Xbox.com getting Metro UI ahead of Xbox Live dashboard update

Microsoft will be making some changes to Xbox.com in the coming days in anticipation of the next Xbox 360 dashboard update. The familiar “My Xbox” section will be replaced by a forward-thinking “Social” area, complete with Metro UI styling.

Social builds on the current My Xbox by allowing you to see more detailed information regarding what your friends are doing. One new feature is called Beacons which lets you to mark games you wish to play with others on your friends list.

Your friends will see the Beacon and can decide if they also want to play the game, rather than you having to send multiple game invites or arrange playing together through traditional means. You can have up to three Beacons active at a time and you can optionally add a description to each one indicating things like what time you want to play or what game mode you are interested in.

Social will also display links to Xbox LIVE events, preview articles, new video and game releases, Gamer Spotlight and more. Quick links on the left of the Social screen show you things like how many friends are online and how many messages you have. Below your avatar are links to common tasks like redeeming codes and adding Microsoft Points.

Xbox.com users will also be able to search the Zune catalog and buy television shows and movies directly from the web browser.

A leaked internal email sent to PayPal employees in September revealed that Microsoft is planning to launch thenew Xbox dashboard on November 15, marking the 10-year anniversary of the original Xbox launch in 2001.

Verizon doubles 4G LTE data cap ahead of Droid Razr launch

Verizon has launched promotion that will substantially boost the bandwidth cap imposed on its 4G customers. Starting today (November 8 for the calendar-impaired), the carrier is doubling its allowable consumption of wireless traffic without charging extra. Subscribers who pay $30 for 2GB of bandwidth will receive 4GB per month, $50 will get you 10GB instead of 5GB and folks that cough up $80 will be afforded 20GB instead of 10GB.

There doesn't seem to be any catches, though existing 4G customers will have to specifically request the increase whereas new customers will receive the higher limits outright. It's unlikely that this promotion will last forever. In other words, you'll only have a limited opportunity to request the higher caps. However, once applied, the change will last for the lifetime of your account according to a Verizon representative speaking withRootzWiki.

It's by no coincidence that Verizon's latest 4G marketing efforts kick off only three days before it's expected to launch the hotly-anticipated Motorola Droid Razr. Based on early reviews and hands-on impressions, the handset is poised to be among the finest to date. It boasts a 7.1mm, 4.48oz body crafted from stainless steel and Kevlar, a 4.3-inch display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass, a 1.2GHz dual-core TI OMAP4 processor, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, an 8MP camera, as well as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, microSD, USB and HDMI connectivity.

The Droid Razr officially launches this Friday, November 11, but it's been available for preorder since late last month. Pricing is set at $299 with a two-year contract. Shortly after the Razr's arrival, Verzion will add the HTC Rezound and Samsung Galaxy Nexus to its 4G LTE offerings. The lineup currently includes the Motorola Droid Bionic, Samsung Stratosphere and Droid Charge, LG Revolution, Pantech Breakout, and HTC Thunderbolt. Oursmartphone guide was recently updated if you're looking for a more conclusive rundown of today's most popular handsets.

Intel tweaks netbook hardware restrictions ahead of Cedar Trail

Intel plans to adjust its next-generation netbook hardware requirements, according to Fudzilla. The chipmaker has long enforced certain hardware restrictions for mini-notebooks to ensure small, Atom-powered notebooks remained in aseparate class from their full-sized counterparts -- both in terms of price and performance.

Those limitations are why it's always been tough to find a netbook with unique features -- most are outfitted with a 10.1-inch display, an Atom processor, 1GB or 2GB of DDR3 1066 RAM, and 160GB through 320GB of storage. You can find the occasional 11.6 or 12.1-inch model today, but the rest of the specs are still identical.

Intel reportedly plans to tweak those restrictions when its Cedar Trail platform arrives in the second half of this year. Netbooks armed with the dual-core 1.86GHz Atom N2800 (6.5W TDP) processor will be allowed to feature up to 4GB of DDR3 memory, though the 1.6GHz N2600 (3.5W TDP) will still be limited to 2GB of RAM.

Manufacturers will be limited to display sizes from 7 to 12.1 inches and 4 to 6-cell batteries. Intel will recommend a 32GB solid state drive or a 250GB hard drive preloaded with Windows 7 Starter/Home Basic, MeeGo or Chrome OS -- when that's released, anyway. Recommended pricing will range from $329 to $399.

The Cedar Trail platform in itself will bring another layer of functionality to netbooks. The graphics core inside Cedarview processors will support DirectX 10.1, Blu-ray playback, and dual-display output via HDMI and DisplayPort. Other noteworthy features include Intel Wireless Music, Wireless Display, PC Synch, and Fast Boot.

Fudzilla didn't cite sources, but noted that the changes are likely in response to tablets. Consumers are increasingly adopting slates as their mobile companion device and that has dipped into netbook sales -- though precisely how much is debated among experts. Microsoft recently said netbook sales fell 40% on-year.