Xbox 360 beats Wii, PS3 in Japan weekly sales

Microsoft Corp's Xbox 360 outsold rival machines from Nintendo and Sony for the first time in five months in Japan last week, helped by Square Enix's popular role-playing game title, a research firm said.

Microsoft's video game operations have struggled in Japan, home to both Nintendo Co Ltd and Sony Corp, and its Xbox 360 has rarely topped Nintendo's Wii and Sony's PlayStation 3 in weekly sales.

But in the week that ended Feb. 22, it beat its rivals thanks to the launch of the latest installment of Square Enix Holdings' blockbuster role-playing game series, "Star Ocean".

Microsoft sold 21,013 units of its Xbox 360 last week, compared with 16,900 units of the Wii and 15,967 units of the PS3, Ascii Media Works said on Thursday.

New Xbox controller on the way?

At yesterday’s Gamefest event in Seattle, Microsoft’s product unit manager, Robert S. Walker suggested that they might be creating an advanced version of the Xbox360 controller. The plan is to make the controller a second choice for gamers, instead of replacing the original one.

The new controller would have an improved and more precise right analog stick for games requiring higher precision, like first person shooters. The current 360 controller does a decent job in FPS games, although improving controls for console shooters is always welcome.

Sonys Walkam X-Serie with Oled priced and dated

Sonys NWZ-X1000 Walkman serie with an 3 inch OLED Touch (432x240 Pixel) screen gets now priced in the UK.

Amazon.co.uk has priced the 16GB version at 310 Dollar, with the 32GB model clocking in at 410 Dollar. The NWZ-X1000 serie is available in two to five weeks in the UK.

Bugatti Centenaire Edition with 1350hp Rumored to Debut in Geneva

Bugatti is a super brand, an automotive legend, and even if the company has laid dormant from time to time over the last 100 years, it has to celebrate its centennial in a way that lives up to its history and image.

And it's not going to be yet another special edition Veyron. In fact, the car that Bugatti is rumored to be debuting at Geneva next week will carry the name of the event it is meant to mark. According to Autoblog, the car will be named the Centenaire and, although it may be based on the Veyron, it will distinguish itself from Bugatti's standard Veyron 16.4.

How exactly will it do that? By uprating the 8.0 liter, 16 cylinder (W16) quad-turbo Bugatti engine to a Jack Nicholson-in-the-Shining-level of crazy - a maniacal 1350 hp. (The 'standard' Veyron comes with a mere 1001 hp and 1250 Nm of torque. Don't ask how you get to measure that extra horse over the 1000 mark. Just don't.)

Top speed on the Centenaire beats out the discount, pedestrian showroom version of the Veyron 420 km/h (261 mph) to 407 km/h (255 mph).

None of this has been confirmed, of course.

Windows 7 Available in September/October 2009

When it comes down to the deadline for the general availability of Windows 7, Microsoft has been undeterred from its initial claims that the next iteration of the Windows client would ship within three years of Windows Vista's GA. However, this is not exactly the case, revealed a computer-industry executive from Asia. In fact, Microsoft seems keen to beat its three years from Vista GA estimate for the delivery of Windows 7. A report via Bloomberg indicates that the Redmond company is actually planning to wrap up Windows 7 well ahead of the 2009 holiday season, namely in the September – October 2009 time frame.

Lost Planet 2 Confirmed as Xbox360 Exclusive

Capcom, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of ,today announced that Lost Planet 2 is being developed for the Xbox360, following an exclusive announcement on XboxLIVE! that happened Monday, February 23. Lost Planet: Extreme Condition, the landmark third-person shooter that debuted on Xbox360, went on to sell over 2.2 million units worldwide after its release. This next riveting instalment will offer deeper insight into the world of E.D.N III and the uncertain fate of future mankind.

Red 'Resident Evil 5' Xbox 360 unveiled!

Looks like that red Resident Evil 5 Xbox 360 bundle wasn't just some tripped out figment of your imagination. Just moments ago, the package popped up for Xbox Live subscribers, detailing a handsome red Xbox 360 Elite with a 120GB hard drive, Resident Evil 5, Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, and a few other odds and ends (like a handful of cables). There's an indication that you can pre-order the kit, but at this point, we're not aware of any place to follow through. We'll keep our eyes peeled, of course.

Philips gives Cinema 21:9 HDTV a price and release date

We'd already heard during a UK preview show that Philips' Euro-only Cinema 21:9 HDTV would be priced around £3,000 when it launched sometime this Spring, but now we've got some more official details to share (and only half of it is good). So, the good news -- we're told that this behemoth will start shipping "as soon as June." The bad? The 56-inch ultra-widescreen panel will run you €4,000 ($5,045). Don't bother turning your head, that's just your wallet over in the corner wailing.

source : EngadgetHD.com

Microsoft announces Windows Mobile 6.5

With an endless chain of leaks dating back several months, the suspense factor might not be there that Microsoft had been hoping for -- but for what it's worth, Windows Mobile 6.5 is now official. The latest rendition of Microsoft's mobile platform puts an emphasis on touch-friendliness with a honeycomb-style main menu that the company says is easier to finger than a traditional grid layout; a new lock screen that can be slid on different alerts to automatically call up texts, voicemails, and so on; a thoroughly-restyled cut of Internet Explorer Mobile that features a touchable zoom slider and frequently-used commands; redesigned menus that don't need a stylus to actuate; fingerable home and contacts screens, and more. It's not the thorough gutting of the platform many were hoping for, but for anyone thinking that Windows Mobile 6.1 can stand another facelift without ending up looking like Joan Rivers, 6.5's clearly your baby. Sadly, Microsoft's saying that no devices in the market today will receive official 6.5 updates, but don't pull out your wallets just yet, though -- the first devices with Windows Mobile 6.5 preinstalled should be available in the fourth quarter of the year.

Proton Exora Interior Teaser