Master Chief is a chick! YA(ARG)!

1. Master Chief is a chick (not really)
2. YA(ARG)!
3. Windows XP Media Center Edition Update supports the Xbox 360
4. Hell hath frozen over (Microsoft and Yahoo join forces)

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NEWS:

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1. Master Chief is a chick (not really)

I mentioned earlier that there was going to be a HALO unlockable character in Dead or Alive 4.

Turns out that character is Spartan-458 -- a female Spartan warrior. I told you Team Ninja likes the ladies. Wonder if her armor will be pink? Or sensible, for that matter.

Also, it turns out a stage from the HALO universe will make it into DOA4.

I wonder when this will become a playable model online in HALO?

2. YA(ARG)!

Is it a new month already? Must be time for Yet Another Microsoft/XBox 360-related Alternate Reality Game; Because ilovebees, ourcolony.net, and OrigenXbox360 were not enough ...

This weird sign has been showing up everywhere in the last week -- on the beaches of San Francisco and Jacksonville (Florida), on the sides of trucks driving through the U.S., theater marquees in Seattle and San Francisco, projected on buildings in LA, on NY City street corners -- everywhere (seriously, it's on my computer monitor right now!).

Anyway, Microsoft's Deep Throat (no, not that one) has been contacting the folks over at TeamXbox.com.

The most recent communique`:

On October 18 (Tuesday), "the true purpose of the sign will be revealed, and the truly committed will have their chance to experience the New Beginning before the rest of the world."

So, people get to play the Xbox 360 earlier than everyone else? A month plus earlier?

Ah, but the most intriguing is the last little bit of the message:

"Your readers have until then to solve this first puzzle."

3. Windows XP Media Center Edition Update supports the Xbox 360

The update lets Windows XP Media Center Edition Update support the Xbox 360 "will enable customers to stream digital music, videos, photos, and standard and high-definition television and movies from Media Center PCs to any television in their home via the Xbox 360 gaming system."

I downloaded the rollup update when it was released October 14. I downloaded the critical fix that was released for it on October 15.

And I still can't get it to scale correctly for a 1280x720 27" LCD HDTV. But it will scale to 1280x768, which the TV doesn't support cleanly.

1280x720 is 16:9. 1280x768 is 16:9.6. It is 1.66:1 -- which my TV is not.

4. Hell hath frozen over (Microsoft and Yahoo! join forces)

Well, kinda. Microsoft and Yahoo! are going to link their Instant Messaging Services. This means people on Yahoo! Messenger and MSN Messenger or Windows Messenger will be able to talk to each other, share contacts, etc., without using a third-party like Trillian (which rocks, but limits functionality of the supported IM clients).

Since Microsoft's messaging will likely be mostly or totally supported in Xbox 360 Live, this moves the available IM base to somewhere south of 300M worldwide users.