XBOX 3600

The Xbox 360 represents a significant step forward in gaming and home media integration. The Atari 2600 was major step in gaming and home entertainment, so it seems appropriate that Seth Fogie modded his Xbox 360 to fit inside a 2600 case to create the Atari-Xbox 3600. This article shows you how he did it.

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Late in November of 2005 Microsoft released the Xbox 360. Even before the specifications on the system were made public knowledge, people were touting the 360 as a redefining moment in console system history. While the validity of these statements has yet to be realized, one can not argue that the latest Xbox really does pack quite a punch. Not only is the gaming experience unrivaled, but this $300 toy smoothly integrates with networked computers and USB media devices to create an entertainment center that is hard to beat dollar-for-feature.
When looking back in history, there are only a few other times that gaming history was so greatly impacted. The Nintendo is one. The PSP is another. But what really sparked the gaming industry was the Atari. In fact, as one Forbes article points out, the "The best gaming platform of all times is undoubtedly the Atari 2600." While humanity has little chance is reliving the days when Pac Man was made a household term, we can attempt to recreate a little nostalgia by recycling some of those Atari parts for the ultimate modification. Yes, we did the unthinkable... an Atari 2600 case mod for the Xbox 360. The following outlines what we did, how we did it, and of course provides you with the end result — the worlds first Atari-Xbox 3600.

The Parts/Tools

This short section will outline the tools/parts I used and some of the reasons why they were used. If you decide to undertake this project, your collection of tools might vary a bit.

Dremel

This project was not going to be a simple steal and swap. After looking at the untouched Atari shell, it was obvious I was going to have to do some significant rework. The best kind of tool for this type of work is a Dremel, which is basically a hand held electric rotary device that supports a whole host of attachments. For this project, I heavily used a 1.25 inch cutting wheel, 1 inch grinding wheel, and ¼ inch drill head.

Nylon bolts/nuts

When dealing with electronics, it is essential to provide a static free environment. A simple touch to the wrong part of a circuit board can brick most anything. Therefore, I am a big fan of nylon screws. Not only are they static proof, but they also are flexible enough to make up for slight mistakes (i.e. they bend). I used them to raise the motherboard off the plastic Atari case and to attach parts of the case to each other.

Fans

I choose to use third party fans for two reasons. One, the original Xbox 360 fan is a large contraption that contains both fans in an inseparable mold. After a brief look at the size of the Atari case, I determined the added flexibility of two or more single fans would be helpful. To make this possible, I would need a four pin square power connector (P4 power connector) that could be spliced into the DC fan leads. I would also need the tools and parts needed to connect the wires safely and securely. You can buy a Molex to P4 power adapter at most computer shops or online and cut off the Molex end for all your own fan needs.

Velcro

Velcro is one of the worlds greatest inventions. When ever you need to connect two items together, but don't want to make it permanent, Velcro is the answer.

Collection of Tools

Pliers, screw drivers(large and small), file, crimper, wire cutters, scissors, Torx T8 and T10 driver, and a pick.

River Ridge Middle School, ‘Play 60 Challenge’ winner, to visit Lambeau Field

More than 2,000 students racked up 6.85 million minutes during challenge

River Ridge Middle School (Bloomington, Wis.), as winners of the ‘Play 60 Challenge,’ a physical fitness program from the Green Bay Packers, American Heart Association, Bellin Health and WPS Health Insurance will receive an all expense paid trip to Lambeau Field and $700 in gift certificates to purchase new gym equipment.
More than 2,000 middle school students at 11 Wisconsin schools logged 6.85 million minutes during the challenge which took place in February and March.
River Ridge led the way with an average of 5,206.44 minutes per student, which worked out to 186 minutes per day. The rest of the top four schools were Iowa-Grant Schools, Livingston (4550.75 minutes per student/162 minutes a day); West De Pere Middle School, De Pere (4463.16/159); and Milwaukee Jewish Day School, Milwaukee (4166.72/149).
Each of the four schools received gift certificates to be spent on physical education equipment, with the winner, River Ridge, receiving the all-expenses paid trip to Lambeau Field.
Overall, the students averaged 125 minutes per day, more than double the goal of the NFL's Play 60 program, a youth health and fitness campaign focused on making the next generation of kids the most active and healthy.
The six-week program challenged the students to get active and play for at least 60 minutes each day, with the activities able to be broken up and performed either in or out of school. The students tracked their daily totals on classroom scoreboards. Some schools had a competition between participating grades and the winning classes received prizes. Other schools had teachers join the challenge and compete against the students.
The other Wisconsin schools that participated were Brillion Middle School, Brillion; Darrell Lynn Hines Schools, Milwaukee; Frank Allis & Nuestro Mundo Schools, Madison; Oak Creek Middle School, Oak Creek; St. John the Baptist Catholic School, Plymouth; St. Paul Lutheran School, Bonduel; and TJ Walker Middle School, Sturgeon Bay.
Participating schools received teacher guides and student planners, as well as a Play 60 Challenge T-Shirt.
More information on the ‘Play 60 Challenge’ can be found online at http://www.packers.com/community/community-programs/play-60-challenge.html.
The program supports the NFL’s Play 60 program. More than 160 Wisconsin schools have participated in Play 60 programs since 2007.

AirPrint. Print everything wirelessly.

Print your email, photos, web pages, and documents right from your iPad over Wi-Fi.⁸ There’s no software to download, no drivers to install, and no cables to connect. With just a few taps, you can go from viewing something on the iPad screen to holding a printed copy.

AirPlay.
Your movie-photo-music stream.

All the great stuff on your iPad — your music, photos, and video — can now stream wirelessly to your HDTV and speakers via AirPlay-enabled speakers or Apple TV on a Wi-Fi network.⁷ With just a tap on the AirPlay icon, blast some tunes, have a movie night, show off some photos, or watch YouTube. And go big.

Video mirroring.
What you do is what they see.

Video mirroring is new for iPad and for every app, web page, presentation, video, movie, or photo you want to show a big audience. Just plug in the Apple Digital AV Adapter or Apple VGA Adapter (sold separately) and your HDTV or projector becomes a bigger version of your iPad. One plug, that’s it. Everyone sees what’s on your display — even when you rotate iPad from portrait to landscape or zoom in and out on photos.

Gyro, accelerometer, and compass.
iPad knows your every move.

With the built-in accelerometer, you can rotate iPad to portrait or landscape, or even upside down, and whatever you’re watching, reading, or seeing adjusts to fit the display. And now the accelerometer, three-axis gyroscope, and compass all work together. They sense which direction iPad is heading and how it’s moving. So games, maps, and other apps know your every twist, turn, tilt, and 360. It’s an epic win for gaming. And it’s just the beginning of better-than-ever iPad apps.

Wi-Fi and 3G.
Two great ways to stay connected.

Every iPad is built with advanced 802.11n wireless technology. It automatically finds Wi-Fi networks, which you can join with a few taps. iPad is also available with 3G connectivity on either AT&T or Verizon Wireless networks. So if you’re somewhere without Wi-Fi, such as outdoors on a camping trip or on the road, you can still surf the web, check email, or get directions.

Instant On.
The fun starts fast.

Pick up your iPad, press the Home button, and it wakes from sleep instantly. That’s because iPad features fast, efficient, and reliable flash storage that lets you access data quickly. So everything effortlessly springs to life.