Gran Tourismo, Playstation’s ultimate driving simulation game (some argue it’s the best on any platform), has announced a feature that bridges the gap between video games and track days.

Back in the good old days, when Mike and I used to have “racing budget”, we practiced driving Laguna Seca on the PS2 with Gran Tourismo, then went and drove the track for real. If we did it now, however, we could take it one step farther by bringing the results of our track day back home and reviewing them on the new version of Gran Tourismo.

Here’s how it works: while at your track day you record your lap times and lines using GPS and “CAN”. When you return home you put the data on a USB stick and plug it into your PS3. You can replay the data by watching your run around the track or use the data as a ghost and race against yourself to improve your lines or see how you would fare against, say, an F1 car (spoiler alert: not very well).

What type of data logger hardware you need isn’t terribly clear in the press release, it just says you need log CAN data. As for tracks, I think it’s a safe assumption that the feature will be limited to the tracks already part of the software.

After seeing the same hardware failure bite me, several friends an cause heaps of discontent on the net I'm super-pleased to see us (Microsoft) step up and fix the problem by extending the hardware warranty "for certain general hardware failures which are indicated by three flashing red lights on the console."  Did you already shell out the 130 clams to fix your box?  No worries, Uncle Bill is also going to be issuing refunds for the covered cases (the estimated cost to MS is one billion dollars.  URK!).

I'd agree this should have not taken this long to correct... but I'm glad it's getting sorted in the end.  It makes me happy not just for my own sake (my box broke and I can be a bit of a skin-flint at times) but also for the sake of our company image. 

For more details, check out the Expanded Xbox 360 Warranty Coverage FAQ.

When our 360 went south Paula and I decided that the best course of action was to buy a replacement box instead of waiting for a really long, expensive repair (since it's an American box it has to be shipped to the US for resurrection).  Since we use our Xbox to watch TV we also didn't want to wait the couple months it would likely take.

The idea of a new box was all good and well... but I also have a library of games I like to play (including a copy of Lego Star Wars II we just bought but never got a chance to play).  Gears of War I can buy in the company store for €20... but Lego Star Wars and Ghost Recon were going to run me €60 each.  Crap.

After setting up the replace box I wondered: what happens if I stick the US (NTSC) game disc into my European (PAL) Xbox?

As luck would have it, I was pleasantly surprised.  Like DVDs, video games often have region encoding which prevents a game disc purchased in, for example,  Paris from working on a console purchased in Poughkeepsie.  In the case of the Xbox 360, however, the region lock-out isn't a certainty.  Fortunately for me (and many other gamers) Microsoft adopted the policy of letting publishers decide if their game discs would be region-free.

Not all Xbox 360 titles will work in all regions... but luckily for me my two current faves, GOW and GRAW2, do.  No need to run out and buy replacement copies.  In my quest for an answer as to why my discs worked in my new console I came across a fairly detailed list of region compatibility on Play-Asia.com.  It takes the guesswork out of any future purchases (especially cool since buying games in the US is much cheaper with the strength of the Euro).

Sounds kinda like a country song...

Well, it happened... my decision to not buy an extended warranty on a first revision of a gaming console bit me in the tookus.  You'd think I'd have learned from my experience with my first Xbox (I bought the 2 year warranty... and the box was replaced twice for free).  But, alas, no, I didn't and I'm now left with a $300 doorstop.

After Dick and Trina lost a couple units I could smell the storm coming... but at over a year past purchase date I knew it was way too late.  It crashed a few times in the past month (video froze while using it as a Media Center Extender) and yesterday we got the red ring of death.  Since we're in Ireland now it would cost a chunk of change for the round trip to the US and back for repairs... it's only about $50 cheaper to buy a new box here (with warranty) and we can get it right away.  Oh well... off to buy a European Xbox 360... I wonder if it will have a sexy accent like Gérard Depardieu.

In case you were wondering... my badge holder isn't under warranty either.

Still trying to wrap my head around being back to work (jet lag sucks).  Since I am unable to formulate an intelligent thought, I'll just share this nifty video with you (thanks Jason!):

My current gaming addiction is Gears of War (GOW)... spent almost 4 hours playing it with friends last night (yes, Paula is out of town... aren't you clever to figure that out).

Every time I play I can't help thinking: "Hey, that Cole character sounds totally like Terry Tate."  Well, last night my curiosity finally got the better of me and I looked it up. I was not mistaken.  Agustus Cole in GOW is played by Lester "The Mighty Rasta" Speight, recognized by most as "Terry Tate, Office Linebacker". 

I can't resist the Terry Tate commercials... once I watch one I have to watch them all... over and over and over.  Have a little taste of what Terry's dishin' out.

• Office Linebacker History 
• Vacation
• Sensitivity Training
• Draft Day
• Streaker

 Mike aggregated some wonderful news about a new feature coming to Xbox 360 on November 22nd: video on demand.  HD content will be available for free and for pay to download direct to your hard drive-equipped Xbox 360.

My first thought?  SWEET!  Living in Ireland has a lot of upside but the downside is no NetFlix and no TiVo.  This service is the answer to a huge need.

 
Your 360 is now a great way to watch movies!

Well... it would be the answer to my need if it weren't for the fact that the service will be for US Xboxes only.  I suppose it comes as no surprise given that international copyright law is a deep murky pool... filled with hungry sharks... and with little floaty things edged with razor blades... and all the ladders out are greased... and electrified.

At any rate, Xbox owners back in America: congratulations... [scowl grumble grumble]

Moving from California to a... well... less warm island can make one long for sunnier climates, Mexican food and definitely makes one miss their friends.  Thank goodness for cheap calls via VOIP, friends with blogs and the wonder that is Xbox live.  Last weekend we had a great time playing a very long-distance game of Ghost Recon. Ah... technology... ain't it grand?

I couldn't believe it wasn't just photoshopped when I first hit this page... but there are videos down at the bottom of the page that show it open and running.  Impressive.

For more pictures and to watch the videos go to benheck.com.

I ordered my Xbox 360, and was cheap so I ordered it shipped via ground

moo

I went to Mike, told him to order an Xbox 360.  Go ahead and pick ground, that's what I did.

moo

Mike went to Dick, told him to order an Xbox 360.  We had ours shipped via ground.  Dick did the same... twice.

moo

moo

Now, because none of us were willing to spring for the extra few bucks for two-day delivery we are suffering through the weekend without our new toys.  All of us except Mike, he pawed the ground a bit, dipped his head and charged through the pasture fence.  He scoured the countryside and, after trundling around a china shop called "Best Buy", he found himself a 360 at Costco.

MOO!

At least our herd has a bull now.

Confused?  Read this: Moooooo

"Larry the Cow" artwork created by Matteo 'Peach' Pescarin and shamelessly lifted from the gentoo user forums.

I tell myself I'm working at home today because I had to take my dog to the vet.  My dog needed her teeth cleaned, nails cut and a mole removed.  I dropped her off this morning.  Since then I've been working at home, doing e-mail, making conference calls and obsessively hitting refresh on the FedEX tracking page for my new Xbox 360.

You all think I'm crazy.  All of you, except Mike and Trina.  Well... I don't care what you think!  Just stay away from me... unless you're wearing a purple and orange jumpsuit, in which case I have home-baked cookies for you, please hurry, they're still warm.

I can't seem to get away from it... on the way home from work the DJ on a local FM radio station was talking over some instrumental music... the opening theme music to Halo.  Gah! 

Okay, so maybe I had to play when I got home... just a little.  I blame the radio.

Normally I don't like it when my honey goes out of town… I get lonely and sulky, I don't shave and I eat way more cereal than any human should. 

Tuesday was the release of Halo 2.  Thursday Paula went to New York to attend the bar mitzvah of a good friend's son.  Since she left I haven't shaved, I've bathed infrequently and I've eaten cereal for dinner... but I haven’t been lonely.  Halo 2 is by far the best online game I've ever played, esp. when playing with friends.

Since Paula's been gone I've had my Xbox connected to Xbox Live for most of my waking hours, but when she gets back I'm going to spend much less time online.  But what’s an addict to do?  I can't miss a game.

Now I don't have to.  I've signed up for Xbox to send me either an IM if I'm signed into MSN Messenger or to send a message to my cell phone if I'm away or offline.  I never have to worry about missing a game again!

The easy way to find the sign up is to sign into MSN Messenger (Windows Messenger won't work) and click the Xbox tab.  Once the Xbox tab loads click the Live tab and look to the bottom of the frame for the "Add Xbox Live Alerts" link.  Follow the instructions and you're golden.  Note: you will need to associate your messenger account (Microsoft .Net Passport) with your live gamer tag in order to get this working, but after you've gone through the effort you'll be able to see who's online and what they're playing right from MSN Messenger (pretty cool, huh?).  Oh, if you've turned off the tabs in options, go turn them back on again (I won't tell you how, you figured out how to turn them off, after all).

Now... if I can just find a clever way to distract my wife for hours on end...

Okay, now for some seriously geeky stuff... a video of someone beating Mario 3... in 11 minutes!