Ballmer: Mod chips threaten Xbox
News Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer said the company may pull its Xbox game console from the Australian market because of a court decision that legitimises "mod chips" for hackers, an Australian newspaper has reported.
[October 22, 2002, 7:49]
New Xbox security cracked by Linux fans
News The newer units, which began to arrive on store shelves about three weeks ago, made obsolete the 'mod chips' used to run unauthorised software on the Xbox. The Xbox Linux group that Green works with, along with a group working for the mod chip...
[October 14, 2002, 16:26]
Microsoft changes Xbox configuration
News The newly configured units were first spotted in Australia, where Xbox hackers spotted slight changes to the main circuit board that will probably make it impossible to use current "mod chips" -- add-ons that bypass security measures built into...
[September 24, 2002, 7:17]
Australians make Xbox hack freely available
News The company has changed the configuration of the Xbox, tweaked the Xbox Live online service, and cooperated in court with rival console makers to thwart mod chips. An Australian company that manufactures and sells a "mod chip" for Microsoft's Xbox...
[June 25, 2003, 14:27]
'Mod' squad hacks away at Xbox
News The Xbox mod chips also allow hackers to run PC-flavoured software on the console, including a media player already in circulation. While the mod chips permit the use of bootleg copies of Xbox games, analysts have said they pose little threat to...
[June 19, 2002, 8:38]
Microsoft takes out Xbox hacker
News Hackers have latched on to mod chips as a conduit for running homemade software on the Xbox, leading to development of programs such as an Xbox version of the Linux operating system. The company reconfigured the Xbox's innards partly to deter...
[October 3, 2002, 14:05]
Microsoft to target Xbox hackers
News Xbox hackers seemed unconcerned with the potential for online snooping, saying current and upcoming mod chips offer a number of safeguards, including on/off switches and built-in software (firmware) that can be easily modified to bypass any new...
[September 6, 2002, 13:26]
Feds hijack illicit sites
News Some hackers have seized on mod chips as a vehicle to run Linux on the Xbox. David Rocci, 22, pleaded guilty in December to using his site to sell "mod" chips that let Microsoft Xbox and Sony PlayStation owners modify their devices so they can use...
[February 27, 2003, 11:18]
Lindows chief funds Xbox hack
News To date, hackers wanting to run unauthorized software on the Xbox have needed a console outfitted with a "mod chip," gray-market add-ons that defeat security measures built into the machine. Running software without a mod chip could require hackers...
[January 3, 2003, 7:49]
Xbox mod chip delivers 'homebrew software'
News Three other Xbox mod chips are also in development. Most of the mod chips promise similar functions based on disabling copy-protection features built into the Xbox. For starters, using the mod chips requires disassembling the Xbox case and affixing...
[May 29, 2002, 14:34]
Black-market tool for Xbox mod squad
News Another "mod chip" that allows Microsoft's Xbox video game console to play copied games has entered the market, despite renewed legal efforts to thwart such chips. A Microsoft representative said Xbox Live would not include specific diagnostics to...
[August 8, 2002, 13:55]
Linux for Xbox released
News To run, the homebrew software requires an Xbox outfitted with a "mod chip," a gray-market add-on that typically has to be soldered to the Xbox's main circuit board. Besides a mod chip, the Xbox version of Linux also requires a USB keyboard and...
[October 9, 2002, 10:45]
Distributed computing project takes on Xbox security
News Microsoft has vigorously defended the Xbox against possible security threats, employing a variety of legal, technical and other measures to defeat "mod chips," gray-market add-ons that allow the consoles to run unauthorised software and copied discs.
[January 7, 2003, 10:39]
Xbox mod chip discontinued
News While mod chips allow illegally copied games to run on the Xbox, hackers say their interests fall on the right side of the law. One of the companies making Xbox "mod chips" -- add-on components that modify the game machine so it can run illegally...
[June 27, 2002, 8:36]
Xbox crackdown frustrates customers
News Hackers have latched on to mod chips as a conduit for running homemade software on the Xbox, leading to development of programs such as an Xbox version of the Linux operating system. The company reconfigured the Xbox's innards partly to deter...
[October 10, 2002, 7:37]
Xbox Linux group seeks Microsoft seal of approval
News Currently, an Xbox must be outfitted with a "mod chip" -- a gray-market add-on that overrides security features in the console -- to run Linux or any other unapproved software. Hackers have been tinkering with the Xbox since the day it went on the...
[February 20, 2003, 11:30]
