I agree with this. There are at least three or four categories of drives included with Xbox consoles, although they've gotten significantly better in the last few years of the production run.
More specifically, if you're buying an Xbox, look for the Samsung or Philips drives (there's more stuff about that on the Xbox-Scene Forums; these two types read CD-R's and won't die like the piece-of-crap Thomsons commonly found in the 1.0 Mexican units (although the Samsung ones have problems with DVD+ media.)
Since I'm going to be an early adopter of the Xbox360... I'd rather not want to get screwed over again with my DVD drive. If they even marginally improve it it'll be good.
Interesting interview about what they're doing with the Xbox 360 at TeamXbox... specifically they're going to support VGA connections on retail consoles (with an accessory cable) but marketing-weasel-dodge the hell out of any digital connections at this point in time.
Rogers' internet offering is better than usual, ever since they brought in a new "Extreme" tier of service. Basically they're trying to get rid of all the older, non-DOCSIS compliant modems on their lines.
Basically since they didn't want to buy modems for the customers (which, up until this point, customers were required to rent a cable modem) they offered the dangling carrot. For $100 (CAD), minus a $20 rebate, one could acquire a DOCSIS 2.0 modem from a Rogers Video store, and own said modem.
When you do this, you get put on a new tier of 5Mbit down/800 Kbit up that actually delivers those speeds. (I know because I'm on this tier right now.) And the price is still $44.95 per month. Rogers has been nothing but good for the past year -- yes, they screwed it up pretty badly when @Home bit the dust, but I think they've redeemed themselves lately. See for yourself if you haven't heard about the plan.
Rogers also seems to be pretty good as a wireless provider. I've got a few acquaintances with their new GSM phones. Not sure how their customer service is for wireless, but the Cable Internet people seem to be alright (flushing tables, confirming network outages, not treating me like crap) when I have the need to call.
(Now that I preview, the post seems a bit of a shill to me, but I am not associated with Rogers in any way. I just think the parent may need to justify their reasons.)
With the Xbox, there are several completely legitimate uses for a modchip: running Linux (cheap webserver), or playing media files on a TV. The major problem? End users cannot use these applications without a software modification or modchip.
Even though the applications might not be designed to increase piracy, one thing that Microsoft can and will "kick" about is the modified BIOS that modchips or exploits use. It's their intellectual property, and modifying it (like the EvoX team does) or reverse engineering it could be considered piracy. The only legal BIOS out there is Cromwell, which the Xbox-Linux team uses to load Linux. Most chips now come pre-loaded with Cromwell, which can flash the modchip with a more useful bios (think gray-market there.)
Initially, Microsoft's attach rate - the amount of games they would need to sell to become profitable on each console - was nine in-house titles per machine. I'm not sure of the exact figure today, though, with the recent price drop and all.
In any event, if you have an Xbox and don't care about Xbox Live, there are software exploits you can use to perform the same features as a modchip would have. Xbox-Scene has pretty much anything a new modded Xbox user would want.
Hose it. My first submission, and I ruin it.:( Unmangled text from _privacy.txt:
THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT A CONTRACT, LICENSE AGREEMENT OR LEGALLY BINDING IN ANY WAY.
Hello, this is an open letter from Alex St. John, CEO of WildTangent Inc. This file is for the benefit of folks out there who may have missed the WildTangent privacy statement when they installed our product, and later discovered that our Web Driver updates itself automatically. If you are worried about what kind of information our product is collecting and reporting to us, or delivering to your computer, please check out the privacy statement on our web site at www.wildtangent.com. We are not "big brother" or a Trojan horse, we have the utmost respect for your privacy, we don't know who you are unless you tell us, and our updater has essentially no impact on your computers performance.
WildTangent is working very hard to pioneer game and multimedia content delivery over the Internet, but there are two enormous challenges associated with this problem that our updater resolves.
1) Support: DirectX drivers, which we depend on, are frequently broken or unstable. Support problems associated with DirectX drivers are typically 3-7% for most video game developers. Game developers have large support staffs to deal with these issues but the web developers using our technology will not have the same resources. In order to make it practical to enable web developers to author leading edge multimedia content and deliver it online WildTangent must try to cope with the support problems associated with DirectX. Our updater is part of a sophisticated support automation system that allows us to detect driver problems and fix them automatically.. hopefully before a user ever encounters them. We track system configuration and driver information in an effort to detect problems and fix them before our users ever encounter them in content.
2) Size: Multimedia applications are usually huge. The updater allows us to deliver content users request in idle bandwidth rather than forcing users to wait for a long download. We keep our driver current with new technology using the updater to avoid asking users to take a download hit every time they want to see WildTangent content. We also stream content. If our servers know your system configuration then they can tune the content they are delivering to suit your bandwidth and multimedia capabilities. All of this makes our multimedia content delivery much faster and more reliable.
Lastly we track information about how WildTangent content is used. This allows us to bill publishers that are using our technology for commercial applications. This billing mechanism also makes it possible for us to make the technology available to a large community of small content developers for free, while generating revenue from the larger folks who use our technology to make money. We don't know who you are, nor do we try to figure it out unless you want to tell us.
We try very hard to make our technology as reliable, responsible and unobtrusive on your machine as possible. An interesting side effect of our effort to be unobtrusive is that some folks think that there is something sneaky going on because we don't plaster our logo all over the desktop or start menu. Our sincere intention here is to avoid cluttering your desktop with stuff you shouldn't have to deal with.
That said, the updater can be disabled at anytime from the WildTangent control panel applet.
If you found this file and have any questions about its contents, please email us at info@wildtangent.com. I hope this letter has successfully addressed any concerns we may have raised, and I hope you will continue to enjoy our content. If you are computer savvy, then you may be interested in learning how to create WildTangent content yourself.
Interestingly enough, I found this file (_privacy.txt) in a folder WildTangent uses for their updater application:
=============
THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT A CONTRACT, LICENSE AGREEMENT OR LEGALLY BINDING IN ANY WAY.
Hello, this is an open letter from Alex St. John, CEO of WildTangent Inc. This file is for the benefit of folks out there who may have
missed the WildTangent privacy statement when they installed our product, and later discovered that our Web Driver updates itself automatically. If you are worried about what kind of information our
product is collecting and reporting to us, or delivering to your computer, please check out the privacy statement on our web site at
www.wildtangent.com. We are not "big brother" or a Trojan horse, we have the utmost respect for your privacy, we don't know who you are
unless you tell us, and our updater has essentially no impact on your computers performance.
WildTangent is working very hard to pioneer game and multimedia content delivery over the Internet, but there are two enormous challenges associated with this problem that our updater resolves.
1) Support: DirectX drivers, which we depend on, are frequently broken or unstable. Support problems associated with DirectX drivers
are typically 3-7% for most video game developers. Game developers have large support staffs to deal with these issues but the web developers using our technology will not have the same resources. In
order to make it practical to enable web developers to author leading edge multimedia content and deliver it online WildTangent must try to cope with the support problems associated with DirectX. Our updater is part of a sophisticated support automation system that allows us to detect driver problems and fix them automatically.. hopefully before a user ever encounters them. We track system configuration and driver information in an effort to detect problems and fix them before our users ever encounter them in content.
2) Size: Multimedia applications are usually huge. The updater allows us to deliver content users request in idle bandwidth rather
than forcing users to wait for a long download. We keep our driver current with new technology using the updater to avoid asking users
to take a download hit every time they want to see WildTangent content. We also stream content. If our servers know your system configuration then they can tune the content they are delivering to
suit your bandwidth and multimedia capabilities. All of this makes our multimedia content delivery much faster and more reliable.
Lastly we track information about how WildTangent content is used. This allows us to bill publishers that are using our technology for commercial applications. This billing mechanism also makes it possible for us to make the technology available to a large community of small content developers for free, while generating revenue from
the larger folks who use our technology to make money. We don't know who you are, nor do we try to figure it out unless you want to tell
us.
We try very hard to make our technology as reliable, responsible and unobtrusive on your machine as possible. An interesting side effect
of our effort to be unobtrusive is that some folks think that there is something sneaky going on because we don't plaster our logo all
over the desktop or start menu. Our sincere intention here is to avoid cluttering your desktop with stuff you shouldn't have to deal with.
That said, the updater can be disabled at anytime from the WildTangent control panel applet.
If you found this file and have any questions about its contents, please email us at info@wildtangent.com. I hope this letter has
successfully addressed any concerns we may have raised, and I hope you will continue to enjoy our content. If you are computer savvy, then you may be interested in learning how to create WildTangent content yourself. Our FREE SDK can be found in the developer section of our web site at www.wildtangent.com.
Sincerely,
Alex St. John
President & CEO
WildTangent Inc.
=================
So WildTangent may be spyware, but at least there's an explanation of why the files are sitting around on the system, which is more than one can say for other programs. *cough* Gator.
Slashdot Mirror
Scan type: Auto-Protect Scan
Event: Threat Found!
Threat: Adware.CDT
File: C:\Documents and Settings\Jake\Local Settings\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\za0bac6t.default\Ca
Location: C:\Documents and Settings\Jake\Local Settings\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\za0bac6t.default\Ca
Computer: CHARCOAL
User: CHARCOAL\Jake
Action taken: Pending Side Effects Analysis
Date found: Tuesday, September 20, 2005 12:22:39 AM
For those of you who want the lyrics without the ownage, here they are (slightly modified to avoid getting ruined by lameness filter):
We'll be singing
When we're winning we'll be singing
I get knocked down
But I get up again
You're never going to keep me down (x4)
Pissing the night away, pissing the night away
He drinks a whisky drink
He drinks a vodka drink
He drinks a lager drink
He drinks a cider drink
He sings the songs that remind him
Of the good times
He sings the songs that remind him
Of the better times
Oh Danny Boy, Danny Boy, Danny Boy
I get knocked down
But I get up again
You're never going to keep me down (x4)
Pissing the night away
Pissing the night away
He drinks a whisky drink
He drinks a vodka drink
He drinks a lager drink
He drinks a cider drink
He sings the songs that remind him
Of the good times
He sings the songs that remind him
Of the better times
Don't cry for me
Next door neighbour
I get knocked down
But I get up again
You're never going to keep me down (x4)
I get knocked down
But I get up again (we'll be singing)
You're never going to keep me down (when we're winning)
I get knocked down
But I get up again (pissing the night away)
You're never going to keep me down (x14)
I agree with this. There are at least three or four categories of drives included with Xbox consoles, although they've gotten significantly better in the last few years of the production run.
More specifically, if you're buying an Xbox, look for the Samsung or Philips drives (there's more stuff about that on the Xbox-Scene Forums; these two types read CD-R's and won't die like the piece-of-crap Thomsons commonly found in the 1.0 Mexican units (although the Samsung ones have problems with DVD+ media.)
Since I'm going to be an early adopter of the Xbox360... I'd rather not want to get screwed over again with my DVD drive. If they even marginally improve it it'll be good.
Interesting interview about what they're doing with the Xbox 360 at TeamXbox... specifically they're going to support VGA connections on retail consoles (with an accessory cable) but marketing-weasel-dodge the hell out of any digital connections at this point in time.
Basically since they didn't want to buy modems for the customers (which, up until this point, customers were required to rent a cable modem) they offered the dangling carrot. For $100 (CAD), minus a $20 rebate, one could acquire a DOCSIS 2.0 modem from a Rogers Video store, and own said modem.
When you do this, you get put on a new tier of 5Mbit down/800 Kbit up that actually delivers those speeds. (I know because I'm on this tier right now.) And the price is still $44.95 per month. Rogers has been nothing but good for the past year -- yes, they screwed it up pretty badly when @Home bit the dust, but I think they've redeemed themselves lately. See for yourself if you haven't heard about the plan.
Rogers also seems to be pretty good as a wireless provider. I've got a few acquaintances with their new GSM phones. Not sure how their customer service is for wireless, but the Cable Internet people seem to be alright (flushing tables, confirming network outages, not treating me like crap) when I have the need to call.
(Now that I preview, the post seems a bit of a shill to me, but I am not associated with Rogers in any way. I just think the parent may need to justify their reasons.)
With the Xbox, there are several completely legitimate uses for a modchip: running Linux (cheap webserver), or playing media files on a TV. The major problem? End users cannot use these applications without a software modification or modchip.
Even though the applications might not be designed to increase piracy, one thing that Microsoft can and will "kick" about is the modified BIOS that modchips or exploits use. It's their intellectual property, and modifying it (like the EvoX team does) or reverse engineering it could be considered piracy. The only legal BIOS out there is Cromwell, which the Xbox-Linux team uses to load Linux. Most chips now come pre-loaded with Cromwell, which can flash the modchip with a more useful bios (think gray-market there.)
Initially, Microsoft's attach rate - the amount of games they would need to sell to become profitable on each console - was nine in-house titles per machine. I'm not sure of the exact figure today, though, with the recent price drop and all.
In any event, if you have an Xbox and don't care about Xbox Live, there are software exploits you can use to perform the same features as a modchip would have. Xbox-Scene has pretty much anything a new modded Xbox user would want.
Hose it. My first submission, and I ruin it. :( Unmangled text from _privacy.txt:
THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT A CONTRACT, LICENSE AGREEMENT OR LEGALLY BINDING
IN ANY WAY.
Hello, this is an open letter from Alex St. John, CEO of WildTangent
Inc. This file is for the benefit of folks out there who may have
missed the WildTangent privacy statement when they installed our
product, and later discovered that our Web Driver updates itself
automatically. If you are worried about what kind of information our
product is collecting and reporting to us, or delivering to your
computer, please check out the privacy statement on our web site at
www.wildtangent.com. We are not "big brother" or a Trojan horse, we
have the utmost respect for your privacy, we don't know who you are
unless you tell us, and our updater has essentially no impact on your
computers performance.
WildTangent is working very hard to pioneer game and multimedia
content delivery over the Internet, but there are two enormous
challenges associated with this problem that our updater resolves.
1) Support: DirectX drivers, which we depend on, are frequently
broken or unstable. Support problems associated with DirectX drivers
are typically 3-7% for most video game developers. Game developers
have large support staffs to deal with these issues but the web
developers using our technology will not have the same resources. In
order to make it practical to enable web developers to author leading
edge multimedia content and deliver it online WildTangent must try to
cope with the support problems associated with DirectX. Our updater
is part of a sophisticated support automation system that allows us
to detect driver problems and fix them automatically.. hopefully
before a user ever encounters them. We track system configuration
and driver information in an effort to detect problems and fix them
before our users ever encounter them in content.
2) Size: Multimedia applications are usually huge. The updater
allows us to deliver content users request in idle bandwidth rather
than forcing users to wait for a long download. We keep our driver
current with new technology using the updater to avoid asking users
to take a download hit every time they want to see WildTangent
content. We also stream content. If our servers know your system
configuration then they can tune the content they are delivering to
suit your bandwidth and multimedia capabilities. All of this makes
our multimedia content delivery much faster and more reliable.
Lastly we track information about how WildTangent content is used.
This allows us to bill publishers that are using our technology for
commercial applications. This billing mechanism also makes it
possible for us to make the technology available to a large community
of small content developers for free, while generating revenue from
the larger folks who use our technology to make money. We don't know
who you are, nor do we try to figure it out unless you want to tell
us.
We try very hard to make our technology as reliable, responsible and
unobtrusive on your machine as possible. An interesting side effect
of our effort to be unobtrusive is that some folks think that there
is something sneaky going on because we don't plaster our logo all
over the desktop or start menu. Our sincere intention here is to
avoid cluttering your desktop with stuff you shouldn't have to deal
with.
That said, the updater can be disabled at anytime from the
WildTangent control panel applet.
If you found this file and have any questions about its contents,
please email us at info@wildtangent.com. I hope this letter has
successfully addressed any concerns we may have raised, and I hope
you will continue to enjoy our content. If you are computer savvy,
then you may be interested in learning how to create WildTangent
content yourself.
Interestingly enough, I found this file (_privacy.txt) in a folder WildTangent uses for their updater application: ============= THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT A CONTRACT, LICENSE AGREEMENT OR LEGALLY BINDING IN ANY WAY. Hello, this is an open letter from Alex St. John, CEO of WildTangent Inc. This file is for the benefit of folks out there who may have missed the WildTangent privacy statement when they installed our product, and later discovered that our Web Driver updates itself automatically. If you are worried about what kind of information our product is collecting and reporting to us, or delivering to your computer, please check out the privacy statement on our web site at www.wildtangent.com. We are not "big brother" or a Trojan horse, we have the utmost respect for your privacy, we don't know who you are unless you tell us, and our updater has essentially no impact on your computers performance. WildTangent is working very hard to pioneer game and multimedia content delivery over the Internet, but there are two enormous challenges associated with this problem that our updater resolves. 1) Support: DirectX drivers, which we depend on, are frequently broken or unstable. Support problems associated with DirectX drivers are typically 3-7% for most video game developers. Game developers have large support staffs to deal with these issues but the web developers using our technology will not have the same resources. In order to make it practical to enable web developers to author leading edge multimedia content and deliver it online WildTangent must try to cope with the support problems associated with DirectX. Our updater is part of a sophisticated support automation system that allows us to detect driver problems and fix them automatically.. hopefully before a user ever encounters them. We track system configuration and driver information in an effort to detect problems and fix them before our users ever encounter them in content. 2) Size: Multimedia applications are usually huge. The updater allows us to deliver content users request in idle bandwidth rather than forcing users to wait for a long download. We keep our driver current with new technology using the updater to avoid asking users to take a download hit every time they want to see WildTangent content. We also stream content. If our servers know your system configuration then they can tune the content they are delivering to suit your bandwidth and multimedia capabilities. All of this makes our multimedia content delivery much faster and more reliable. Lastly we track information about how WildTangent content is used. This allows us to bill publishers that are using our technology for commercial applications. This billing mechanism also makes it possible for us to make the technology available to a large community of small content developers for free, while generating revenue from the larger folks who use our technology to make money. We don't know who you are, nor do we try to figure it out unless you want to tell us. We try very hard to make our technology as reliable, responsible and unobtrusive on your machine as possible. An interesting side effect of our effort to be unobtrusive is that some folks think that there is something sneaky going on because we don't plaster our logo all over the desktop or start menu. Our sincere intention here is to avoid cluttering your desktop with stuff you shouldn't have to deal with. That said, the updater can be disabled at anytime from the WildTangent control panel applet. If you found this file and have any questions about its contents, please email us at info@wildtangent.com. I hope this letter has successfully addressed any concerns we may have raised, and I hope you will continue to enjoy our content. If you are computer savvy, then you may be interested in learning how to create WildTangent content yourself. Our FREE SDK can be found in the developer section of our web site at www.wildtangent.com. Sincerely, Alex St. John President & CEO WildTangent Inc. ================= So WildTangent may be spyware, but at least there's an explanation of why the files are sitting around on the system, which is more than one can say for other programs. *cough* Gator.