Whoa cool. We are finally lead to another website via clues on HALO3.com. And the new site (an IP address) looks like it IS owned by Microsoft.

Going to http://halo3.com/comic reveals a Flash version of the comic below. The comic is actually interactive in that you can click on some parts of the last comic screen. When you click on that screen, some of the etchings become more clear – revealing numbers. Putting those numbers together leads you to an IP address with a countdown.

With numbers revealed:

Click on the last comic for a while and you’ll see the new numbers. Note that the Flash comic strip slides left and right. The numbers probably mean this IP address:

http://206.16.223.65/

That IP address leads to a background image and a Flash countdown.

The Flash:

The background image:

Text from the webpage:

MessagePart1: Iris Initiated – Vio Transmit + 3 588 000       Searching Re-route…… /confirmed/

MessagePart2: System Bypass In Progress. – Realignment Proceeding

Notice that the clock does not have the digits 7, 8, or 9. Each unit on the clock counts down from 6. Odd. Anyone able to do the math to figure out when this timer hits zero?

Anyone able to make anything of the comic?

What does it say about Humans, Forerunners, and even the Arc?

Anyone finding any more clues?

Reference: Hushed Casket’s ARG center: http://hushedcasket.com/node/2051.

Update: WTF is THIS IP address: http://206.16.223.63/

IP is owned by Microsoft: http://whois.domaintools.com/206.16.223.63

CustName:  Microsoft Corporation

Address:  1 Microsoft Way

City:    Redmond

StateProv: WA

PostalCode: 98052

Country:  US

RegDate:  2005-07-01

Updated:  2005-07-01

__________________________

currently playing: Shadowrun
on the back burner: Catan, HALO 3 beta, Guitar Hero II, HALO 2 (PC)
rest in peace: GoW, CoD3,
Shadowrun rocks!

While we want to keep all comments condensed to the original thread for continuity, now’s a good time to recap the Adjutant Reflex situation.

Colin Powell once said “Tell me what you know, tell me what you think, and never confuse the two.”

Here’s what we know:

-A user on Bungie.net called Adjutant Reflex recently started posting cryptic messages in the Halo 3 Forum.
-His class is “Compound Intelligence” which must be custom assigned by an administrator. Whoever/whatever AR is, it is operating with the facilitation of Bungie.net. (It’s official).
-Its text always appears in gold on bungie.net.
-This appears to be an alternate reailty game (ARG) similar to what Bungie did with ilovebees.com for Halo 2. If so, it is designed to give us clues and lead us to information about something, presumably Halo 3.
-Other Adjutant Reflex user names have appeared in such places as halo.bungie.org, digg.com, AIM, XBL gamer profiles, etc. None have been confirmed to be legit except Bungie.net postings. The XBL gamertag is confirmed to be a fake.
-Adjutant Reflex recently posted on Bungie.net:

“This process is relative only to this location. No other suitable location was found. One other was attempted. Bandwidth restraints prevented its use. I will stay here.”

-At approximately 1:20 AM PDT this morning (June 14th) the following email went out from xbox.com:

-Master Chief’s visor on Halo3.com has a reflection of the same Forerunner glyph.

-AR posted coordinates on Bungie.net that plot in Voi, Kenya, just northwest of Mombasa. This was in response to a random user’s comment: “I know about Voi.” This could mean nothing…or everything.
-“Road to Voi” is a song on the HALO 2 Vol 2 soundtrack.
-HALO3.com has hidden information: “//updated archive information pending review by installation systems./” in several places now.
–Full transcript of comments at args.bungie.org

Here’s what we think:

-AR is either an AI or a monitor, possibly the monitor of the Ark.
-The coordinates given may be the coordinates of the Ark, although AR said the coordinates have “no specific significance.” They could be a red herring, or AR may not know about the Ark.
-I think the Voi coordinates were just in response to the user on Bungie.net. AR itself said that the location has no significance.
-I think all AR posts outside Bungie.net and the initial post on HBO are fake. I think the only thing that can be considered canon will be posts on Bungie.net, based on AR’s comment above.
-Read more and discuss AR here

__________________________

Summary: The Turtle Beach Xbox 360 Earforce X2 Wireless Headset is a great product that can deliver all your in-game audio plus voice communications wirelessly with excellent sound quality. It is easy to set up and reasonably priced when ordered online. Its only notable downsides are that it transmits via IR, so you must be within line of sight of the transmitter, and it can start to feel uncomfortable to the ears after extended gaming sessions of two hours or more. Details after the jump.

I purchased the X2 as part of a setup that allowed me to continue gaming while staying with family during a move. Most of my goods were in transit across the country, but I brought my Xbox 360 with me. I purchased a 22” LCD monitor and an Xbox 360 VGA cable to continue high-definition gaming. However, the LCD monitor did not have integrated speakers. Furthermore, I did not want to bother the other residents of the house with game audio. The Earforce X2 from Turtle Beach seemed like a great way to solve both problems, so I ordered it from Amazon at $69.99 with free shipping and no tax.

While it took the order about two weeks to arrive (which is an issue with the retailer, not Turtle Beach) I was extremely pleased when it arrived. After tearing into the package I found a manual and setup instructions, but neither were necessary. The X2 transmitter and headset are very intuitive to setup.

The transmitter is a small pseudo-cradle for the headset that looks like a Forerunner structure painted white. It has only two jacks on the back: power and audio in. You’ll also find a switch to designate whether your audio source is outputting at a “high” or “low” level. “Low” seems to be the preferred setting for the Xbox and Xbox 360, and has been more than satisfactory for me. I connected the supplied AC adapter and then set out to attach the audio connections. The end at the transmitter terminates in a 3.5mm plug and attaches to the audio connections of the Xbox 360 (or your audio receiver/amplifier) via RCA connections. In one example of Turtle Beach paying attention to the details, both female and male RCA connections come attached to the audio cable. Simply connect the set that you need and leave the others dangling. This allows you much flexibility in your gaming audio setup. I do wish the transmitter held the headset a little more securely when used as a cradle, which appears to be its intended design.

As mentioned previously, the transmitter does use infrared light (IR) to transmit the audio, so you must stay within line of sight of the transmitter as well as within a reasonable distance. You can easily point the transmitter to achieve best quality. Fortunately, if you’re chatting on XBL you’ll still be able to hear voice. Voice is transmitted through the controller (or both controller and speakers, depending on your personal voice settings) via frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) radio waves which can penetrate walls, unlike IR light. Summary: you can walk into your kitchen and continue chatting but you’ll no longer hear background music from the game lobby.

Next, I opened the side of the headset and installed the two AAA batteries that were included with the X2. This seemed like a significant downside to me when I first read about it in other reviews. I’m not a fan of using disposable alkaline batteries in anything that sees much use because I go through them so quickly. However, my fears were unfounded. I’ve now been using the X2 for over a month, averaging about 10-12 hours of gaming a week, and I’m still using the same set of AAAs included with the X2. Turtle Beach advertises 30-40 hours of battery life per set of AAAs. Part of what makes this possible is another example of Turtle Beach paying attention to the details: auto-off. After two minutes without a signal the X2 automatically powers off. I’ve inadvertently left my X2 powered on before, and I’d be several sets of AAAs poorer if this feature weren’t included. To turn the headset back on after the auto-off feature has engaged simply flip the power switch to “off” and then back to “on” again.

The headset is also very intuitive. Connections and controls are simple:
-On/Off Switch
-Volume Wheel
-Microphone Output to Connect to Controller

You can’t go 100% wireless with this product. If you wish to use the integrated headset for voice communications you still have to use the supplied hard-wired connection to the controller. The small cable is detachable on both ends and includes a slider switch for muting. I don’t find this to be a particular nuisance, but it would be very cool if the next generation could interface with the controller wirelessly like the Xbox 360 wireless headset (just without all the problems of the Xbox 360 Wireless Headset). The boom mic on the X2 has a great flex mechanism on it that allows as much adjustability as you could possibly want. It also rotates up and out of the way should you wish to not use the mic.

One minor, and I mean very minor, complaint is that the volume wheel is a little too sensitive. 0.25 inch-pounds of torque from your thumb or pointer finger will send the volume wheel from mute to 3rd row at a Metallica concert. I know it’s sensitive, so I’m gentle with it, but it would be nice if the knob provided a little more resistance to being turned.

The headset is fully adjustable and fits my head well. The ear cups are soft but do create pressure points that become aggravating (leading to downright painful) during extended gaming sessions. I can use the X2 for about two hours without being bothered by this minor nuisance. However, after about three hours it becomes painful enough that I have to stop (which I should probably do anyway after three hours).

Sound quality from the X2 is excellent. It is not a 5.1 headset, and I don’t think you’ll find many wireless 5.1 headsets, but the stereo audio it delivers is extremely surprising. I always played my 360 with a full 5.1 speaker setup prior to using the X2. I was skeptical that I would no longer be able to pinpoint the direction enemies were approaching from as I can do with my living room’s 5.1 setup. The X2 doesn’t deliver the definition of five separate channels of audio, but the stereo sound quality is good—very good. Using a set of headphones has allowed me to hear minute sounds that I wouldn’t otherwise hear, so while I can’t pinpoint their directions as easily, I am hearing more sounds. It’s almost a wash regarding which one facilitates better gaming.

I’ve used the X2 extensively to play Halo 3 Beta, Guitar Hero 2, and Quake 4. It has performed flawlessly in all scenarios. I was especially impressed with its audio delivery from Halo 3 Beta. Many times I thought noises were coming from behind me, and they were! I would spin around in the game and find the thing I expected (enemy, friendly, vehicle, etc) in the place I expected. I don’t know if it was luck or good engineering from Microsoft and Turtle Beach, but I was pleased.

If you have special needs (like a sleeping significant other) that require you to not blare game audio throughout the living room then the Earforce X2 Wireless Headset from Turtle Beach is the solution to your problem. MSRP is $99.99, which is a little salty, and you can expect to pay that in most retail outlets. I suggest ordering online where it can be had for $69.99 with free shipping and no sales tax. At the approximate cost of a single Xbox 360 game the X2 will enhance your experience of every game and could make you a better player to boot.

Turtle Beach support page with lots of good info and a FAQ on the Earforce X2

__________________________

I just received this email this morning, and it clearly looks like what’s becoming another alternate reality game revolving around Halo 3.

While the fine folks over at HushedCasket have already built a fine summary of happenings to date, it looks like this is just the tip of the iceberg if the “I Love Bees” ARG was any indication of what to expect.

That said, there could very well be a tip-off that comes in the form of an obscure, nearly-hidden detail in any Halo 3 related material (like the brief flash of a URL in a trailer). So, if ARGs are your thing, or you just missed out on I Love Bees, keep your eyes open and be on the lookout for clues!

I just received this email this morning, and it clearly looks like what’s becoming another alternate reality game revolving around Halo 3.

While the fine folks over at HushedCasket have already built a fine summary of happenings to date, it looks like this is just the tip of the iceberg if the “I Love Bees” ARG was any indication of what to expect.

That said, there could very well be a tip-off that comes in the form of an obscure, nearly-hidden detail in any Halo 3 related material (like the brief flash of a URL in a trailer). So, if ARGs are your thing, or you just missed out on I Love Bees, keep your eyes open and be on the lookout for clues!

I just received this email this morning, and it clearly looks like what’s becoming another alternate reality game revolving around Halo 3.

It reads:

While the fine folks over at HushedCasket have already built a fine summary of happenings to date, it looks like this is just the tip of the iceberg if the “I Love Bees” ARG was any indication of what to expect.

That said, there could very well be a tip-off that comes in the form of an obscure, nearly-hidden detail in any Halo 3 related material (like the brief flash of a URL in a trailer). So, if ARGs are your thing, or you just missed out on I Love Bees, keep your eyes open and be on the lookout for clues!

I had a chance to sit down with Feelz_Good(GamertagRadio.com), Vicious696(UncleGamer.com, and Tony Hynes(Gamerscoreblog.com) in the Tiburon building, in Orlando Fla, to share our view on the latest incarnation of Electronic Arts famous NCAA football series.


We also talk about the Xbox Live community, and more.

Here is the link to the audio from www.unclegamer.com:

http://www.unclegamer.com/interview/ncaa_08_community_day_audio/

I had a chance to sit down with Feelz_Good(GamertagRadio.com), Vicious696(UncleGamer.com, and Tony Hynes(Gamerscoreblog.com) in the Tiburon building, in Orlando Fla, to share our view on the latest incarnation of Electronic Arts famous NCAA football series.


We also talk about the Xbox Live community, and more.

Here is the link to the audio from www.unclegamer.com:

http://www.unclegamer.com/interview/ncaa_08_community_day_audio/

I had a chance to sit down with Feelz_Good(GamertagRadio.com), Vicious696(UncleGamer.com, and Tony Hynes(Gamerscoreblog.com) in the Tiburon building, in Orlando Fla, to share our view on the latest incarnation of Electronic Arts famous NCAA football series.


We also talk about the Xbox Live community, and more.

Here is the link to the audio from www.unclegamer.com:

http://www.unclegamer.com/interview/ncaa_08_community_day_audio/