GTG

Does this sound familiar? You are sitting at your computer, most likely at work or school and you check out Xbox.com (I won't tell, or will I? MUAHAHA), to see what new content is up on Marketplace. Maybe you see a new Theme you want to download, or notice that the map pack you’ve been waiting for has finally arrived.

So, you sit there and let the profanity fly (hopefully in your head) because there's nothing you can do, but wait until you get home. Those sexy Gamerpics, movies and additional levels just sit there and mock you saying, ‘I know you want me, but you’ll have to wait to queue me up for the download.’

Guess what? Not anymore.

Once the New Xbox Experience launches you will be able to browse Xbox LIVE Marketplace on your PC (even using text search) – and if you see something you like, you can add it to your queue and even purchase it right there and then. As soon as you get back home to your Xbox 360 and turn it on, the content will begin to download. Think about it – by the time you finish getting out of your shirt and tie, or skirt, or pajamas, or pink fuzzy bunny outfit, you will have a new Xbox LIVE Arcade game to play or a new TV show to watch.

Check out the screens of Xbox LIVE Marketplace on the Web, coming November 19 when the New Xbox Experience launches.

As always, click on any of the photos for a larger version or visit our flickr set.

Search Results for "Halo":

Game Detail Page:

Purchase Confirmation:

Download Queue:

Customizing the appearance of your Windows installation can be frustrating, because both Windows XP and Vista are limited to the Microsoft's default themes out of the box. However, with a bit of tweaking under the hood, your Windows setup can try on a wider range of looks than come pre-installed. Let's take a look at how to patch your Windows installation to allow customized styles, and a few places to find new and interesting styles online.

Vocabulary and Methods

When talking about the physical appearance of Windows there are two terms that are distinct but often used incorrectly in place of each other. Visual styles, which have the .msstyles file extension, are the files which supp;y all the information about how the interfaces within Windows should look. The toolbar skin, start button skin, borders, buttons, etc. are all stored in the visual style. Themes contain a visual style along with additional settings such as icons, wallpaper, etc. Later, when browsing for goodies, keep in mind that a theme pack will have further customization than a visual style pack.

Throughout the tutorial you'll need to be able to access the menu within Windows where you can chane your themes and visual styles. The following screenshots are from Windows XP but the essential menus are nearly identical in function in Vista, too. For reference, here is how to access both:

XP: Right-click Desktop -> Properties -> Themes Tab (or Appearance Tab for Styles)

Vista: Right-click Desktop - > Personalize -> Themes

First, Back Up Your Current Theme For Safe Keeping

Although you'll most likely find a new style that you really enjoy, on the off chance that you don't, make a backup of your current theme for you to restore later if necessary. Backing up only takes a moment and will allow you put things back exactly as they were before you started customizing, right down to the wallpaper. From within the Themes tab click Save As and name your theme whatever you'd like. Save it in a safe place.

Second, Patch Your Windows Install

Patching your system for themes allows you to use non-Microsoft approved visual styles. At the very root you're simply replacing the Uxtheme.dll with a modified version that doesn't verify if the style has been signed by Microsoft. It used to be that patching your Windows installation was a hassle, a small one, but a hassle nonetheless. Now both Windows XP and Vista have patching programs available that make it no more hassle than clicking a button and rebooting. There are various programs that can do what the free patches do with some additional functionality thrown in, but they are hardly worth the $20 and up fees they command.

For Windows XP, download the Uxtheme Multi-Patcher. Run the file, click through the prompts and reboot.

For Windows Vista, download VistaGlazz. Run the file, click through the prompts and reboot.

Both patching programs will allow you to reverse the process should anything go wrong by simply running the program again. (However, I've been patching Windows installs for years without a hitch.)

Finally, Download and Install Custom, Third Party Styles

The best way to verify if your patch job has been successful is to browse some of the great repositories of visual styles and select a few to try out. Below are some samples of the most popular styles at DeviantArt.com. Before you begin downloading through, a quick overview of where the files go is in order.

If a style pack is zipped up properly then installing it is as simple as unzipping the files into the C:\Windows\Resources\Themes directory. Check when you open the zip file if the files have nested directories. If you install a visual style or theme and something is amiss, check the following list to ensure the files ended up in the right place:

• .Theme files must be in the /Themes/ folder, not within any subfolders.
• .MSStyles files must be in their own sub-folders. If the style name is NewStyle.msstyles, then sub folder in /Themes/ must be /Themes/NewStyle/
• If your style pack came with a shellstyle.dll, that also goes within it's own subfolder, i.e. /Themes/NewStyle/shell/
• If you have any problem with loading a style or theme, go back and double check for spelling and capitalization. The names are case sensitive. If a file has a combination of upper and lower case letters, the folder name you place it in must be spelled exactly the same.

Now let's take a look at some popular third-party visual styles in action.

Luna Element 5.0.5 by tornado5

Pristine OS 1.2 by MohsinNaqi

Sentinel Beta - 1 by chaninja

For more visual styles, check out the following resources:

• Deviant Art - Windows Vista Styles / Windows XP Styles
• ThemeXP - Most Popular XP Styles

If you have a little bit more time and would like to grab a theme hot off the press, check out the active forums where style designers throw up their newest work:

• JoeJoe.org - Vista Visual Styles / XP Visual Styles
• NeoWin - Vista Visual Styles / XP Visual Styles

What's your favorite Windows theme? Tell us about it in the comments—or show off your customized Windows in the Lifehacker Desktop Show and Tell Flickr group.

The Pooch Pamperer
Play fetch with your dog, or see another Hero's dog play.
5

The Archaeologist
Dig up something the dog has discovered, or see another Hero do so.
5

The Dog Trainer
Teach your dog a trick, or see another Hero's dog learn one.
5

The Persuader
Convince a villager to give you a present, or see another Hero do so.
5

The Show-off
Impress a villager with a perfect expression, or see another Hero do so.
10

The Romantic
Take a villager on a perfect date, or tag along to one. Location and expressions are all-important.
10

The Spouse
Marry a villager, or attend the wedding of another Hero.
10

The Parent
Have a child, or be there for the birth of another Hero's child.
10

The Hunter
Kill a sweet, innocent, fluffy bunny rabbit (remember, safety's off!)
5

The Gargoyle
Find the gargoyles' legendary treasure.
25

The Chicken Kicker
Kick a chicken a good distance, or see one getting kicked.
5

The Cliff Diver
Cliff dive 500 feet, or see another Hero do so.
10

The Workhorse
A Hero must achieve a high-enough chain while performing a job.
10

The Hero of Many Names
Change your Hero's title, or see another Hero change theirs.
5

The Teaser
Make bandits respond to expressions with fear, anger, mirth, and confusion... during combat!
5

The Property Magnate
A property must be sold for twice the price it was bought for.
10

The Rogue
Steal something undetected from a building while there are people nearby, or see another Hero do so.
5

The Illustrated Hero
Tattoo every part of your Hero's body, or see another Hero do so.
5

The Executioner
Sacrifice ten people in the Temple of Shadows, or see another Hero do so.
10

The Gambler
A Hero must win 500 gold at a pub game in one sitting, having tried each game type at least once.
10

The Bigamist
Get married a second time, whilst already married, or attend the second wedding of another Hero.
10

The Swinger
Take part in a debauched bedroom party with several participants.
5

The Pied Piper
Start a party where at least five villagers are dancing, or see another Hero do so.
10

The Party Animal
Get five villagers drunk in under three minutes, or see another Hero do so.
10

The Menace To Society
Commit an act of public indecency, or see another Hero commit one.
5

The Black Knight
Shoot the weapons from a hollow man's hands, blow off his head and then kill him for good!
10

The Duellist
String together a full-speed chain attack, or see another Hero do so.
10

The Sharpshooter
Hit three enemies with one shot, or see another Hero do so.
10

The Archmage
A Hero must kill five human enemies with one spell.
10

The Ruler of Albion
Amass a 2.5 million gold real estate empire, or be there when another Hero does.
100

The Hoarder
Collect every silver key, or see another Hero do so.
25

The Goth
A Hero must dye their hair black, and wear a black outfit and black makeup.
5

The Completionist
Get all expressions, pet tricks and abilities, or see another Hero do so.
50

The Paragon
Reach 100% good or evil, or see another Hero do so.
15

The Extremist
Reach 100% purity or corruption, or see another Hero do so.
15

The Celebrity
Reach 50,000 renown, or see another Hero do so.
50

The Artisan/td>
Succeed at one job to Level 5, or see another Hero do so.
10

The Dollcatcher
Collect all the Hero dolls, or see another Hero collect them.
10

Inspire the Bard to compose songs celebrating your great deeds.
5

The Companions
Perform a perfect co-op expression.
10

The Double Threat
Get a co-op combat bonus.
10

The Philanthropist
Send a gift to an Xbox LIVE friend, or watch another Hero send one.
10

The Whippersnapper
A child Hero must collect five gold pieces.
25

The New Hero
The terror of Bower Lake must be defeated.
50

The Hero of Strength
Complete The Hero of Strength.
100

The Hero of Will
Complete The Hero of Will.
100

The Hero of Skill
Complete The Hero of Skill.
100

The Sacrifice
A Hero must choose 'The Needs of the Many'.
25

The Family
A Hero must choose 'The Needs of The Few'.
25

The Egomaniac
A Hero must choose 'The Needs of the One'.
100

8:02 AM, September 17, 2008

Adhering to an old saying -- "If it's too good to be true, it probably is" -- might have saved money and prevented headaches for hundreds of people who are unhappy with websites claiming to offer irresistibly priced video game systems.

The premise was innocent enough: a factory-refurbished Wii for $19.99, or an Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 -- including a one-year warranty and free shipping -- for $34.99. That's  less than the price of a game remote.They were offered on several related websites, such as PS3-Bargains.com (pictured above) and RefurbishedWiis.com. The websites' lists of frequently asked questions say the "slightly worn" systems are offered at such a low price — more than $150 less than anywhere else — because the site gets paid by sponsors "for every survey you fill out."

But customers are complaining that although their credit cards were billed, they never received the game consoles, let alone any surveys to complete.

According to analyst Aaron Naternicola of the Internet Crime Complaint Center (a collaboration among the FBI, the National White Collar Crime Center and the Bureau of Justice Assistance), 18 related websites have generated hundreds of complaints about unfulfilled game console orders, and  four other  websites -- apparently connected to the first group -- generated more than two dozen complaints about software related to the World of Warcraft game that didn't work as promised. (The 22 websites are listed after the jump.) Efforts by The Times to reach the proprietors behind the websites were unsuccessful.

As of Tuesday morning, the IC3 had received 324 complaints from consumers about the game console websites since August 2007, which the IC3 says amounts to about $17,100 in lost money. The magnitude is rare, reaching a level hit by only a dozen or so  cases a year, Naternicola said in an e-mail.

"Any time you have double-digit complaints, that's considered more than just noteworthy," said Craig Butterworth, spokesman for the National White Collar Crime Center. "The higher those numbers go up, the more serious it becomes."

The Better Business Bureau also has received a series of complaints claiming "delivery issues." (A spokeswoman said the bureau doesn't disclose the specifics until after cases have been resolved.)

Thanks to Better Business Bureau reports, the IC3 was able to draw connections among ...

... the 22 websites, which are advertised through Google AdWords, from patterns in names, addresses and e-mail handles, Naternicola said.

The IC3 fielded eight complaints last year and 18 more in the first half of this year against sites related to the $24.99 World of Warcraft Gold Duplicator. The sites pitching the software, which buyers complained didn't do what it claimed to do, were advertised in the Warcraft world by characters who would spam in-game chat rooms.

Then in July, grievances about undelivered game systems began rolling into the IC3 with more frequency. Just last month, the group of sites attracted 215 complaints.

Irate buyers congregated on Internet message boards, attempting to have the sites shut down and calling for legal action. "I was tricked," a user who went by the name hatesbeingrippedoff wrote on a forum on 419Legal.org. "This is a total fraud and I hope we can get a class action lawsuit." Many said they were concerned about identity theft and canceled their credit cards. "Although it's just $35, that doesn't mean he's not going to use all the credit card information he's acquired so far for his dirty little self," wrote a user posting under the name NessaLee.

Although the federal agencies aren't saying who they think is behind the offers, the websites appear to be based in Pensacola, Fla., and Atlanta, according to investigations by The Times, Internet message boards and an anonymous sleuth. Accounts registered with fake names and periodic expirations of domain names have helped conceal the sites' proprietorship.

One unlikely target of citizen investigators: a Catholic-goods reseller who says he has nothing to do with the case. Amateur sleuths discovered that, on its FAQs page, the Online Catholic Store lists the same phone number that's on the refurbished console sites (it lists a different number on its contact page). The number sends callers to a voice-mail box for a company calling itself Consoles for Less.

Ken Fabrick, owner of the Catholic-goods website, said he had previously registered the toll-free number with Internet calling service Vonage but no longer owned it. He said he had forgotten to update his site's FAQs page with the current phone number. When asked about the game console websites, he said, "We're not associated with them at all."

A Vonage spokesman said he couldn't disclose information about who currently owned the account because of federal privacy laws but said, "It's ours, and it's active."

Butterworth says the IC3 is  assisting authorities with an investigation, and Vonage says it will fully cooperate with a government subpoena if one is filed.

-- Mark Milian

Sites that users have accused of not delivering game consoles and World of Warcraft software, according to the IC3:

consolesforless.com
consoles4less.com
gaming-plugins.com
gaming-strategies.com
refurbishedxbox360.com
1cheapps3.com
35dollarxbox360.com
360sforcheap.com
buyaxbox360online.com
buyxbox360s.com
cheapestplaystation3.com
cheapestwii.com
getacheap360.com
ps3-bargains.com
refurbishedxbox360s.com
refurbishedwiis.com
waycheap360.com
wiisforless.com
powerleveling-wow.com
wow-powerleveling.com
wow-advantage.com
wow-toolbox.com