Tag: XBOX LIVE

Ok. Let's try this again: Sending threatening messages to anyone, for any reason, even if it's a joke, even if it's using another person's account or e-mail address is a really, really, really, really, really bad idea. Really. Take, for instance, the recent tale of one (unnamed) Maryland teenager who is now headed to court to face charges of sending threatening messages to about 100 people via a ...

It's no secret that Nokia has been in trouble for some time -- especially in the U.S. market, where Symbian (its smartphone OS of choice) just didn't enjoy the same success that it did in Europe. The problem has only gotten worse with the advent of Android and iOS, truly modern smartphone operating systems that make Symbian look like a quaint mess from a bygone era. MeeGo, a project that saw ...

Single mother Dawn Matthews received an extremely unwelcome (although increasingly common) letter recently. After she allowed her 11-year-old son, Brendan Jordan, to create an Xbox Live account -- with her credit card information -- he subsequently racked up £1,082.52 (almost $2,000) in charges. The compassionate mother apparently hasn't punished her son, but she did tell the Daily Mail that ...

When Fort Gay, West Virginia resident and 26-year-old gamer Josh Moore created an Xbox Live profile, he naturally listed his location as "fort gay WV." The ever-vigilant enforcement team from Xbox Live, however, recently suspended Moore from the gaming platform, due to what they believed to be a fictitious -- and inappropriately named -- town. As the AP reports, Moore pleaded with security ...

Highlights from this morning's other big tech headlines.... Nonexistent virtual goods produce obscene revenue for online services. The phenomenon, which even attracts criminal activity, is currently helping Microsoft stave off the effects of diminishing video game sales. Forbes estimates that Xbox Live earns the company more than $1 billion annually, primarily through various account ...

After banning an Xbox Live user for identifying herself as a lesbian on her profile, Microsoft, a year later, has apparently changed its asexual stance, and has opened its doors to diversity. As Arstechnica reports, Xbox Live users can now choose from a list of preapproved adjectives to describe their sexual preference or relationship, including Gay, Bi, Straight, Transgender or Lesbian. In a ...

Share Earlier today, Microsoft announced the impressive new Windows Phone 7 Series operating system at Mobile World Congress 2010. Forget what you've seen from earlier Windows Mobile operating systems; Windows Phone 7 Series is an enormous leap forward for Microsoft's smartphone efforts. It features a completely revamped interface (similar to the Zune HD), integration with Xbox Live and Zune, and ...

In a move that should make extroverted Xbox Live members happy, Microsoft will add Facebook and Twitter functionality to the next Dashboard update, currently being tested in public previews. But underage teens will get a cold dose of reality when they find they can't log onto the social networks from their favorite console. Microsoft has blocked kids under 18 from accessing the popular social ...

Federal and state governments have placed significant restrictions on convicted sex offenders in recent years, enabling law enforcement to track and monitor the activities of certain deviants. A new bill proposed in Texas seeks to limit the Internet activity for sex offenders, and monitor their Web personas as well. The bill, HB 22, which has yet to go before the Texas House of Representatives, ...

Amazon.com might still make most of its money by shipping physical items to your door, but it's clear that the online retail giant knows the future of media is digital -- not only is it pushing the Kindle and services like Amazon Video On Demand, it's expanding its downloadable video game catalog to include Xbox Live Arcade games today. The process seems a little clunky at the moment -- you buy ...

A former Xbox Live user has been banned by Microsoft because her profile stated that she was a lesbian, according to a report in The Consumerist. Identifying herself only as Teresa, the woman told her story in an e-mail to the site, reading, "[My] account was suspended because I had said in my profile that I was a lesbian." This should not come as a total surprise to anybody who recalls the ...

In the world of online games there is nobody so feared as the griefer. A griefer is someone who seems to enjoy playing online just for the joy of bringing others misery -- not by beating them at whatever game they're playing, but by being as annoying as possible, spewing profanity through voice chat or shooting teammates' characters. Now griefers with a bit of hacking know-how have a new tool at ...

Nineteen-year-old Codey R. Hawks of Parma, Ohio has been arrested for allegedly raping a 12-year-old boy after meeting him via Xbox online live. On January 15, according to Cleveland's NBC affiliate, Hawks allegedly traveled to the boy's residence in Michigan, staying there with him for some time. Having been arrested Monday and charged with rape and sexual imposition, Hawks is currently being ...

It's okay, Microsoft fanboys. Relax, take a shot from your asthma inhaler, everything is going to be okay. We can see clearly Redmond is trying to drive you outside where you might be forced to interact with people face-to-face as opposed to via a Wi-Fi enabled music player or a 'Halo' branded headset, but don't panic. Microsoft is scaring its fans and driving the rumor mills crazy this morning ...

Online worlds are already plenty dangerous enough for impressionable kids. Now, according to USA Today, online gaming is being pegged as the next possible source of harm for young kids, with sexual predators using voice and text chat in online gaming services like Microsoft's Xbox Live and Sony's PlayStation Network as venues to meet kids. Several predators have been arrested after taking ...