We’ve all been there.

After years of faithful service and happy memories, the trusty old (insert gadget here) is tuckered out and needs replacing.

Some of us recycle our old gadgetry (and bravo/a to you), while others might try to sell it on the cheap, eBay-style.

But here‘s something I bet you never considered doing with your old… say, Xbox 360:

That’s right. What you’re looking at is a fully functional salt-water aquarium housed inside an old Xbox 360 console. Of course, the console no longer operates (just in case anyone is that hopeful), but the existing power cable and connection are still in use, as well as the external supply box. On the inside, however, you’ll find live corals, fish, crabs, shrimp, and snails.

Spencer Shepard of Blue World Aquariums first removed all the innards of the Xbox, cut a viewing window, and then had the tank custom built to fit the console. He then hooked up the wiring for the lighting using the existing power cable and connection, with the low-voltage power supply and controller hidden inside the external power supply box. The tank is lit with the help of a color-changing LED strip, which is controlled by a wireless remote.

Clearly not all of us have the time or the skills necessary to complete such a task, but if you happen to have an old Xbox around and had been contemplating a fish tank, take this as a sign.

Good news, FiOS fans! Verizon and Microsoft have announced today that they have struck an agreement to bring live HD television channels to your Xbox 360 without any additional hardware.

Now, don’t expect to get Verizon’s full channel lineup on your console just yet — according to their just-released statement, Verizon will only be bringing “a selection of popular live TV channels to the Xbox 360.” So far, Verizon has 26 channels on deck, including MTV, Spike, Food Network, Comedy Central, HBO, CNN and Nickelodeon.

Even cooler is the fact that Verizon’s FiOS application will have full support for the Kinect, so you can finally put the remote down and flick through channels from the comfort of your couch. I’m not sure how many people will embrace the added physical movement needed to channel surf, but the true couch-lovers can always stick to a controller.

The offer will only be open to FiOS TV and internet customers who have active Xbox Live Gold subscriptions, but that seems to be it as far as eligibility requirements go. Sorry folks: as AllThingsD succinctly put it yesterday, this isn’t a “tool for cable cord cutters.”

Verizon and Microsoft have yet to make any official statement on a launch window aside from saying it’s due out by the holidays. Bloomberg reported last month that Comcast was engaging in similar talks with Microsoft, so hopefully the FiOS-deprived among us aren’t left out in the cold for too long.

Update: Comcast has jumped on board Microsoft’s new TV initiative, but is only providing access to their On-Demand service as opposed to live television.

Developing…

Watch out! Price cuts all around! Following the 3DS price drop, Sony just cut a cool $50 off the PS3, dropping the 160GB model to $250 down from $300. The 320GB model is also a little lower now with a $299 price tag.

This puts the PS3 in a slightly better position ahead of the oh-so-important holiday season. The Wii is currently priced at $150 and comes bundled with Mario Kart. The base model Xbox sells for $200 or $300 with Kinect. The PS3 suddenly looks a lot more attractive.

Unfortunately the price drop love doesn’t apply to European gamers. Sure, the price dropped there too, but only to €249, which works out to $359 USD. It’s a similar but not as harsh story in Japan where the system drops to 24,980 Yen or $325 USD.

Sony has struggled behind Microsoft for sometime. The Xbox 360 is on a seven month streak of being the best-selling console month-over-month. The Kinect re-energized the user base last year and the effect still seems to be holding true. Because of this dominance, Microsoft might not respond in kind and follow with a 360 price drop.

Yet here in the states, the 360 is selling like hotcakes. Well, what can you do?

The anonymous source at Crytek told VideoGamer.com that the company is already developing a new game (TimeSplitters 4 of all things) for the next system, using DirectX 11 and prototype hardware (something we’ve heard before, though it was denied).

Personally I’m not convinced. With the Kinect selling strong and a ton of big games in the pipes for the next year (including Halo 4 and tons of “real” Kinect-powered games), it doesn’t seem likely that Microsoft and partners would be doing active development on a brand new system and launch titles.

[via 1up]

Check out our footage here or read on:

http://player.ooyala.com/player.swf?embedCode=9vc2tpMjrW6_JkSKnaeSGW6jot3Bq7JW&version=2

They worked with Microsoft to develop these, and got access to some proprietary tech to make these as good as they can be. They’re using a 5.8GHz frequency and bypassing the controller audio processor altogether, which they say makes for better sound (which makes sense if the signal has to be recompressed for transmission to the controller), and of course untethers your head.

It’s virtual surround sound in there, upconverting the signal to 5.1 or 7.1, and the sound itself comes from extra-large 50mm neodymium drivers. The power is handled by removable battery packs, and it comes with two so you can swap ‘em out whenever you like. Unfortunately the headset we saw was a prototype and they wouldn’t let us play with it.

Pricing is TBA but they’re making sure it’s under $300, which is a comfort… I guess? As for why you need a “truly wireless” headset – I refer you to Penny Arcade:

This is actually the second time that Star Wars Kinect “debut” at E3. Microsoft used the title through a highly-scripted demo to launch the Kinect at last year’s E3. Well, it’s finally available and will launch…they didn’t say. Presumably it will come before next year’s E3. If nothing else, all the lightsaber swinging looks to be a good core workout.

EA shared the stage with Microsoft today where they announced Mass Effect 3 — with Kinect support! “It’s all about kick-ass action” Mass Effect 3 still uses the 360′s controller, no silly movement support here. However, EA built the game around Kinect’s voice recognition support, which gives the gamer a more immersive experience. You’ll be able to talk to your team members, give commands, and simply read the on-screen dialog rather than selecting the phrase with the controller. The whole experience was demo’d on stage, and, honestly, it seems to be a novel extension of gaming with just a controller.

Ghost Recon is getting in on the Kinect fun as well. All future titles in the serious will support Kinect. Until then, Ubisoft built a fun add-on called Gunsmith that allows players to customize the inner working parts of the game’s guns, which allows for millions and millions of different combinations. Voice support is included as well, “Optimize for range”, well, optimizes the given gun for longer range. No word when this will hit, but man, watch out LIVE, you’re about to get millions of new firearms.

RYSE by Crytex and Microsoft Studios promises to take you into the heart of the Roman empire with full motion Kinect support. No launch date or further info was announced but man, I can’t wait to kill someone with a short sword.

Expect a bit of Kinect in Forza Motorsport 4, too. Info wasn’t flowing from the stage, but the on-screen demo teased voice integration and head tracking, which when combined with a traditional controller or wheel, should bring welcomed features to the staple racing game.

Fable The Journey will launch full motion support. All your actions, spells and effects are controlled through what at least seems like a rich control scheme. The game launches sometime next year.

It’s not all action games, though. Oh no, even Minecraft is getting in on the Kinect fun and is hitting the 360 this coming “winter.”

Besides the so-called hardcore games, Dance Central 2 is also on tap, which will hopefully induce Nicholas, who now works for the man (Peter Ha) at The Daily, to break out the macarena once again.

Well, I think we can call the 360 a hit now. The console is six years old and, according to a chart by the NPD, has never seen a down year in the states. What’s more, it’s actually increasing in sales thanks in part to the Kinect. That, if you’re to believe these stats, makes the Xbox 360 the only console in history to see such growth this far into its lifecycle. Other systems tend to peak in year two or three and then quickly fall into the bargin bin. Not the 360. It’s currently riding high on its best sales number.

It’s not just the hardware that’s popular. Xbox LIVE, the online gaming and social service, reportedly has 35 million active users who average 60 hours a month on the service. In all LIVE members log 2.1 billion entertainment hours — gaming, media streaming, and more — every month.

This hits just days before Microsoft’s E3 press conference and it’s hard to imagine that they’ll be able to top last year’s Kinect announcements — or touple the news coming out of WWDC which happens at the same time on Monday. [Major Nelson]

Update: Changed the headline to indicated the 55 million units sold was across 38 markets, not just the US.

While I can’t imagine anyone would want to perform the feats demonstrated in this video, what you’re seeing is basically a hack that allows users to control PC programs – including Powerpoint – using the Kinect. Why? Because it’s there.

At IIT Delhi, a technologist named Ramaprasanna showed off his proof-of-concept demo using an unreleased Kinect SDK. Obviously you’re not going to get this on your Dell any time soon, but it’s interesting to see the direction Kinect on the PC could take.

via OnlyGizmos

Coincident with this update (coming over the next two weeks) comes the news that a recent firmware update adding support for the new expanded disc capacity feature may not be playing nicely with some 360s. But don’t worry, Microsoft is on the case. In fact, you might wish yours was getting bricked.

From Microsoft:

Following a recent update to our system software, we have become aware of an issue that is preventing a very small number of Xbox 360 owners from playing retail game discs. This issue manifests itself a as a unique ‘disc unreadable’ or ‘disc unsupported’ error on the screen. We are also able to detect this issue over Xbox Live and are proactively reaching out to customers that may be impacted to replace their console.

The unlucky/lucky few will receive a brand spanking new 250GB Xbox 360 S and a year of Xbox Live Gold access. If you’re having this problem, contact Microsoft here to start the process.

Good on them for doing the right thing here, though apparently the bricking has been happening for a little while now. After the rocky launch (never forget) of the 360 and in the light of Sony’s continuing hacking troubles, Microsoft’s generous customer service is no surprise.

Obviously this is a great deal students but it definitely points to a bit of a fire sale when it comes to the smaller, less memory-studded Xboxen along with the PCs that are currently mouldering on shelves thanks to the relative success of tablets. While I believe that the belief that tablets are eating into PC sales is correlation without causation, I do think that the race to the bottom in PC prices and netbook sales has negatively effected PC makers who are now facing a customer – of their own making – who expects more for considerably less. As a result, sales and profits are down catastrophically.

Also, remember that E3 is coming up and there could be new hardware coming from Microsoft in at least the next few years. While Kinect shot the aging XBox with a dose of adrenaline, everyone is thinking about next-gen this year.

In related news, an update to the 360 is rolling out now that will add Paypal support to the box along with a special “idle” mode that will reduce power consumption when the console is left on and unused for too long a time. Major Nelson aka Larry Hryb writes that the update will appear “throughout the next couple weeks.”

Students who buy select Windows 7-based PCs will get a free Xbox 360 console with purchase.

REDMOND, Wash., May 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Microsoft Corp. today announced a new offer for students who purchase a new Windows 7-based PC. Starting May 22, students buying a new Windows 7-based PC priced at $699 (U.S.) or more will also get a free Xbox 360 4GB console. Students will be able to choose from the wide range of stylish, powerful and innovative Windows 7-based PCs to find the one that’s right for them based on the features, color, size and price they want. The offer is available at participating retailers for current students in the U.S. while supplies last. Similar student-focused offers will be coming soon in Canada and France.

“A hot new Windows 7-based PC with a free Xbox 360 is the ultimate productivity, social and entertainment package for students,” said Kathleen Hall, general manager of Windows Marketing at Microsoft. “In one shot, with this great offer, Microsoft is giving students everything they need for a successful new school year.”
Today’s Windows 7-based PCs come in a wide variety of styles, sizes and colors, and many new PCs boast built-in Blu-ray drives, 3G connections and leading-edge technologies, such as 3-D displays and multitouch-capable screens. With more than 1 million devices and apps that work with a Windows 7-based PC, students’ smartphones, printers, digital music players and cameras will work with their PCs with ease right out of the box. With the addition of Microsoft Office 2010 for Home and Student with OneNote, students can create presentations for class, take and organize digital notes, manage group projects and assignments, and easily stay on top of class schedules. And with an Xbox 360, students can not only have fun gaming but also can enjoy a range of entertainment options, including streaming videos, sports, music and more.
To take advantage of this offer, students or parents must provide valid student identification as defined by the participating retailer. More information about this offer can be found at .

Product Page

With Nintendo officially announcing their next console in June, there’s a little pressure being put on Microsoft and Sony. Sony, of course, has other things to worry about right now, but some think that Microsoft will use this lead time to put together something relating to its next console. In fact, one source claims that the next Xbox is already out there, just in disguise. They know because they saw one at the EA offices.

Now, two things strike me as unlikely about this. First, who’s to say this isn’t just a new dev box with integrated updates like Kinect support and so on? It’s packaged like a normal PC, so might it not just be that as well? I mean, I don’t think the tipster is an idiot or anything. I’m just saying a little mistaken information goes a long way towards creating rumors. There are a number of things it could be, and to characterize it as a next-gen system might be taking it too far.

More importantly, though, I don’t think Microsoft would rush the announcement just to take the wind out of Nintendo’s sails, especially since their main competitor is really Sony (the “real gamer” market). Even if the system is to launch in 2012 (unlikely), E3 2011 would be too early to give the game away. They’ve emphasized that the Kinect is adding a year or two of life to the system, and I doubt they’d hamstring themselves by making a premature successor announcement just to hassle Nintendo.

But do I believe there’s next-gen stuff at EA? Sure. I bet Microsoft has finalized some ecosystem-level stuff and has sent it to the majors in order to give them plenty of time to develop for launch. But I’m guessing the actual silicon won’t be settled for another year at least.

[via TG Daily]

The service is launching tomorrow and you’re basically getting the Hulu interface with which you’re familiar plus a few Kinect add-ons including voice control and gestures. With sufficient bandwidth you also get high-quality streaming on what Microsoft is calling the “biggest screen in your house.” The service will be available for free from April 29 – May 6 and will thereafter cost $7.99 a month.

Click through for more info on the service, including some words about Kintect interaction.

You may have heard that Sony is in a bit of a pickle with their online PS3 service. Something about user data being stolen and generally nastiness. Could Microsoft be looking to recapture some of the Live defectors who previously jumped ship after their modded system was hit with a ban hammer? It’s unclear right now, but this mass reprieve would instantly breath new (old) life into Live.

Update: Even before this post went live, it seems Microsoft corrected the error and rebanned all the systems. Bummer.

First, it’s important to remember that it was only last year and a half that we got the revised 360 and PS3 Slim — both significant improvements, and both heralding new accessories intended to extend the life of the consoles. And then there are statements on the record showing how Microsoft and Sony execs don’t really feel any pressure to upgrade the machines, since they’re selling well and the competition isn’t really doing anything new. And there’s word from the games development industry that a new generation of even more powerful consoles would make games even more difficult to develop and sell at reasonable prices.

So really, nobody should be expecting a new console from Microsoft or Sony this year, and even 2012 would be something of a stretch — the way we felt about the possibility of a WiiHD being released last year. It would have been surprising.

But 2013 — by that point it will be clear (whatever Nintendo does) that the consoles need a refresh. Why? Well, pressure from the rest of the industry, I’d say. More focus on integration with other platforms, adoption of new media and display standards, attachment to new markets.

Yet the insider quoted at Kotaku seems to think 2014 is a more likely time. Why? Probably just to save money. A year spent on squeezing the last drops out of the old generation is a year they save a billion dollars on R&D, marketing, manufacturing, and so on. And since Sony and Microsoft want to release around the same time (unlike last time, a staggered launch wouldn’t provide much advantage, only give the other an opportunity to respond), it’s likely they’ll both delay as long as humanly possible, unless they get some serious push from outside.

Some may be disappointed, but personally I think it’s just fine. The current consoles are quite powerful, though whether they have much room to grow is a hard question. At any rate, it’s $400 you won’t be spending this year or the next, and that’s something.

You knew something like this was coming as soon as Microsoft announced the Kinect way back when. It’s UFC Personal Trainer, and it’s exactly as you’d expect: flail about in front of your TV while an on-screen avatar carries out the moves. THQ says the National Academy of Sports Medicine helped design the game, and pro fighter gave their input as well. Hearings before the California State Athletic Commission are not expected to be included.

There’s not a whole lot more to the game. Greg Jackson offered his expertise, so there’s a name fans might recognize, and Dana White said the game will give fans who might not have access to a full gym the ability to train like a UFC fighter.

It’ll be available in June, and while the Xbox 360 version is clearly the one to get it’ll also be available for the Wii and PS3.

It’s now quite a bit cheaper to develop Xbox 360 games. Then again, you could probably develop for any new Android phone and be dealing with more powerful hardware, but that’s for another day. Microsoft has developed a new Xbox 360 development kit that’s smaller than the previous kit and has more memory and hard drive space.

Microsoft, without listing a price, pegs the new dev kit at a “significantly reduced price from its predecessor.” It’s partially down to the addition of the fancy new Sidecar, which lets developers develop without having to buy separate kits.

The new kit will initially be available to people with existing deals—rumor has it that the kits initially cost $10,000, but that’s not exactly public knowledge—before moving onto new customers, if you will.

This story was a lot more interesting when I first noticed it, sorry.

As a fairly regular player of XBox 360 media (called “video games” by those in the know) I have found that the console often becomes hot enough to melt a DVD placed on top of it resulting in, say, a copy of Mario Kart Wii (another “video game” for a game console called the Wii) that is rendered unusable by said heat. This causes, in turn, our toddlers to melt-down and the end result is something called “Dad has to go to Gamestop again.” In all, it is a sub-par situation all around.

What if there were a way to channel all that hot air from the top of the console into the atmosphere? You could, for example, use a piece of cardboard and toilet paper tube to vent the hot gasses away from the device or you could dip the entire console in an oil bath. Or you could buy a $20 fan that snaps to the side of your 360′s case and vents the hot air away from the surface of the console. It is USB powered so it takes up one of your XBox’s USB ports (not that you were using them) and almost silent when active.

I was originally dubious about this add-on as it seemed to completely cover the XBox fan and was too quiet to make me feel secure in the knowledge that it was, in fact, cooling my console. However, after using it for a few weeks and experiencing no ill effects, I feel that the fan is doing its job and is improving my XBox experience immensely.

The fan fits on the current XBox 360 and can be used both vertically and horizontally. I’d recommend using it if your XBox is kept inside a cabinet or closed shelf. While it’s not a must-have accessory, folks who are familiar with the sadness of the RROD will want the peace of mind offered by this simple device.

Product Page

Xbox 360 gamers have another choice when it comes to fancy-pants headsets, coming to you by way of Mad Catz. The Tritton AX 120 is now available, and it’s being positioned as an entry level headset into the world of higher end gaming headsets. You know, because you really need to be able to hear your CODBLOPS opponents yell “you suck~!” in crystal clear quality!

The headphones, around $60, come with many of the features you’d find elsewhere. Probably the biggest worth mentioning is the separate controls for voice and other sounds—I believe SteelSeries was the first to come up with this on the Xbox 360 side of things.

Beyond that, they seem to be standard-issue; you won’t find Dolby Headphone or anything like that here. Then again, these are entry level, so there you go.