Isaiah's Tech

There's not much to tell you here because all you need to know is in the picture above and the title. The Xbox 360 dashboard has just hinted that 250GB HDDs are on the way. Of course, this is already available in Japan, so everyone else should be getting their shot at them soon.

Update: According to Engadget, Microsoft has just confirmed that you can scoop up the 250GB HDD (with a transfer cable) right now for $129.99 USD. Amazon will have them starting on March 28th.

Update: According to Joystiq, the 120GB HDD for the Xbox 360 has dropped to $99.99.

[Slash Gear]

Hmm, could Microsoft be planning to launch a Slim model of their Xbox 360? Possibly. Apparently, the picture about could be the board that Microsoft will be using. Of course, it's unconfirmed since it could just be a fan-made mod or something, but you never know. Maybe they're planning to launch a Slim model for their Project Natal this year. The CPU and GPU are said to be on a single chip.

[Kotaku]

It looks like Microsoft is planning to ship out a couple more 250GB Xbox 360 Bundles starting on March 9th with Final Fantasy XIII. Later on, on April 13th, the Splinter Cell: Conviction Bundle will be available. Both of these bundles will include two wireless controllers and a headset. They'll both retail for $399.99. Check out the link below for more deets.

[Ars Technica]

At the Microsoft CES press conference it was announced that Project Natal will be hitting shelves in holiday season 2010, so that means a couple of months from now - and that also means it's exactly what we heard. This one's for the Xbox 360 and will be full-body motion-sensing unlike the Wii where it's just your hand - unless you're using some other peripheral.

I wonder when Sony's own Wii-clone motion-sensing controller will launch.

[Joystiq, Kotaku]

It has been a while since I've talked about Project Natal rumours, but here's an interesting one. The latest rumour states that there will be 5 million Natals ready for a November 2010 worldwide launch. Alongside Natal will be 14 games. Natal itself will be available for anywhere between the $50 to $80 price range.

[Gizmodo]

If you registered early for the Xbox 360's social integration then you should note have the Xbox Live Update Preview. When you log-on to Xbox Live it tells you to update. If you didn't get an invite yet, then be patient because Microsoft will be rolling out more invites as the days go by. This update will give you Facebook / Twitter / Last.fm integration and, even better, 1080p instant-on streaming.

[Engadget]

The CEO of Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, himself has somewhat confirmed that the Xbox 360 will be getting Blu-ray capabilities soon - or at least that's what we think. In an interview with Gizmodo, Steve Ballmer said, "Well I don't know if we need to put Blu-ray in there - you'll be able to get Blu-ray drives as accessories." This could mean that companies are planning on making an external Blu-ray drive specifically for the Xbox 360. Let's hope that we hear more about this in the future, hopefully CES 2010.

Update on October 23rd: According to Kotaku, it looks like Steve Ballmer's words were "poorly chosen" because Microsoft has just mentioned that they have absolutely no intentions on bringing Blu-ray to the Xbox 360. This makes a lot more sense, but maybe it's just a cover up.

[1 UP]

According to various reports, Microsoft could be planning to open their first set of stores on their Windows 7 launch day, which is October 22nd if you didn't know that already. "According to Wall Street Journal, the stores will sell Windows-based laptops and cellphones and allow consumers to play Xbox 360 games on a 94-inch in-store screen. It'll even have a "counter" where people can bring their Microsoft gear for help." The Microsoft stores appear to be a "nearly exact replica" of Apple's stores, so we'll just have to see how this works out - if it launches on the expected date.

[Engadget]

Microsoft has just announced that you can now sign up for their upcoming social integration (Facebook / Twitter / Zune). To do so you'll have to get a Microsoft Connect account here, and you'll need to fill in a bunch of information. If you want to know more about the whole sign-up process check out this site.

[vg247]

According to the latest rumour, the next Xbox will be powered by ATI's graphics and, apparently, both Sony and Microsoft plan to release their next-gen consoles in 2012. Sony has mentioned several times that the PS3 has a 10-year life span and we're sure they'll live up to that even if they release the Play Station 4. The rumour states that Microsoft "is happy" with sticking to ATI graphics because it will give them compatibility with their older games.

[1 UP]

Although it's not available yet, Joystiq got a chance to try / look at Microsoft's Twitter / Facebook / Zune Video Marketplace / Last.fm integration on the Xbox 360. They liked the Facebook integration, but didn't really favour the Last.fm feature. Check out the video below.

[Joystiq, Engadget]

Microsoft has just mentioned that they are working on getting their sexy Zune (4.0) software to Mac's and possibly even to the iPhone and / or iPods. They did mention that it's not a "high priority" right now, since they are focused on other stuff, like 1080p Zune Video Marketplace for the Xbox 360. The Zune Pass may also see the light of day on Apple hardware, but they're still going to have to work on it. Microsoft also mentioned that they're working on a version for WinMo devices.

[Electronista, Slash Gear]