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Rumor: Xbox LIVE Diamond TV service to be announced at E3
With E3 set to kick off in less than 48 hours, rumors are once again flying about Microsoft's press conference news. A report at WinRumors pins Microsoft as revealing an Xbox Live-based streaming television service in the US, previously rumored to be codenamed "Orapa" (after a diamond mining town in Botswana, Africa). Further, the report suggests that the codename has been changed into something more fitting, given its eponymy: "Diamond." And no, not that Microsoft product named Diamond. "Microsoft is currently in last minute negotiations to secure the necessary agreements in time," WinRumors' anonymous source added. The source details "Diamond" as a facsimile of the UK's SkyTV player currently offered on Xbox 360, though no specific networks are named, and adds that the service will likely come with a monthly subscription fee. Microsoft previously indicated its intentions to get into streaming television on the Xbox 360, but has never made any major moves. The company flirted with a Conan O'Brien deal in 2010, but the plans eventually fizzled. If "Diamond" really does exist, though, we're sure to hear about it tomorrow morning during Microsoft's E3 2011 presser.
Xbox Live Diamond now requires membership fee
If you're familiar with the Xbox Live Diamond Card program, then you know that membership in it entitles you to all kinds of deals from a bunch of online retailers as well as retailers in your neighborhood. Some offers are rather good while others are worthless, but membership into the Diamond program has been free since its launch, so we've never complained. That is until now. Starting in March, Microsoft's program partner Passport Unlimited will be taking complete control over the Diamond program and will begin charging an annual fee. $6.95 a year to be exact. Registration is closed until the transfer is complete and current members will keep their membership free of charge until their 2008 expiration date when Passport Unlimited will require payment to renew. Honestly, the program isn't super useful and we don't see many people forking over $7 to keep access to a free Taco Johns softshell taco coupon. Then again, those tacos are mighty tasty. [Via Gamertag Radio]
Beware Microsoft's domain squatting faux pas
If you're an Xbox Live subscriber interested in getting your hands on a Diamond Card, beware. It seems that a typo on the website, www.xboxlivediamond.com, encourages users to email a non-Microsoft address if they believe their gamertag has been signed up to the site by someone else. From Joystiq, which has the scoop: Step 3: Notice the error message that says: "We're Sorry!!! That GamerTag has already been registered" Notice the following instructions: "If you believe that someone else has registered with your GamerTag, please send an email to support@xboxdiamond.com." Step 4: Notice that xboxdiamond.com is registered with domain squatters. Oops! Hope nobody sent their Xbox Live account information (password, credit card information) to that email address! We further hope that whoever's receiving the deluge of emails isn't impersonating Microsoft and soliciting this information from Xbox Live customers. Since the domain was recently listed on eBay, who knows what the squatters are going to do with the deluge of mis-registered gamertag emails. We hope Microsoft fix this blunder quickly--it doesn't exactly instil faith in the Diamond Card service.
