Sony's PS3 Small gets the ColorWare communication

You mate, sometimes it's rightful fun to go to ColorWare's tract and see right how displeasing we can pee our competitor consumer electronics. It was time disagreeable to gain retributory the redress bedim of puce for that Cisco 7900 Programme desk phone when someone sagittiform out that the friendship is now gift custom-colored Sony PS3 Slims. Quality the logotype, the top, the bag, and up to quatern controllers. They'll deceive you a housing unlimited for $449, or channelise

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How to Repair Xbox 360 in Just Minutes

Ladies and gentleman would you like to know how to repair Xbox 360 now? Well read on and I will show you how. Believe me I have been there. The truth is that you will be very surprised with just how easy it is to repair your Xbox is just minutes.

If you are still reading, you may be experiencing any number of Xbox 360 problems such as freezing, the red ring of death, E74 error, graphic glitches or 2 red light error. All of these Xbox 360 errors can be very frustration. Most of these errors result from the overheating of your console, so be sure to power down and keep in a cool place when you can.

So what can you do to fix the problem? The bottom line is that you have three options if you would like to repair Xbox 360 errors.

First, the problem might be much simpler than you think. Perhaps one of your cables is not connected properly or there has been a significant amount of dust accumulation in your console. Blow into the console's vents to get the dust out. Also check the cables, power down and let the machine cool off which might be all it takes.

Secondly, you can check to see if your three month warranty has expired. If your console is still under warranty then you can get Microsoft to fix the problem for you. Generally, this is a good solution but you will lose access to your console for 6-8 weeks. Shipping and handling is fairly nominal, maybe $30 dollars.

Thirdly, if your warranty has expired you can purchase an Xbox 360 repair guide. These guides will take you step by step through the repair process for any xbox 360 error. The best repair guides online cost about $25-$30 and come with a 100% money back guarantee. The best repair guides also come with instructional videos. These videos are extremely helpful for those of us who are not particularly tech savy.

Finally, if your warranty has expired you can also send your console back to Microsoft where they will repair your Xbox console at a price. The cost is $140.00 and also takes about 6-8 weeks.

The best way to repair xbox 360 errors is with an inexpensive repair guide.

Click Here to try a risk free Xbox 360 repair guide that will have your Xbox back up and running properly in no time.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brinn_Norman

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PS3 Slim sales up nearly 1000% in the UK, Noel quits Oasis (again)

It looks like Engadget editors aren't the only folk who prefer technology that's slimmer, cheaper, and better. According to an article at GamesIndustry.biz, a group that charts retail sales in the UK is saying that sales of the PS3 increased over 999 percent in the week since its British debut of the newer, slimmer form factor. And if that wasn't good news enough for Sony, the console has also outsold the DS, Wii and Xbox 360 by approximately 3:1. Although the last time it was the lead hardware format in the UK was the first week of 2008, the PS3 has never lagged as far behind the others as it has Stateside. But still -- a near 1000 percent increase? If true, that makes the States' 104 percent increase seem lackluster in comparison. Then again, maybe the Brits never realized that Disney Sing It! High School Musical 3 is available on platforms other than the PlayStation. That could explain a lot of things, actually...

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Engadget's back to school giveaway part 2: win an Xbox 360 prize pack!

We told you when we unveiled our back to school guide that we'd be giving away a bunch of gear, remember that? Well, here we are, ready to deliver. So what do we have in our bag of goodies this time? Let's just say our winner is going to be one happy camper. Microsoft's Xbox 360 team have graciously handed over some gear for one lucky reader, including an Xbox 360 Pro, and Xbox LIVE Gold Membership, 1600 MS Points, XBLA Codes, a Chatpad, and a Trial Netflix Membership. Sounds great, right? So read the rules after the break (seriously, they've changed -- read them!) and submit a comment to be entered! Good luck.

Huge thanks to Microsoft for providing the gear!

The rules:

• Leave a comment below. Any comment will do.
  
• You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
• If you enter more than once, only activate one comment. This is pretty self explanatory. Just be careful and you'll be fine.
  
• Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States and Canada (excluding Quebec), 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
• Winner will be chosen randomly. Winner will receive one Xbox 360 Pro, one year's Xbox LIVE Gold membership, one chatpad, various XBLA codes, 1600 MS points, and one Trial Netflix Membership. Total approximate retail value of the giveaway is $483.95.
  
• If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
• 
  

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Microsoft Wants You to Vote Which Children's Hospitals Will Be Denied Xboxes

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Microsoft's "Ultimate Gameroom Giveaway" is charity turned into a gimmick as voters decide which Children's hospitals receive prize packages. I'm all for charity, but was it really necessary to guarantee a let down for kids in the 167 "losing" hospital?

The three hospitals to receive an Ultimate Gameroom through Microsoft's partnership with the Children's Miracle Network are chosen by a very public popular vote. Not a random raffle, not a secret vote, but a public popular vote with results regularly updating on the CMN's website.

As I'm writing this, there is an eight-way tie for last place, with each hospital having one measly vote. The hospitals currently in the top three have a lead of several thousand votes over the rest, but that can and probably will change quickly. How will those kids feel when they miss out on the gamerooms after thinking they could win? How do the kids at the hospitals with barely any votes feel? While I'm sure that all the kids at the winning hospitals (or at least those who enjoy Xbox-based games) will be as giddy as can be, charity isn't about making 167 hospitals full of kids feel like losers in the process.

Looking at the premise of the giveaway, it's like Christmas gone oh-so-very wrong: They'll give some Children's hospitals about ten thousand dollars worth of equipment which could include several 42" Plasma TVs, a pair of Xbox consoles, some Zunes, four computers, oodles of games, and associated furniture. Microsoft is even throwing in delivery, installation, and "reasonable labor," while the hospitals cover any construction costs. Pretty fair. Except that the world is voting on where Saint Microsoft will bring Xboxes.

I truly hope this is just a one-time bad decision, especially since Microsoft is normally rather good about charities, this one included. They've helped raise $1.3 million of the incredible $3.2 billion total which the Children's Miracle Network has raised for Children's hospitals around the world. Microsoft has also contributed an Xbox kiosk to each of the 170 hospitals in the Network and been an all-around great partner to the CMN. It's truly sad that they've chucked away any milligram of character with the Ultimate Gameroom Giveaway. This vile competition is on the level of tearing a teddy bear out of a child's arms and then ripping it apart into a pile of fuzzy remains on the spot.

It's almost sad the mess probably started with good intentions. Perhaps someone truly struggled to find a way to cajole his or her boss into approving giving away $30,000 in equipment. Maybe turning it into a marketing scheme was the only way to cover or justify the expense, but if that's the case then I'm even more disappointed. Microsoft has spent hundreds of millions on individual ad campaigns, some of which barely made sense and were ridiculed, while this act of charity had the potential for a lot of positive publicity. And even if Microsoft went as far as outfitting each of the 170 hospitals with the same Ultimate Gameroom, it would've cost them a measly $1.7 million total. That's a lot to you and I, but to Microsoft that's .6%, point freakin' six percent, of the cost of a single ad campaign.

That perspective aside, no one is demanding that Microsoft give away $1.7 million. Charity is charity, and it is wonderful that they're giving as much as they are. But they're toying with the hopes of children at 170 hospitals and frankly, I would really love to find whoever decided on this messed up vote-based competition approach and tear any Birthday, Christmas, Hanukkah, Easter, Summer Solstice, and un-freakin'-Birthday gift right out of his or her cruel, little claws. If you're going to contribute to a charity, especially a children's charity, you shouldn't turn it into a game with winners and losers.

Even without spending more than $30,000, this situation could've been handled differently. I understand that some sort of public announcement is needed in order to justify the spending, so I don't really expect Microsoft to just quietly pick a few hospitals for these donations. But the money could've been used for a smaller campaign encouraging others to give. Or if someone's really stuck on having a public vote then choose the hospitals without a spectacle and keep the rankings hidden. Those kids have enough sadness in their lives and really don't need to be yanked back and forth while watching a ranking of just how much the public cares about them or their particular hospitals. [

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Sony's 3D PlayStation 3: Hands-on photos

(Credit: Nate Lanxon/CNET)

BERLIN--We heard Sony was showing off a 3D PlayStation 3 here at IFA. Curious, we headed to the enormous Sony stand where we discovered a young boy -- DualShock controller in-hand, 3D glasses mounted on his visibly excited face -- playing the PS3's Wipeout racing game on a massive 3D television.

Naturally, we had to kick him off so we could have a play. For the next five minutes we blazed through the game's futuristic raceways with a perception of depth we've never experienced before, all presented in 1080p high-definition and vivid color. And in just over a year, Sony told us it expects to be selling the same experience in European stores.

Today, our experience involved a regular PS3. All the three-dimensional horsepower comes not from a modified PlayStation, or even special versions of its games -- it's all down to some ingenious picture-processing technology inside a new Bravia TV (currently a prototype). This means it should work with all existing PlayStation 3 games. At least, that's the intention.

At the end of 2010, Sony plans to release this 3D Bravia for use with its games console. But over the following two or three years, we were told, it wants to build the picture-processing technology into the PlayStation itself. That way, gamers will be able to enjoy 3D gaming on any high-def TV. Plans to incorporate the system into Blu-ray players, and even Vaio laptops, also exist.

The downside is that the picture-processing technology will only work for games -- it requires computer-generated imagery to function, so can't currently be applied to movies and TV shows.

But would that stop you investing? Does a PlayStation 3D sound like your idea of gaming nirvana? Leave your thoughts below.

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Xbox 360 Price Cut Is a Good Thing

In September, both the Xbox 360 Elite from Microsoft and the PlayStation 3 Slim from Sony will be retailing for the price of 299 dollars, which is 100 lower than in August। A cut of one third of the price of gaming consoles is pretty significant however you look at it and the impact on the videogame industry will likely be felt in the coming months.
All the analysts agree that a price war between Sony and Microsoft is a good thing as a reduced price point will mean that more players will pick up a home gaming console, which will help improve the performance when compared to 2008. But some are already calling for more price reductions.

Michael Pachter, who is an analyst for Wedbush Morgan Securities, has said that Microsoft's move is designed to keep its device competitive with that from Sony, but there's a chance that another 50 dollars can be cut from the price of the Xbox 360. Still, he believes that while the PS3 might offer Sony a bump in sales, the overall balance of power in the console world will remain largely unchanged.

Jessie Divnich from EEDAR also sees room for another cut, pointing out that the Microsoft console is somewhat less powerful and feature laden than the PlayStation 3, while not being a match for the Wii in terms of popularity. Still, the cut will likely not come until after the holiday shopping season, which will be used to see how the recent moves pan out.

With the two price cuts going into effect in September, the NPD Group numbers that will be released in October will be watched with a lot of interest. Of course, that also depends on the titles, which big publishers like Activision and Electronic Arts release for the various platforms and on the amount of money customers are prepared to spend on videogames this fall.

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In September, both the Xbox 360 Elite from Microsoft and the PlayStation 3 Slim from Sony will be retailing for the price of 299 dollars, which is 100 lower than in August। A cut of one third of the price of gaming consoles is pretty significant however you look at it and the impact on the videogame industry will likely be felt in the coming months.
All the analysts agree that a price war between Sony and Microsoft is a good thing as a reduced price point will mean that more players will pick up a home gaming console, which will help improve the performance when compared to 2008. But some are already calling for more price reductions.

Michael Pachter, who is an analyst for Wedbush Morgan Securities, has said that Microsoft's move is designed to keep its device competitive with that from Sony, but there's a chance that another 50 dollars can be cut from the price of the Xbox 360. Still, he believes that while the PS3 might offer Sony a bump in sales, the overall balance of power in the console world will remain largely unchanged.

Jessie Divnich from EEDAR also sees room for another cut, pointing out that the Microsoft console is somewhat less powerful and feature laden than the PlayStation 3, while not being a match for the Wii in terms of popularity. Still, the cut will likely not come until after the holiday shopping season, which will be used to see how the recent moves pan out.

With the two price cuts going into effect in September, the NPD Group numbers that will be released in October will be watched with a lot of interest. Of course, that also depends on the titles, which big publishers like Activision and Electronic Arts release for the various platforms and on the amount of money customers are prepared to spend on videogames this fall.

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PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720 Not Coming Anytime Soon

Sony has announced that it will introduce, on September 1, the PlayStation 3 Slim, a new console variant which is cooler, uses less energy, has a slicker profile and costs just 299 dollars, 100 less than the version that is now available।
Shortly after that, Microsoft announced that it was cutting the price of the Xbox 360 Elite by the same amount, while also taking the Pro version of the market and keeping the price of the Arcade model at 199 dollars. These changes, which will likely see a rise in the number of videogame consoles sold in the fall, also mean that the next generation of gaming devices is getting farther and farther away in the future.

This is what Rich Hilleman, who is the chief creative officer at Electronic Arts, believes and what he told an audience at the Hot Chips conference at Stanford. He is quoted as saying that “I expected we’ll see a PlayStation 3.5 before we see a PlayStation 4 and an Xbox 560 before we see an Xbox 720.” before adding that “The biggest shift is how fast packaged goods games are changing and going away.”

This means that there are less big name, AAA blockbuster videogames released as boxed products and that the revenue they bring is more limited as players diversify their buying options and pick up titles on Xbox Live, using the PlayStation Network or various digital distribution PC-based services like Steam or Impulse.

The major console manufacturers, which are videogame publishers as well, are seeing limited profits from the sales of hardware, mainly because of the price cuts but also because of the huge Research & Development costs that went into the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3.

These two trends mean that both Microsoft and Sony will be eager to prolong the life of the current generation of gaming consoles before introducing the next, a trend that is already clear in the development of Project Natal and the Sony wand.

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Get a new PlayStation 3 Slim for $199.99

'-new Sony PlayStation 3 Slim for $199.99, of course.

I suspect I'll get an earful for this, but the deal comes courtesy of our old friend, the Sony Visa card. When you make a purchase of $299 or more, you get a $100 credit in 8 to 12 weeks. Final price: $199.99.

All you do is sign up for the card, then head over to SonyStyle and drop a sweet, sweet 120GB PlayStation 3 in your cart. (I know it doesn't say "Slim" anywhere, but this is definitely the new model.) Watch CNET's video review if you want to learn more about it.

When your Visa card arrives, stick it in a drawer until the $100 credit appears on your statement. Then spend the money like you would cash. Then cut the card into pieces and burn the pieces.

Not interested in this kind of hoop-jumping just to save $100? That's cool. But think about it: This isn't much different than filling out a rebate form and waiting on a check in the mail. In fact, it's quite a bit easier overall, and you're much less likely to get burned.

Still not convinced? Then try this: Sony just lowered the price on refurbished consoles! Now you can pick up a 40GB PlayStation 3 for just $219.99 shipped. If you can live with a 90-day warranty, that's one of the best PS3 deals to date.

Of course, a new PS3 for $199.99 is even better. What do you think? Did you already pull the trigger on last week's deal (long since expired), or did your Cheapskate senses tell you something better was just around the corner?

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'-new Sony PlayStation 3 Slim for $199.99, of course.

I suspect I'll get an earful for this, but the deal comes courtesy of our old friend, the Sony Visa card. When you make a purchase of $299 or more, you get a $100 credit in 8 to 12 weeks. Final price: $199.99.

All you do is sign up for the card, then head over to SonyStyle and drop a sweet, sweet 120GB PlayStation 3 in your cart. (I know it doesn't say "Slim" anywhere, but this is definitely the new model.) Watch CNET's video review if you want to learn more about it.

When your Visa card arrives, stick it in a drawer until the $100 credit appears on your statement. Then spend the money like you would cash. Then cut the card into pieces and burn the pieces.

Not interested in this kind of hoop-jumping just to save $100? That's cool. But think about it: This isn't much different than filling out a rebate form and waiting on a check in the mail. In fact, it's quite a bit easier overall, and you're much less likely to get burned.

Still not convinced? Then try this: Sony just lowered the price on refurbished consoles! Now you can pick up a 40GB PlayStation 3 for just $219.99 shipped. If you can live with a 90-day warranty, that's one of the best PS3 deals to date.

Of course, a new PS3 for $199.99 is even better. What do you think? Did you already pull the trigger on last week's deal (long since expired), or did your Cheapskate senses tell you something better was just around the corner?

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PS3's new 3D mode captured on video, coming in 2010 to all existing games

You know what's absolutely useless? A video of Wipeout HD being played in 3D, with some schmuck wearing 3D glasses and babbling ओन
about how much fun he's having. Well, that schmuck is this Engadget editor, the video can be found after the break, and we've gotta say: we loved it. Especially for something like Wipeout HD, whose neon-infused tracks make for an almost too convenient example of rapidly approaching vanishing points, we'd say 3D could really be a quasi-"killer app" for consoles going forward -- especially if those fancy new motion controllers don't catch on for Microsoft and Sony. In many ways, 3D just seems to make more sense in a video game than for a movie, and the whole problem of finding content to deliver in the format has already been solved: a software update for the PS3 sometime in 2010 will enable it to provide a 3D viewing experience to "all" existing games on the system. We're sure there will be some exceptions, but it sounds very promising. The console itself pumps out a quite regular signal over HDMI, which the TV syncs up with your 3D glasses. A 200Hz TV, for instance, alternates 1080p frames, with 100Hz for each eye. Of course, you'll need a brand new TV, but at least it won't be restricted to just Sony televisions.

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