Friday, August 10, 2007
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Red Light Of Death
Ask any Xbox 360 owner what their greatest fear concerning their $300-$400 piece of machinery is, and you might receive a variety of answers. For some, the words “Halo 3” and “cancelled” being in the same sentence might bring nightmares to their otherwise soothing dreams. For others, terror might set in at the mere idea of trying to afford a new HD television to take advantage of all the bells and whistles associated with their beefy console. However, one concept that is sure to make the blood run cold in any Xbox 360 owner’s veins is the sight of the dreaded “red ring of death”. More appropriately, the ring of light on the front of an Xbox 360 flashing red, indicating some major trouble is about to go down.
Since its initial launch, the Xbox 360 has taken on a bad rap- in the media at least- as a system that constantly overheats, is poorly manufactured, and is too unstable to be on store shelves. The aforementioned problems are just a few of the reasons people claim to have experienced when the dreaded flashing lights illuminate on their beloved console.
Whatever the reason for seeing them, these lights are never a welcome sight. We’ve read the plights of our forum members who’ve had to go through the process of getting a new Xbox 360 when they’ve gone caput, and heard the problems experienced with trying to get a new system. So when several of us at TeamXbox had our systems go the way of the dodo, we decided to record the process from beginning to end, to see what all is involved, and maybe offer up some friendly advice for those who’ve yet to experience this issue. We also gave Microsoft a chance to chime in on the subject, and they’ve obliged, which does show us that the console maker is all about righting the red-ringed fleet.
The dreaded flashing red lights of death!
Houston, we have a problem.
Before we take a look at our Xbox 360’s journey to the repair center in Texas, first we must take note of why a system would have to be sent there in the first place. Flashing red lights on the Xbox 360’s normally green ring of light is a bad sign, no matter how you cut the cake, but all red lights don’t mean a visit down south is necessary. Some issues can be resolved from the comfort of one’s own home. The Xbox 360’s ring is divided into four separate quadrants. Each division turning red indicates a separate problem, all with a different way of resolving the issue. It should be noted that when gamers call the support line about their defective unit, the standard procedure of operation is to have gamers unplug all cables from the unit, reinsert them, and try booting the system again. The support worker will also have players remove their hard drive and reboot the system to check and see if that is the problem. In the hope of speeding the process along, it might be a wise thought to run through those procedures before calling the Xbox 360 support line.
As mentioned, each quadrant on the set of flashing red lights indicates a different issue. If all of the lights but the first section are flashing, this means a general hardware failure has occurred. There is little to be done other than trying to unhook and reattach your cables. This problem is a sure sign a visit to the repair center is in your console’s future. If the problem is indicated in the second quadrant of the system, it is merely overheating. As too many hours of GRAW will do that to a unit, the proposed cure here is to unplug the unit from the power supply, let it sit to cool down, and perhaps begin scouting for a better location to store your precious investment.
A problem indicated in the third quadrant of the Xbox 360 ring of light is diagnosed as a hardware failure. Once again, try re-inserting all of your cords and cables, but this problem should definitely be dealt with by the repair center. If all four lights are flashing on the front of your console, this is perhaps the easiest problem to fix. This is an issue with the AV cable not being properly inserted into the back of the console. The cure? Just make sure the cord “clicks” once it has been inserted into the unit. If that doesn’t work, of course call the repair center, but the four lights are the easiest of the problems to rectify.
Assuming that the assistance is needed, a phone call to the helpful people at the Xbox 360 support center is the next step. Every day from 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 A.M. Eastern time, and 6:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. Pacific Time, gamers can call 1-800-4MY-XBOX to get the repair process started. International users can dial 425-635-7180. Once the call has been made, and the problem identified, an empty box is then sent out to gamers. The particular problem at hand will determine what all contents are shipped back to the repair center. Unless you are experiencing a problem with the hard drive of your console, all you typically send back is the system itself. Detach the hard drive, remove and store all discs, and keep all controllers and cords. There are warnings throughout the instruction page sent out that if you send in anything not needed, it might not be returned.
Since its initial launch, the Xbox 360 has taken on a bad rap- in the media at least- as a system that constantly overheats, is poorly manufactured, and is too unstable to be on store shelves. The aforementioned problems are just a few of the reasons people claim to have experienced when the dreaded flashing lights illuminate on their beloved console.
Whatever the reason for seeing them, these lights are never a welcome sight. We’ve read the plights of our forum members who’ve had to go through the process of getting a new Xbox 360 when they’ve gone caput, and heard the problems experienced with trying to get a new system. So when several of us at TeamXbox had our systems go the way of the dodo, we decided to record the process from beginning to end, to see what all is involved, and maybe offer up some friendly advice for those who’ve yet to experience this issue. We also gave Microsoft a chance to chime in on the subject, and they’ve obliged, which does show us that the console maker is all about righting the red-ringed fleet.
The dreaded flashing red lights of death!
Houston, we have a problem.
Before we take a look at our Xbox 360’s journey to the repair center in Texas, first we must take note of why a system would have to be sent there in the first place. Flashing red lights on the Xbox 360’s normally green ring of light is a bad sign, no matter how you cut the cake, but all red lights don’t mean a visit down south is necessary. Some issues can be resolved from the comfort of one’s own home. The Xbox 360’s ring is divided into four separate quadrants. Each division turning red indicates a separate problem, all with a different way of resolving the issue. It should be noted that when gamers call the support line about their defective unit, the standard procedure of operation is to have gamers unplug all cables from the unit, reinsert them, and try booting the system again. The support worker will also have players remove their hard drive and reboot the system to check and see if that is the problem. In the hope of speeding the process along, it might be a wise thought to run through those procedures before calling the Xbox 360 support line.
As mentioned, each quadrant on the set of flashing red lights indicates a different issue. If all of the lights but the first section are flashing, this means a general hardware failure has occurred. There is little to be done other than trying to unhook and reattach your cables. This problem is a sure sign a visit to the repair center is in your console’s future. If the problem is indicated in the second quadrant of the system, it is merely overheating. As too many hours of GRAW will do that to a unit, the proposed cure here is to unplug the unit from the power supply, let it sit to cool down, and perhaps begin scouting for a better location to store your precious investment.
A problem indicated in the third quadrant of the Xbox 360 ring of light is diagnosed as a hardware failure. Once again, try re-inserting all of your cords and cables, but this problem should definitely be dealt with by the repair center. If all four lights are flashing on the front of your console, this is perhaps the easiest problem to fix. This is an issue with the AV cable not being properly inserted into the back of the console. The cure? Just make sure the cord “clicks” once it has been inserted into the unit. If that doesn’t work, of course call the repair center, but the four lights are the easiest of the problems to rectify.
Assuming that the assistance is needed, a phone call to the helpful people at the Xbox 360 support center is the next step. Every day from 9:00 A.M. to 1:00 A.M. Eastern time, and 6:00 A.M. to 10:00 P.M. Pacific Time, gamers can call 1-800-4MY-XBOX to get the repair process started. International users can dial 425-635-7180. Once the call has been made, and the problem identified, an empty box is then sent out to gamers. The particular problem at hand will determine what all contents are shipped back to the repair center. Unless you are experiencing a problem with the hard drive of your console, all you typically send back is the system itself. Detach the hard drive, remove and store all discs, and keep all controllers and cords. There are warnings throughout the instruction page sent out that if you send in anything not needed, it might not be returned.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Garnett
The Celtics obtained Allen and the 35th pick of the draft for guards Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak, and forward Jeff Green of Georgetown, whom they drafted with the fifth pick.
The Celtics have won just three playoff series during Pierce's nine years with them. They still have an NBA-record 16 championships, but none since 1986.
"They have no excuses, this team out there," Danny Ainge, the executive director of basketball operations, said after Allen was acquired.
Pierce, 29, led the Celtics in scoring last season but played only 47 games because of injury.
Allen, who turns 32 next month, averaged a career-high 26.4 points last season, his 11th, but underwent surgery to remove bone spurs on both ankles that required him to wear protective boots. He is expected to be ready for training camp.
A long, lean 6-foot-11 forward who's actually at least 2 inches taller than his listed height, Garnett's athleticism has allowed him to play all over the court _ banging against bodies in the post, swatting away shots in the lane, running the fast break, shooting top-of-the-key jumpers and even playing point guard every once in a while.
A preps-to-the-pros pioneer, Garnett's immediate impact after being selected fifth overall in 1995 by the Timberwolves paved a path for dozens and dozens of other teenagers to skip college and declare for the draft _ most of whom enjoyed far less success.
Then in October 1997, Garnett's contract changed the game _ a six-year, $126 million extension that led to significant alterations to the league's collective bargaining agreement emerging from a 1999 lockout.
Garnett forever changed the franchise in Minnesota, too. The year before he was drafted, the Wolves set an NBA mark for futility with their fourth straight 60-loss season. In just his second season, he helped lead Minnesota to its first playoff appearance _ the first of eight straight.
The last of those was the best, when the "Big Ticket" was at his peak. He won the league's MVP award and led the Wolves within two wins of the NBA finals in 2004. Garnett averaged 24.2 points and a league-high 13.9 rebounds that season, joining Larry Bird as the only players to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for five consecutive years.
But those idyllic days quickly ended for the Wolves, who have fired two coaches and not made the playoffs since then. Part of their problem has been Garnett's huge salary, but vice president Kevin McHale has also missed on several moves. Though he never requested a trade or said he was unhappy in Minnesota, Garnett expressed frustration with some of McHale's decisions and challenged McHale to upgrade the roster.
Teammate Mark Madsen was surprised by the news.
"I never thought it would happen this offseason. I never thought it would happen, ever," Madsen said, adding: "Even before I entered the NBA, when I thought of Kevin Garnett I always thought of Minnesota. But at the same time in this business, we all know that anything can happen."
The Celtics have won just three playoff series during Pierce's nine years with them. They still have an NBA-record 16 championships, but none since 1986.
"They have no excuses, this team out there," Danny Ainge, the executive director of basketball operations, said after Allen was acquired.
Pierce, 29, led the Celtics in scoring last season but played only 47 games because of injury.
Allen, who turns 32 next month, averaged a career-high 26.4 points last season, his 11th, but underwent surgery to remove bone spurs on both ankles that required him to wear protective boots. He is expected to be ready for training camp.
A long, lean 6-foot-11 forward who's actually at least 2 inches taller than his listed height, Garnett's athleticism has allowed him to play all over the court _ banging against bodies in the post, swatting away shots in the lane, running the fast break, shooting top-of-the-key jumpers and even playing point guard every once in a while.
A preps-to-the-pros pioneer, Garnett's immediate impact after being selected fifth overall in 1995 by the Timberwolves paved a path for dozens and dozens of other teenagers to skip college and declare for the draft _ most of whom enjoyed far less success.
Then in October 1997, Garnett's contract changed the game _ a six-year, $126 million extension that led to significant alterations to the league's collective bargaining agreement emerging from a 1999 lockout.
Garnett forever changed the franchise in Minnesota, too. The year before he was drafted, the Wolves set an NBA mark for futility with their fourth straight 60-loss season. In just his second season, he helped lead Minnesota to its first playoff appearance _ the first of eight straight.
The last of those was the best, when the "Big Ticket" was at his peak. He won the league's MVP award and led the Wolves within two wins of the NBA finals in 2004. Garnett averaged 24.2 points and a league-high 13.9 rebounds that season, joining Larry Bird as the only players to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for five consecutive years.
But those idyllic days quickly ended for the Wolves, who have fired two coaches and not made the playoffs since then. Part of their problem has been Garnett's huge salary, but vice president Kevin McHale has also missed on several moves. Though he never requested a trade or said he was unhappy in Minnesota, Garnett expressed frustration with some of McHale's decisions and challenged McHale to upgrade the roster.
Teammate Mark Madsen was surprised by the news.
"I never thought it would happen this offseason. I never thought it would happen, ever," Madsen said, adding: "Even before I entered the NBA, when I thought of Kevin Garnett I always thought of Minnesota. But at the same time in this business, we all know that anything can happen."
Dont Buy A XBOX 360
Save your cash, and skip the frenzy. Here are five reasons you should say "game over" to the Xbox 360:
Price — The Xbox 360 comes in two versions: the hard drive-less "core" system for $299 and the premium package for $399. But those who buy the lower-cost version are in for a surprise — they won't be able to play any of the Xbox games they already own.
"A lot of parents who go out and buy the $300 system, because they can't afford the $400 system, will have kids who aren't going to able to play 'Halo' or 'Halo 2' because backwards compatibility is going to be on the hard drive," says Brian D. Crecente, editor of kotaku.com, a gaming news blog.
Lack of games — Microsoft has announced there will be 200 backwards-compatible games (including "Forza Motorsport" and "Halo 2"), but only 19 launch titles for the 360. Only a handful are exclusives.
And popular new games, like "50 Cent: Bulletproof" and "The Warriors," won't play on the 360 at all.
Douglass Perry, editor in chief of the Xbox channel on IGN, says, "If you can wait, the second wave of games [due next year] are going to give developers the chance to really show us next-generation gaming in the truest sense."
No competition — Sure, you could rush out and drop hundreds on the 360, but we have no idea what the next-gen PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Revolution are going to be capable of doing. Both of those systems are due next year, and will surely spark a mini-price war with the Xbox 360.
Hidden costs — Right now, the Xbox 360's stunning graphics ability is its biggest selling point, but to take advantage of it, you'll need to invest in a high-definition TV — tacking on an extra couple hundred bucks, at least.
"We've all heard Microsoft basically saying that if you want to get an HDTV, the 360 is going to be the thing that makes you go out and get one," Crecente says. "Most of us dismissed that, but I swear, it's like they designed the 360 to make your TV look bad if you don't have HDTV."
And if you add peripherals, such as the ability to play games over the Internet, the Xbox 360 costs nearly $600!
Older consoles are not dead yet — Both the original Xbox and the PS2 are selling for $149, with the GameCube coming in at a mere $99 — in all cases, a complete steal compared to the Xbox 360.
You could take the money you saved and put it towards buying all the systems, plus a whole bunch of great games like "The Warriors."
Although he's a firm believer in the Xbox 360, Perry says, "If you buy a PS2 or an Xbox now, you're buying a system at the end of its lifespan, when some of the best games are showing up."
Price — The Xbox 360 comes in two versions: the hard drive-less "core" system for $299 and the premium package for $399. But those who buy the lower-cost version are in for a surprise — they won't be able to play any of the Xbox games they already own.
"A lot of parents who go out and buy the $300 system, because they can't afford the $400 system, will have kids who aren't going to able to play 'Halo' or 'Halo 2' because backwards compatibility is going to be on the hard drive," says Brian D. Crecente, editor of kotaku.com, a gaming news blog.
Lack of games — Microsoft has announced there will be 200 backwards-compatible games (including "Forza Motorsport" and "Halo 2"), but only 19 launch titles for the 360. Only a handful are exclusives.
And popular new games, like "50 Cent: Bulletproof" and "The Warriors," won't play on the 360 at all.
Douglass Perry, editor in chief of the Xbox channel on IGN, says, "If you can wait, the second wave of games [due next year] are going to give developers the chance to really show us next-generation gaming in the truest sense."
No competition — Sure, you could rush out and drop hundreds on the 360, but we have no idea what the next-gen PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Revolution are going to be capable of doing. Both of those systems are due next year, and will surely spark a mini-price war with the Xbox 360.
Hidden costs — Right now, the Xbox 360's stunning graphics ability is its biggest selling point, but to take advantage of it, you'll need to invest in a high-definition TV — tacking on an extra couple hundred bucks, at least.
"We've all heard Microsoft basically saying that if you want to get an HDTV, the 360 is going to be the thing that makes you go out and get one," Crecente says. "Most of us dismissed that, but I swear, it's like they designed the 360 to make your TV look bad if you don't have HDTV."
And if you add peripherals, such as the ability to play games over the Internet, the Xbox 360 costs nearly $600!
Older consoles are not dead yet — Both the original Xbox and the PS2 are selling for $149, with the GameCube coming in at a mere $99 — in all cases, a complete steal compared to the Xbox 360.
You could take the money you saved and put it towards buying all the systems, plus a whole bunch of great games like "The Warriors."
Although he's a firm believer in the Xbox 360, Perry says, "If you buy a PS2 or an Xbox now, you're buying a system at the end of its lifespan, when some of the best games are showing up."
CBS
Aug. 8, 2007
Enlarge
Spice Girl Melanie Brown, shown here on March 20 in Culver City, Calif., canceled her Wednesday appearance on "Larry King Live." (Getty Images/Frazer Harrison)
(CBS) Spice Girl Mel B has canceled her Wednesday night appearance on CNN's "Larry King Live."
According to Access Hollywood, the singer, whose real name is Melanie Brown, canceled because she and her new baby, Angel Iris Murphy Brown, are sick.
Brown was expected to discuss her paternity battle with Eddie Murphy over Angel for the first time in a televised interview.
Photos: Celebrity Baby News
"She canceled, but don't know why," a CNN spokeswoman told The ShowBuzz. "Not sure at this point when a reschedule date would be. Right now, the show is booking for tonight. It happens occasionally!"
The singer and actress filed a petition last week to establish that Murphy is her baby's father.
In response, Murphy's publicist, Arnold Robinson, released a statement Friday confirming that the actor "always has and will continue to honor his responsibilities as a father. He acknowledges paternity of the child Angel and has paid child support to Ms. Brown, as well as covering the expenses of her pregnancy."
Brown's lawyer, Gloria Allred, said later that Brown's primary concern is that Murphy, "see his child, spend time with her, hold her, love her and bond with his daughter."
Enlarge
Spice Girl Melanie Brown, shown here on March 20 in Culver City, Calif., canceled her Wednesday appearance on "Larry King Live." (Getty Images/Frazer Harrison)
(CBS) Spice Girl Mel B has canceled her Wednesday night appearance on CNN's "Larry King Live."
According to Access Hollywood, the singer, whose real name is Melanie Brown, canceled because she and her new baby, Angel Iris Murphy Brown, are sick.
Brown was expected to discuss her paternity battle with Eddie Murphy over Angel for the first time in a televised interview.
Photos: Celebrity Baby News
"She canceled, but don't know why," a CNN spokeswoman told The ShowBuzz. "Not sure at this point when a reschedule date would be. Right now, the show is booking for tonight. It happens occasionally!"
The singer and actress filed a petition last week to establish that Murphy is her baby's father.
In response, Murphy's publicist, Arnold Robinson, released a statement Friday confirming that the actor "always has and will continue to honor his responsibilities as a father. He acknowledges paternity of the child Angel and has paid child support to Ms. Brown, as well as covering the expenses of her pregnancy."
Brown's lawyer, Gloria Allred, said later that Brown's primary concern is that Murphy, "see his child, spend time with her, hold her, love her and bond with his daughter."
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