Microsoft has reportedly confirmed that the Project Natal motion sensing system for the Xbox 360 console, first announced at last year's E3 event, will retail as "Kinect". The new name surfaced online on Sunday night with most sites pointing back to a USA Today article that was taken offline but it has since been confirmed.

In addition to the new name for the motion sensing system that Microsoft has asserted will be as fundamental to the Xbox brand as Xbox Live, a short list of Kinect games was also revealed. Kinectimals is a title that will allow the player to train and play with 20 different feline members of the animal kingdom, including lines and tigers.

Kinect Sports is basically an answer for the popular Wii Sports titles with boxing, bowling, beach volleyball, track and field and soccer activities included. Joyride is a kart-style racer title where the player grips an imaginary steering wheel while using his/her feet for accelerating and braking.

Kinect Adventures features a river raft simulator and obstacle course for up to four players. Dance Central is a motion-controlled dance title produced by MTV, and both Disney and Lucasarts have announced Star Wars and Disney characters will be appearing in upcoming Kinect games.

More details of the Kinect motion control system will spilled by Microsoft at the Microsoft Press Conference later today as part of this year's E3. Rumors have put a price tag on Kinect at about $149 on its own, or $100 when included in an Xbox 360 console bundle.

While Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer referred to Kinect (then Natal) as a "New Xbox" at a speech for the Executives' Club of Chicago, the company has continuously emphasized that it will be compatible with all Xbox 360 consoles, and that the life cycle of Xbox 360 is expected to last through 2015.

A slimmer Xbox 360 design is also expected to be unveiled at E3 with leaked pictures of a smaller console and new motherboard doing the rounds. The unit is expected to feature a 250GB hard drive with built-in WiFi.

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A new Microsoft Italy advertisement has surfaced today on Console Tribe showing off a Slim Xbox 360 console, next to a Project Natal system, which has been apparently renamed Kinect.

The Slim device will have built-in Wi-Fi, a 250GB HDD and compatibility with Kinect.

Interestingly, the ad was created by Atlas Solutions, an ad company owned by Microsoft, so it seems legitimate.

Microsoft has not commented on the speculation.

We will likely know more about the console, and "Kinect" tomorrow during the E3 event.

Video by Joystiq:

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When Apple finally officially launched the iPhone 4 last week, the older iPhone 3GS had its price cut as a way to clear inventory.

If you purchased the Apple device in recent weeks, the company is now price matching, giving refunds back for the difference between the old price or the new price.

Additionally, users can get an upgrade to the new, improved iPhone 4 instead of the refund.

The policy is in effect for anyone who has bought a 3GS after May 7th.

Owners with a 16GB model will get a $50 credit and 32GB owners will get a $100 credit.

Anyone who purchased the smartphone between May 7 and May 14 are running out of time, however, and will need to put in a request at the store they bought the device by tomorrow, Monday the 14th.

To get an iPhone 4, the device is a straight trade, unless you are moving up in storage capacity (such as 16GB to 32GB models).

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Cablevision, the fifth biggest cable operator in the U.S., has announced today the acquisition of Bresnan Communications for $1.36 billion USD.

The ISP had to beat out bids from TPG Capital, BC Partners Ltd., Suddenlink Communications and Ascent Media Corp., say sources close to the negotiations.

The acquisition gives Cablevision a bigger piece of the broadband market, which is expected to continue to grow exponentially over the next few years.

Bresnan is a large force in the Midwest, with roots in Minnesota and now the Rocky Mountain states.

The ISP has little competition in its territories, and should be an inexpensive way for Cablevision to expand out from their bread-and-butter states of New York and New Jersey.

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PlayOn, the popular streaming service used on the Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles has announced the addition of ESPN3 World Cup live-streaming to the service.

It is important to note that only certain ISPs have access to ESPN3, but those include most of the largest providers, such as Comcast, AT&T, Cox and Verizon. You can check if your provider offers the network here: http://espn.go.com/espn3/channelFinder.

To get the service to work, you must buy and download the PlayOn software on your PC, and then you can stream the content to any DLNA-compatible device, including the aforementioned gaming consoles.

Current content available includes Hulu, Netflix, YouTube, Comedy Central, Adult Swim, NHL, PBS.org, MTV.com and VH1.com and others.

It was reported on Friday that the start of the World Cup has led to record Internet traffic levels, with users flocking to news sites for results, or live streaming the games and highlights.

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