Matt Heston

So recently, the Xbox 360 received an update. This is relevant to me because I own one of these machines, just as it’s relevant to the thousands of families across the country. But to those without a keen enough eye, some important new features may slip by them completely unnoticed. I know that many parents are still unaware of the parental controls available, as I could play Halo 3 at two in the morning on a Tuesday and still deal with a handful of preteens squeaking out rancorous trash talk. So, for the tech illiterate and parents with Xboxes, let me run down some of the features now available and the features soon to be.

1. New Stuff to Buy-
Microsoft went all out in increasing it’s virtual marketplace. More movies are available through netflix, full Xbox 360 games are available for download, and now premium items are being sold for your online avatar. Along with the fact that all of these features are now even easier to use, I’d forewarn impulse buyers and parents to keep the credit card far from your console. But for those who have a stash of Microsoft points laying around, this is an early Christmas.

2. Ease of Use-
The last update provided a much smoother interface, but there was still some difficulty in navigating through all of the Xbox 360’s functions, and Xbox Live still had a number of quirks. This seems to be fixed with the latest update. Netflix is a lot more intelligent about how it organizes it’s content, the Xbox can auto-detect the display so it can always run at the highest resolution, and the dashboard has a number of new shortcuts to the most important features. But the cleverest new features, I think, are the ability to download game manuals and a new rating system for Arcade games. This means it’ll be easier and faster to find great games and learn how to play them.

3. Socializing-
This was the aspect of the update Microsoft was most proud of, if their press releases were any indication. Multiple party invites can now be sent at once, dropped connections are now fixed automatically, and now Netflix will let Xbox Live friends watch some movies together. Its just like watching a movie together with actual friends, except without the ‘together’ or ‘friends’ part.

Oh, and facebook, twitter, Last.fm, and Zune will be available soon. That alone caused many excited squeals and annoyed groans.

Please, Xbox owners and parents of kids with Xboxes, I implore you, take a look at what’s going on with this. There are only going to be more updates, and soon this gaming console will be able to do hundreds of things you never expected.

Oh, and to the parents of L33tBR- stop giving your kid caffeine. It’s doing him no favors.

So anyone, as it turns out I may need to switch out my ethernet connection with a wireless one. Problem is, the antenna that comes with my old wireless adapter isn’t terribly reliable. I asked around, and it turns out I’m not alone. Most everyone with wireless Internet wants to boost their signal strength and have a fast connection. Even if the PC says the connection is good, there are still plenty of packets of information floating around in the air. After a little digging, I’ve found a small DIY project that I bet even my mom could do. It’s called the cantenna-

All it takes is a can, some bolts, copper wire, and the proper connectors. If this project turns out well, I’ll post it step by step with instructions as easy as baking pie (actually, I hope it’s easier than that- I’m terrible at cooking!).

I thought I’d show off my desktop, and explain some of the things I’ve done to it. If you’re interested in modding your desktop, I can give some basic tips and where to start.

1. Background: Searching for good wallpapers is a real pain, even when using google. I’ve found that the top ranked search results for “desktop backgrounds” and such lead to either super-artsy pages or shady ones which both have page layouts like they were designed in the 90’s. My suggestion is you check out 4scrape.
It is a image database that updates regularly, so no matter what kind of wallpaper you’re looking for, 4scrape will likely have it. This suggestion does come with a caveat, though. Because it autonomously collects it’s images, or “scrapes” them, there aren’t any human filters. So if you’d prefer only clean images, click the advanced search button, then in the purity mode box, filter out what you don’t want to see.

2. Docks: If you’re a mac user, you’re already familiar with docks and how much more convenient they are to desktop icons. It’s one of the many features macs have built in to make them easier than windows-based PCs. However, with ObjectDock, XP and Vista users can have it just as good. You can get it free, or pay $15 for the plus version. The only reason you wouldn’t want such a helpful tool is if you have a barebones system and can’t afford the slightest amount of RAM used for convenience.

3. Rainmeter: This tool is great if you use xp, or if you find Vista’s sidebar not quite what you want. Rainmeter keeps track of a number of things going on on your computer and with the world. I use it to keep track of my network traffic, my RAM and processor usage, and software news straight from Overclock.net. I have the HUD.Vision skin applied just for aesthetics, but you might find other uses and looks for it. Check out Rainmeter!

For whatever your gaming news needs are, whether they be the latest trailers and screenshots or the games that will be worth the money or the latest controversy, I’ve pulled together a list of websites that will let you know more than you ever wanted about video games. Each one of these are unique to each other and offer different views, so at least one of these should suit your needs.

1. Kotaku

This is the gaming blog that began it all, the grandpappy of video game news. It has some polish, and is generally safe for kids, save for when they cover M-rated games. But whether or not simply discussing mature games isn’t kid safe is at your discretion. Uncluttered but still relevant, I’d suggest this for any bloggers, casual gamers, or anyone who doesn’t want too much of a good thing.

2. Metacritic

While this site is not strictly a gaming website, (it’s also about movies, dvds, tv, and music) it does give you the most accurate least inaccurate reviews of games anywhere. I say this because this site doesn’t actually write reviews, it aggregates them from a number of trusted reviewers and scores it based on them. While it’s a common feature, I like getting the list sorted by recent games or highest rated. After buying some real lemons, I always go onto metacritic before I make any video game purchase and see what the reviews were. I’m considering sending this link to my grandmother in hopes my little brother never has a “ultra bad but well-intentioned” birthday gift.

3. GamePolitics

This is the site where the filthiest games meet the most fame-ravenous politicians. As video games are this generation’s rock n’ roll, they never have a shortage of articles about people yelling about the latest ‘danger to our children’. But the most appreciated feature of this site is they are amazingly even-handed with the mountains of content they provide. While anything with the word “politics” in it must be approached cautiously, GamePolitics is useful for anyone, regardless of political leanings, that wants to know the threats of, and what’s threatening the games industry.

4. N4G

Self-described as “…a social game news site that covers the game industry 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.” This site is great for more hardcore gamers and people hip with the social networking scene. It may be too in-depth for some, as it provides articles not just about the games themselves, but also about the business of gaming, the debates, and just about any other bit of gossip even vaguely game-related. Actually, I can’t recommend it’s social networking aspect too much, the most social I’ve seen gamers online is when they’re ruthlessly arguing.

5. GameFAQs

(Sorry, I- I, uh, couldn’t get a logo)

This site isn’t about gaming news at all. But it is a helpful tool that plenty of gamers use when they’re stuck. It’s better than any cheat code book, magazine, or sponsored game guide could be, because the cheats, FAQs, and guides are all written by and judged by the players. It has some frivolous polls and Top 10s there for laughs, but they don’t distract from the site at all. It’s an indespensable resource for anyone who plays challenging video games.

But as useful as gamefaqs is, don’t go to their sister site, gamespot, for gaming news. It’s not worth it.

Honorable Mention: Penny Arcade

The guys who make the webcomic Penny Arcade are, hands down, the voice of the videogame market. With Mike Krahulik illustrating and Jerry Holkins writing, they’ve made one of the most popular webcomics on the Internet. While this is an achievement many could settle for, they’ve also created Child’s Play, a charity that has raised nearly 5 million dollars for toys in children’s hospitals worldwide. They also started PAX (short for Penny Arcade Expo), a gamer convention that has nearly doubled in attendance each year since 2004. When these guys have something to say, the whole industry listens.