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Xbox Live Headphones

If you’re anything like me, and I’m making an assumption here (because that’s what irresponsible journalism is all about), you might only have so much money to go towards fancy gadgets and various electronic compensations for a strikingly diminished sense of personal worth. That can lead to some trouble if, for instance, you have a decent gaming headset that you want to use for your instead of a bona-fide sound sytem, since you can no longer use Xbox Live without Microsoft’s proprietary, flimsy headset.

A few headsets, like those from Turtle Beach, alleviate this problem by offering individual chat volumes and the ability to both listen to your game and communicate with your buddies. It’s a worthy investment, but a bit of a waste if you already have a good gaming headset - dedicated XBL headsets can hover around the $150 range. All you need is a $5 adapter and zero soldering.

Hit the jump to see what you need.

Click to continue reading How To Use Your Gaming Headset with Xbox Live


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Gamer Holiday Gift Guide

“... Or how I blew your college fund on sparkly trinkets.”

Thanksgiving is now over, and so the spirit of crass materialism rides in on a chilly breeze. The holidays are almost here, meaning that you’re likely going to need to drop some hard earned ducats on the people who make it a point to hound you year-round. That being said, if you’re not a hopeless misanthrope like myself, you might already be thinking about what to buy for others. Or for yourself. I’m not going to make any judgment calls, you selfish bastard. I don’t have time for jolliness. I’m like Dorian Gray, all ash and suffering on the inside.

So here’s a list of some fun things your can buy for the gamer in your life this year. Some of it is older, some of it is more obscure, but nothing is obnoxiously expensive, per se. Have fun, you wacky kids.

Hit the jump for the list. If you have any suggestions of your own, please leave them in the comments. Oh, and if you want more, non-game-related gift ideas, check out our full Holiday Gift Guide!

Click to continue reading Holiday Gift Guide for the Gamers


Did you think the would be the only console to integrate Facebook functionality? If so, Sony has another thing coming for you, as they are launching firmware 3.10 for the PlayStation 3 today, and, you guessed it, Facebook integration is included. Check out the video above to check out how it works, but in a nutshell, you’ll be able to have the PS3 post different events to your Facebook feed, like purchases, trophies, and in-game happenings. Other changes in PS3 firmware 3.10:

  • You can choose a color for your PSN ID badge
  • Photos are now displayed in a grid rather than a single column
  • The friends list has been modified, based on feedback from the community

The update will be out today.

Read More | Sony

Latest Gear Live Videos

For those of you who weren’t able to get into the Preview Program, you can now rest assured that the latest Xbox 360 features, including Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm, and Marketplace with instant on 1080p streaming, will be arriving on all Xbox 360 consoles on November 17th. Yup, that’s just five days away, which isn’t that bad at all. To celebrate the launch of the new dashboard, all Xbox Live Gold features will be available to Xbox Live Silver members from November 20-23, allowing Silver members to sample Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm, and online multiplayer. Oh, what’s that? You didn’t know that only Xbox Live Gold members were able to use the new social networking aspects of the dashboard? Yeah, major fail, we agree.

We previewed the dashboard in a recent episode of Bleeding Edge TV, which you can check out at the top.


Xbox 360 Wireless N Adapter

The Xbox 360 Wireless N adapter is finally available here in the US, after what seems like months of rumors proclaiming its existence. You can actually order one right now over on Newegg - just search for Xbox 360 Wireless N, and you should be good. It’ll cost you a cool $100 for the privilege, but the extra speed should be worth it, right?

Read More | Newegg

Zune 1080p Xbox 360

We just got word from our friends at that we’ll be getting the new Fall 2009 Dashboard Update on Monday, which means we’ll be bringing you a preview and walkthrough of all the upcoming dashboard features, including Twitter, Facebook, Zune instant-on 1080p movies, Last.fm, and more. For a look at everything we’ll be bringing you on Monday, hit the jump. Now go enjoy your weekend!

Click to continue reading Xbox LIVE Fall Update: We’ll be previewing Facebook, Twitter, Zune 1080p for you on Monday


Free Fallout 3 Premium Theme

Hey, Fallout 3 fans…if you are one of the obsessed (like we were) when it came to the Fallout 3 DLC packs, you might want to check your email and spam folders. Why’s that? Well, as it turns out, if you purchased all five of the Fallout 3 DLC offerings, you should have an email in your inbox from Microsoft containing a code redeemable for a free Fallout 3 premium Xbox 360 theme. They say it’s just a thank you to the biggest fans of the game, and we think it’s a classy touch, since we totally felt we got our money’s worth from the DLC in the first place.

Thanks, Bethesda!


Brutal Legends Achievements

With the release of Brutal Legends coming up October 13th, It’s time to prepare and train for your extensive achievement hunting—early! From the “Coolest Thing Ever” to “Six Degrees of Tim Schafer,” we’ve got the full, and final, Brutal Legend Xbox 360 Achievement and Playstation 3 trophy list, after the jump. 

Click to continue reading Brutal Legend Achievements and Trophies


250GB Xbox 360

Okay, hang on, we just posted about the Xbox 360 Elite price cut news, and now we are getting word that there may be a 250GB version of the Xbox 360 that will be dropping soon? According to Amazon Germany, there will soon be an Xbox 360 bundle that includes a 250GB head drive (over twice the size of the currently available 120GB drive,) 2 controllers, and Forza Motorsport 3. It’s priced at about $397, and we want it to be really. Very, very much.

[Thanks, Jason!]

Read More | Amazon Germany via Engadget


Xbox 360 Elite $299

It’s been rumored for weeks now that would be slashing the price of the , and it’s finally been confirmed. Starting tomorrow, the Xbox 360 Elite drops $100, down to $299. The Xbox 360 Pro drops $50, down to $250, but that is while supplies last. Once they are gone, they are gone. The Xbox 360 Arcade will remain at $199. Going into the holiday season, that gives consumers two choices for the Xbox 360 - the $299 black Elite console, and the $199 white Arcade. This brings the Xbox 360 Elite in line with the $299 at first glance, but of course, the Xbox 360 doesn’t have Wi-Fi built-in (that’ll cost you an extra $100,) nor does it play high definition physical media out of the box. Still though, it’s $100 less tomorrow than it is today, and that’s always a plus. You can pick one up over on Amazon.


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