Time to get your creative juices flowing. While you thought only Martha Stewart can have her own handicraft projects, you can get your own hands dirty with paint now. If you've been hesitant in trying to mod your Xbox 360 faceplate for fear of busting some inner workings, here's something to help you.

While some of you have either A) already done this yourself, or B) at least already know the concept of how to do it, Pavel Dolgov of Xbox 360 artistry fame has drafted three easy steps for newbies to mod an Xbox 360 faceplate:

1. Preparation: sand the surface with fine 220A sandpaper, then mask the power button with vinyl application tape and cut the shape of the ring of light and the power symbol with X-acto knife (you can mask the infrared port before sanding). Prime with 4000 series base coat sealer (from airbrush paints) and let dry.
2. Painting: it's all yours, make styled graphics with aerosol spray or paint cool art with acrylic paints.
3. Finishing: apply 2-3 coats of Krylon Clear Glaze in a steady motion 10-12 inches from surface in well ventilated area. Make sure you wear filter mask. After 2 hours remove the tape, clean around the button and enjoy your artwork!

If you want a detailed version, and have around six minutes to spare, here's a vid that walks you through the whole process:

Well, there's nothing really revealing during the interview. We reported about the Fusion system before, and you guys had a lot to say about it. In this SPOnG interview, In2Games Director Harry Holmwood reveals a few more details regarding the system that SPOnG audaciously calls, "a potential Wii killer."

We, know, some of you Ninty fans are already going, "Wii killer?! How dare they!" Well, be patient, let's see what Holmwood had to say, and then let's see if SPOnG's claim is justified. And just so you know, they're talking the death threats against them lightly, and with a positive sense of humor. Holmwood says:

one kind soul emailed us to say (and I quote) "I really hope your company burns to the ground and you are all homeless one day" ...It's nice to know that 'platform passion' still lives on. I have fond memories of arguments along those lines when I was at school.

With that over, let's go to the details. Here we go.

Nintendo Copyists?!
His response to all the allegations that they're "Nintendo Copyists?" Well, he says that they were there first. Of course he notes that he would never accuse Nintendo of having copied them. He says that Wii Eliott and Steve were making tilt controllers way back in the mid-90s before discounting them for the experiences that they think gamers will really want in the long term.

Here's a technical comparison between the Wiimote and their Fusion technology in Holmwood's own words:

The Wii remote is a neat idea... there's basically an infrared "camera" in the handset which looks out for the infrared LEDs in the bar attached to your TV. When you're pointing at the screen, it's an elegant solution to giving the user an onscreen pointer, and can also determine the distance from the screen. Once you're not pointing at the screen, it obviously loses all that data. At that point, all it has is the 'accelerometer' which is a tilt sensor... accelerometers don't give you a 3D position, only information on the angle you're holding it at and, to a degree, acceleration. These are good for soft, slow controls (I remember playing WipeOut on PS1 with an "Airpad" which was an early tilt pad, and it worked pretty well) but, as soon as you move them quickly, you lose the data as it all gets scrambled.

We actually use a tilt chip in the Fusion to give us information about how you're holding the controller but it's the ultrasonics which is the really useful part: combining the two together gives something extremely powerful and intuitive.

Get the rest of the article after the Jump!

The company Accell who has etched their mark as a premium provider of audio/video interconnects just recently announced a new innovation, the UltraAV HDMI 2-1 Switch, which is a compact UltraAV HDMI Switch. This baby enables simultaneous connection of two audio/video sources and includes a razor thin wireless remote to easily swap between each source.

The company remains optimistic that their product will click because their competition's existing switches often costs more than $300, placing them out of reach for many consumers. Aside from that they are also bulky which makes them intrusive in many home theater installations. The Accell product boasts a small size for an HDMI switch - it claims to be smaller than a deck of cards. Also it has a MSRP of $99.

Since the switch doesn’t use external power there is no power adapter. This design saves additional space and frees up a power outlet for other equipment. Michael Weizer, Director of Marketing for Accell said that "our UltraAV HDMI Switch was designed to deliver high performance at an affordable price. Now enthusiasts can instantly enjoy a variety of HD sources without breaking the bank, or their backs!"

The HDMI Switch maintains the highest resolutions of up to 1080p, and is compliant with HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) devices. It’s backwards compatible with DVI (Digital Visual Interface) when using an HDMI-DVI adapter or cable. The switch features a wireless remote control, an infrared extender and a built-in manual toggle. Nice!