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Rumor: 'Jasper' Xbox 360 shipping, features 256MB on-board memory
Candid shots of nekkid motherboards? Check. Awkwardly filmed YouTube videos? Check. Rumor post on Joystiq? Very check. Why, someone must have spotted a new Xbox 360 variant in the wild!According to a post at Xbox-Scene, consoles containing the "Jasper" chipset, which promises a cooler 65nm GPU on the motherboard, have begun to arrive in the homes of consumers. Interestingly, it's claimed that Jasper features 256MB of on-board flash storage, no doubt a concession to the NXE's storage demands. It would appear the Xbox 360 Arcade no longer includes a 256MB external memory card. [Update: Nope! It does!]Tell us, commenters. Have you found Jasper?[Via Engadget]
Apparent Xbox 360 "Jasper" spotted in the wild
We've had some false alarms in the past, but it looks like the first Jasper-equipped Xbox 360s may now finally be starting to make their way out into the wild. While there unfortunately still aren't any pictures of the motherboard to completely put this thing to rest, everything else certainly seems to be pointing in the right direction, including a 150W power supply (25W less than the current models), a manufacturing date of 2008-10-23, an 0843X lot number, and a power adapter that most definitely won't fit in a Falcon console -- head on past the break for a pic of it. Now, anyone feel like cracking open some cases?Update: Picture of the guts now posted over at xbox-scene. Interestingly, it appears that the new mobo brings 256MB onboard flash memory (up from 16MB). Those look like 65-nm process chips to you?[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Rumor: Xbox 360 packing 65nm Jasper boards
Listen: We're not going to say that if you head out to your local GameBlast3000 retail outlet and ask the disinterested staff to find you an Xbox 360 with a Lot number of 0831 or higher, that you'll nab yourself a cool-running 65nm GPU, Jasper-equipped Xbox 360. Some folks posting on the Xbox 360 DVD Drive Database (seven as of publishing time) claim to have nabbed just such a beast; however, not a single one of them has responded to requests in the comments to verify their claim with something as simple as a photograph of the manufacturing label. Microsoft, of course, wouldn't confirm the shipment of new models, issuing us the boilerplate response, "We are constantly updating internal components on our consoles and therefore will not comment on details of specific components or manufacturing processes." Since we learned that Jasper systems would begin shipping as early as last month, and can speculate that the recent price drop was probably hinged on further lowering the system's manufacturing costs, we fully expect to see Jasper systems any day now. We're just not convinced this is the proof we've been waiting for. Caveat emptor.[Via JOEyGADGET]
Xbox 360 with Jasper arrives on the scene in all its 65nm glory
Hey, those Jaspers we've heard so much about are finally popping up in Xbox 360 consoles -- a bit behind the anticipated August release date, but better late than never right? If you'll recall these boards come equipped with 65nm chips that draw significantly less power, along with reduced heat output. If you're thinking about picking one of the new models up, you might want to check that the manufacture date is no earlier than August 6, 2008, and lot number is 8031 or above. So if you just bought a new console, it's time to go foraging for that receipt, but if you're still not sold there's always Valhalla to look forward to.Update: Looks like this may just be some overeager entries in database -- we'll let you know when we get some hard proof. In the meantime, if you decide to launch your own attempt in identifying a Jasper, keep an eye out for changes to components on the board: the tell-tail sign of a Falcon is the orientation of the inductor rings near the CPU heatsink (two laying flat -- as opposed to three standing up.) A lower than 175W power supply would also be an indicator, though there's no telling if that will be the case.[Via Joey Gadget]Read - Xbox ForumsRead - Xbox 360 DVD Drive Database
Opus-model 360s begining to flow?
Thanks to a tipster in our last post, we've now heard our first real world tale of the previously rumored "Zombie Repaired" 360, code named Opus. The Opus "model" is for those who have had their 360's red ring and have sent them off to Microsoft for repair. In an effort to use (instead of toss) the older Xenon motherboards, Microsoft is basically upgrading repaired 360's with the Falcon model chips (65nm CPU, 90nm GPU) and one of the older motherboards that doesn't have have HDMI, effectively creating a zombie 360 that cannot be purchased in stores. According to a specific poster over at GameTrailers, when a repaired RROD is now returned to its owner it includes a slip of paper marked "OPUS" as well as a new power supply. So if you've recently had a 360 red ring, keep an eye out for that little slip of paper when it returns, as it basically says that your 360 is now of the undead, and thus is quite unlikely to ever die again.
Rumor: Xbox 360 slimming down in 2009 [update]
Since it won't go anywhere near the Wii Fit balance board and is extremely likely to die during a heated workout, your obese Xbox 360 isn't going to get thinner in its lifetime. No, that's what the "Xbox 540" replacement is for, claims TG Daily. The site reckons that Microsoft will release a "mid-cycle refresh" of the system in Fall 2009, one built around a new and more compact "Valhalla" internal chipset. (Have we introduced you to Jasper yet?)The shrinking of innards will reportedly allow a redesign of the system's exterior, much like the PlayStation 2's second iteration. Our fancy next-gen games may be getting bigger on the screen, but much like our Wiis, it seems we'll end up with something smaller to play with. On. Play games on. Multiplayer games. Curses! is there any way out of that one?Update: Microsoft says it has "no plans to release a new console in 2009."[Via X3F]
Xbox 360 to get a smaller case revision in 2009?
We think we've already got a handle on the various chipset revisions planned for Microsoft's too-beautiful-for-this-world Xbox 360*, but it looks like that planned 45nm "Valhalla" combined CPU / GPU motherboard design we've been hearing about might also come in a redesigned, smaller case. That's certainly news to us, but TG Daily has the refresh happening on the same fall-2009 timeline we've been hearing about, so at least all these sketchy rumors line up. We'll see when we see -- it sounds like the 65nm Jasper units are coming off the line for that August release in the meantime to keep us all warm at night. *Guess which Engadget ed had his 360 go RRoD over the weekend? You only get one try.[Via Xbox 360 Fanboy]
Rumor: Xbox 540 (360 slim) in 2009?
In a follow up to the news that the 360's internal hardware will be changed to the "Jasper" setup, there is now the news that the "Valhalla" update mentioned in that story is more than just a CPU and GPU on the same chip. TG Daily thinks that the Valhalla chip will be the heart of a complete hardware revision in Fall 2009, ala the slimline PS2. While that would seem the logical course of action, all that we know for sure is that the Valhalla chip will indeed be used in the "mid-cycle refresh" of the hardware, and that it is in fact an "all-in-one" chip. Whether or not Microsoft will actually change the outer shell or not is unknown, and the Valhalla hardware update could come and go without changing the outer look of the console at all.
Jasper 65nm chips could hit 360s by August [update]
Note: those afraid of tech-speak should skip the first paragraph.According to Cens.com, the first 65nm GPU chip equipped Xbox 360s -- codenamed Jasper, the successor to current Falcon 360s, which incorporate a 65nm CPU but use a larger GPU -- will start showing up in by August of this year. IBM will reportedly manufacture and test the CPU chips, while Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) has reportedly been contracted to manufacture and the graphics chips, which will in turn be tested and packaged by Advanced Semiconductor Engineering Inc. (ASE). Nanya will be responsible for supplying flip-chip packaging substrates (don't ask us). Furthermore, CENS reports that industry watchers are betting on TSMC to win contracts to manufacture chips for Japser's successor, Valhalla, which will combine both the CPU and graphics chips into one super chip.The upshot of all this is that new chips should be arriving this August, making for cooler, quieter 360s everywhere. that's something we can all enjoy, right? Oh, and no, there was no mention of Microsoft cramming Blu-Ray drives into either the Jasper or Valhalla.[Via Joystiq]Update: Clarified differences between Falcon and Jasper units
Xbox 360's 65nm Jasper chipset in the works for August release?
While our primary gripe with the 360 continues to be drive noise, any improvements to the console that might subdue the impression it's eating our games and heating our continent would certainly be welcome. Microsoft's Jasper 65nm chipset has been in the works for the Xbox 360 for a while, and now reports are coming fast and furious that Taiwanese companies are picking up the contracts for the chips, and the new setup will be sucking down less wattage and pumping out less heat by August of this year. After that attention will turn to the rumored Valhalla, to be built by the same Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., which will combine the CPU and GPU into a new super-efficient chip for fall of '09 if these reports are anything to go by.[Via Joystiq]
Report: Xbox 360 Jasper chipset contracted for production, Valhalla on deck
Reports that Xbox 360's Jasper chipset will begin shipping in August continue to hum along, as China Economic News Service has named three Taiwanese companies that have been contracted to manufacture, test and package the pair of 65nm microprocessors in preparation for a summer rollout. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) will build the chips, Advanced Semiconductor Engineering will test and package them, and Nanya will supply flip-chip packaging substrates (which sure do sound important). The Jasper combo will ideally use less power, simplify cooling and, most importantly, cut back on the console's jibba jabba.Industry analysts have also pegged TSMC as the primary candidate for Valhalla chipset production (in addition to the Jasper contract, TSMC has also built 90nm chips for an older version of Xbox 360). Valhalla is rumored to be a single super-chip that combines the properties of a 65nm CPU and 65nm GPU, and is expected to be incorporated into Xbox 360 hardware in the fall of 2009. [Via X-bit Labs]
Are "Opus" and "Valhalla" the next, next Xbox 360s?
Although word on the street is that Microsoft is planning to release the successor to the Xbox 360 in 2010, the company is still apparently planning on updating the 360 design several more times in the next couple years. Just like the "Falcon" motherboard now on shelves updated the original 360 design with a 65nm CPU, the upcoming "Jasper" revision should take the GPU to 65nm as well -- but that's more or less common knowledge. What we're hearing now is that all those RRoDed 360s sitting in warehouses are going to be retrofitted with the same 65 / 90nm CPU / GPU combo as Falcon, but on a mobo design called "Opus" that fits the original Xbox case molds. That means no HDMI, since pre-Falcon cases didn't have the openings -- but apparently MS is only planning on sending these out as warranty replacements. The real action, however, appears to be "Valhalla," a supposed final rev of the 360 that integrates the GPU and CPU into a single "superchip." Details on that are more than sketchy, and we're definitely skeptical -- especially since we'd been hearing chatter about 45nm CPUs, but nothing about a unified architecture. We'll see when we see -- as long as all these boxes play CoD4, we'll be happy.
Rumor: Next Xbox 360 chipsets are Opus, Valhalla
We know it's a little weird to be pumped for Xbox 360 chipsets, but we here at Joystiq HQ are all pretty excited about "Jasper". When we see each other in the halls we'll often exchange a look and we don't even need to speak it, we just know: It's Jasper. Now, if Jacob Metcalf (the guy who broke the Bungie/Microsoft split story) is right, we'll have to start exchanging an additional two looks for the upcoming "Opus" and "Valhalla".The first, "Opus" is basically a third-generation ("Falcon") board built to fit first generation ("Xenon") cases, primarily for the recycling of red-ringed systems, giving them cooler, more dependable guts (though no HDMI). The second, "Valhalla", is rumored to combine the 65nm CPU and 65nm GPU into one awesome super chip. It would only require one cooling system, meaning Valhalla would be quieter and (one would hope) more dependable. It would also be considerably cheaper.Both chips (again, if Metcalf is on the money) are a ways off, with Opus coming in 2008 or 2009 and Valhalla following a year later. As excited as we are for the new builds (even though our eyes are getting sore from exchanged looks) we'll be happiest if this news means Microsoft won't euthanize the 360 as quickly as its predecessor.
Rumor: Two new Xbox 360 models in production
The blogger who famously broke the news that Bungie was parting ways from Microsoft has tipped us off to yet another internal MS situation. 8Bit Joystick is reporting that Microsoft is working on two new motherboards for the Xbox 360 to combat the persistent, but apparently dwindling, failure rates of our favorite console. Fifth and sixth generation Xbox 360's are being developed in Redmond codenamed Opus and Valhalla, respectively.In October 2007, Joystiq reported that the third generation Xbox 360, codename Jasper, was being developed for an August 2008 launch to replace the current Falcon models. The Opus is described as the "zombie Xbox 360 killer," a mishmash of working parts from current red-ringed first generation Xbox 360's (codenamed Xenon) that includes a 90nm GPU and a 65nm CPU fitted onto a Falcon motherboard squeezed into the original Xenon case, which means this console would lack the new HDMI port. This replace-repair scenario was designed to rid Microsoft of the "millions of dead Xenon's" they currently have in stock according to the post by Jake Metcalf at 8Bit Joystick. Due to its refurbished nature, the Opus will never be available at retail and will only be used as replacement units for replacement during RRoD situations.
Hands-on with Magellan's new 5340+GPRS connected GPS device and others
Magellan really isn't kidding around when it says it's targeting flush boomers with its new devices -- although its reps wouldn't tell us exactly how much GPRS service would cost for the new $999 Maestro 5340, they did say it would be upwards of $40 a month. Sure, the service -- running on the device-only carrier Jasper -- looks nice, and the optional $100 GPRS cradle is kind of neat, but we're totally at a loss to see who would ever pay that much for Google Local access and the ability to email notes to the device. We also caught snaps of the new RoadMate 1212, the ridiculously expensive 5310, and the Maestro Elite 3270 -- which sure seemed like it had plastic around the screen to us, no matter how hard the reps insisted it didn't. Sure seems like there's a gallery down there -- you know the drill. %Gallery-12984%
Xbox 360 "Jasper" shrinks ATI graphics to 65-nm
After Falcon, there's Jasper. At least that's how Dean Takahashi of the San Jose Mercury News claims the Xbox 360 timeline will progress. The Jasper motherboard is said to extend the 65-nm shrinkage to the ATI-built graphics chip. As the source for most of the Xbox's heat, that should make Jasper-based 360s more reliable than the existing 90-nm versions. The updated gaming rig will also pack physically smaller memory chips. With any luck, the lower material costs will hopefully be passed along to us when these pop for retail sometime around August 2008. [Via Joystiq]
'Jasper' is the next Xbox 360 chipset
Jasper is both the name of the of the next Xbox 360 chipset, and an old prospector heading to the rocky hills of Utah, planning to strike it rich on "The durned richest haul you've jest about evar seen! Yeehaw!" Which one comes to mind first when you hear that name?Basically the hurricane-like string of Xbox 360 chipset names continues. First we had Zephyr, then Falcon, and now sometime next August, Jasper. What does Jasper bring? We're glad you asked. According to Dean Takahashi at the Mercury News, it brings exciting things like ... a 65nm graphics chip from ATI, and smaller memory chips.This isn't all that exciting, since the current Falcon chipset uses a 65nm processor already, but it means that Microsoft is still working on bringing production costs down. Which could also translate to even cheaper Xbox 360s next holiday season ... meaning 2008, three years after the introduction of the system. We're all for cheaper prices, but we like added value too. Zephyr brought us HDMI, why can't Jasper bring us something. At least milk and cookies.
Jasper to replace Falcon tech next year
Dean Takahashi over at The Mercury News blog is reporting that Microsoft already has plans in place to replace the newly release 65nm CPU Falcon technology in their Xbox 360s and it's called Jasper.Jasper is the codename for the newest of the new Xbox 360 motherboard technology that is scheduled to release next year in August 2008 and will incorporate not only Falcon's 65nm CPU tech, but will also sport a smaller 65nm GPU and smaller memory chips. This Jasper revision will further increase the reliability of the Xbox 360 hardware, further bring down the manufacturing costs and further the Xbox 360's longevity in the marketplace. Our only question to Microsoft is why not bring out Jasper sooner? Don't get us wrong, the Falcon technology is good times, but now we want Jasper. Bring on the Jasper!
Behind The Scenes with the Disco Icon
Regardless of what one might think about Disco as a functioning application, it's hard to deny that the latest app from the Madebysofa crew certainly has a unique look to it, and it is spiffy to boot. For the Disco application icon, designers Jasper Hauser and Hugo van Heuven collaborated to create something that I think deserves almost as much praise and attention as the application itself. Jasper has been kind enough to recount for us on his blog how the icon came to be, and the thought processes behind it.
