Heh – over at NASA’s Scientific and Technical Information website, there’s an article about the origins and evolution of Plantronics, a company that specializes these days in headsets. (They grew out of NASA’s need for clear communication tools in extreme situations in the 50s and 60s.) And yes, the Plantronics Halo 2 headset is discussed. Even at NASA, Halo makes an appearance. Thanks, bbqturtle.

Yesterday, we mentioned a cool Gauss Hog montage over at Halo2Forum.com, but it was only available in WMP9 format. I just got word from Z that he’s okay with us hosting a QuickTime… so if you couldn’t see the WMP9, grab this (105mb)! (I hear Mintz is planning on putting a portable-compatible version up at Halo: Portable, as well…)

Funkmon noticed that the new playlist updates (mentioned in last week’s BWU) are now online – KP confirmed they have been since about 10:30 am Pacific time today. You need to log out and log back in to see them, if you were logged in around that time.

Over at Halo Planet, they’re running a new contest – create a cover for the Halo 3 box, win some cool schwag. Read the contest page for all the details – and get your entry in before June 20!

Z points out another nice montage over at Halo2Forumcom – it’s a trailer for an upcoming vid from Halzred and Typos called ‘Explicitry: The Duet’; great editing, as always, from Halzred, and lots of multikills. 48 mb, WMP9 format – check it out!

Okay, this one’s pretty interesting… lots of potential. Phil “WeaponSkill” McMahon sent word that he’s created a small database of Halo 2 players all over the world… in Google Earth. (Sort of like Frappr, but on your own computer.) If you’re interested in participating, grab this small zip file (2K); instructions for adding yourself to the database are inside. You need to have Google Earth running on your computer for this to work; there are versions available for both Mac and PC, but it requires a relatively new machine.

Remember MsValentine? She just back from MetroCon in Florida, and there’s a great pic of her Cortana outfit in her RvB profile. (The journal entry describing the reactions she got is pretty entertaining, as well!) You need to be an RvB member to see this stuff – but hey, it’s free!

ShreK sent word of a site with a rather juvenile domain name, but a nice collection of Halo 1 gameplay vids – sort of ‘the cream of the crop’ of the past few years. This is the work of Fil4, a Polish Halo player who loves Halo more than Halo 2. Go see why! Update: domain name has changed, to avoid possible lawsuits. It’s less juvenile now.

Sigafoos sends word that The Creme Savers have released the first episode of WikiRiot, a new podcast from halowiki.net. It’s currently available via rss, but an iTunes link is coming soon. Episode 1 is 8.8 mb, 22 minutes long, and it (along with future podcasts) focuses on ‘the wiki experience’ – updates on the halowiki.net site, clans and squad stuff, discussion of featured articles from the site, and community member interviews. Check it out!

nof pointed out another Youtube video last night – this one is a concept video for MLG. It shows what a tournament might look like when televised – there’s voiceover commentary, instant replays, and multiple points of view. Interesting concept!

AJay wrote to point out Gescrow, a website that lets you register and play for cash against others in a variety of games (including Halo 2, which is why he sent this to us). From what I can tell, they look like a gaming escrow company (hence the name) – you deposit cash with them, so that your ‘Funded Matches’ are guaranteed to have a payout if you lose. I can’t find any information at all on their website that talks about what cut they take of all this – registration is free, the terms and conditions don’t mention a fee at all for playing. If you’re interested in putting your money where your mouth is in a Halo match (and you’re over 18), this might be the place for you! They’ve got a commercial running on Youtube.

Another one of our poster winners, Indutiomarus, just got his prize back from the frame shop… and wow. (He says the angle’s to avoid the glare.) Makes me wish I’d entered! (The pic is by Mike Hill, if you don’t recognize it.)

There’s a nice feature over at 1Up.com, focusing on the emergence of machinima as a solid art form – and it includes a nice tutorial from the team behind Red vs Blue. If you’re looking for tips… check this out! Thanks, insaneidiot.

Slacker Entertainment has posted Heretics & Heroes Flashback 5: The McCleod Group over at their website, for sponsors (it’ll be up for the general public in a few days. That McLeod is one angry dude… and this whole series has some really, really nice production values. If you haven’t checked these out, you really should – they’re great!

Frankie put up a note about a pretty cool milestone passed yesterday – half a billion Halo 2 games played on XBL to date. (This is not ‘player sessions’ – 3.3 billion of those were played by last week.) A neat stat – looks like the average gamesize on Xbox Live is about 7 players. (Makes sense, I suppose – most of the popular gametypes are 4v4, and while double-team and rumble pit exist, so do 12 and 16 player types.) Half a billion… that seems like a lot.