xbox-live-anywhere posts (Subscribe to this feed)

If you like the idea of the 360 Live iPhone app, which allows you to sign into your Xbox Live account and manage it on the go, you'd better drop your two dollars into the App Store (link) right now. Creator Xavier Larrea has informed us that, unsurprisingly, Microsoft has asked Apple to remove the program, citing the non-commercial usage restriction -- in other words, the company isn't happy about the app's not-free cost.

Larrea is complying with the request (meaning that it's on the way out), but notes that the app will continue to work for those who have already downloaded it.

A new iPhone application entering the crowded marketplace allows all Xbox Live addicts the ability to connect to their account and do pretty much everything you can think of. Bad news: it isn't free. The $1.99 app, called 360 Live, lets you sign into your account, browse and respond to friend requests, check messages and even creep your friend's Gamercard on the go.

But, before you slap your $2 on the table, we'd recommend you wait for Microsoft to respond to the app's list price. In August 2008, Microsoft mandated that all Xbox Live-related applications be free. So, it may just be a matter of time before the 360 Live app drops to the easy-to-swallow price of free.

If there is one harsh reality we've learned at X3F, it has to be that more people own a Zune (and care about Album Art) than we thought. While both on a market for quite some time, Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Zune do not offer any special functionality when working together but MS is taking steps to introduce both devices to each other -- if a recent job posting is to be believed.

According to CNET, Microsoft is looking to add a "User experience designer" to its Zune group who will focus on the Zune user interface, Zune PC application -- used to access the Zune Marketplace -- and a Zune Xbox application. No details are listed but speculation is it could be that Microsoft is developing an application that will allow users to download, manage and transfer content from one device to another. Anything is possible with the NXE and what Microsoft calls, a much easier interface to roll out extension services to. At this point we'd settle for a little "Xbox Live Anywhere" love we were promised years ago.

[Via Engadget]

We haven't heard news such as this since the last time Microsoft was showing off the so far poorly executed Live Anywhere. Beginning Monday, the Japanese phone service provider NTT DoCoMo will allow its users to pay for MSpoints or a Gold Subscription right from their phone. Any purchases made via the "DoCoMo Mobile Payment Service" are charged to the phone bill, thus bypassing any form of credit card information going to MS. While a move such as this isn't exactly out of character for a company, we have to wonder about the practicality of it for the masses.

The most useful situation would be if you were the type of player who uses point cards and doesn't have any CC info associated with their Gamertag. Buying points via phone could save a trip to the store AND keep the evil empire away from your bank info. However, if this comes to the US we foresee many, many XBL brats using their phones to avoid bugging mom and dad for their credit cards ....

When it was announced in 2006, Xbox Live Anywhere was the vision of the Live platform we'd all expect to be immersed in by the time Sony and Nintendo had entered the next-gen market. Two years later a community, who grew tired of waiting for mobile Live awareness, has taken the platform under their wing.

The team at 1337pwn have recently released a set of widgets for the iPhone and iPod Touch family along with widgets for Palm and Blackberry devices that meet almost every expectation of Microsoft's original Live Anywhere platform (save for playing games). More than just a static gamercard, the Xbox Live Friends List Widget allows users to view the online status and gamerscore of any users inputted into the system while allowing users to send messages via Xbox.com by clicking into any listed gamercard. While the widget has been available for MacOS and select internet browsers for sometime, the inclusion of mobile widgets for this high-quality community creation is already a step ahead of Microsoft. Now, if they could only tackle a Smart Phone (Windows Mobile) version we'd be happy!

[Thanks, borocouncilman]