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Replacing your iPod hard drive
Do you feel lucky? Got an iPod with a dead, undersized or otherwise less-than-peachy hard drive? Well, pilgrim, surf your way over to Command-Tab for a detailed, delightful rundown on iPod hard drive replacement. They've got the scoop on every drive that will fit in full-size current and past model players, plus detailed replacement instructions and tool info (careful with that razor blade, Sparky!) for the do-it-yourselfer behind those white earbuds. Now, my inventory of dead iPods includes one Mini that could use new storage; for that I might have to go with this series of tips on upgrading to 4, 8 or 16 GB of Flash RAM.[via Digg]
SHOCKii Wii case replacement prototype photos
While most are satisfied with the sterile white casing of their Wii, many still pine for the variety of color options Nintendo originally promised. Gamers looking to add a bit of spice to their vanilla systems will welcome SHOCKii, a collection of replacement Wii cases from the same people behind the CHUCKii nunchuck shells and SHOCK DS Lite cases.Singapore-based XTreme Enterprise has put up the first photos of their prototype "cool black" casing. The ABS plastic faceplate, buttons and controller panels manage to not look cheap at all, despite the planned pricing being equivalent to "a Wii/DS game." The final SHOCKii cases will be available in Astro Yellow, Dreamy Blue, Dynamic Red, Cool Black and Strat Clear.
Wii Warm Up: Had to replace anything yet?
When it comes to your Wii, have you had to replace anything yet? We're not talking about televisions here (let's hope you're not one of those victims), but actual system-related gear. Any controller malfunctions? We're particularly concerned about the cord connecting the remote and nunchuk -- it seems just a little short in moments of excitement, but maybe we flail a little too enthusiastically. What about the sensor bar? Any ripped cords or crushed plastic? Any problems with the system itself so far? Not anything that was broken out of the box, mind you, and not errors, but things you had to replace due to failure. Yeah, we know, it's specific. But we're curious about how long all these little items are going to last, since the controllers aren't exactly cheap. So how are they doing so far?
Codemasters adds a 'Rainbow' to Bubble Bobble replacements
Were you affected by the Bubble Bobble Revolution recall? Of course you weren't -- you didn't buy a game that was known to be broken: "The game is so broken that it isn't worth purchasing. Do not support sloppy game making. Do not buy this game" (Digital Entertainment News). Did you?Apparently some did. Now, five months later the fixed replacements are shipping out. And guess what? Codemasters has packed a tiny Rainbow into every box. Aw, how thoughtful... (too bad it's rubbish -- but it's all the team had).Was that too harsh? Yeah, probably. Um, well, then let's just say this was indeed a kind gesture -- and leave it at that. Anyone else care to make nice? We're looking at you two, Microsoft and Treyarch.
Xbox 360 diehard loses loyalty after seven bricked consoles
It's not too difficult to keep the faith if everything's clicking along nicely, but when console after console began to fail soon after Microsoft's highly-anticipated launch of the Xbox 360, skeptics began to surface. Rob and Mindy Cassingham were self-proclaimed "Xbox fanboys," and felt assured that their love for the next rendition would never sway, but after picking up six consoles to install in their home and personally owned gaming center, the relationship started to crumble. The jovial couple snatched up four units at the Zero Hour launch party, and while folks from all over were swarming to get their game on at their party haven, the days of elation were short lived. After dropping over $2,600 on hardware along, registering an "Xbox360" Utah license plate, and rocking Microsoft swag day in and day out, all four of the launch units bit the dust. Eventually, every single first wave unit croaked, and each time the Cassingham's found themselves fighting with overseas call centers just to get a much-belated refurbished unit sent back to them, one of which also fell victim to the red ring of doom. After seven out of six (that's over 100-percent, folks) consoles decide to call it a career before you've had your due fun, it's not easy to remain steadfast in your devotion, and even after an email to Peter Moore himself finally got a brand new console on its way to the once-diehards, things will never be the same. We feel your pain, man.
Case mods: New colors sooner than you think
NDSCentral.com, which has long offered case-mod replacement shells for the DS and DS Lite, is getting ready to open up a new section for Wii case mods. Replacement shells for the Wiimote, nunchuck, and Wii unit itself are now available in black, red, yellow, blue, and translucent. Though the shells are covered in acrylic paint, as opposed to the high-gloss finish of the original units, the added color is just sure to go with your outfit. The shells for the accessories are quite cheap ($14.90 and $11.90 USD for the Wiimote and nunchuck, respectively), so if you're feeling iridescent, head on over.(Don't forget to pick up a tri-wing screwdriver to affix the mod!)[Thanks, Capt. Castellanos!]
Why your Wii is glowing
You could simply turn on the unit and check for yourself, but that would mean depriving yourself of that hypnotic glow that fills your soul with abject bliss. No, come to us instead! We will keep you well-informed.It's nothing earth-shattering, alas. Nintendo simply sent out a responsible message to all Wii-owners about the original pack-in wrist straps, still the subject of much debate. Along with a friendly reminder not to be a retard, the message also directs gamers to a website at which they can exchange their puny straps for the beefy, meaty kind. We love when companies take responsibility for their mistakes, but sometimes, they take too much responsibility ... damn friend codes.
Wii email informs consumers of strap replacement
This evening Nintendo sent strap replacement information directly to Wii owners who have an internet connection. Using the Wii's mail function, Nintendo sent an email to Wii owners regarding replacement straps: "Nintendo has received some reports that when consumers swing the Wii Remote with the original version of the wrist-strap using excessive force and accidentally let go, the cord connecting the controller to the wrist strap can break."The wrist strap replacement program has been in place since December. The interesting thing here is that Nintendo sent the information directly to consumers, albeit a little late, instead of solely depending on the press to disseminate the information. When Microsoft extended the warranty on the Xbox 360, we don't recall if any post was made on the Xbox Live network informing consumers. We appreciate that Nintendo sent this email out to consumers. Next time though, it might help to do it during the scandal, rather than three months later.
Have the replacements been replaced?
Well, either demand for replacement wrist straps was higher than Nintendo anticipated, or they just decided the new console and everything that goes with it was just too pretty. Whatever the reason, some gamers are crying foul because their replacement wrist straps are arriving, and they're not quite what was expected.In a word, they're ugly. At least, that seems to be the general consensus thus far. But whatever your opinion on the aesthetic qualities of the new new wrist straps, they're certainly different from what we've seen before. But perhaps there is a method to the madness. It's been reported that the new end pieces are rubber instead of plastic. Perhaps the were concerned about a new bevy of Wii-based injuries now that the breakage issue has been addressed. Have cries of "you'll Wii your eye out!" been averted? Either way, reports vary; some folks have the new, rubberized version, and some folks have the sleeker, Nintendo-fied replacements. So long as they work, we're mostly happy. How about you?
Lost your game case? Print new artwork
Ever lost your Xbox 360 game case? Do you miss that pretty case artwork, lovely marketing jargon on the back, and wordy warnings? Don't worry, CDcovers is here to save the day! CDcovers offers downloadable box artwork for some Xbox 360 games for you to print, cut, and put back into an empty game case. They offer multiple versions of each game including PAL, French, NTSC and custom. And if you are the artsy type, you could theoretically print off a bunch of cover artwork and make a collage. Fire up your printer, you've got work to do.[Via GamingBits][Thanks, Jonah]
Replacement Wii straps arrive
And not a minute too soon! After all that "excited" gameplay we've been doing over the holiday weekend, we were starting to think we might assassinate our damn HDTV with a tennis smash in Wii Sports. We ordered our straps on the 15th, the day the replacement program was announced -- meaning they came a good 6 days later than expected. Still, it was Christmas and all that, so we'll spot 'em. Check out the pics of the new thicker strap! Gallery
"Walk of shame" customer receives iMac replacement
Remember Karl, the frustrated iMac customer from Dublin who was going to prove he could walk his sick iMac 156 miles into service for replacement faster than Apple could pick it up? As it turns out, he apparently never hit the road; Infinite Loop at Ars Technica is reporting that Apple Ireland received word of this much-publicized stunt not long after it hit the media (perhaps they use the digg widget?) and promptly sent a brand new replacement straight to his door about ninety minutes later.Score one for the little guy, but I'm wondering how many more frustrated service customers are going to attempt such a stunt. Maybe, as Jeff at Infinite Loop suggests, next time Apple will have to wait for the customer to actually get a couple miles into the walk before they fire off any more replacement units.
Betts mods your Mac
Everyone's favorite duck-icon sporting graphic designer is more than a pretty icon of a face, he helps make the rest of your programs look good too. Adam Betts regularly posts modifications or add-ons to various pieces of Mac software to his blog, and although each one is cool enough to warrant a post of its own, I thought I'd be nice to you all and compile some of my favorites into one mega-post. First off we have a simple interface tweak that goes a long way to unifying the look of your system. Adam's new QuickTime Plugin Controller replaces the old icky Aqua bubble quicktime plugin interface with a sleek platinum/unified/post-brushed metal look.Next are two replacement icons; one for a certain flammable fox, the other for a Preview alternative. The Firefox icon touchup fixes dock weight issues (how close it is to the other icons) as well as making the whole package a bit smoother. The Xee replacement set actually contains replacements for both the actual application icon as well as the status bar. Xee is a replacement for Preview and available for free download.Finally, we have the 9.3% complete interface-lift for Google Earth. This package will replace the application icon as well as modify certain UI elements such as toolbar icons and the sidebar to make them more Mac-like.
Apple starting to swap out those dirty MacBooks?
As with many things when it comes to AppleCare support, your mileage may vary, but AppleInsider apparently started to receive word that the Macbook discoloration issue is starting to result in some few-or-no-questions-asked returns, Apple simply offering up whole laptop replacements just like that. Now, we're not guaranteeing results or anything should you march that blemished MacBook into an Apple Store and foist it upon the first Genius you see, but it's a start, right? Anyone else having good luck getting their laptop taken care of?
More fun with Steve's NYC cube
The saga of the NYC cube continues. For the uninitiated, the cube in question is the huge, 5 story glass cube that will adorn the upcoming Manhattan Apple Store. Steve Jobs designed the cube, and is very much in love with it. According to a report at ifoAppleStore, the titanium pieces that hold the massive glass panels in place were recently replaced with a different material, at the request of Mr. Jobs who felt that the titanium pieces were ruining the aesthetic of the cube. Who knows how much of an extra expense this last-minute adjustment was.Steve really, really likes his cube.
Path Finder 4.1 released with Universal Binary, other enhancements
Path Finder, the powerful file browser/manager (pseudo-Finder) from Cocoatech, has been updated to version 4.1. Along with Universal Binary status and the typical round of bug fixes, this update also includes: Improved Go To Folder with autocomplete Smart Folders – Path Finder can now read Finder-created Smart Folders New Size Browser for quickly viewing total file sizes of folders, bundles, etc. Added rotate buttons to the integrated PDF viewer Path Finder can now preview PDF bundles (often found on OS X install disks) Added preview support for Help Viewer bundles Path Finder now displays if an application is PPC, Intel, or Universal Binary in the info panel Path Finder can now previews NEF files Added preliminary “email to” support for Microsoft Entourage and Eudora Updated Chinese, Japanese, Russian, French, and German localizations Check out Cocoatech's changelog for the full list of improvements and fixes, and scroll to the bottom of Path Finder's product page to download the new version. A 21-day demo is available, while a full license costs $34.95.
Unofficial iPod Battery Week
Or at least that's what it seems to be turning into. Two vendors this week announced major iPod battery initiatives. First, the people at FastMac publicly announced their TruePower batteries for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gen iPods. TruePower promises charges that last two to three times as long, and a battery that lasts through nearly seven times as many charging cycles, as the OEM iPod LiON battery. If the TruePower claims are true, or even half true, this is great news for iPod owners, especially starting at $29.95. Mini, 4th gen, and iPod Photo batteries coming soon.The folks at TechRestore have taken a different tack. Their iPod Battery Freedom lifetime battery replacement service offers 24 hour turnaround battery replacement for as long as you own your iPod for a one time fee of $99 plus $12.99 S&H on subsequent replacements. You don't even have to get up from the computer to ship them your 'Pod; for an additional $19.99, they'll schedule overnight pickup anywhere in the U.S. It will take a couple of replacements for this to pay for itself, but you can't beat the convenience.For those interested in the full range of available iPod battery options, the iPod Battery FAQ has a nice rundown.
