So the new X-Box Live Experience is coming out pretty soon. From what I've read it's a complete revamp of their online system.

Now, I don't own a 360. I came close many times to getting one but strayed from it. And really, I'm not too fond of the fact that they offer three different X-Box versions. Sure, they say it gives everyone an option for those who may not want online features and a hard drive but to me it's a cheap way to nab customers. My main example is that if John Doe gets a X-Box Arcade but realizes he wants to use his system for online downloads and more of a media hub, he's screwed because he didn't pay for a better system and the solution is either buy a new hard drive or a new X-Box.

My opinion solidifies and hopefully gains more ground with the recent news about the X-Box Live Experience. The first thing is that the update will be taking about 128MB worth of space. The killer of this is that if you have limited space or no hard drive, then exactly how are you going to have this update installed on your system? Well, Microsoft is going to release a storage solution - most likely a memory card. What they didn't detail is if they will be offering it for free or not. And you know me, I'm going to guess that Microsoft will charge for it. This is a first and foremost showcase that Microsoft, overall, doesn't care or take into consideration those who buy the cheaper system.

It's like Microsoft made the new online system and then one guy in the back raised his hand and said, "What about those guys who own an X-Box with no hard drive?" After pondering, they decide to (most likely) charge those consumers around $50 for the update through a memory card. If I were an Arcade owner, I'd be pissed. I'd feel terribly cheated that they're working on upgrades that are ideally for people who paid for the more expensive X-Box and thinking about those who took the cheaper alternative later on. It'd also piss me off to know that I'd have to shell out more money for an update others get for free JUST because I didn't want all the bells and whistles.

The second point is that a upcoming update will start to use the Hard Drive to help with game loading times. Not only is this a blatant ripoff of the PlayStation 3 methods but this is another finger given from Microsoft to the consumers who decided to get the lower-end 360. While Microsoft may make it out to look like they're trying to make things more efficient for their consumers this also gives off the hidden message, to me at least, that Microsoft - again - cares very little about their Arcade owners. So, those who buy the more expensive system gets treated to a free Experience upgrade but also faster loading times while Arcade owners are left sitting in the water waiting for a storage solution to get the new Live Experience that will cost money and also having to sit there knowing that higher end X-Box's will actually be faster.

This just proves my main point: All these different versions of consoles aren't needed. The Nintendo Wii is the ONLY console this generation - including handhelds - that has remained the same while the DS, PSP, PS3 and the 360 see different versions on an almost yearly basis. Infact, I did the math a few weeks back - for Sony's PS3 I found out that they practically released a different PS3 model every four months. Just simply ridiculous.

Every console should have one version that stays throughout that generation. None of these upgrades. None of these core systems. None of these "economy" versions. Three companies that release one single version of their hardware is the way it should be. I shouldn't be standing at a retail store deciding if I should go with the Premium 360? Or the Arcade 360? Or an 80 GB PS3? Or a 60GB PS3 bundled with MGS4.

I'd love to say that it'll change with the next generation, but it won't. Choices! Choices! Choices! That's what we all want! Then when we make that choice, six months later your model is either outdated or there are updates that you system won't be able to accommodate until that company releases a workaround to it.

Terrible.

John Schappert, Corporate Vice President of Xbox LIVE Services and Software, announced that the upcoming and controversial Xbox 360 dashboard update will be available starting November 19.

I'm counting the days until I will be forced to leave my beloved blades dashboard and start using these awful avatars.

También sabemos que el peso de la interfase será de 128 megas y que Microsoft ha prometido una solución de almacenamiento para aquellos usuarios con sistemas Xbox 360 sin disco duro aunque aún no ha revelado cual es.

Gaming on the Xbox with a few friends and family sometimes requires co-ordination skills, especially when connecting to games throws up problems you might expect on the PC. At present, users can only chat from the dashboard with one person and to speak to others they must initiate a chat session and switch to the next person whilst the former sits twiddling their thumbs. Imagine this scenario if one or more of your group cannot get into a game and are all sending chat invites for your attention. You might as well keep your phone nearby or sign-in to a messenger app. Now a number of people can form a party from the dashboard to view photos and chat together. The party can also go into a game from the dashboard as a group, providing all members have the game. This leads to a more connected and seamless experience, which should have been a feature from the start. Once released we just have to see how seamless it is, if NAT problems will cause party connection problems as in multiplayer lobbies where some users cannot connect to others.

Other features of note include the new Avatars on the Gamercard. Appearing to be heavily inspired by the Wii’s Miis, the Xbox’s Avatars can also be customised with mention of new items being available for them. Whilst a considerable number of items are already available to apply to the Avatars, no doubt this will provide an additional stream of income with people buying new clothing and accessories for their Avatars, maybe there will be Horse Armour too! Users will also be able to take a picture of their Avatar and use that as their Gamer Picture. The addition of Avatars goes hand-in-hand with the redesign of the Dashboard interface overall. The navigation method is similar to Sony’s XMB with button presses in the X and Y axes to move through the menus. Rather than left and right through the main menus and up and down to go through the sub sections, the Xbox Dashboard will use up and down for the main sections with left and right for sub sections.

Users in the US will have access to Netflix connectivity. Having an account with Netflix will let users rent and download films directly to the Xbox 360.

Another feature I look forward to is the ability to copy games directly to the console’s hard drive to reduce loading times and noise from a spinning disc. I for one am looking forward to this due to the noise reduction factor as I do not have the leisure of turning up the volume on the TV as is often flippantly advised. One caveat is that the game disc must be in the drive to prove you have the game, at least it doesn’t check if you bought or borrowed the game :)

Dans un cas, une utilisation pauvre de la datavisualisation, sans intelligence.

Dans l'autre, une mise en perspective...

Simple, net et sans bavure.

Curiosidade rápida! A atualização da dashboard do Xbox 360, que incluirá os avatares e toda a política da "New Experience" e que chega dia 19 de Novembro mundialmente em todos os consoles ocupará 256 MB de espaço do HD do X360.

Nada mal para os donos de HDs de 20, 60 e 120 GB. A update não irá tomar muito do espaço dos nossos joguinhos. Será que existe donos de X360 que não utilizam HD? Aí já não sei como estes ficam.

Em poucas palavras: O Xbox 360 ganha seu mega update, aquele que abre a campanha New Experience e a nova Dashboard com aqueles avatares e novidades criados pela Rare acabaram de ter a data revelada: Tudo chega dia 19 de Novembro mundialmente!!!!

Agora é esperar!! \o/

The XBox 360 Dashboard update finally has a release date for Nov. 19. Once again, this will be the update that gives a new dashboard look and avatars.

In Halo news, information was released about the Halo 3 prequel called Recon. It's a single player mode that will be released in the fall of 2009. It looks like you'll be in control of a UNSC recon soldier in the game. Video can be found here.

Stay tuned tomorrow for more of a detailed write about this information and more.

Asi que ya saben, ese dia a actualizar

So if you're looking to set up a blog, I do recommend Wordpress.  Easy to get started, you can import old blogs, upload images and video, and more... it's fantastic!

-Si ce lucrezi ?
-Prepar pesti pentru pulverizat.
-Bine, dar ce anume operatii faci ?
-Pun pestele pe placi, potrivesc placile pe plite, pregatesc patru putini
pentru pestele prajit, pulverizez pasta produsa, pun pe pungi.
-Dar de ce vorbesti numai cu "P"?
-Poftim ?
-De ce vorbesti numai cu "P"?
-Pentruca pot pronunta pe P perfect perceptibil.
-Ei, asta e acum !Pun ramasag ca la intrebarile mele vei gresi.
-Primesc.
-Pe cit ?
-Pun prinsoare pe patru poli !
-S-a facut. Spune-mi ce-ti place sa maninci ?
-Peste, pastravi, plachie, potirnici, piftie piperata,pirjoale, pastrama
papricas,papanas, porumbei, pui pane.
-Si ce vin bei ?
-Pinot,pelin, porto.
-Si ce desert ?
-Placinte, prajituri,pepene, prune, pere, portocale,piersici.
-Dar inghetata obisnuesti ?
-Putin profiterole, parfait .
-Spune-mi cum iti petreci timpul liber ?
-Primavara prefer plimbarile pe potecile padurilor, prin parcuri.
-Dar vara ?
-Pescuiesc.
-Si iarna ?
-Patinez.
-Te pomenesti ca poti sa-mi spui o poezie numai cu litera "P"?
-Pot.
-Asta nu o mai cred. Spune-o!

POEZIA POETULUI PETRU POPESCU:

"Prin pustiuri, peste pietre
Pasari, pilcuri pribegesc
Parasindu-si puii proprii
Pe pamintul parintesc.
Prima pasare,pilotul
Plescaia puternic pliscul
Patina privind pamintul
Pajistea, padurea,pliscul."

-Bine ! Spune-mi textual ce i-ai spus nevestei cind ai plecat ?
-Paraschiva papusico,pentru prinz prepara putin patrunjel pe
potirnichi.Pa!
-Vad ca am pierdut.
-Pardon, platesti patru poli pentru pierderea pariului.
-Platesc.
-Pune paralele pe portofel.
-Inca o intrebare.
-Poftim !...
-Ce adresa ai matale ?
-Prelungirea Popa Petrescu 4, parter, plecind prin Pingari, peste pod.

The sequel to last years XBox 360 game Scene It? is coming out on October 28. Titled Scene It? Box Office Smash, the game is supposed to have new movie questions over popular movies that most people will probably have seen. There will be two versions of the game for sell, a $60 version that has the four big-button controllers, and a $40 version that is just the game.

The game will also be the first to feature avatars, the XBox 360's newest dashboard item. Considering this is a few weeks before the rumored November release of the update, it will be interesting to see how Scene It? will use the avatars. They could have their own avatar system for use early, or, possibly, the new dashboard update will be coming out earlier than though. I'll have a full report of the dashboard when it comes out, so stay tuned.

With Fable 2 just around the corner, director Peter Molyneux pretty much confirmed that Fable 2 will have downloadable content in the future. Saying that it would be "pretty dumb" if Lionhead wasn't planning it, Molyneux said that he doesn't want just weapons and armor and that it would be great for the fans if they didn't have to wait for months. I look for Molyneux's subtle hints to come true. With a game that's as big as Fable 2, DLC will be great to enhance or lengthen an already long game.

That's all for an update right now. May do one more later this evening if something good pops up.

36-image converter 4.4.4.23 contains 10 default brushes to test the function, as it is still in BETA. It is still in BETA because the "Brush Gallery" is quite messy and will be replaced by a separate application which will also enable you to create your own smart brushes.

36IC 4.4.4 does not only contain a new Brush tool, the Text tool is also updated and is finally out of its BETA-phase it has been simplified by enabling the user to move the text after insertion.

Other changes also include a separate tool to select colors from the image, an architectural update that enables us to quickly import new functions without having to mess with the interface, a new DashBoard and an updated help- and ReadMe file.

36-image converter 4.4.4.23 will be available for download tomorrow on Download.com and will then also be available in the update channel for 36IC 4.4.3 users. It is already online so it is released, but our servers cannot handle the massive amount of downloads so we have to wait until it is uploaded on Download.com.

It has been crazy and busy lately with EFM; I have been traveling the world spreading the word -- and it has been so interesting.  It has amplified my views of EFM and given me lots of new ideas on what to do with this blog.  It has also given me an idea on spreading the word even faster: Twitter.  Do you twitter?  If not, you should check it out.  I am starting to spread the word on EFM via twitter -- starting Monday October 13th, a new EFM insight a day via Twitter... tweet me!

I have been doing lots of thinking and working with EFM at the strategic level, and it led to me think about the need to implement EFM properly.  I am not simply talking about putting together a strategy for EFM, which I do endorse highly, but also where does it fit within the overall organizational approach to feedback.  In other words, why would an organization take on collecting, analyzing, and reporting on feedback?  After all, if you can do a survey and get some data - isn't that enough?

Well, not quite.  The most interesting part of the question is actually what to do with the data and (more importantly) the insights collected and analyzed.  Yes, you can distribute a survey, collect some results, and report on them - even analyze them - and consider yourself done... but there is so much more.  Listen to this crazy, crazy approach to using EFM.

First, make a commitment to using feedback as valuable data.  That means you won't just measure customer satisfaction, or yes / no to some inane questions that may, just may, earn you a bonus - but not create insights into your customers or products.  Make a commitment to using feedback wisely as a strategy, collecting and analyzing key business metrics over time.  Once you do this, you have the basis for the second step... building a dashboard.

Dashboards? how can they be related to feedback?  Well, you could build a dashboard simply by using efficiency metrics (number of calls, average handle time, average wait time, etc.), but wouldn't you want to build one that means something for your business?  If you strategically determine the metrics that matter about your business, your services, your products -- and the effectiveness-based metrics you must follow for the health of your business, you can then prepare a great real-time dashboard that shows you the health of your business -- and tie those metrics to the feedback you collect!

Alas, once you create a real-time view of your important metrics, and use feedback to populate that - what about the long-term view?  Glad you asked (OK, you didn't, I did).  Once you have a real-time, short-term view of your business it is time to make the jump to long-term, strategic measurement.  The tool we use for that is a scorecard.  Ah, yes... the scorecard.  You can use feedback to measure your key metrics over time, spot historical trends, and see where you have to invest time and resources to improve your products, services and resources.  And the best part?  You get to do this as your improve your use of feedback - from taking surveys, to adopting EFM, to implementing Dashboards and Scorecards.

Have you tried this?  Are you interested?  Let me know...

http://www.current.com.au/2008/09/26/article/XPNMJPZSEI.html

The 360's new dashboard! Good or bad? I don't know. I'll be straight forward. I do not, at all, care for all the glitter and polish. I expect my 360 to let me play games, and that's about it. I expect the same from my Wii and future PS3. So lets see what they're adding, and I'll give my opinion as we go down the list.

#1: “With this new dashboard experience you will be able to install the entire game onto the hard drive, and by using the disc you can initiate the game start up, which allows to you to have even quicker load times, an even quieter box and even better experience.”

Yeah, I don't really care. I still use the standard 20 GB HDD that game with my 360, so it's not like a can install lots of games on my HDD anyway. Seriously though, are loading times really THAT bad? Is it so horrible to have to wait a few seconds? The PS3 went overboard on the subject, forcing gamers to sit through horrendously long install times. Just give me multiple disks, I'm not that lazy that I can't get up to change the disk. I don't care about disk changing. Just let me play my game right away. So yeah, I'm neutral. >_>

#2: “There is a 3D element to the visuals and experience and is part of the new wow factor, the avatars have depth, the whole Dashboard has a 3D look and feel.

As said, I couldn't care less about the shiny things they put on. How long do people spend looking at their dashboard, really? I see mine long enough to put in a disk, which is like a minute at most.

#3: “When you log in you get to the My Xbox Channel, you will see your gamer score, your avatars and game achievements, but it’s laid out in a way that all of the experiences are pushed out right in front of you — it is so user friendly.”

Do not EVER use the terms "pushed right in front of you" and "user friendly" in the same sentence. I'm expecting some chaotic mess of unnecessary gimmicks.

#4: “Customisation of avatars is off the charts, you can make them look as much like you, or not like you, as you want. You can add hats, clothing, if you’re a female you can add a purse, lipstick, there are endless amounts of customisation.”

First, I realized they spelled "customization" wrong in the article. Funny. Anyway, listen Microsoft. The Wii's Mii program was fun for like, the first half an hour. After that, it just got pointless. You say yours has accessories and crap. Yay, yours will be fun for like an hour.

#5: “In your online community, all your friends are right there represented by their avatars and above their head it will tell you what they’re doing, whether playing a game, watching a movie or sharing photos, so you can jump into that experience with your friends.

I'm pretty sure I could do most of that before. Only now I have to see their big head staring back at me. Are you trying to scare me Microsoft?

#6: “Imagine an open plan community with all these avatars interacting and from there I can get a group of my friends to create a party to enhance the community experience and we can all go from one experience to the next, from playing a game together, to sharing photos, sharing videos, having a chat, and doing all these different things.”

So it's like home, but without the crappy Second Life experience? You sold me Microsoft, bring the future. I can't wait to talk to my friends, look at pictures, and watch movies on my gaming console!

So yeah, in conclusion, this update is pointless. Gaming consoles should first and foremost be for gaming. This is clearly not.

While exterior styling grabs all the new and concept car headlines, it
’s the interiors that have the most potential to alter the way we experience our automobiles.

read more | digg story

Modest Mouse is one of the many bands I saw this summer, my summer of music. I love this song. That's all. Happy Saturday.

And a link. You know how YouTube gets on Saturday.

I have an awesome job and I'm pretty sure I'm riding the crest of a wave with the Platform as a Service concept.

Of course you didn't get the new 3D Dashboard Update No one did the maintenance wasn't going to deliver anything new at this present time and has been stated on Major Nelson's Blog as well as his Twitter post. The maintenance was for to get the service ready for the major fall update. :wink:

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