Bleeding Edge TV 405: Xbox 360 Fall 2011 dashboard update review

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, High Score, Features, Microsoft, Podcasts, Video Games, Videocasts, Videos

The next major Xbox 360 dashboard update happens on December 6th, and we’ve got a look at all the new changes and additions in this episode of Bleeding Edge TV. The Fall 2011 Xbox 360 Dashboard Update is the official name of this release, and we show you the update process, and then walk you through the new interface. We give you a look at new features like Bing, Cloud Storage for games and profiles, the new Social, Games, Movies, and Music channels, and more. Expect good things from Microsoft's latest update, including full Kinect integration. This is a big update that brings another big redesign to the Xbox 360, similar to what they did a couple years ago with the New Xbox Experience. Things are a lot more flat...even boxy. It's somewhat similar to the Metro UI that you’d find on Windows Phone 7 devices or Windows 8, and the synergy is understandable…plus, it makes things a lot more user-friendly as it pertains to Kinect.

Big thank you to GoToMeeting and JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out! As for JackThreads, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like.

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Bleeding Edge TV 371: Jawbone Jambox Bluetooth loudspeaker

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, High Score, Features, Podcasts, Video Games, Videocasts, Videos

Last week at CES, we caught up with Travis Bogard from Aliph to get the rundown on the Jawbone Jambox. You may know Aliph, and the Jawbone brand, as the makers of awesome Bluetooth headsets (like the Jawbone Icon,) but the Jambox is a portable Bluetooth speaker with built-in microphone that rocks for playing audio from your Bluetooth-enabled devices. That could be your phone, digital audio player, or anything else that supports A2DP. Even cooler, you can even use the Jambox to take calls.

Big thank you to JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like. In addition, we wanna thank GoToMeeting as well - be sure to get your GoToMeeting 30-Day free trial and experience the freedom of being able to share and access your desktop from anywhere, remotely.

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Bleeding Edge TV 370: A Tour of Bungie Studios, the folks behind Halo

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, High Score, Features, Podcasts, Video Games, Videocasts, Videos

In this one we bring you behind the scenes at Bungie Studios in Redmond, WA. Bungie is the maker of the popular Halo series of games, and we were there for an early look at the Halo: Reach Noble Map Pack. We figured we'd get a tour of the place as well, to show you guys just how cool Bungie is. In the video, you get a look at some of the life-sized Halo props and gear, awards they've won, what's in the Bungie rec room (they're huge Street Fighter fans!), and more.

Big thank you to JackThreads for sponsoring the show - be sure to check them out, we've got exclusive invite codes that give you $5 to use towards anything you'd like. In addition, we wanna thank GoToMeeting as well - be sure to get your GoToMeeting 30-Day free trial and experience the freedom of being able to share and access your desktop from anywhere, remotely.

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Bleeding Edge TV 366: Xbox 360 Fall 2010 dashboard update review

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: High Score, Features, Microsoft, Podcasts, Video Games, Videocasts, Videos

The next major Xbox 360 dashboard update happens in November, and we’ve got a look at all the new changes and additions in this episode of Bleeding Edge TV. This is a big update that brings another big redesign to the Xbox 360, similar to what they did a couple years ago with the New Xbox Experience. Things are a lot more flat and boxy, like what you’d find on Windows Phone 7, and the synergy is understandable…plus, it makes things a lot more user-friendly as it pertains to Kinect.

What else do you get? Netflix search and DVD queue management, along with a Netflix app redesign. ESPN brings 3,500 live sporting events per year (close to 100 per day!,) Zune finally brings music to the Xbox 360 with Zune Pass integration, and more. Get a look at the video above for the full scoop.

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Bleeding Edge TV 362: Playing Catan on Microsoft Surface

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, High Score, Features, Microsoft, Peripherals, Podcasts, Video Games, Videocasts, Videos

We’ve been fans of Catan since we first played it, interestingly enough, on the Xbox 360 as an Xbox Live Arcade download. Since then, we’ve enjoyed many hours of the strategic masterpiece both online and in social settings. Recently, we paid a visit to Seattle’s Vectorform, a developer for the Microsoft Surface platform. They gave us a look at their take on Settlers of Catan using the Surface tabletop, and even included a few very cool and interesting real-world peripherals. We quickly realized how interesting Surface can make tabletop gaming. Check out the video above to see what me mean.

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Bleeding Edge TV 353: Xbox 360 slim vs original Xbox 360

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: High Score, Design, Features, Microsoft, Podcasts, Video Games, Videocasts, Videos

When Microsoft announced the new Xbox 360 S at E3 2010, there were more questions than answers. Why release a new console? Is it just slimmer than the original Xbox 360? Should current Xbox 360 owners upgrade to the newer model? Well, we were able to get our hands on the new slim Xbox 360, and we aim to answer all those questions in this episode. We compare the new Xbox 360 up against the original model and run down all the various changes in the external appearance, the back panel connectors, and some of the internals. If you have anymore questions about the new model after viewing, just drop them in the comments.

You can pick up the Xbox 360 S at Amazon now.

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Bleeding Edge TV 328: Project Natal demo from CES 2010

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, High Score, Accessories, CES, CES 2010, Features, Microsoft, Podcasts, Video Games, Videocasts, Videos

During the CES 2010 opening keynote, Microsoft announced that Project Natal would be launching in Holiday 2010. We take that to mean that we will be able to pick one up at a retail store sometime before Thanksgiving, giving us a good 11 month wait before we can get our hands on it, unless they have something good set up for E3 this year. During the event, Microsoft also showed off a demo video explaining the concept behind Natal and what it will be able to do for you. We captured it, and have it available for you here. Check it out, and color us excited.

A big thank you to Bing for sponsoring Gear Live’s CES 2010 coverage.

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Bleeding Edge TV 324: Limited Edition CoD:MW2 Xbox 360 console giveaway!

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: High Score, Short Bytes, Cell Phones, Features, Home Entertainment, Podcasts, Software, Video Games, Videocasts, Videos

We’ve got one of those fancy Limited Edition Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360 console bundles, and we are giving it away to one of you readers. In this video, we give you a look at the console, which is designed to look like something straight out of Modern Warfare 2, and also features the exclusive 250GB Xbox 360 hard drive. It also includes two wireless controllers, along with the rest of the standard Xbox 360 fare. Interested in winning? Check out the video, then head on over to the official Modern Warfare 2 Xbox 360 giveaway page to enter by showing us your pwned face!

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Bleeding Edge TV 318: Xbox Live Fall Dashboard Preview: Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm, Zune 1080p

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, High Score, Features, Internet, Podcasts, Software, Video Games, Videocasts, Videos

We got our hands on the new Fall 2009 Xbox 360 Dashboard update, which features Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm, and Instant-on 1080p movie streaming from Zune. You can get the full scoop in the video, but in a nutshell, here are our thoughts:

• Facebook: Facebook on Xbox 360 is integrated well into the console. We like that you can see which of your Xbox 360 friends are on Facebook, and which Facebook friends have an Xbox 360 account. The problem is that the Xbox 360’s ridiculous friend limit really stands out here. You have a limit of 100 friends, and if you have a bunch of friends on Facebook that you want to connect with, you will quickly find that you have to pick and choose. You see what I mean in the video. Other than that, being able to view profile data and photo galleries of friends is a nice touch. Updating or commenting sucks if you don’t have a Chatpad.
• Twitter: Twitter, on the other hand, is way too simple for our liking. It shows you the last 50 tweets from people you following, trending topics, and basic profile info. You can also send tweets out from the Xbox 360, but it’s frustrating to do, unless you have a Chatpad handy.
• Last.fm: This works as expected. You sign in, and you get access to all your channels, and you can create new channels on the fly. What sucks? You can’t see your Last.fm friends, which is something I miss. Even worse? The music only plays when you are actually in the Last.fm area. If you leave, the music stops. This means you can’t carry it over to the dashboard, or in-game. So really, what’s the point?
• Zune Instant on 1080p: This was awesome. Definitely blew me away. We streamed a portion of the movie 300. After a bandwidth test, the Xbox 360 confirmed we were good to go for instant 1080p streaming, and it delivered. Fantastic. The best streaming video quality we’ve seen from any service.

There are a few other new details as well, and we give you a detailed look at it all in this video. Sit back and enjoy!

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Bleeding Edge TV 312: Xbox 360 August 2009 Dashboard Update Walkthrough

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, High Score, Features, HDTV, Home Entertainment, Microsoft, Podcasts, Product Reviews, Video Games, Videocasts, Videos

A few days ago we did a quick post of our Xbox 360 August Dashboard Update video, promising that we’d publish the actual video podcast version later. Well, here it is. In case you missed it, we give you a 35-minute full walkthrough of the upcoming Xbox 360 dashboard update, giving you a look at the new Netflix features, Avatar Marketplace, Games on Demand, Indie Games, and more. Go ahead and give it a look for all the goods. Definitely a nice, solid Xbox 360 update.

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