Xbox

"Always on" Internet connections haven't proved to be too popular when it comes to gaming lately -- yes, we're looking at you, Diablo III and SimCity.

But what about a gaming console that needs an Internet connection just to play games? Well, according Adam Orth, the creative director of Microsoft Studios, it's no big deal, and people should just deal with it. In fact, he'd like every device to be always on.… Read more

The annual Game Developers Conference, which attracts tens of thousands from the gaming industry, had all of the usual players this year: Nintendo, Sony, EA, Activision, etc. But they weren't the only players in town this week at GDC.

There was plenty of buzz about Ouya, the new $99, Android-based gaming console that broke Kickstarter records like Adrian Peterson breaks tackles.

Now, before the serious gamers out there savage me, let me be clear: The Ouya isn't going to be displacing the role of traditional consoles like the PlayStation or the Wii (although the Wii U has gone nowhere). … Read more

Another day, another smartwatch rumor. This time, it's Google that was feeling left out, what with all the "iWatch" rumors and Samsung throwing its hat into the ring. What do you think about Google's rumor smartwatch? What do you think would make it different from the plethora of other smartwatches that are out there? Leave a comment and let us know what you think!

Also on this week's show, the next-gen Xbox might not use its optical drive for games, according to leaked documents. At least it'll play Blu-ray (maybe)! Google Play might be … Read more

Microsoft has tweaked its Xbox Music app with a few audible enhancements.

The app now lets you add and sync your songs from your local library to the cloud so they're available on your other Windows 8 or RT devices. You can also automatically add any matched songs from your library to the cloud.

You have more options when listening to an album. You can tell the app to repeat as well as shuffle songs. You can turn on a Smart DJ feature that tries to create a playlist based on songs you may like. Finally, Xbox Music offers … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- Jeff's Bioshock Infinite review: in a class by itself.

- Get that tune out of your head! Scientists find out how to get rid of earworms.

- I rewatched this video over the weekend and it blew my mind.

Bathroom break video: Eastern Wayne Harlem Shake fail.… Read more

A U.S. International Trade Commission judge has decided that Microsoft's Xbox doesn't infringe on a patent held by Motorola Mobility, reversing his original decision.

Judge David Shaw filed his findings today, Bloomberg reported. The ITC will now review Shaw's findings and make a final determination July 23.

The case began in November 2010 when Motorola,now owned by Google, sued Microsoft over wireless and video coding patents that Motorola said were used in the Xbox and in Microsoft smartphones.

Shaw initially ruled, in May, that Microsoft's Xbox 360 S video game console did infringe Motorola's parents and should be banned from import … Read more

Microsoft's next Xbox won't allow gamers to play titles from an optical drive, according to a newly leaked document.

The folks over at VGLeaks recently released what they claim is the Microsoft documentation for its next console, code-named Durango. In the long-winded document, which makes mention of enhanced graphics and an improved Kinect sensor that will be sold with the console, Microsoft notes that only hard drive-based game playback will be offered.

"Every Durango console will have a hard drive, although its exact capacity has not been chosen," the company wrote in the documentation. "It will be large enough, however, to hold a large number of games. All games will be installed on the hard drive. Play from the optical disc will not be supported."… Read more

I cut the cord years ago. My wife sat across from me on the sofa and finally convinced me that paying well over $100 a month for the privilege of a bunch of random cable channels wasn't worth it. We could save money, learn to live lower to the ground, read more, and watch TV shows and movies on demand. Netflix, Hulu Plus, and iTunes. I agreed. With apprehension.

It worked. We relaxed, we used an over-the-air antenna, we caught our TV shows on broadcast networks and just sat through commercials. I even borrowed an old DTV Pal DVR … Read more

The video game industry once again had a down month as console and software sales slipped.

Total industry sales hit $810 million in February, representing a 25 percent drop compared with the same period last year, market researcher NPD said yesterday. Hardware sales were down 36 percent to $244.2 million, and console and portable software sales across the physical retail channel could only reach $352 million -- a 27 percent drop compared with February 2012.

The Xbox 360 once again led the hardware market, earning the top spot in console sales for the 26th month in a row. According … Read more