Tech Culture

Microsoft said on Friday that it plans to discontinue support for playing original Xbox games on its online service.

In a blog posting, Microsoft's Marc Whitten said that after April 15, users of the Xbox Live service will no longer be able to play titles like Halo 2 that were created for the first Xbox console.

"This isn't a decision we made lightly, but after careful consideration, it is clear this will provide the greatest benefit to the Xbox Live community," Whitten said. "And as we look down the road, we'll continue to evolve … Read more

Are you the sort of person for whom "American Idol" just doesn't do it any more?

Do you crave the days when "Ally McBeal" at least brought a smile to your lips with its unisex toilet? Is your DVR merely populated by countless repeats of "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" (which doesn't seem all that hard, frankly), put there by your louche, pot-smoking lover?

Well, then, please allow me to save your life.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, game company Oberon Media has somehow found something in common with both the Tetris … Read more

Last year, Sega announced that it was working on Project Needlemouse, its code name for a reinvention of the popular Sonic the Hedgehog franchise. After a long wait, Sega has finally unveiled that Project Needlemouse is in fact, Sonic the Hedgehog 4: Episode 1. (See embedded video.)

Unlike Sonic's more recent 3D (mis)adventures, Sega's next Sonic game is a direct follow-up to Sonic the Hedgehog 3, which launched on the Sega Genesis back in 1994.

According to Sega associate brand manager Ken Balough, who recently sat down with GameSpot to talk about the game, Sonic the Hedgehog … Read more

For a 10-year-old, The Sims has had quite a lifetime.

Launched on February 4, 2000, The Sims has proven one of the industry's most enduring and popular game franchises. Offering players the ability to live a virtual life, the game has launched a slew of sequels, traveled to different countries, and rewarded Electronic Arts with $2.5 billion in sales.

The Sims, Sims 2, Sims 3, and its various other spin-offs are available on a variety of platforms, including PCs, Macs, game consoles, portable devices, and smartphones. The original game can now be found in 60 different countries and … Read more

Citrix Systems claims that it can help users run a virtual installation of Windows 7 on the Apple iPad, when the tablet device is released later this year.

Writing in a blog post on the company's site, Chris Fleck, the company's vice president of Community and Solutions Development, said those companies that use either of the company's desktop virtualization platforms, XenDesktop or XenApp, will be able to use Windows 7 from the iPad.

"It turns out [that] the 9.7-inch display on the iPad, with a 1024x768[-pixel] screen resolution, works great for a full [virtual … Read more

The folks at NeilCurtis.com noticed something rather interesting about Steve Jobs' latest address last week before a packed crowd to announce the iPad: he and the other presenters used a lot of positive adjectives to describe the "incredible," "beautiful," and "amazing" product.

To illustrate that, the team at NeilCurtis.com edited together the descriptors presenters used during the press event. The video, which runs for about three minutes, "is the sum of the most important words" spoken at the event, a message reads before the clips start.

Although it might seem … Read more

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata reportedly believes that Apple's newly unveiled iPad leaves much to be desired when it comes to consumer appeal.

Speaking to the Associated Press, the Nintendo boss said the iPad was nothing more than "a bigger iPod Touch." He went on to say that he was unimpressed with the iPad and unfortunately, "there were no surprises" when Steve Jobs unveiled the device earlier this week.

Iwata's position on the iPad might have something to do with the device's gaming capabilities. Thanks to its App Store, Apple's iPad can run … Read more

Update at 2:10 p.m. PDT: This story has been modified to reflect both Jon Landau and James Cameron's membership on the advisory board of virtual world platform developer Multiverse.

Since the release of his massive hit "Avatar," director James Cameron has gotten plenty of deserved attention for his filmmaking innovations, having invented a camera system that captured live footage of his actors and integrated it immediately into fleshed-out scenes from his fictional world of Pandora.

But movies may not be the only medium Cameron's innovation is pushing toward the future. In fact, the technology … Read more

It seems that the best way to keep your kids from getting hurt is to get them out of the house.

According to figures from the U.K. government, obtained by the Sun under the United Kingdom's Freedom of Information Act, the number of kids under 15 injured while climbing trees, skateboarding, and the like has fallen.

Does this mean that children have become more athletic or less accident-prone? Does it mean they have perfected their tree-climbing and skateboarding skills?

No, it seems that they are simply staying indoors more, glued to their screens like rubberneckers to an overturned … Read more