Xbox 360 Hacks - News, Hacks, Cracks, Mods.

Microsoft (reportedly) plans to release a new version its Xbox 360 video game system code-named Jasper in August and has already assigned IBM and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) to make chips for the new game console. However, there are other important rumours: TSMC also got orders to produce the chip for code-named Valhalla Xbox 360 design, which is rumoured to combine microprocessor and graphics chip in a single chip.

TSMC is chosen to make the 65nm GMCH chips,  Advanced Semiconductor Engineering (ASE) is contracted to package and test the chips, and Nanya has won orders to supply flip-chip packaging substrates, reports China Economic News Service.

What’s better than blowing stuff up after a long day of work? Not having to locate a rocket launcher to do it… Wreak immediate havoc courtesy of p0Wer. Yeah, you know what it’s all about.

Have fun!

- source: game-warp.com

Some of you are still not understanding that porting XBMC to a (XDK) 360 is still more than just a matter of recompiling, you do not know that a decent MAME port requires things which the original XDK doesn’t evrn provide (self modifying code; that was the main reason why the existing MAME port, which was done using a devkit, is said to perform quite bad on complex stuff).  You also aren’t even considering alternatives and you are generally clueless.  

There exists code to reload a kernel; though it’s not easy, it’s doable, and requires a lot of knowledge, but has been done (however mainly for a certain different situation which is not relevant for us). But: booting into a non-4532/4548 kernel is going to be complicated and likely requires hardware modifications like a dual-flash mod. Now, does this still sound as good huh? You won’t be able to run (newer) games, and you won’t be able to go live.  That shouldn’t be a problem for XDK-warez. So, one question: If it won’t give you games from HDD (cause it will run an old kernel), if it won’t give you XBMC (cause of XDK-XBMC being totally non-portable, relying on x86, little endian, DX8-fixed-function, a fast single-core CPU), if going live will still ban your box (due to microsoft’s cleverness in some specific design choices), if it won’t boot without using the KK exploit (i.e. still requiring a modified firmware): Is this still the “uberhack” you are waiting for? As it is, the main showstopper is still in the awkwardness of running the exploit. SO, hardware hackers, where are you?

It’s just an opinion expressed, but it’s seen as pretty unlikely that there will be any other real exploit in the next few years (same with PS3).  Lots of smart people looked at the code.  All they could do is to invent new ways to trigger the exploit.  But that’s off-topic here, and has already been discussed without any further result.

The hacked ORIGINAL kernel allows you to install and run LINUX, which is NOT homebrew!

What is M$ up to?

A report from Taiwanese news source Economic Daily News says that Pegatron Technology–a recently formed subsidiary of Asus that shouldn’t be confused with the Decepticon leader–has received an order from Microsoft to manufacture a Blu-ray equipped model of the Xbox 360. According to the report, Pegatron says that it plans to begin production on the HD version of the Xbox 360 soon, with plans to ship within the next six months, aiming for a pre-holiday release.

The EDN report also mentions that a price cut for the Core (Arcade) version of the 360 is planned, but doesn’t provide further details on timing or adjustments.

The newer Phillips & Lite-On drives (for BenQ) have surfaced, and M$ seems to have gone with a ROM instead of FLASH memory. This is what M$ did with the V1.6+ Xbox1 systems so they could not be flashed either.

Info:
MFG Date: April 08
Model no. DG-16D2S
HW Version. A0A1
FW Version. 74850

Here is a pic of the TOP of controller board: The underside is just about blank, just a few parts and connectors. The MT1319L is the drive controller, the chip with the epoxy around it, and is NOT where the firmware is stored. My guess is that U501 is the ROM.

Complete Pic Set

Rat-a-tat-tat… Yet another mind shattering mod from the team that does it best — AcidMods! Check it…

Do note: using this mod online is cheating; straight up, low down, dirty cheating.

- source & tutorial: AcidMods

Apr 18th:  M$ released a system update for the Xbox 360 over Xbox LIVE.  When you sign in to Xbox LIVE you’ll recieve a prompt to accept this mandatory update. This update contains code to ‘prepare for future growth of the service.’ There are no other changes or enhancements in this update…in other words no new features. The next obvious question you’ll have is about the Spring update. At this point we have nothing to announce, and the moment there is information to share I will do so.

On Monday April 21st from 0200-1000 PT Xbox Live will be offline for maintenance. As a result, the ‘My Xbox’ section of Xbox.com will be unavailable, and the Xbox forums will be in read only mode (you won’t be able to post.) The remainder of Xbox.com will be available.

Wii, Wii?

Sources have confirmed the existence of the Xbox Wiimote clone project; code name: “Newton”

The hardware is still being worked on and it might be a couple months before we see leaked shots of any prototypes when they start to mass manufacture it; but, there might ba an early software developer kit and prototype out there somewhere.

Microsoft is rumored to have licensed patents from Gyration, and are using them to develop their motion sensing Wiimote controller. Legally Microsoft is not ripping off Nintendo, but rather licensing the technology from the same place that Nintendo got theirs from. For an example the Guitar Hero and Rockband controllers both use the same patent that is owned by Konami that they developed for the Guitar Freaks.

From what was learned from internal sources at Microsoft, the Newton project is moving forward. The time table indicates that it has been in development for a while now, and they could get it out by winter of 2008. The “Newton” is also going to use a LED sensor bar that can be powered by the USB ports on the 360. There will be a LED sensor on the front accelerometer, and gyroscope sensor that can detect tilt and motion, rumble motors, wireless two way data communication with the 360. The addition to this version, is a built in Microphone for Xbox Live and voice-activated games.

This article from a Swiss newspaper recounts the appearance of Christopher Tarnovsky at the European Black Hat conference.  While with NDS, Tarnovsky cracked Kudeslki’s satellite TV encryption, but claims he didn’t post the result on the open Net. His responses to audience questions are amusing, in particular when someone from Microsoft asks him about breaking the Xbox 360 console. Tarnovsky replies: “I have been offered 100,000 dollars for the break, but I replied that it was not enough.”

Yeah, sure…

YES?: April 1st (ha!) - Lite-On IT is developing built-in Blu-ray Disc-(BD) ROM drives for the Microsoft Xbox 360 game console, according to industry sources. Lite-On declined to comment, citing client confidentiality.  Lite-On’s shipments of the BD ROMs to Microsoft will start in the second half of 2008, the sources added. Lite-On is currently one of the suppliers of Xbox 360-use internal DVD-ROM drives.  Power supply makers also revealed that while the present Xbox 360 uses a 210-watt power supply, the next-generation game console will use a 170-watt power supply in order to reduce production cost and the size of the device, according to the sources.

SEEMINGLY?: April 2nd - If, as previously reported, Microsoft adopts built-in Blu-ray Disc (BD)-ROM drives for a new version of its Xbox 360, sales prices are likely to be lower than the corresponding production costs since current OEM quotes for BD-ROM drives are as high as US$95-100, according to industry sources in Taiwan. It is reported that Microsoft plans to offer a new Xbox 360 hardware revision equipped with a BD-ROM drive to compete with Sony’s PlayStation 3. Taiwan-based Lite-On IT is said to have been invited to participate in designing the drive. However, while the US$95-100 quoted for a BD-ROM drive is much higher than US$18-20 quoted for the DVD-ROM drives built into current Xbox 360s, the increase in retail price of the new consoles is unlikely to cover the whole of the OEM price gap, the sources analyzed, meaning Microsoft would be selling the consoles at a loss.

NO!!!:  April 2nd (later in the day) - Microsoft has insisted that Lite-on will not be making Blu-ray drives for its Xbox 360, despite widespread internet rumours to the contrary. Here’s the statement just in from Microsoft to scupper their  rumour-mongering: “No. Lite-On is not manufacturing Blu-ray drives for Xbox 360. As we have stated, games are what are driving consumers to purchase game consoles and we remain focused on providing the largest library of blockbuster game available.
“For our customers who want a premium movie experience we offer the largest library of on-demand HD content available and the ability to play back DVDs in high definition.”