XBOX 360 ELITE - HDMI AND MORE STORAGE

Microsoft has confirmed today that the XBOX 360 Elite is indeed the real deal.

While the internals remain the same, the external differences are notable.

Changes include:

• Black paint
• 120GB hard drive
• HDMI port

Missing is the integrated Wi-Fi for which everyone was hoping.

Contrary to reports, before Microsoft confirmed the launch, the elite is going to be a permanent third SKU rather than a limited edition.

The 120GB hard drive will be available separately as reported by Microsoft for a premium of $179 (USD). The black accessories are that come with the elite will not be available separately so if you like that colour you will have to paint your own or buy the new 360.

As far as I can see the Elite is an easy way for Microsoft to shove their nose ahead of Sony's PlayStation 3 storage-wise but the new 360 really doesn't bring anything new to the playing field. With no integrated Wi-Fi the 360 will still need to be hooked up via a $100 wireless add-on or via hardware (but who has a readily available router right close to their TV?).

For $479 (USD) and I assume $579 (CAD) it's an expensive purchase (thirty dollars less than the PS3).

FOLDING@HOME

Folding@Home is a project dedicated to folding proteins related to cancer, Alzheimers, Parkinson's and more. Folding proteins will help scientists to better understand these diseases and hopefully find a cure.

Sunday night is the unofficial Folding@Home night where users of the system will run their machines overnight in a mini competition. No there's no prizes but we here at technobabble are participating.

If you have a PS3 you can download the Folding@Home application right now. The PS3 is a great piece of hardware for this as it can take advantage of the 7 cores very well. From my own experience it runs very quickly.

I also have it running on my server here at technobabble and on the computer upon which that I am writing this post.

If you would like to participate in this great project down load the software from Stanford University's website by clicking here.

Technobabble has a group for this so if you are running Folding@Home already or are planning to you may join us if you like. Our group number is 56121.

Our prayers go out to those suffering from these diseases and to those working on the cure.

WE'RE ALL A TWITTER

SXSW (South by South-West) is a conference that is held in the United States and everyone was all a "twitter" about Twitter.

Twitter is a tool that is used to communicate to your friends and family where you are at any given time of the day.

It only allows 140 characters per post so you have to be nice a short.

It is an interesting tool but I am unsure what It brings to the playing field already. Phone texting is usually what is used in Twitter's place. Although the service is free it encourages you to use your cellphone to post entries. Why would I spend the money on data (which is really expensive here in Canada) when I could just send a text message?

I really can't see this service lasting more than a year. I would rather use my built-in messaging capabilities in my cellphone.

BLACK XBOX 360

Engadget, Gizmodo, Joystiq and other media outlets have been reporting rumors about a new XBOX 360 coming out in the near future for a couple months now.

The rumors have now been confirmed by Engadget sources.

What does this mean for you? Well for starters the new 360 will have a 120GB hard drive and a lovely new HDMI output. Oh and it will be black.

There are also rumors that the new 360 will use the new 65nm processor thus making it create less heat and less noise.

Don't feel bad though. The rumor also states that after the black 360s are gone they premium 360 that is around now will adopt the 120GB hard drive and HDMI output.

One question though. Did they make it black because 360 owners are jealous of the Playstation 3? Who knows. All I know is that I'm kicking myself for buying a 360 a few months ago. I will probably wait for confirmation on the sale of the console and trade in the one I have for the new and improved model.

APPLE TV NOW SHIPPING

Apple has been allowing pre-orders for months now but the wait is finally over for media junkies everywhere. Apple TV is now shipping.

Apple TV is basically a media on demand system that you can hook up to your television to stream media from your Mac or PC.

It has an internal hard drive as well. Basically it's a simple computer running a Front Row type software so you can watch you movies and play your music whenever you want.

JOOST. GOOD OR BAD?

By now many of you have heard of or even seen Joost.

What is Joost? Joost is basically an on-demand IPTV network. IPTV is television over the internet rather than traditional broadcast television.

What's good about it? Well it is on-demand as stated before. Being on-demand is great because you can watch what you want, when you want to , however, there is a downside to this for Joost.

There really isn't a lot of content people will want to watch. Besides a bunch of re-runs of Much Music and a whole bunch of documentaries the service is rather boring. Lately they were able to score a partnership with National Geographic. They also have a deal with Viacom for upcoming programming. Star Trek anyone? Those two points are good news.

The user interface is easy to use but the big problem is Joost opening by default in a maximized window. Number one problem with that is that I like to watch my videos or at least listen to the audio while doing other things on my computer. Number two problem with that is that the quality of the picture goes way down. It's not bad but it's not good either.

If you are looking for an invite I have a couple to hand out so email us at technobabble001@gmail.com to get yours.

IT'S SERVER TIME BABY

Do you have a lot of music and video files stored on your computer? Do you want to share them to different computers around the house? Do you prefer to have the files on a system other than your own?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above then you are a great candidate for a home server.

There are a couple of choices you have when looking for a server for the home. There are also a few things to consider when looking for a server.

One of the questions you should ask yourself is whether or not power consumption is a major priority. To most people it is as the costs of energy are not going to go down anywhere in the future. Computers of the latest generations have consumed a lot of energy with a lot of them having 350 watt to 500 watt power supplies (mind you most computers never run at that those peaks). A lot of the earlier generation computers such as about ten years ago (yeah you remember Windows 95 right?) use power supplies that are usually around 200 watts but tend to be less efficient with power use.

A lot depends on the operating system (or OS) installed on the computer as well. Windows 95, 98 and ME were never excellent at managing power unless you went into the power settings and made changes manually. Windows 2000, XP, and Vista are much better at managing power but also require more power hardware. Another option to consider is Linux. Due to the high complexity of setting up a Linux server I will not cover it in this article.

A lot to consider isn't it?

Another question to ask yourself is whether you want a full computer to serve your files or just a Network Attached Storage (or NAS).

NAS is another great option as they do not require an operating system to function and will operate with less power and will be quieter than a full computer. An example would be the Netgear SC101 which you plug into your home network via an ethernet cable for a price of $400 (CAD). All you do is setup the share name on the network via and Internet application (through any web browser) and you are off to the races.

Now if you would like the fact of having the ablility to upgrade and possibly faster access to your files a computer based storage unit is more important (also known as a server). Many large companies have had server for years to store files and programs but are not what we are looking for to run on a network at home. If you have an old computer hanging around that still works I suggest shaking the dust off of it and setting it up as a server.

This is going to get a little geeky but hang in there. The minimum specs that you should look for when selecting an old computer should be nothing less than a 233MHz (the Pentium MMX 233MHz processor is excellent) with at least 64 MB of RAM. To set up the server you will need a monitor, mouse and keyboard. In the best situation you should install Windows 2000 or XP on the computer but you will need at least 128MB of RAM to do so. In most cases you have left the old hard drive in the computer and it probably still has Windows 95 or 98 installed on it. Windows 95 is not suitable for a server as it crashes a lot. Windows 98 is much better. If you don't know where to look for all this information ask a techie friend to show you and I'm sure they will be happy to do so.

Once you have confirmed that your computer has Windows 98 or above on it with 64MB RAM and a 233MHz processor we can create a server. What we need now is some huge hard drives. Most people will only require around 300GB or storage. I would suggest buying an internal 300GB drive and attaching it via IDE. If your computer supports USB 2.0 or FireWire (IEE 1394) than the easiest way to expand the drives in the system is to add external USB or FireWire drives but keep in mind each external drive will need its own power supply.

Now all you have to do is share the drive through Windows and you are done. Click here for setting up file sharing in Windows 98/ME. Click here for setting up file sharing on Windows XP.

There are many resources out there on the internet as well for setting up a home server. Make sure you look at them too.

IMAC ON THE CHEAP

Ever want a Mac but didn't think you could afford one? I have.

Future Shop has you covered this week with a $999 (CAD) Apple iMac.

Though this iMac doesn't have the greatest specs for a Mac it's still a very capable media computer.

Check out out here.

GAMESTOP UNIVERSAL SYSTEM SELECTOR

Having a collection of game consoles poses a unique problem that most people would not encounter. This problem is changing cords for the audio and video when switching to a different console.

There have been various manufacturers that have attempted to fix the issue ranging from low-end, non-powered, manual units to the more sophisticated, powered, remote controlled units.

In this review I talk about the GameStop branded Universal System Selector. Long name for a simple device. I purchased this unit at EBGames in our lovely southwestern Ontario area as GameStop is not in Canada.

The unit itself is a rather dull looking black brick with four buttons on top for switching between four devices. To change between consoles you must push on one of the buttons. The buttons offer good tactile feedback but make an unnecessarily loud snapping noise.

The unit has one output and four inputs. the output and three of the input areas are on the back of the device as you would expect. The fourth input is hidden behind a front panel and can be opened when needed. This is a great idea if a friend brings over a console or DVD player for that matter (though most consoles can play DVDs now).

The inputs include:

- A/V ports (all four inputs)
- Component A/V ports (on the three rear inputs)
- S-Video ports (all four inputs)
- ethernet ports (on the three rear inputs)

That's a great selection of inputs for a $30 dollar device (and that's Canadian Dollars).

The downside to this device is that it reeks of cheapness. The s-video port on the far right is really flimsy and if you push in to hard it will fold itself in (could be remedied with harder metal or an anchor of some type - perhaps a screw). The quality of the video is fairly good but does not do anything to filter interference so you have to be careful how you set up your cables.

This device also has universal name-plates that you can switch out for others on the unit. The problem is that the unit does not come with name-plates for the Playstation 3 or the Wii.

All considered the GameStop Universal System Selector is a great way to hook up your game consoles and still get a great result in picture and audio.

PLAYSTATION HOME ANNOUNCED AT GDC

Sony has announced an addition to the online capabilities of the Playstation 3 at the Game Developers Conference (GDC).

Playstation Home is the name of the new online community that will be available for the Playstation 3 in fall 2007 for no cost.

Basically Home put aspects of XBOX Live achievements, Nintendo's Mii's, and Second Life/There/The Sims together all in one package.

Home allows you to communicate with other people online with text or voice via a USB keyboard or bluetooth headset. You also get your own little home that you can decorate with furniture and wallpaper of your fancy. All this content will be with the game for free. It is not clear yet if the downloadable content off the Playstation network will cost money or not.

There will also be a hall for your own achievements in your games.

There will also be ways to challenge your friends in Home to games whether it be small mini-games or full games like Resistance or Blazing Angels.

One things for sure, there are a lot of people that are interested in online communities like Second Life, There, and the Sims and with the added detail that Sony has designed into Playstation Home they are sure to be excited to have a Playstation 3.

*Image taken from Gizmodo

EVER WONDER WHAT’S IN A PSONE?

About half a year ago my PSone died a quick death. In fact it was so quick it gave me no warning. Well, I like to take things apart so I decided to share with you what I found.

The PSone is actually an extremely simple design containing twelve (12), yes twelve, parts all together (six of them being screws).

The first hurdle in getting the PSone apart was unscrewing the screws on the bottom. There are five screws that I could see and one that was hidden. The hidden screw was located under a silver manufacturer warning label. The easiest way I found the screw was to take my screwdriver and feel the label until I felt the recess of the hole where the screwdriver was located. WARNING: DOING THIS WILL VOID YOUR WARRANTY.

OK. Now that the screws were out I then went on to removing the top cover. This was easy and came off with no problem. Underneath the cover I saw the CD laser assembly. It was connected to the PSone’s motherboard via two wires and no screws. I removed the flat ribbon cable first and removed the power cable next. When I finished that I removed the whole CD laser assembly and set it aside (well after taking a picture).

What I saw next was a metal piece covering the motherboard. All I had to do was lift it off because it was attached to nothing.

The motherboard was now exposed. The motherboard didn’t come out as easy because of the controller and memory card ports that were attached to it. With a little force I was able to extract the motherboard.

Under the motherboard there was another metal plate that separates the plastic bottom of the PSone and the motherboard. Under the metal plate is the date the PSone was manufactured as well as the name that manufactured the console – FOXCONN.

Here’s some pics for you to check out.

FFVII AC: LIMITED EDITION COLLECTOR’S SET

Those guys at Square-Enix always have something up their sleeves and they pulled a DVD out this time.

As I was looking around in Future Shop for some iTunes Prepaid cards (which they have made look really cool by the way) I came across an astonishing find. Square-Enix had released without notice a Limited Edition Collector’s Set for Final Fantasy VII Advent Children.

The box is signed and designed by Tetsuya Nomura, the director and character designer of FFVII AC.

What’s inside? Well a bunch of stuff actually. Ten (10) postcards or characters from the movie, full English script, character back stories (novel) and a two (2) disc edition of FFVII AC. Yes the original release was two discs as well but this version has English commentary from the voice actors as well as a special anime feature based on the journey of Zack and Cloud.

For the price of $39.99 (CAD) I couldn’t pass this up. I really like the script because you can read some of the things they say in the movie when the movie goes to fast for you to catch the dialogue. It also documents in detail what the characters are doing at any given point. It makes the movie much easier to understand.

So if you are a Final Fantasy “fanatic” hop on down to your local electronics store and see if they have a copy.

WANNA BUILD A COMPUTER? HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED

So your old computer kicked the bucket and you need a new computer to take over the ranks and be even better than the last.

Well, the good news is that if your computer was over two years old any computer today will be able to out-gun it.

Fortunately for you the prices on computer parts have dropped drastically and the ease of building one yourself is much better than a few years ago.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE WHOLE ARTICLE

USB POWERED WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION

Continuing with the ThinkGeek gadgets today we have,... OH NO!!! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!! MISSILES!!! EVERYWHERE!!!

Wait a minute, they aren't blowing up. Actually, you know they're kind of small as well.

ThinkGeek has a great deal on your very own USB powered Weapons of Mass Destruction. This little unit will fire plastic missiles through the air at annoying people like bosses, they guy who types really hard behind you, or even the annoying computer technician that's thinks he knows more about technology than you.

For a price of $39.99 who can beat this. Check it out here.

I CAN'T COME BECAUSE MY CAR BROKE DOWN....

Ever need an excuse to get out of something. Well apparently there's a market out there for excuses and Think-Geek has your covered.

The X-Cuse box contains a bunch of pre-recorded tracks of sound effects so you can make an excuse wherever you may be including Sirens and the mechanics shop.

You can get your very own here.

Think-Geek is a techno-phile website devoted to everything a "geek" would want in the world.