The king of Xbox modding is back. Ben Heckendorn has released the latest incarnation of his portable Xbox 360. The new Xbox 360 portable revision 5 has a similar look to previous models but now comes with a Jasper motherboard, built-in ethernet port, digital pushbutton volume control and many other additional features.

Well if you don't have strong legs to kick out a beat on Guitar Hero's drum pedals, Ben Heckendorn (Ben Hecks) has another mod to make life easier for you. Taking a GH: World Tour drum kit's kick pedal, he modified it into something that allows you to simply blow on a tube to register bass kicks. He did this mod as a request from someone who uses a wheelchair.

Benheck is back with his latest creation - the portable Xbox 360, now in a tough Pelican case to protect the console from bumps and bruises! The best part is, it's up for grabs! It's a beauty, this one, so you might wanna check the details inside to see how you can get your hands on it.

Fancy taking your Xbox 360 for a ride? Well, it's more possible now with a mod like this. Given you have a power outlet to plug into, of course. Here we have an Xbox 360 mod that's got a built-in 7" LCD screen on the side of the console and USB speakers. Heck, it's even got a Halo 3 logo.

If your strumming hand for Guitar Hero is becoming a bit worse for wear, then good news: Ben Heck, modder of all that is next-gen, has come up with a way to make your foot do all the work instead. Introducing Ben Heckendorn's own brand of pedal controllers, a peripheral that lets you strum and whammy with the merest movement of your foot. All the details in the full article.

Console modder Ben Heckendorn's apparently decided to do a retake of one of his one-handed Xbox 360 controller from 2006. The new build sports some particularly handy features that should make it easier to use. Details regarding this mod project are in the full article.

Wondering what Ben Heck has been up to lately? The modder recently announced that he's finished work on a Halo 3-themed laptop version of Microsoft's Xbox 360 Elite. This new project hosts far more than just a shiny new skin - you can view the other changes in the full article.

Microsoft's been under a lot of heat because of the Xbox 360 overheating issue (pun intended). To address this, Microsoft came out with Project Falcon, a new Xbox 360 model sporting the 65nm chip, which will offer a significant reduction in heat. Ben Heck, modder extraordinaire, got the new Falcon model Xbox 360 and tested it against the older Zephyr model in a laptop-type environment. He found that the Falcon runs much cooler than the Zephyr. Details in the full article.

  

Just got yourself an Xbox 360, and want to check if your unit is one of the newer ones with that extended heatsink... without voiding your warranty? You're in luck, as Ben Heckendorn found a nifty way of checking if your Xbox 360 will be prone to the dreaded Red Ring of Death, or not.

The steps involve letting your unit stand upside-down, so you'll be able to see all the little holes underneath the Xbox. The get your digital camera with a flash (or a mobile phone with a built-in camera and a flash) and just stick the lens at the bottom of the unit. You should be able to see what lies beyond the holes, without having to void the warranty by opening it.

If your unit has one of the new heatsinks, you'll be see a dark object just beside the DVD player. If your new unit is not that blessed, you'll just see an ominous, empty void.

This method certainly is a big help for those who really want to get a piece of Xbox 360 gaming heaven, but are worried about getting the ring of doom. Of course, you could always check the manufacturer's date instead, but this method will definitively tell you if your Xbox has the new heatsink or not.

For the guys familiar with Ben Heckendorn (aka Ben Hecks), you'll probably remember that one particularly lucrative project he's been up to is the episodic guide to making your very own Xbox 360 laptop Mark 2.

As a follow up to last month's session, Ben has just announced part three of his tutorials. This session will guide follow modders through wiring the unit's LCD screen, installing the parts into the case, modding the keyboard, and attaching all latches and USB ports. Before you get started, here's a summary of what you'll need.    

• USB port, male (full size type A)
  
• VGA port
• Slide switch 3 position
• Slide switch 2 position
• RCA jacks
• USB keyboard with hub
• Green 3mm LED
• (8-10) 6mm tact switches
• Male headers
• Female headers
• Shielded VGA monitor cable
• Dark plastic screen door material
  

Needless to say, this mod will void the warranty on your Xbox 360. The full nitty-gritty details of this last chapter of this Xbox 360 mod should be at the read link below. With that said, we're hoping the guys who've been trying this out will do well once their modding is finished. That's all for the moment, although we're hoping Ben Hecks tries something similar with the Elite...