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Find out if you're in the Xbox Live Update Preview Program right now
We already got an early look at Microsoft's soon-to-launch revision of the Xbox 360 dashboard, but for the general public early access is possible via the preview test program. Those who signed up for it can see if their applications were accepted now, right back at the official Microsoft Connect page. If you're in, you'll see information and get access to a private Xbox.com forum so you can help sort out any bugs before it officially drops; if not, relax and play some Battlefield 3. Win / win.
PSA: Xbox Dashboard preview applications now closed
Hopefully you didn't put off applying for Microsoft's Xbox Dashboard public preview, because applications are now closed. Major Nelson broke the news, noting that "we have reached our target audience volume." Those lucky enough to get into the program should be notified within the next two weeks. The rest of us will just be over here, kicking up some dust and letting out a collective "shucks."
Microsoft opens up latest Xbox Live dashboard preview program
Microsoft is prepping another update to the Xbox 360 dashboard and, as usual, that means some folks will be able to get an early peek courtesy of the company's preview program. While there's still no date set for a roll-out, those interested in participating this time around can now put their name in for consideration in the program, which is said to be a more automated process than before. As for the dashboard update itself, it boasts a new design for "integrated Kinect and controller navigation," new "Beacons" for playing online with friends, deeper Facebook integration, and cloud storage for your saved games and Xbox Live profile. According to Microsoft's Major Nelson, "other features and entertainment partner apps" may also become available during the program period. Hit the source link below for the complete details.
Panasonic Cockpit digital dash prototype hands-on (video)
Sure, we may not see flying cars in our lifetime, but a mainstream digital dash is a definite possibility. The all-glass vehicle dashboard has been conceptualized by other manufacturers in the past, but this year it's Panasonic's turn to try its hand at building a multi-display system. The electronics maker brought its Cockpit prototype to the CEATEC floor, causing quite a stir among passersby. The dash itself was little more than a semi-functional mockup, presenting recorded rendered video on the main 20-inch LCD and dual 10.4-inch secondary displays. The main display's current objective appears to be improving safety, using a series of cameras to eliminate blind spots and alert drivers to other road hazards. Real-time driving stats are displayed atop a video feed, either from the rear camera (when in reverse), or one up front. We spent a few minutes behind the wheel of Panasonic's mockup, which consisted only of a pair of (rather comfortable) leather seats, along with a trio of LCDs, which the company claims are currently based on panels used in other Panasonic products, but may eventually utilize custom displays. This wasn't an actual vehicle prototype -- only the "cockpit" was on hand. The main display will (hopefully) focus the driver's attention away from distractions on those two smaller screens -- the one in the center can be used to control standard vehicle settings like climate and entertainment, while a second display positioned directly in front of the passenger seat can play movies and other content. Are we there yet? No, so you better get comfortable for the long drive ahead. Overall the setup looked like it could have potential, though Panasonic warned us not to expect anything final until the end of the decade (2018 at the earliest). Jump past the break for a Cockpit drive-by.%Gallery-135772%
Rumor: PayPal memo puts November 15 date on Xbox dash update
Kotaku reports that a leaked internal memo from PayPal lists November 15 as the date of the new Xbox 360 Dashboard update. It's the one that refreshes the look and adds more Kinect integration, if you haven't been following all the menu news. Why would PayPal be talking about the new Xbox dash? Reportedly, PayPal employees have been asked to test the new system, likely as it relates to payment options. PayPal support was added in the last Dashboard update, in the spring. We're contacting PayPal; if the people there truly have an interest in being our pals, they'll confirm the date.
Xbox Live Fall Dashboard preview: From 'nonsense' to Metro
Terry Farrell, senior product manager of Xbox Live entertainment, is pretty excited about the new Fall Dashboard update. As the individual who partners with first and third-party video content providers, he's the go-to guy to talk to about Microsoft's future plans for offering video content. Too bad he couldn't get too specific with us.
Xbox Live Fall 2011 Dashboard update preview: Bing search, voice control, and a Metro overhaul
Autumn is fast approaching -- and you know what that means: it's round about time for an Xbox Dashboard update. Sure, we got a peek of Microsoft's upcoming harvest back at E3, but the good folks from Redmond invited us to take a closer look at what they're calling the "most significant update to the Dashboard since NXE." Senior project Manager Terry Ferrell was on-site to walk us through an early engineering beta and show us how an updated Metro UI, Bing search and deeper Kinect integration is going to change the way folks manage their entertainment content.
TomTom announces Go Live 1535M in all its app-wielding glory, offers dashboard tweeting
If you're a fan of TomTom's Go Live series of nav units, you'll get a kick out of what the company announced today. Hitting retail and online stores in October is "the world's first portable navigation device with a suite of popular travel apps," the Go Live 1535M. That's right folks, this piece of dashboard flair will allow you to use Yelp, TripAdvisor, Expedia and Twitter all from the comfort of its 5-inch touchscreen. In addition to the new application integration, the GPS juggernaut's classic features will be available as well: hands-free calling, real-time traffic info, local search, fuel prices and weather forecasts. Sounds great, right? But what's that... you already sprung for the 2535M model? No worries, mates -- you'll be able to download the new features this fall via software update. Pricing for these app-enabled navigators will start at $250 which includes a free 12-month subscription to TomTom Live services. Pretty soon, you'll be able to make that dinner reservation while TomTom tells you how to get there, seconds before you tweet about it.
New Xbox dashboard now has a name: Twist Control
Update: It sounds like "Twist Control" is a generic name for the panel-scrolling UI element which has appeared in various Microsoft products, such as the Zune HD, and not the proper name for the Dashboard. We thought it was a little fishy -- in an interview with Joystiq earlier this month, Microsoft's David Dennis said the company was calling the updated interface the "new dash," because "we didn't want it to stick like NXE did." We apologize for the confusion. During floor demos at Gamescom, Microsoft revealed the moniker of its new, Kinect-centric Xbox 360 Dashboard: "Twist Control." We think we can all agree that this is the best name that the platform's navigation tools have had thus far. Well, okay, "Blades" might give it a run for its money, but it'd be a pretty close race. Then again, we haven't seen much twisting from the interface -- isn't there a more context appropriate title out there? Something like "Space Windows" or "Wizard Buttons" or "The Telekinesis Engine" or "Intangible Frames" or "The Even Newer Xbox Experience" or "Minority Report" or "Bark Commands at Your Xbox Until Your Neighbors Think That You Are a Legit Crazy Person."
Video: How the new Xbox Dash watches your every move
Microsoft has released a new video about the upcoming Xbox 360 Dashboard update. There's not a great deal of new information to be had, though this is one of the few public glimpses of the new dash offered by the company. One worrying note about the video: There's a large emphasis on the revised Dashboard learning about the user. As Xbox Live corporate VP Marc Whitten forebodingly puts it, "It's not about you learning about our technology, it's about our technology learning about you [emphasis added]." In other words, you might want to stop gaming in your underwear.
NBC News section on Xbox dashboard expanded, moved
You know that well-hidden NBC News tab that lives on the Inside Xbox channel of your 360 Dashboard? No? Well, let's start over, then: There's an NBC News tab on the Inside Xbox channel, which allows you to stream content from NBC News. We wouldn't blame you for not being aware of its existence; fortunately, Microsoft has made the decision to move the content to the slightly more trafficked Video Marketplace portion of the Dashboard. According to Major Nelson, the channel now features higher quality video, as well as additional categorized features like Most Viewed, NBC Nightly News and the Today Show. It's the closest you're ever going to get to playing Halo: Reach with Al Roker. Or is it? (No, it probably is.) (OR IS IT?)
Google helps you manage your online identity, justify those vanity Alerts
You know that Google Alert you set up to ping you every time someone mentions your name on the internet? Don't worry, that wasn't self-centered or anything, you were just protecting your online identity. Google today is encouraging the growth of vanity Alerts with its "Me on the Web" feature, a new segment of Google Dashboard dedicated to managing your online identity and finding out what people are saying about you on the global bathroom wall that is the world wide web. The feature makes it easy to set up alerts with your personal information and includes links to tools for identity management and content removal, because the seven billion other people on this planet don't need to know exactly what happened at your office's last Christmas party.
Pioneer unveils its AppRadio, integrates iOS into your automobile
Rumors regarding Pioneer's AppRadio hit the web last month, promising unparalleled iDevice integration for our automobiles. Pioneer has finally unleashed the double-DIN device, and it's everything we thought it would be -- namely a big car stereo that plays nice with iOS. There's an 800 x 400 6.1-inch multitouch capacitive display, Bluetooth connectivity, and it teams up with your iPhone or iPod touch (running iOS 4.2) via a 30-pin connector and Pioneer's AppRadio app. There's also an external mic and GPS antenna, full iPod music control and Google Maps integration, and specially formatted apps from Rdio and Pandora. Pioneer suggests a price "below $500" when it goes on sale June 22nd. We're going hands-on with the new stereo as we speak, so peruse the PR after the break and stay tuned for pics and impressions.
TomTom announces Go Live 800 series PNDs for lost Europeans
TomTom's Go Live family got a little larger today, with the unveiling of the company's new 800 series of PNDs. With the purchase of an 820 or 825 GPS, you'll get a year's worth of free access to HD Traffic, a speed camera alert system, local weather updates and all the rest of TomTom's Live services. The navigators also come with intelligent orientation sensors that allow for easy dashboard mounting, as well as Bluetooth capabilities that enable drivers to make hands-free calls while they cruise. The five-inch 825, much like the ARM11-powered Go Live 1000, generates routes using TomTom's IQ Routes technology, though it won't cost quite as much as its big brother. No word yet on the pricing of the 4.3-inch 820, which is due to hit Europe this September, but the 825 will retail for about £230 ($373) when it launches this month. Full presser after the break.
MeLLmo's Roambi Flow will create interactive business documents for iPad
We've taken a look at MeLLmo's Roambi in the past and were fairly impressed with the instant interactive visualizations created for business data and statistics. With Roambi, you import data created in another program or system (often Excel or another CSV-based spreadsheet program for personal data, or large-scale business analysis systems in enterprise use), and the app generates the dynamic charts using that data. The free Roambi Lite service works with Excel files; Roambi Pro adds on-demand connectivity to Google Docs and Salesforce CRM; and Roambi ES3 links to IBM Cognys, Oracle, Microsoft and SAP business systems. MeLLmo is adding new capabilities to the product line with Roambi Flow, a new app and content system which will create original documents using Roambi from the ground up. It's the sort of process imagined when the iPad was first conceived. Imagine creating a business analysis and having your static graphs spring to life. In theory, it could be used for anything from a science paper to a full corporate annual report; putting the deeper analysis of the Roambi graphs into the narrative content means that readers can construct their own interpretations of the data along with the conclusions or observations in the digital publication. The point-and-click interface is simple enough that most people will be able to create an elegant, interactive document either on the iPad or from a desktop browser. The initial version of Roambi Flow will be available in June working with the Roambi ES3 enterprise system, which costs hundreds of dollars per user seat. Later in 2011, the Flow product will extend out to Roambi's software-as-a-service offering for non-enterprise customers. In the meantime, to give the basic Roambi visualizer a try, check out the free app on the App Store.
Dashboard: Irrelevant in the age of iOS or gaining new life in Lion?
The blogging crew here at TUAW headquarters frequently gets inspiration from emails that we receive from developers and hardware manufacturers. As a perfect example, the inbox the other morning contained some information about an upcoming iOS app that syncs to a Dashboard widget. Fellow blogger Erica Sadun said she wouldn't touch the app, since "Dashboard causes me to break out in hives," and Kelly Guimont asked "does anyone use the Dashboard for anything?" That got a lively discussion going on behind the scenes about whether or not Dashboard is even relevant anymore. As an Apple consultant, I can't tell you how many times I've been asked the question "What's that little speedometer icon for?" by new Mac owners who were afraid to click the Dashboard icon in the Dock. When I've shown those clients what Dashboard is all about, they seem underwhelmed. For me, I haven't used Dashboard since I set up my 27" iMac last year. Kelly mentioned that she has a delivery tracker and the Apple Remote Desktop widget installed, but that she "has yet to use" the latter. Most of the blogging team echoed those sentiments.
Microsoft's 'updated Xbox 360 disc format' to add an extra gigabyte?
As you'll recall from yesterday, there was one small detail that stood out in Microsoft's announcement of a new preview program for the Xbox 360 -- namely, word that the latest system update would bring with it an "updated Xbox 360 disc format." That naturally prompted plenty of speculation, and Eurogamer now says it has heard from a "highly placed development source" who has confirmed that the new disc format actually adds 1GB of storage space to Xbox 360 discs. As the site notes, the Xbox 360's current disc format tops out at just 6.8GB, which still leaves some room to play around with on a standard dual-layer DVD. That would also explain the free copy of Halo: Reach that Microsoft is giving out to everyone accepted into the preview program -- can't really test a new disc format without some new discs now, can you?
Xbox 360 Update Preview Program begins anew, sign up for your sneak peek now
Once upon a time, the Xbox 360 dashboard looked like the picture above -- then, Microsoft blasted it with yearly updates to transform it into the warm, welcoming interface we've come to know and love. If you're already aware of that fact, then you may also know that a select group of lucky US gamers typically get to test out the latest revision months ahead of their peers, and today Microsoft's holding sign-ups for a new version that will include "an updated Xbox 360 disc format," whatever that might mean. You'll also get a free copy of Halo: Reach if your name is picked -- which, according to Major Nelson, is much more likely if you're paying for an Xbox LIVE Gold account -- so you'll probably want to dive through ancient email post-haste to find your Windows LIVE ID, head over to our more coverage link and give it a go. Let us know what those new discs are all about if you get in, eh?
Latest Xbox Dashboard preview to test 'updated' disc format; testers get free Halo: Reach
Major Nelson has revealed on his blog that Microsoft is preparing to conduct another seasonal Xbox 360 Dashboard "preview program," this time to kick the tires of an "updated Xbox 360 disc format." For participating, testers will receive a copy of Halo: Reach in addition to "other possible rewards." Sign-ups are now open at Microsoft Connect, with Major Nelson saying that the company is "looking for multiple thousands of participants, so your chances of making it in are good." Unlike with last fall's update preview, there's no mention of this update prohibiting participants from playing online or voice chatting with Xbox Live members who aren't part of the beta program. The preview is restricted to US residents, though both Gold and "Free" Xbox Live members can sign up -- with Gold members given the priority come selection time. As for the new disc format: Since it will need to remain compatible with current 360 disc drives, the update is likely just related to copy protection -- in which case, the free copy of Reach probably uses it. We've contacted Microsoft for more details and will update as we get them.
iPad 2 already installed in Ford F-150 truck
It's been a while since we've seen an iDevice embedded in a vehicle, but the wait was worth it -- the guys at SoundMan Car Audio have placed a brand new iPad 2 in the dashboard of a new Ford truck, and it's pretty glorious. You can see the whole process after the break -- they set up the dashboard first, and then after bringing home the iPad itself, slide it in and install the whole thing. It's pretty groovy. They can browse Maps, of course, do a FaceTime call (one hopes that they don't try it in motion), and even run Pandora straight from the iPad. There's a dock connector hooked up to the car for charging while driving, and while it doesn't seem like they have audio connected, that seems easy enough to do as well (you could go through the dock connector or just use the headphone jack out). If you want them to do the same thing to your car, the YouTube page says it would run about $800-$900 to push the dashboard mod in (which doesn't include the iPad 2 itself). So, it's not cheap, but having a place to store and use your iPad in the car like that just might be worth it.