Major Nelson has posted a link in his blog to an eight-page article at Design Interact about the process used to develop the Xbox 360's color-coded user interface.

Jason Dunn at Digital Media Thoughts has put up a hands-on review of the Xbox 360, focused mainly on its features as an entertainment system.

The original Xbox required you to buy a separately packaged Xbox Media Extender in order to view audio and video from a Windows Media Center Edition PC. The Xbox 360 has this feature built-in, and also-- apparently-- there will be a version of the Media Connect software that can be installed on "any PC". Not sure if that means "any PC running Media Center Edition" as I've read elsewhere, or any PC running Windows.

(Personally, I hope it doesn't require MCE; being able to watch my collection of Halo movies on a big screen without having to install a new version of Windows would be nice--Ed.)

HBO has a couple of audio-related Halo updates today; Captain Spark has added to the Halo 2 Dialogue Databank. This newest collection is Sergeant Stacker comments collected while using the hard-to-get IWHBYD skull. They're available for download from Spark's newly redesigned website.

Another site, called WannyPartyUp.com, is making MP3 recordings of postgame lobby conversations on Xbox Live.

Thanks to Louis Wu for giving heads-up.

Yahoo is reporting that Microsoft has stated at its Tokyo, Japan Xbox Summit today that the Xbox 360 will launch in the US, Europe and Japan in time for the 2005 holiday season. The Reuters report says that previously a six week delay was expected for those territories, and other news outlets, including SPOnG, are still saying this delay will occur.

Meanwhile, SPOnG also says that Microsoft has confirmed that every Xbox, in every territory, will come bundled with a 20Gb hard drive.

The Xbox Summit event has allowed Microsoft to show off the support they have from Japanese developers. In addition to getting a port of Square Enix's Final Fantasy for the new Xbox, games from Namco, Taito and Konami are being announced as well.

Frankie's latest Weekly What's Update mentions that the count of banned cheaters is above five thousand now and rising; in addition, he clears up a few things people still can't seem to get straight about how the AutoUpdate works.

SketchFactor has posted at Bungie.net that since the introduction of the modified content detection in AutoUpdate 4 yesterday, more than 2,500 permanent matchmaking bans have been issued by the "self-aware automated Banhammer". Sketch also notes that in addition to this automatic routine, Bungie will still be looking for players who use other methods like boosting and standbying, as well as searching for players who built their rank by using modified content prior to the AU's deployment. Users are still encouraged to use XBL's feedback system to report cheaters, griefers and other behavioral problems.

Kiziko has news that Microsoft is denying rumors about the Xbox 360's Japanese launch being delayed, perhaps to match the expected PlayStation 3 release date. The new console is still slated for a holiday 2005 launch simultaneously in North America, Europe and Japan.

Bungie has rolled out the latest autoupdate-- you now have to download it in order to play in matchmaking on Xbox Live. The update includes code to detect modified content; it also (purportedly) fixes the teleporter bug on Relic. The Rampancy Cave's Internet connection has been out for the past twelve hours, so I've had no chance either to confirm the teleporter fix or comment on how well the update is fighting modders and cheaters; Bungie's own Achronos has posted in the HBO forum that the update should cause a gradual decline rather than an immediate stop in cheating.

Just about a year after hitting the million mark, Xbox Live has doubled in size, hitting two million subscribers, according to Major Nelson. (Nearly all of which are clearly playing Halo 2. Any other games you may see being played by members of your friends list are clearly figments of your imagination--Ed.)

Microsoft celebrity blogger Robert Scoble confirms that the recently published photos of a near-production Xbox 360 (plus a few extra wires, apparently for "power supply testing") are, in fact, real, and that he arranged for the employee's son to play with the console, and knew that he would podcast about it. (Yes, unlike fellow Microsoft blogger and Xbox Live chief Major Nelson, Robert Scoble apparently is allowed to use the word 'podcast' rather than the brand-neutral 'blogcast'--Ed.) The employee still has his job.

Major League Gaming's website notes that they will hold two Halo 2 mini-tournaments at Giants Stadium in New Jersey this weekend, on July 23. Details including prizes are in MLG's announcement.

On the eve of the autoupdate that is supposed to deal a crushing blow to cheaters in Halo 2 matchmaking on Xbox Live, there have been a variety of discussions on various sites and forums about whether or not the matchmaking model delivers on the "virtual couch" claims that Microsoft makes for the service. The latest of Narc's Retorts asks: is Xbox live creating a digital divan, or a digital divide?

Frankie has posted on Bungie.net that on July 20, 2005, Bungie will release Autoupdate 4 for Halo 2, which will detect players using modified Halo 2 content and ban them from Xbox Live Halo 2 matchmaking, permanently, with no possibility of appeal.

This includes the use of hardware mods (modchips), so-called soft mods, and game saves or game types saved using Action Replay or similar devices.

Bungie also plans to selectively reset the ranks of "cheats, rank-whorers and miscreants".

(And there was much rejoicing--Ed.)