout
UPDATE: v2.6.7[PC] has been released. What's new/fixed:
* Fixed random anim switch
Official Site: http://x-projects.xbox-scene.com
Download (v2.6.7[PC]): here
X2 5032 Bios
>> Team Xecuter released another new build of their new X2 Bios with Config Live:
[QUOTE]
We just released X2 5032. However not going to post any information as we are tired of people not reading our included info files and then blaming our bios when they cant get shit to work. So make sure you read the file README1ST.TXT (rocket science) and also make sure you use the latest x2config.ini that comes with it. Nghtshd and Klutsh need to take note of the new ini file and comments made in it.
Don't use any X2 config apps to make a x2config.ini file until thy have added 5032 support - you can use them to patch lba48 but thats it - im sure most of you are smart enough to do it manually in the meantime.
Support forum is at the usual place:
http://www.teamxecuter.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=64
[/QUOTE]
What's new/fixed:
* added: if ini file becomes corrupt (resulting in dvd boot filename to be empty) then this value is reset to "default.xbe"
* added: if nothing could be booted (no dvd and no dash) then an XBE called "rescue.xbe" is run from DVD drive, so, if nothing else boots, THIS XBE WILL BOOT !! :)
* note: So just in case the ini file gets fucked up and the xbe boot name gets erased/whatever, then it's reset to "default.xbe" so you'll be able to boot evoXdash or whatever.... (if disableCdromBoot is switched off). If you switch on the disableCdromBoot setting and got no frigging single working dash on your harddrive then the system now does a fallback boot and tries to boot "rescue.xbe" from dvd - so this will ALWAYS enable you to boot an avalaunch/evoxdash/whatever from dvd to fix your ini!
Official Site: http://www.teamxecuter.com
Full Readme: here
Download: n/a (contains MS copyrighted code)
Engadget Interview with Bill Gates part1
>> Bill Gates sat down with Engadget at last week’s Windows Hardware Engineering Conference for a one-on-one. They talked about the next Xbox console, about Xenon's multimedia features and how it will connect with Media Center PCs, whether or not Microsoft is going to come out with a competitor for the PlayStation Portable, and the future of Windows Mobile in this first part.
Here a short excerpt of what Bill Gates said about the Xbox360 (that he still calls 'Xenon' - the official codename for the project):
[QUOTE]
We’ve learned a lot from Xbox 1. In Xbox 1 we let ourselves sort of be second in and to not have the momentum. We had to learn a lot about building the partnerships. We’re new to the industry so people naturally didn’t know if we were hardcore committed to the thing. We’ve really gotten over that now and so it’s been a lot easier this time around, but we want to broaden video gaming, and without giving up any of the hardcore players we want more women, older people [to be playing games]. We’re going to have games that are more sociable, more approachable, particularly by taking this idea of Xbox Live and bringing in contests and spectators and ratings and talking to your friends and various new things there we think we can make it much bigger category than it’s ever been to date. That is important for us.
[/QUOTE]
Go read the full interview on Engadget.com
Part2 will be posted tomorrow where they will discuss HD-DVD vs. Blu-ray, IPTV, Windows Media Center, and why Tablet PC has struggled so much.
Screenshot of 'Xbox Guide' released on OurColony.net?
>> OurColony.net, an Alternate Reality Game that is (probably) a Microsoft marketing campaign building up to the launch of the next generation Xbox (like Ilovebees was for Halo2), today released another picture to the teams that answered the last challenge correctly.
It's a screenshot that looks like those showed during J Allard’s keynote address at the 2005 Game Developers Conference in San Francisco begin march. The screenshot probably shows the user interface for the Next-Generation 'Xbox Guide' which will help players easily manage all facets of their next-generation Xbox experience: games, friends, music, and more. This new image is in the shape of an X, previously an S-shaped and I-shaped picture (of what are probably screenshots of Xbox360 games) were released on ourcolony.net. The memory-card image has a "3" in the bottom right corner.
What these letters exactly mean is unknown to me, right now you can (for example) make "3 SIX" with it. So I'd guess we'll get more of these images so we can maybe make "3 SIX 0" or "3 SIXTY" ... or who-knowns-what ;)
You can discuss the 'Xbox Guide' screenshot on forums.xbox-scene.com.
Prometheus Update2
>> Prometheus is a map editor currently in development that will allow you to edit and create maps for Halo 1, Halo 2, and future games that use the Halo Engine. From halodev.org:
[QUOTE]
A week past due but worth it, today’s update comes with another horrible video! There are some new screens, too. Last week’s update didn’t make it out because I had some personal matters to attend to and I just didn’t have time during the week, so sorry to all of you that spent the better part of your week pressing refresh on the site. Come on in and check out what we’ve got this time around!
[/QUOTE]
Go check the full news, screenshots and video on halodev.org.
XboxMediaCenter (XBMC) 2005-05-02 CVS build
>> A new CVS compile of XboxMediaCenter(info) has been released. It comes with the new Project Mayhem III skin (note that older skins may not fully work) and with these included scripts: QuickTimeBrowser (replacement for AQTBrowser), LaunchBrowser, GameSpotPlus and simpleKML (Web Radio).
It's been a while again (April 1st 2005) since the last build was posted here ... so the changelog is very long. Here's a list of just the 'added stuff' (check the complete changelog to see all added, fixed, updated, changed and removed stuff):
* Added: codec factory for paplayer
* Added: enabled pcm passthrough in paplayer
* Added: support for .tbn and folder.jpg images for music .pls and .strm files
* Added: Initial Replaygain support to PAPlayer - only works from ID3v2 tags (non-standard) atm.
* Added: APE lossless support to PAPlayer.
* Added: Set Artist Thumb via Music Library context menu after an artist filter is applied
* Added: "Play Item" added to Music Context Menu to support PLAY action in Files and Library views since the Play action is not mapped by default on the gamepad
* Added: Play action in Music Files can be used to recursively play a folder using the temporary playlist (like in Music Library view)
* Added: gapless mp3 playback. Files should be encoded with LAME (>3.90.3) in order to be truly gapless.
* Added: audioscrobbler now saves a cache if no server is available or connection failed
* Added: option to disable music visualisation (localized string instead of using disabled.vis)
* Added: Support for AC3/DTS passthrough for dvdplayer and partly fixed audiostream selection from dvdmenu.
* Added: Better VBR seeking for PaPlayer.
* Added: selectItem method to ControlList for python, thanks to sambarza.
* Added: New built in function XBMC.EjectTray for opening/closing the dvd tray.
* Added: audioscrobbler support
* Added: patch [ 1178392 ] Proxy support for shoutcast thanks to soepy.
* Added: added workround for next chapter/prev chapter which reuse global action_codes
* Added: Music is muted 9dB on ffwd/rewd with mp3 player.
* Added: #define in Util.h to specify whether to build for skin version 1.3 or not. Uncomment this line if you want to test for 1.3 compatibility.
* Added: Python bindings for built in XBMC functions. Based on SF patch [ 1175015 ] thanks to thor918.
* Added: InfoManager labels: System.BuildDate and System.BuildVersion.
* Added: Built-in functions XBMC.SlideShow(dir) and XBMC.RecursiveSlideShow(dir).
* Added: patch [ 1182692 ]: Fix XBMC lockup with empty python list control selection, thanks to gimblefoot.
* Added: new virtual window for dvdplayer when in menu mode. allows nicer keymappings.
* Added: Support to toggle new time/progbar display in fullscreen (default mapped to white button)
* Added: Support for tag in label controls.
* Added: navigation sounds
* Added: Progressbar control now obey's width/height. Background texture is used as reference to calculate scaling of other textures.
* Added: the following api to HttpApi: config (access the configuration commands previously only available through ASP)
* Added: Harddisk spins up just before the end of the movie so that transistions during stacking is faster.
* Added: WHITE hides/reveals controls on musicVisualisation screen. Two options: either on or off. When off, the song is faded in + out at beginning and end.
* Added: Video playlists will cause the video to remain minimized when switching videos if it is already minimized.
* Added: directory tokens which reference XBMC's special directories for use as bookmark paths: $HOME, $SUBTITLES, $THUMBNAILS, $SHORTCUTS, $ALBUMS, $RECORDINGS, $SCREENSHOTS, $PLAYLISTS
* Added: Support for tag in keymap.xml
* Added: More subtitle colours (Blue, Bright Green, Cyan + Yellow Green)
* Added: Visualisation now runs in a control. See musicVisualisation.xml for an example. Some visz's (Boxalizer) probably need redoing.
* Added: Left thumbstick individual direction keymappings.
* Added: Python patches [ 1166891 ] and [ 1176789 ] from gimblefoot.
* Added: Skin files for popup player controls. Mapped to START by default. Users of other skins may want to remap START back to the stop action.
* Added: tags to togglebutton + removed duplicate code (now derives from GUIButtonControl). The tag specifies a condition under which the toggle button should show the altTextures. Current valid conditions are: Player.Paused, Player.Rewinding, Player.Forwarding.
* Added: Execute functions: XBMC.PlayerControl(action), where action can be: Play, Stop, Rewind, Forward, Next, Previous. Useful for OSD stuff.
* Added: New dialog window PlayerControls.xml. id is 114. Can be anything you like, but I suspect you'll want to use it for actual playercontrols, as it is only displayed while something is playing! Suggest mapping to pop this window up on START. Does not display on the FullScreenVideo screen as we have an OSD for that anyway.
* Added: a couple of emulated functions for dll loading
* Added: Big List to the Nav Music view at the albums level.
* Added: support for pausing and rebuffering completly before continuing playback when running out of data
* Added: support for using a skinned progress control in fullscreen video to display current position.
* Added: Search for .cue sheet underlying media checks for cuesheetname.mp3 and the dropping of the .cue extension.
* Added: support for smb://username@server/share (ie no password set no longer requires the colon.)
... read the full changelog here!
Official Site: http://www.xboxmediacenter.com / http://sourceforge.net/projects/xbmc
Full Changelog/Xbox-Scene Discussion Thread: here
Download Binaries: n/a (built with XDK)
Download SourceCode: here
News-Source: Xbins XBMC server
X2ool v1.0.1b3 *update: v1.0.1b4*
>> NghtShd released an update of X2ool(info) - a tool to easily create a x2config.ini to configure the features of the new X2 Bios Config Live. What's new/fixed:
* Add support for new X2 5031 features.
* Supports FTP to F partition..
* Fixed dash editboxes to allow backslashes.
* UI tweaks.
* Numerous internal treaks.
UPDATE: v1.0.1b4 has been released. What's new/fixed:
* Oops. Broke FTP in b3. Fixed.
* Added function for deleting the remote config file to the FTP page.
Official Site: http://home.alltel.net/nghtshd/x2ool.html
Download (v1.0.1b4): here
News-Source: xbins.org
x2 Config Maker v2.6.5[PC]
>> Klutsh released a new version of the PC build of X2 Config Maker(info) - a tool to easily generate the x2config.ini for X2 5030 BETA and above Bios. It allows you to easily configure all the X2 bios features.
What's new/fixed:
* Logo\Flubber Presets.
* Save Logo\Flubber Presets.
* Direct FTP to xbox.
* Save FTP settings.
Official Site: http://x-projects.xbox-scene.com
Download: here
ScummVM v0.71 WIP-Release
>> Carcharius released a new port of ScummVM, it allows to play games based on LucasArts' SCUMM (Script Creation Utility for Maniac Mansion) system.
From Carcharius on nfo/forums:
[QUOTE]
This is a new port of ScummVM that I put together a couple of months ago.
It is all new and isn't based on the existing ScummVMx(info) code. Originally it was of version 0.70, I then updated it once 0.71 was released.
It's not finished and has been sitting on my hard drive gathering dust for the last few weeks. To be brutally honest - I've forgotten where I was up to, so I've decided to release it, get some feedback and then continue from there. Although it's not finished, it should be perfectly playable. In fact a couple of people have been using it for a while and have reported no problems.
As well as supporting all the latest updates to the main ScummVM core, I've also added in a couple of things to enhance the ScummVM experience on the xbox.
Most noticeable is support for a virtual keyboard - hit the left trigger to show/hide that. It's very similar to the one used in the Dreamcast port, just tidied up a bit.
The other main change is the addition of some code that should improve the performance of some of the larger games when run from a dvd (Curse of Monkey Island for example). They won't be perfect, but they should be much better than with any previous xbox version of ScummVM.
Also this release does support Roland MT32 midi emulation. If you have the correct rom files (do NOT ask me where to get them) just drop them in the folder with the xbe, then you can select MT32 emulation in the options screen. But be warned - it sounds ace, but the xbox is not powerful enough to emulate the MT32 and run the game engine. It's included more as a curio than anything.
As I said - this isn't finished, there are things I wanted to do but haven't yet gotten round to. There are also things that probably should be done but as mentioned previously - I forgot where I got to! Two of the things that I know aren't in there yet are:
* screen resizing - just haven't gotten round to it.
* improved front end - again I meant to do this but haven't yet.
So please don't tell me about those! But please do tell me about anything else.
[/QUOTE]
Official Site: n/a, by Carcharius
Xbox-Scene Forum Thread: forums.xbox-scene.com
Download: n/a (built with XDK)
News-Source/Full Readme: xbins.org
UnleashX V0.38.0501A Build 562
>> A new version of the UnleashX(info) Xbox dashboard has been released.
What's new/fixed (from nfo/forums):
* Fixed Freezing in Game Saves Manager when downlading or trying to download a game save file.
* Fixed Can't transfer 0 Byte to/from FTP Server
* Fixed Can't trasfer to/from FTP Server any filename with unicode characters
* Fixed File manager and FTP client doesn't correctly display filenames containing characters above ASCII 127.
* Fixed FTP Server halts to a slow when more than one client is transferring files
* Fixed FTP client can now connect to EvolutionX(info) FTP Server
* Fixed FTP Site editor only accepts/stores up to 20 characters for the address.
* Fixed Bug in ISO9660 Disc parsing routine
* Fixed Booting the dash from Drive G over writes its configuration file
* Fixed Xml parser fails to parse an xml document if a comment element contains "]"
* Added Formating option directly from the file manager. Just highlight the drive then select Format. Disabled for Drive C, E, F & G. Use an script for that.
* Added Formating of Memory Unit. Use the file manager to do this. Uninitialized memory unit, including those FAT/FAT32 formatted MU, can now be formatted.
* Added Audio CD playback capability. Leave the Audio CD Software Player option blank to use the dash for playback.
*Added Ability to play MP3 and WAV (wma is still experimental) files directly from an ISO9660 disc. Use the file manager to select your audio file.
* Added Fully skinable Music Player front end. See this XBS link for more info: http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=382746#
* Added Capability to localize some text and messages via external xml file. This means that a lot of text can now appear in your favorite language. See this XBS link for info: http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showtopic=335352&st=16#. Note: Not 100% of strings are localizable, yet.
* Added Xbox soundtrack manager. The same usual stuff found in MS Dash. Copy, edit, rename, delete...etc, except CDDA to WMA or CD ripping.
* Added LED settings -See under system settings. You can now assign LED color when the following events occur: ScreenSaver, File copying, FTP Send, FTP Receive, FTP Boost, and when the system is busy doing background tasks. All LED combinations are available, flashing and alternating.
* Added Mapped right thumbstick to lower-right portion on screen calibration.
* Changed Picture slideshow screensaver is now random
* Changed Upgraded UnRar engine to 3.40
-Improved Skinning support.
* Screen items can now be stacked/ordered by adding the zIndex attribute, i.e., zIndex="5". Items with the same zIndex value will be drawn in the order they are found. zIndex don't have to be sequential or continuous, meaning you can use 1,2,3,5,8,10...n. This means that you can now draw in this manner: text, image, shape, text, text, image...etc. However, menu item is still on top of everything else.
* Added Fonts collection. You can now have a fonts collection and use them where they're possible. So, it is now possible to display Text items using different fonts.
The Format is:
[Fonts]
[Font Name="MyFont"]mycoolfont.xpr[/Font]
[Font Name="MyOtherFont"]whatever.xpr[/Font]
[/Fonts]
Then use them like this:
[Text Left="180" Top="142" Source="SongTime" Font="MyFont" zIndex="2" /]
* Added a few more items for text source
-SongTrack - concatenation of song and soundtrack
-SongBitRate - Ex: 128 KBPS...etc
-SongLength - Ex: 5:12
-SongFrequency - Ex: 44.1KHz (Almost always)
-SongChannel - Audio CD, Stereo or Mono
Official Site: http://www.unleashx.com/
Official Forums: http://forums.xbox-scene.com/index.php?showforum=63
Download: n/a (built with XDK)
News-Source: xbins.org
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