LIVEdigitally

So there’s no shortage of Xbox 360 content out there since the console’s launch on November 22, but I wanted to give a shout out to the fellas at ArsTechnica; they put together a superb review of Microsoft’s latest gaming console, addressing many of the questions mulling around in the heads of us who weren’t part of mob scene out last week.

Aside from the spate of media coverage surrounding unit problems (crashing, not connecting to Xbox Live, etc.), the piece hits a number of important points any prospective buyer should consider. I know I’m on the fence for several reasons; you should definitely check it out. Some points:

• The role of the HD display – if you don’t have a fancy screen you won’t come close to experiencing the console’s potential.

• Xbox Live is a great, intuitive, stable (eventually!) service. Offering cheap online games is a major plus. There are negatives, however, like being kicked out of games when live disconnects (even if you’re not playing a network game).

• Overheating is a serious concern. Just look at the power brick. Give the thing plenty of ventilation.

• Launch library – decent but not groundbreaking. Project Gotham Racing & Call of Duty 2 are two of the best.

• Backwards compatibility – this is something of a toss-up as the console gets more time in the wild. Currently MS lists 200 games as backward compatible.

Conclusions? Check ‘em right here.

These specialists estimate that 6 percent to 10 percent of the approximately 189 million Internet users in this country have a dependency that can be as destructive as alcoholism and drug addiction, and they are rushing to treat it. Yet some in the field remain skeptical that heavy use of the Internet qualifies as a legitimate addiction, and one academic expert called it a fad illness.

Skeptics argue that even obsessive Internet use does not exact the same toll on health or family life as conventionally recognized addictions. But, mental health professionals who support the diagnosis of Internet addiction say, a majority of obsessive users are online to further addictions to gambling or pornography or have become much more dependent on those vices because of their prevalence on the Internet.

But other users have a broader dependency and spend hours online each day, surfing the Web, trading stocks, instant messaging or blogging, and a fast-rising number are becoming addicted to Internet video games

Here at Live Digitally, we’re definitely hooked!
From Doc To Doc.