In this article they talk about the future of the Xbox 360, and how technological advancements could eventually shrink the Xbox 360 down to Wii size. In August, Microsoft will be releasing a new 65nm GPU, called Jasper, which will apparently put an end to the "Red Ring of Death." You might want to hold off a little longer on purchasing your 360 if you can.

Meet Jasper. He's a 65nm GPU, coming this August to a 360 near you. His name means "treasurer" in Persian, which -- let's be honest -- squares a little weirdly when you figure the codename for the new version of the 360 in which he'll ship is "Valhalla," i.e. Odin's crib, i.e. the battle hall "for those slain gloriously in battle." Slain gloriously in battle? I dunno about you, but considering the 360's engaged in the holy-holy of console fracas, is it really smart to be naming your baby-bet-the-farm-on after a mythic version of the afterlife? I'm just sayin'...

Back to Jasper. In conjunction with Falcon, the theory goes that we'll not only put the red-ring-o'-death to bed in totem, we'll finally get a version of the 360 that doesn't chug like an air compressor. Great to hear, if true.

black doom via blogs.pcworld.com »