Maximus (Carranzafp) released a new version of Maximums 360 Firmware Toolbox.

News/fixes/updates :

MAIN NOTE:
THIS TOOL DOES NOT MAKE YOUR VAD6038 DRIVES RUN BACKUPS ON ANY WAY, THERE IS NO RELEASED IXTREME NOR XTREME FIRMWARES FOR VAD6038.
THIS TOOL NEITHER ALLOW DIRECT READING/FLASHING OF THE VAD6038 FIRMWARE YOU STILL NEED DUMP THE FIRMWARE WITH DOSFLASH Tools or with external programmer.

WHATS NEW ON V4.50:
- FIXED: Properly support Handling of VAD6038 Firmwares (see notes).
- FIXED: Previously Hitachi spoofed drives were not visible on toolbox anymore now you can see it and unspoof it or re-spoof them
- FIXED: Several other bugs

Release Notes:
The VAD6038 firmwares are tricky, the KEY could be placed on too many places, and the code locations could vary a lot between same ROM drives. (Like on Hitachi 78/79 drives but on VAD6038 there are a lot o of posibilities)
This Toolbox support the 2 retail VAD6038 firmware versions known till now. (62430C and 64930C). You can now:
- Read / Extract Keys
- Spoof Samsung/Hitachi drive as Benq
- Spoof Benq drive as Hitachi/Samsung

Official Website : http://www.maximusgames.net/

Some weeks ago, Team MODFREAKz indicated to have succeeded in using a reader PC SATA on Xbox360. Today, news informations are appeared concerning the advances of this hack.

Quote from Xboxhacker forum :

The Philips DROM6316 drive is still using x360 retail benq firmware and dvd key. A small modification enables to run backups.
(please don't ask for the firmware, it's not my project and still not finished!!)
Eject function is now almost fixed. Open/close tray options also works through dashboard.

(thanks to Schtrom, Redline99, Uberfry, Tiros, TheXone and some other guys).

They also put on line a video of these updates :

Official Website : Xboxhacker forum

After a little buzz with only a logo picture, the official website of D2CKEY modchip has been updated.

First, a probably picture of D2CKEY was posted by Wiinewz :

Technical Specs:

Access control LEDs

LED 1: disc access indicator.

LED 2: data patching indicator:

• Flashes smoothly during disc insertion and detection
• Lit when backup is detected (after disclogin)
• Off when original is detected

DVD media compability

• DVD+-R
• DVD+-RW
• Dual-layer DVD (movies and GCOS)

Game disc support:

• Direct boot of Wii original and backup games from the same region
• Direct boot of Gamecube original and backup games from the same region
• Direct boot of different NTSC region Wii and GC games on USA and JAP consoles
• Partial region free support on Wii and GC original and backup games with different videomode (ie PAL<->USA, JAPAN)
• Improved readsettings for recordable media
• Supports running GC games at Wii diskspeed
• GC Audiostreaming Fix
• Supports full-size DVD and DVD9 discs for GC homebrew
• Supports GC multigame discs
• Supports Wii and GC multidisc games

True stealth mode

• Does not modify RAM, making it virtually undetectable for the Wii
• Full command set emulation

Installation diagram is available here

Official website : http://www.d2ckey.com/ 

The second major version of GlideHQ, the texture enhancements module for Glide64, is ready for public release. Project description, taken from GlideHQ readme file by KoolSmoky:

"This is a realtime texture enhancer library with hi-resolution texture
pack support for Glide64 (http://glide64.emuxhaven.net). Traditional and
non-traditional techniques have been used to achieve speed and high image
quality even on a 9 year old 3Dfx Voodoo2.

Although the 3Dfx Glide3x texture format naming conventions are used, the
library can be expanded for generic use.

GlideHQ 1.0

Source : http://www.emuxhaven.net/ 

Infantile Paralysiser has released a new version of his Wifi based VoiP client for the Nintendo DS.

News/fixes/updates :

- If you do not do anything for 3 minutes, service logout.

- The communication protocol (Ver1.4 and Ver1.5 and Ver1.61) is compatible.

- The WiFi library was renewed to 'dswifi-0.3.3'.

- The bug with a wrong screen display register was corrected.

Wifi VoiceChatClient ver 1.61

Official Website : http://mdxonline.dyndns.org/ 

Drunkencoders released a new version of Dicewars DS.

Dicewars DS is a multiplayer version of a popular Flash based strategy game Dicewars for Nintendo DS handheld console.

News/fixes/updates :

• Game ends now immediately if the second last player in the game surrenders
• Player positions and scores are shown in the network game mode
• Fixes on joining new games after a finished one
• Surrender is now possible also in a local game
• Further fixes on automatic re-connection after a lost connection
• Network lobby has now brief instructions and game statistics on upper screen

Dicewars DS 0.4.0-alpha

Amazon.com has updated its listings unveiling a new Xbox 360 edition. Scheduled for release on October 23, 2007, the Xbox 360 Arcade Console has a price of $279.99.

The Core Edition of the Xbox 360 has been a victim of many rumors since Microsoft announced it will release different editions of its next-generation system. So far, the cheapest Xbox 360 has survived all the rumors that claimed it will be discontinued and it seems it will only be replaced by an updated model that will come with some Xbox Live Arcade games and possibly HDMI (since the next-generation A/V port has been incorporated in all other editions except the Core)

Toy "R" Us has also revealed an "Xbox 360: Arcade System" that will be released on October 25, 2007

Source : TeamXbox

space1 has released some screenshots of his upcoming Homebrew game for the DS, Mario 3D. Obviously, from the pics (below) you can see it is a platformer with 2D and 3D elements.

No reelase date for the moment.

Source : N.S

SoulHeaven, member of Gx-Mod Team released a new tool that allow you to extract BenQ firmware spoof key and line. Thanks to this you will be able to easy change your BenQ drive with Hitachi or Samsung.

BqI_Reader v0.91

JWSpeed released some news pictures of the Xbox 360 Halo 3 Edition to compare them with the "old" Xbox 360 :

The motherboard looks identical to the Zephyr (v2), so I doubt it's the falcon already. If the CPU is 65nm or not is hard to say ... it seems to be a bit different to those in the Pro-hdmi or Elite. The lower power usage (displayed below) seems to indicate it might have a 65nm CPU and/or GPU though.
While the new heatsink loses the copper heatpipe, it seems a lot bigger/larger than the old CPU heatsink.
Please note that not all Halo3 LEs are like this, it seems to start a lot #734 - you can find lot# on the side sticker of the Xbox360 box.

CPU COMPARE

Elite CPU                 Halo 3 CPU

HEATSINK COMPARE

Elite Heatsink                 Halo 3 Heatsink

POWER USE

Elite power use             Halo 3 power use

Source : X-S