The dominant land plant species of the time were gymnosperms, which are vascular, cone-bearing, non-flowering plants such as conifers that produce seeds without a coating. This is opposed to the earth's current flora, in which the dominant land plants in terms of number of species are angiosperms. One particular plant genus, Ginkgo, is thought to have evolved at this time and is represented today by a single species, Ginkgo biloba. As well, the extant genus Sequoia is believed to have evolved in the Mesozoic.

What was the dominant plant species of the Mesozoic?

gymnosperms

What is an example of a gymnosperm?

conifers

What are the dominate plant species on Earth now?

angiosperms

When did the Ginkgo evolve?

Mesozoic

What famous tree species is believed to have evolved during the Mesozoic?

Sequoia

What plant species died out in the Mesozoic?

I'm not sure.

Ginkgo species died out in what period?

I'm not sure.

What are the most at risk species on Earth now?

I'm not sure.

What land species died out in this period?

I'm not sure.


It was only in the 1980s that digital telephony transmission networks became possible, such as with ISDN networks, assuring a minimum bit rate (usually 128 kilobits/s) for compressed video and audio transmission. During this time, there was also research into other forms of digital video and audio communication. Many of these technologies, such as the Media space, are not as widely used today as videoconferencing but were still an important area of research. The first dedicated systems started to appear in the market as ISDN networks were expanding throughout the world. One of the first commercial videoconferencing systems sold to companies came from PictureTel Corp., which had an Initial Public Offering in November, 1984.

In what decade was digital telephony transmission made possible?

the 1980s

What is the minimum bit rate for compressed video and audio transmission?

128 kilobits/s

What is an example of an early form of digital video and audio communication?

the Media space

In what form did the first dedicated videoconferencing system appear as?

ISDN networks

What company offered the first commercial videoconferencing system?

PictureTel Corp.

When did video and audio transmission come into being?

I'm not sure.

In November, 1984, what else was being researched?

I'm not sure.

What other minimum bit rate is not as widely used as videoconferencing?

I'm not sure.

What started to appear as the Media space was expanding world wide?

I'm not sure.

Where did the first compressed video transmission that was sold sold come from?

I'm not sure.


The MC controls the conferencing while it is active on the signaling plane, which is simply where the system manages conferencing creation, endpoint signaling and in-conferencing controls. This component negotiates parameters with every endpoint in the network and controls conferencing resources. While the MC controls resources and signaling negotiations, the MP operates on the media plane and receives media from each endpoint. The MP generates output streams from each endpoint and redirects the information to other endpoints in the conference.

What controls the conferencing while its active on the signaling plane?

The MC

Where does the videoconferencing system manage conferencing creation?

the signaling plane

What is one example of what the signaling plane controls in a videoconferencing system?

endpoint signaling

On what plane does the MC operate?

the media plane

What generates output streams from each endpoint?

The MP

What does the MP control while active on the signaling plane?

I'm not sure.

Where does the system manage output streams while it is active?

I'm not sure.

What does the MC receive from in-conferencing controls?

I'm not sure.

What does the signaling plane do with information in a conference?

I'm not sure.

What signaling negotiations does the MP operate on?

I'm not sure.


High speed Internet connectivity has become more widely available at a reasonable cost and the cost of video capture and display technology has decreased. Consequently, personal videoconferencing systems based on a webcam, personal computer system, software compression and broadband Internet connectivity have become affordable to the general public. Also, the hardware used for this technology has continued to improve in quality, and prices have dropped dramatically. The availability of freeware (often as part of chat programs) has made software based videoconferencing accessible to many.

What technology has become more widely available and affordable?

High speed Internet connectivity

What is an example of a personal videoconferencing system tool?

webcam

What has made videoconferencing accessible to many?

The availability of freeware

Videoconferencing freeware is widely available in what programs?

chat programs

What has become more available as the availability of freeware has decreased?

I'm not sure.

What has having access to a webcam done for videoconferencing?

I'm not sure.

What has happened after internet connectivity for technology has improved?

I'm not sure.

What type of programs is video capture usually a part of?

I'm not sure.

What has made high speed internet accessible to many?

I'm not sure.


Videophone calls (also: videocalls, video chat as well as Skype and Skyping in verb form), differ from videoconferencing in that they expect to serve individuals, not groups. However that distinction has become increasingly blurred with technology improvements such as increased bandwidth and sophisticated software clients that can allow for multiple parties on a call. In general everyday usage the term videoconferencing is now frequently used instead of videocall for point-to-point calls between two units. Both videophone calls and videoconferencing are also now commonly referred to as a video link.

Videophone calls are different from videoconferencing in what way?

serve individuals, not groups

What is an example of a videophone call program?

Skype

What term is more used today to refer to calls between two units?

videoconferencing

What are videoconferencing calls now more commonly known as?

a video link

What is another name for videophone calls?

video chat

What technology serves sophisticated software clients and not groups?

I'm not sure.

How does increased bandwidth differ from point-to-point calls?

I'm not sure.

What is an example of a teleconferencing program?

I'm not sure.

What are software clients and multiple parties commonly called?

I'm not sure.

What type of call is another name for point-to-point chat?

I'm not sure.


Technological developments by videoconferencing developers in the 2010s have extended the capabilities of video conferencing systems beyond the boardroom for use with hand-held mobile devices that combine the use of video, audio and on-screen drawing capabilities broadcasting in real-time over secure networks, independent of location. Mobile collaboration systems now allow multiple people in previously unreachable locations, such as workers on an off-shore oil rig, the ability to view and discuss issues with colleagues thousands of miles away. Traditional videoconferencing system manufacturers have begun providing mobile applications as well, such as those that allow for live and still image streaming.

In what decade did developers extend the capabilities of videoconferencing to more devices?

the 2010s

What allows people in remote locations the ability to video-conference with colleagues far away?

Mobile collaboration systems

What is one example of an application that videoconferencing manufacturers have begun to offer?

still image streaming

What type of applications have videoconferencing manufacturers begun to offer?

mobile

What is an example of a place that videoconferencing can be used today?

hand-held mobile devices

What have moblie collaboration system manufacturers provided?

I'm not sure.

What has the use of video done in the 2010's?

I'm not sure.

What is one type of application that mobile collaboration manufacturers offer?

I'm not sure.

What have videoconferencing developers created for use with off shore oil rigs?

I'm not sure.

What does still image streaming allow?

I'm not sure.


Videoconferencing provides students with the opportunity to learn by participating in two-way communication forums. Furthermore, teachers and lecturers worldwide can be brought to remote or otherwise isolated educational facilities. Students from diverse communities and backgrounds can come together to learn about one another, although language barriers will continue to persist. Such students are able to explore, communicate, analyze and share information and ideas with one another. Through videoconferencing, students can visit other parts of the world to speak with their peers, and visit museums and educational facilities. Such virtual field trips can provide enriched learning opportunities to students, especially those in geographically isolated locations, and to the economically disadvantaged. Small schools can use these technologies to pool resources and provide courses, such as in foreign languages, which could not otherwise be offered.

What can videoconferencing offer students?

participating in two-way communication forums

Who can benefit from two-way communication forums?

students

What is a major barrier to videoconferencing between some communities?

language

What is one example of how students can benefit from videoconferencing?

virtual field trips

What is one experience that students using videoconferencing can achieve?

visit museums

What do geographically isolated areas provide to students?

I'm not sure.

Who can  be brought to small schools to help students learn?

I'm not sure.

What will persist when teachers and lecturers are brought together?

I'm not sure.

What can students do through geographically isolated locations

I'm not sure.

Who can learn from foreign language forums?

I'm not sure.


One of the first demonstrations of the ability for telecommunications to help sign language users communicate with each other occurred when AT&T's videophone (trademarked as the "Picturephone") was introduced to the public at the 1964 New York World's Fair –two deaf users were able to communicate freely with each other between the fair and another city. Various universities and other organizations, including British Telecom's Martlesham facility, have also conducted extensive research on signing via videotelephony. The use of sign language via videotelephony was hampered for many years due to the difficulty of its use over slow analogue copper phone lines, coupled with the high cost of better quality ISDN (data) phone lines. Those factors largely disappeared with the introduction of more efficient video codecs and the advent of lower cost high-speed ISDN data and IP (Internet) services in the 1990s.

What company introduced the first device to help deaf people communicate through telecommunications?

AT&T

What was the name of AT&T's videophone device?

Picturephone

In what year was AT&T's "Picturephone" device introduced?

Where was AT&T's "Picturephone" device unveiled?

1964 New York World's Fair

In what decade were more efficient ways of using sign language via video-telephony developed?

Where was the Picturephone introduced in the 1990's?

I'm not sure.

Where were universities able to communicate with each other at the fair?

I'm not sure.

What organization conducted research on ISDN phone lines?

I'm not sure.

How were video codecs hampered for years?

I'm not sure.

What was introduced to make extensive research easier over video telephony?

I'm not sure.


In the increasingly globalized film industry, videoconferencing has become useful as a method by which creative talent in many different locations can collaborate closely on the complex details of film production. For example, for the 2013 award-winning animated film Frozen, Burbank-based Walt Disney Animation Studios hired the New York City-based husband-and-wife songwriting team of Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez to write the songs, which required two-hour-long transcontinental videoconferences nearly every weekday for about 14 months.

In what industry has videoconferencing become useful?

film

On what film was videoconferencing widely used?

Frozen

What year was the movie Frozen released?

In what city were the songwriting team of Frozen located?

New York City

How many months did the songwriters work on the movie via videoconferencing?

How has videoconferencing become useful in the songwriting industry?

I'm not sure.

In what industry has using different locations become useful?

I'm not sure.

In what year was the film industry globalized?

I'm not sure.

How long did songwriters work in different locations through videoconferencing?

I'm not sure.

On what movie were complex details of film production used?

I'm not sure.


A videoconference system is generally higher cost than a videophone and deploys greater capabilities. A videoconference (also known as a videoteleconference) allows two or more locations to communicate via live, simultaneous two-way video and audio transmissions. This is often accomplished by the use of a multipoint control unit (a centralized distribution and call management system) or by a similar non-centralized multipoint capability embedded in each videoconferencing unit. Again, technology improvements have circumvented traditional definitions by allowing multiple party videoconferencing via web-based applications.

What is a video-conference also known as?

videoteleconference

What does a video-conference use that allows communication in live situations?

a multipoint control unit

What is a multi-point control unit?

call management system

How does video-conferencing allow multiple parties to communicate with each other?

web-based applications

How many locations can one use videoconferencing for?

two or more

What is a web-based application more expensive than?

I'm not sure.

How does a videophone allow live communication?

I'm not sure.

What is a videophone also known as?

I'm not sure.

How many locations can you use a videophone in?

I'm not sure.

What have videophones allowed by going around traditional definitions?

I'm not sure.


This technique was very expensive, though, and could not be used for applications such as telemedicine, distance education, and business meetings. Attempts at using normal telephony networks to transmit slow-scan video, such as the first systems developed by AT&T Corporation, first researched in the 1950s, failed mostly due to the poor picture quality and the lack of efficient video compression techniques. The greater 1 MHz bandwidth and 6 Mbit/s bit rate of the Picturephone in the 1970s also did not achieve commercial success, mostly due to its high cost, but also due to a lack of network effect —with only a few hundred Picturephones in the world, users had extremely few contacts they could actually call to, and interoperability with other videophone systems would not exist for decades.

What is one area where teleconferencing could not be used?

telemedicine

Who developed the first systems to transmit slow-scan video?

AT&T Corporation

When was the first slow-scan video systems researched?

the 1950s

What was the bit rate of AT&T's Picturephone?

6 Mbit/s

What was the bandwidth of AT&T's Picturephone?

1 MHz

Who developed the first system to transmit distance education?

I'm not sure.

In what area could business meetings not be used?

I'm not sure.

Why did using business meetings to transmit slow-scan video fail?

I'm not sure.

In the 1950's why did the Picturephone not become a success?

I'm not sure.

How many telephony networks were there in the world?

I'm not sure.


While videoconferencing technology was initially used primarily within internal corporate communication networks, one of the first community service usages of the technology started in 1992 through a unique partnership with PictureTel and IBM Corporations which at the time were promoting a jointly developed desktop based videoconferencing product known as the PCS/1. Over the next 15 years, Project DIANE (Diversified Information and Assistance Network) grew to utilize a variety of videoconferencing platforms to create a multi-state cooperative public service and distance education network consisting of several hundred schools, neighborhood centers, libraries, science museums, zoos and parks, public assistance centers, and other community oriented organizations.

What year did one the first community service usages of videoconferencing take place?

What company helped in the creation of community service videoconferencing?

IBM

What is the videoconferencing product that both IBM and PictureTel worked on?

What does DIANE in Project DIANE stand for?

Diversified Information and Assistance Network

How many years did it take for Project DIANE to grow?

Where was distance education first used?

I'm not sure.

What was first used  in neighborhood centers?

I'm not sure.

What did a partnership between libraries and science museums promote in 1992?

I'm not sure.

In 1992 what are two places that were part of the PictureTel network?

I'm not sure.

What did IBM Corporations grow to create over the next 15 years?

I'm not sure.


Simultaneous videoconferencing among three or more remote points is possible by means of a Multipoint Control Unit (MCU). This is a bridge that interconnects calls from several sources (in a similar way to the audio conference call). All parties call the MCU, or the MCU can also call the parties which are going to participate, in sequence. There are MCU bridges for IP and ISDN-based videoconferencing. There are MCUs which are pure software, and others which are a combination of hardware and software. An MCU is characterised according to the number of simultaneous calls it can handle, its ability to conduct transposing of data rates and protocols, and features such as Continuous Presence, in which multiple parties can be seen on-screen at once. MCUs can be stand-alone hardware devices, or they can be embedded into dedicated videoconferencing units.

What enables videoconferencing to connect three or more remote points?

Multipoint Control Unit (MCU)

What is one type of MCU bridge?

IP

In what way can an MCU be characterized?

the number of simultaneous calls it can handle

What feature enables an MCU to allow for multiple parties to be seen on screen at the same time?

Continuous Presence

Where can an MCU be embedded?

dedicated videoconferencing units

What makes videoconferencing between Continuous Presence possible?

I'm not sure.

What is one thing that characterizes an ISDN?

I'm not sure.

What feature lets more than one person participate in sequence?

I'm not sure.

What are remote points made of?

I'm not sure.

What is one type of simultaneous call that acts as a bridge?

I'm not sure.


Videoconferencing can enable individuals in distant locations to participate in meetings on short notice, with time and money savings. Technology such as VoIP can be used in conjunction with desktop videoconferencing to enable low-cost face-to-face business meetings without leaving the desk, especially for businesses with widespread offices. The technology is also used for telecommuting, in which employees work from home. One research report based on a sampling of 1,800 corporate employees showed that, as of June 2010, 54% of the respondents with access to video conferencing used it “all of the time” or “frequently”.

In what one way can videoconferencing help a person?

money savings

What technology can be used along with videoconferencing?

VoIP

What is another use of VoIP?

telecommuting

What is telecommuting?

work from home

What is the percentage of people who use videoconferencing a majority of the time?

What can time savings help people do?

I'm not sure.

What are face-to-face business meetings also used for?

I'm not sure.

What did a report based on money savings show?

I'm not sure.

As of June 2010 what  percentage of telecommuters used the technology frequently?

I'm not sure.

What are low-cost meetings also used for?

I'm not sure.


Finally, in the 1990s, Internet Protocol-based videoconferencing became possible, and more efficient video compression technologies were developed, permitting desktop, or personal computer (PC)-based videoconferencing. In 1992 CU-SeeMe was developed at Cornell by Tim Dorcey et al. In 1995 the first public videoconference between North America and Africa took place, linking a technofair in San Francisco with a techno-rave and cyberdeli in Cape Town. At the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Nagano, Japan, Seiji Ozawa conducted the Ode to Joy from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony simultaneously across five continents in near-real time.

In what decade was Internet video-conferencing made possible?

In what device was videoconferencing finally able to be used in?

desktop

In what year was CU-SeeMe, a desktop-based videoconferencing tool, developed?

In what year did the first public video-conference take place?

What South African city participated in the first public video-conference?

Cape Town

What was developed at Cornell by Seiji Ozawa?

I'm not sure.

When did the CU-SeeMee take place that linked San Francisco and Captown?

I'm not sure.

What happened at a technofair in Nagano, Japan in real time?

I'm not sure.

What became possible that allowed the Winter Olympics opening ceremony to happen?

I'm not sure.

When did Nagano Japan take part in the first public video-conference linking two continents?

I'm not sure.


The core technology used in a videoconferencing system is digital compression of audio and video streams in real time. The hardware or software that performs compression is called a codec (coder/decoder). Compression rates of up to 1:500 can be achieved. The resulting digital stream of 1s and 0s is subdivided into labeled packets, which are then transmitted through a digital network of some kind (usually ISDN or IP). The use of audio modems in the transmission line allow for the use of POTS, or the Plain Old Telephone System, in some low-speed applications, such as videotelephony, because they convert the digital pulses to/from analog waves in the audio spectrum range.

What is the software that performs audio and/or video compression?

a codec (coder/decoder)

How high can compression rates go?

What is one digital network through which a digital stream can be transmitted?

IP

What does POTS stand for?

Plain Old Telephone System

What do POTS do?

convert the digital pulses to/from analog waves

What is the core digital network used in a videoconferencing system?

I'm not sure.

What is the low speed application that performs compression?

I'm not sure.

How high can audio modems go?

I'm not sure.

What is transmitted through low speed applications of some kind?

I'm not sure.

What does an ISDN convert in the audio spectrum range?

I'm not sure.


Typical use of the various technologies described above include calling or conferencing on a one-on-one, one-to-many or many-to-many basis for personal, business, educational, deaf Video Relay Service and tele-medical, diagnostic and rehabilitative use or services. New services utilizing videocalling and videoconferencing, such as teachers and psychologists conducting online sessions, personal videocalls to inmates incarcerated in penitentiaries, and videoconferencing to resolve airline engineering issues at maintenance facilities, are being created or evolving on an ongoing basis.

What profession utilizes videoconferencing technology to conduct online sessions?

teachers

What is one way that videocalling can be used?

personal videocalls to inmates

What is a common use of conferencing technology?

tele-medical

What is one common use of tele-medical technology?

I'm not sure.

What is one way businesses can conduct online sessions?

I'm not sure.

What can diagnostic services resolve at maintenance facilities?

I'm not sure.

How often is the def Video Relay Service evolving?

I'm not sure.

What services do inmates incarcerated in penitentiaries use?

I'm not sure.


Videoconferencing is a highly useful technology for real-time telemedicine and telenursing applications, such as diagnosis, consulting, transmission of medical images, etc... With videoconferencing, patients may contact nurses and physicians in emergency or routine situations; physicians and other paramedical professionals can discuss cases across large distances. Rural areas can use this technology for diagnostic purposes, thus saving lives and making more efficient use of health care money. For example, a rural medical center in Ohio, United States, used videoconferencing to successfully cut the number of transfers of sick infants to a hospital 70 miles (110 km) away. This had previously cost nearly $10,000 per transfer.

What is one way that videoconferencing is useful?

real-time telemedicine

What areas benefit especially from videoconferencing?

Rural

In what US state did a rural area use videoconferencing to help reduce the number of transfers of sick infants to hospitals?

Ohio

How far away was the hospital from this rural area?

70 miles

How much money did videoconferencing help this rural area save?

$10,000 per transfer

What areas make contacting nurses more streamlined?

I'm not sure.

How much did it cost to contact a doctor in rural Ohio?

I'm not sure.

Where did a medical center use transmission of medical images to cut costs?

I'm not sure.

How far away was the doctor from the rural area in Ohio?

I'm not sure.

What allows medical centers to discuss cases across large distances?

I'm not sure.


VRS services have become well developed nationally in Sweden since 1997 and also in the United States since the first decade of the 2000s. With the exception of Sweden, VRS has been provided in Europe for only a few years since the mid-2000s, and as of 2010 has not been made available in many European Union countries, with most European countries still lacking the legislation or the financing for large-scale VRS services, and to provide the necessary telecommunication equipment to deaf users. Germany and the Nordic countries are among the other leaders in Europe, while the United States is another world leader in the provisioning of VRS services.

In what European country has VRS services become well developed?

Sweden

What is one of the reasons why VRS services are not in most European countries?

financing

What European country is a leader in providing VRS services to its citizens?

Germany

What country is a world leader in providing VRS services?

United States

What has become developed in Germany since 1997?

I'm not sure.

What has the European Union become a world leader in providing?

I'm not sure.

Why are VRS services not in the United States?

I'm not sure.

For how long has Germany offered VRS services since the 2000's?

I'm not sure.

Where has legislation and financing become well developed in Europe?

I'm not sure.


In May 2005, the first high definition video conferencing systems, produced by LifeSize Communications, were displayed at the Interop trade show in Las Vegas, Nevada, able to provide video at 30 frames per second with a 1280 by 720 display resolution. Polycom introduced its first high definition video conferencing system to the market in 2006. As of the 2010s, high definition resolution for videoconferencing became a popular feature, with most major suppliers in the videoconferencing market offering it.

What year was the first HD video conferencing system displayed?

Who produced the first high definition video conferencing system?

LifeSize Communications

Where was the first HD video conferencing system displayed?

Las Vegas, Nevada

What company introduced the first HD video conferencing system to the general market?

Polycom

What was the resolution of the first HD video conferencing system?

1280 by 720

In 2006, what was produced by Lifesize Comunications?

I'm not sure.

Where was Polycom displayed in May 2005?

I'm not sure.

What did LifeSize Communications introduce in 2006?

I'm not sure.

When did Interlop become a popular feature?

I'm not sure.

What did most suppliers in the display resolution market offer in the 2010's?

I'm not sure.


Some systems are capable of multipoint conferencing with no MCU, stand-alone, embedded or otherwise. These use a standards-based H.323 technique known as "decentralized multipoint", where each station in a multipoint call exchanges video and audio directly with the other stations with no central "manager" or other bottleneck. The advantages of this technique are that the video and audio will generally be of higher quality because they don't have to be relayed through a central point. Also, users can make ad-hoc multipoint calls without any concern for the availability or control of an MCU. This added convenience and quality comes at the expense of some increased network bandwidth, because every station must transmit to every other station directly.

What do systems with no MCU use in order to perform multipoint conferencing?

a standards-based H.323 technique

What is one advantage of using an H.323 technique?

higher quality

What is one disadvantage of using the H.323 technique?

increased network bandwidth

What is the H.323 technique also known as?

decentralized multipoint

Why is the video and audio of the H.323 technique higher quality?

they don't have to be relayed through a central point

What is capable of multipoint conferencing without the H.323 technique?

I'm not sure.

What technique is used that transmits to an MCU?

I'm not sure.

What is a main disadvantage of using an MCU technique?

I'm not sure.

What do systems that use an MCU, use for video conferencing?

I'm not sure.

What are the advantages of using ad-hoc multipoint calls?

I'm not sure.


The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA), which oversees the world's largest administrative judicial system under its Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR), has made extensive use of videoconferencing to conduct hearings at remote locations. In Fiscal Year (FY) 2009, the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) conducted 86,320 videoconferenced hearings, a 55% increase over FY 2008. In August 2010, the SSA opened its fifth and largest videoconferencing-only National Hearing Center (NHC), in St. Louis, Missouri. This continues the SSA's effort to use video hearings as a means to clear its substantial hearing backlog. Since 2007, the SSA has also established NHCs in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Baltimore, Maryland, Falls Church, Virginia, and Chicago, Illinois.

Who has the world's largest administrative judicial system?

U.S.

What US Department oversees the World's largest administrative judicial system?

Social Security Administration (SSA)

In what year did the SSA see a 55% increase in videoconferenced hearings?

When did the SSA open its largest videoconferencing-only center?

August 2010

Where is the SSA's fifth videoconferencing only center located?

St. Louis, Missouri

In 2010 how many hearings did the U.S. SSA conduct?

I'm not sure.

What did the ODAR do to clear its hearing backlog in August 2010?

I'm not sure.

In what locations has the ODAR opened NHC's since 2007?

I'm not sure.

By what percentage did the SSA's hearing backlog increase in 2009?

I'm not sure.

What does the NHC oversee under its ODAR?

I'm not sure.


To unambiguously specify the date, dual dating or Old Style (O.S.) and New Style (N.S.) are sometimes used with dates. Dual dating uses two consecutive years because of differences in the starting date of the year, or includes both the Julian and Gregorian dates. Old Style and New Style (N.S.) indicate either whether the start of the Julian year has been adjusted to start on 1 January (N.S.) even though documents written at the time use a different start of year (O.S.), or whether a date conforms to the Julian calendar (O.S.) rather than the Gregorian (N.S.).

What does duel dating use to show the date?

two consecutive years

What is the Old Style date mean?

Julian calendar

What is N.S. stand for?

New Style

What are New Style dates?

Gregorian

Why use two consecutive year dates?

starting date of the year

What is used with dates to determine whether a date is correct or not?

I'm not sure.

What uses two different dates because of a difference in the ending date of the year?

I'm not sure.

Which system indicates that the Gregorian year has been adjusted to start on January 1?

I'm not sure.

Which system indicates that the date that the Julian date has been adjusted for length?

I'm not sure.


The Gregorian calendar was a reform of the Julian calendar instituted in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII, after whom the calendar was named, by papal bull Inter gravissimas dated 24 February 1582. The motivation for the adjustment was to bring the date for the celebration of Easter to the time of year in which it was celebrated when it was introduced by the early Church. Although a recommendation of the First Council of Nicaea in 325 specified that all Christians should celebrate Easter on the same day, it took almost five centuries before virtually all Christians achieved that objective by adopting the rules of the Church of Alexandria (see Easter for the issues which arose).

Who revised the Julian calendar?

Pope Gregory XIII

When was the Gregorian Calendar introduced?

What calendar was used in the reform to create the Gregorian calendar?

Julian calendar

What holiday was the inducement to revise the Julian calendar?

Easter

When did the First Council of Nicaea rule that Easter be celebrated by all Christians?

on the same day

What was the Julian calendar a reform of?

I'm not sure.

What calendar was started in the fifteenth century?

I'm not sure.

Which Pope started the Julian calendar?

I'm not sure.

What holiday led to the revision of the Gregorian calendar

I'm not sure.

Who suggested that all Christians celebrate Easter on the same day during the third century?

I'm not sure.


Philip II of Spain decreed the change from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar, which affected much of Roman Catholic Europe, as Philip was at the time ruler over Spain and Portugal as well as much of Italy. In these territories, as well as in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (ruled by Anna Jagiellon) and in the Papal States, the new calendar was implemented on the date specified by the bull, with Julian Thursday, 4 October 1582, being followed by Gregorian Friday, 15 October 1582. The Spanish and Portuguese colonies followed somewhat later de facto because of delay in communication.

What ruler decreed the change to the Gregorian calendar?

Philip II of Spain

Besides part of Italy, over what areas did Phillip rule?

Spain and Portugal

What was the first day selected to be the first day using the new calendar?

Friday, 15 October 1582

What was the last day the Julian calendar was used?

Thursday, 4 October 1582

Why did the Spanish colonies lag behind in adopting the calendar?

delay in communication

What King decreed the change from the Gregorian to the Julian calendar?

I'm not sure.

Who was affected by Philip II's switch to the Julian calendar?

I'm not sure.

What changed Julian Thursday, 4 October 1582 to Gregorian Friday, 15 October 1582?

I'm not sure.

What calendar was last used on Friday, October 15 1582?

I'm not sure.


During the period between 1582, when the first countries adopted the Gregorian calendar, and 1923, when the last European country adopted it, it was often necessary to indicate the date of some event in both the Julian calendar and in the Gregorian calendar, for example, "10/21 February 1750/51", where the dual year accounts for some countries already beginning their numbered year on 1 January while others were still using some other date. Even before 1582, the year sometimes had to be double dated because of the different beginnings of the year in various countries. Woolley, writing in his biography of John Dee (1527–1608/9), notes that immediately after 1582 English letter writers "customarily" used "two dates" on their letters, one OS and one NS.

When did the last country to adopt the Gregorian calendar start using it?

At what date did the first country start using the new calendar?

How which calendar did some countries notate the date?

in both

Who said that English writers usually used both dates on writings?

Woolley

What difference in dating caused the use of double-dating documents?

different beginnings of the year

What happened in the fifteenth century that made it necessary to give dates using both calendars?

I'm not sure.

What happened in the nineteenth century the Gregorian calendar that made it necessary to give dates using both calendars?

I'm not sure.

Why was it not necessary to use the dual year when giving two dates?

I'm not sure.

Why did the year sometimes have to be double dated after 1582?

I'm not sure.

What did John Dee note?

I'm not sure.


The calendar was a refinement to the Julian calendar amounting to a 0.002% correction in the length of the year. The motivation for the reform was to bring the date for the celebration of Easter to the time of the year in which it was celebrated when it was introduced by the early Church. Because the celebration of Easter was tied to the spring equinox, the Roman Catholic Church considered the steady drift in the date of Easter caused by the year being slightly too long to be undesirable. The reform was adopted initially by the Catholic countries of Europe. Protestants and Eastern Orthodox countries continued to use the traditional Julian calendar and adopted the Gregorian reform after a time, for the sake of convenience in international trade. The last European country to adopt the reform was Greece, in 1923.

What was the percentsge of correction from the Julian calendar to the new Gregorian calendar?

What was the correction due to?

length of the year

What change in date motivated the change in calendars?

celebration of Easter

To what astrological date was Easter tied?

spring equinox

What was wrong in the Julian calendar?

slightly too long

What percentage did the Julian calendar fixed the Gregorian calendar?

I'm not sure.

What was too short in the Julian calendar?

I'm not sure.

What did the spring equinox motivate the church to change?

I'm not sure.

What did the Protestant church considered to be undesirable?

I'm not sure.

What was first adopted by Eastern Orthodox countries

I'm not sure.


The Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar. A regular Gregorian year consists of 365 days, but as in the Julian calendar, in a leap year, a leap day is added to February. In the Julian calendar a leap year occurs every 4 years, but the Gregorian calendar omits 3 leap days every 400 years. In the Julian calendar, this leap day was inserted by doubling 24 February, and the Gregorian reform did not change the date of the leap day. In the modern period, it has become customary to number the days from the beginning of the month, and February 29th is often considered as the leap day. Some churches, notably the Roman Catholic Church, delay February festivals after the 23rd by one day in leap years.

What kind of calendar is the Gregorian calendar?

solar

How many days are in the Gregorian calendar?

How often is a leap day added to the Julian calendar year?

every 4 years

When does the Gregorian calendar omit 3 leap days?

every 400 years

On what day did both the Julian and Gregorian calendars add leap day?

24 February

What calendar is a lunar calendar?

I'm not sure.

When does the Julian calendar omit three leap days?

I'm not sure.

Which church still host festivals on the twenty-third in leap years?

I'm not sure.

What did Julian reform not change about leap year?

I'm not sure.


Easter was the Sunday after the 15th day of this moon, whose 14th day was allowed to precede the equinox. Where the two systems produced different dates there was generally a compromise so that both churches were able to celebrate on the same day. By the 10th century all churches (except some on the eastern border of the Byzantine Empire) had adopted the Alexandrian Easter, which still placed the vernal equinox on 21 March, although Bede had already noted its drift in 725—it had drifted even further by the 16th century.

When was Easter Sunday celebrated after the equinox?

15th day

What did churches do to settle the date if there was a difference?

compromise

By what century had almost all churches begun celebrating Easter according to the Alexandrian Easter?

10th century

On what border of the Byzantine Empire were the last holdouts for celebrating according the  Alexandrian Easter?

eastern border

What date placement drifted increasingly off the true date on the calendar?

vernal equinox

What was celebrated on the fifteenth day after the equinox?

I'm not sure.

In what century did all the churches adopt the Alexandrian Easter?

I'm not sure.

Who noticed the equinox drift in the seventh century?

I'm not sure.

What did the Alexandrian Easter place on 25 March?

I'm not sure.


Lilius's proposals had two components. Firstly, he proposed a correction to the length of the year. The mean tropical year is 365.24219 days long. As the average length of a Julian year is 365.25 days, the Julian year is almost 11 minutes longer than the mean tropical year. The discrepancy results in a drift of about three days every 400 years. Lilius's proposal resulted in an average year of 365.2425 days (see Accuracy). At the time of Gregory's reform there had already been a drift of 10 days since the Council of Nicaea, resulting in the vernal equinox falling on 10 or 11 March instead of the ecclesiastically fixed date of 21 March, and if unreformed it would drift further. Lilius proposed that the 10-day drift should be corrected by deleting the Julian leap day on each of its ten occurrences over a period of forty years, thereby providing for a gradual return of the equinox to 21 March.

What did Lilius first propose to correct in the calendar?

length of the year

By how much is the Julian calendar too long?

11 minutes

How much difference does the extra 11 minutes make over 400 years time?

three days

On what date was the original vernal equinox set?

21 March

By the time of Lilius where was the equinox falling?

10 or 11 March

Who proposed lengthening the year?

I'm not sure.

Which year was eleven minutes too short?

I'm not sure.

What causes an extra three days every 400 years in the Gregorian calendar?

I'm not sure.

What was originally set as March 25?

I'm not sure.

What did Gregory propose deleting to correct the ten day drift?

I'm not sure.


Most Western European countries changed the start of the year to 1 January before they adopted the Gregorian calendar. For example, Scotland changed the start of the Scottish New Year to 1 January in 1600 (this means that 1599 was a short year). England, Ireland and the British colonies changed the start of the year to 1 January in 1752 (so 1751 was a short year with only 282 days) though in England the start of the tax year remained at 25 March (O.S.), 5 April (N.S.) till 1800, when it moved to 6 April. Later in 1752 in September the Gregorian calendar was introduced throughout Britain and the British colonies (see the section Adoption). These two reforms were implemented by the Calendar (New Style) Act 1750.

On what date did most European countries set the start of the new year?

1 January

When did Scotland begin to use January 1 as the start of the new year?

When did the other British states and colonies set the year start date to January 1?

What act did Britain use to implement the use of the Gregorian calendar?

Calendar (New Style) Act 1750

When did England finally change the tax year to 6 April?

What do most European countries do after they adopted the Gregorian calendar?

I'm not sure.

What country changed the new year to January 1 during the sixteenth century

I'm not sure.

Who changed the start of the new year to January 1 during the seventeenth century?

I'm not sure.

What was the name of the act that changed the start of the year and a seventeenth century?

I'm not sure.

What remained on March 25 in Scotland?

I'm not sure.


Extending the Gregorian calendar backwards to dates preceding its official introduction produces a proleptic calendar, which should be used with some caution. For ordinary purposes, the dates of events occurring prior to 15 October 1582 are generally shown as they appeared in the Julian calendar, with the year starting on 1 January, and no conversion to their Gregorian equivalents. For example, the Battle of Agincourt is universally considered to have been fought on 25 October 1415 which is Saint Crispin's Day.

Attempting to use Gregorian dates for earlier events  on the Julian calendar should be used with what action?

caution

When are events usually shown as they appeared on the Julian calendar?

prior to 15 October 1582

When was the Battle of Agincourt?

25 October 1415

What other date is 25 October known for, that keeps the Battle of Agincourt on 25 October,1415?

Saint Crispin's Day

In the Julian calendar when is the start of the new year?

1 January

What can you extend backwards to create an accurate calendar?

I'm not sure.

What events are shown as they appeared on the Julian calendar with the year starting as it did when they occurred?

I'm not sure.

What is the disputed date for St. Crispin's Day?

I'm not sure.

What started in January Julian calendar?

I'm not sure.


A language-independent alternative used in many countries is to hold up one's two fists with the index knuckle of the left hand against the index knuckle of the right hand. Then, starting with January from the little knuckle of the left hand, count knuckle, space, knuckle, space through the months. A knuckle represents a month of 31 days, and a space represents a short month (a 28- or 29-day February or any 30-day month). The junction between the hands is not counted, so the two index knuckles represent July and August.

Why would a knuckle -space count be used to determine months?

language-independent

A knuckle count is a month of how many days?

The space between knuckles is what kind of month?

short month

What are held together for a knuckle-space month count?

one's two fists

What method for determining months is dependent on language?

I'm not sure.

What junction is counted for February?

I'm not sure.


The Gregorian reform contained two parts: a reform of the Julian calendar as used prior to Pope Gregory XIII's time and a reform of the lunar cycle used by the Church, with the Julian calendar, to calculate the date of Easter. The reform was a modification of a proposal made by Aloysius Lilius. His proposal included reducing the number of leap years in four centuries from 100 to 97, by making 3 out of 4 centurial years common instead of leap years. Lilius also produced an original and practical scheme for adjusting the epacts of the moon when calculating the annual date of Easter, solving a long-standing obstacle to calendar reform.

How many parts did the Gregorian calendar reform have?

two parts

What was the first reform concerning the calendar?

Julian calendar

What was the second reform of the calendar?

lunar cycle

What was calculated using the lunar calendar?

date of Easter

What did Lilius's calendar plan to reduce in every 400 years?

number of leap years

How many parts did the Gregorian reform have?

I'm not sure.

What calendar was changed by the Julia reform?

I'm not sure.

What reform change the lunar cycle used by pagans?

I'm not sure.

Who oppose the proposal for the reform?

I'm not sure.

Whose reform included increasing the number of leap years and for centuries?

I'm not sure.


Prior to 1917, Turkey used the lunar Islamic calendar with the Hegira era for general purposes and the Julian calendar for fiscal purposes. The start of the fiscal year was eventually fixed at 1 March and the year number was roughly equivalent to the Hegira year (see Rumi calendar). As the solar year is longer than the lunar year this originally entailed the use of "escape years" every so often when the number of the fiscal year would jump. From 1 March 1917 the fiscal year became Gregorian, rather than Julian. On 1 January 1926 the use of the Gregorian calendar was extended to include use for general purposes and the number of the year became the same as in other countries.

What calendar did Turkey use before 1917 for general purposes?

lunar Islamic

What calendar did Turkey utilize for fiscal purposes?

Julian

Where did Turkey start the fiscal year?

1 March

When did Turkey begin to use the Gregorian calendar for fiscal means?

1 March 1917

When did Turkey start using the Gregorian calendar for all purposes?

1 January 1926

Who use the lunar Islamic calendar until the nineteenth century?

I'm not sure.

Who use the Hegira era is a fiscal calendar?

I'm not sure.

What was used to set the year number?

I'm not sure.

What was needed because the lunar year is longer than the solar year?

I'm not sure.

What did Turkey start using for all purposes on March 1, 1917?

I'm not sure.


Up to February 28 in the calendar you are converting from add one day less or subtract one day more than the calculated value. Remember to give February the appropriate number of days for the calendar you are converting into. When you are subtracting days to move from Julian to Gregorian be careful, when calculating the Gregorian equivalent of February 29 (Julian), to remember that February 29 is discounted. Thus if the calculated value is -4 the Gregorian equivalent of this date is February 24.

How many days do you subtract to convert days from a calendar?

subtract one day

What does one need to remember about  the date of February 29 in the Julian calendar?

February 29 is discounted

If you need a date of four days less, what do you subtract from the Julian calendar?

How many days you add to convert days from a calendar?

I'm not sure.

What is discounted when converting from Gregorian to Julian?

I'm not sure.

What you add to move from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar?

I'm not sure.


In addition to the change in the mean length of the calendar year from 365.25 days (365 days 6 hours) to 365.2425 days (365 days 5 hours 49 minutes 12 seconds), a reduction of 10 minutes 48 seconds per year, the Gregorian calendar reform also dealt with the accumulated difference between these lengths. The canonical Easter tables were devised at the end of the third century, when the vernal equinox fell either on 20 March or 21 March depending on the year's position in the leap year cycle. As the rule was that the full moon preceding Easter was not to precede the equinox the equinox was fixed at 21 March for computational purposes and the earliest date for Easter was fixed at 22 March. The Gregorian calendar reproduced these conditions by removing ten days.

What is the difference in time between the calendars?

10 minutes 48 seconds

With what other difference did the Gregorian calendar concern itself?

accumulated difference

When was the vernal equinox at the end of the third century?

20 March or 21 March

In order to account for the full moon coming after the equinox, when was the equinox set?

22 March

How did the Gregorian calendar set these same of the full moon not preceding Easterconditions?

removing ten days

What changed the length of the calendar year from 365.2425 days to 365.25 days?

I'm not sure.

What was reduced by forty-eight minutes and ten seconds?

I'm not sure.

What was devised during the 300s

I'm not sure.

What was not to follow the equinox?

I'm not sure.

What was March 22 the latest date for?

I'm not sure.


The Council of Trent approved a plan in 1563 for correcting the calendrical errors, requiring that the date of the vernal equinox be restored to that which it held at the time of the First Council of Nicaea in 325 and that an alteration to the calendar be designed to prevent future drift. This would allow for a more consistent and accurate scheduling of the feast of Easter. In 1577, a Compendium was sent to expert mathematicians outside the reform commission for comments. Some of these experts, including Giambattista Benedetti and Giuseppe Moleto, believed Easter should be computed from the true motions of the sun and moon, rather than using a tabular method, but these recommendations were not adopted. The reform adopted was a modification of a proposal made by the Calabrian doctor Aloysius Lilius (or Lilio).

When did the Council of Trent agree to the corrected calendar?

To what time did the Council require the date of the vernal equinox to be set?

What did mathematicians of the time want to use to set the date of Easter?

motions of the sun and moon

What method was used instead of computations of the sun and moon?

tabular method

Whose modified proposal was adopted?

Aloysius Lilius

What plan to the Council of Trent approve in the fifteenth century?

I'm not sure.

What did the first Council of Nicaea require to be restored to the one set in 325?

I'm not sure.

What did the first Council of Nicaea require alterations for?

I'm not sure.

What was sent to mathematicians in the fifteenth century?

I'm not sure.

What was adopted from the proposal of Moleto

I'm not sure.


A month after having decreed the reform, the pope with a brief of 3 April 1582 granted to Antonio Lilio, the brother of Luigi Lilio, the exclusive right to publish the calendar for a period of ten years. The Lunario Novo secondo la nuova riforma printed by Vincenzo Accolti, one of the first calendars printed in Rome after the reform, notes at the bottom that it was signed with papal authorization and by Lilio (Con licentia delli Superiori... et permissu Ant(onii) Lilij). The papal brief was later revoked, on 20 September 1582, because Antonio Lilio proved unable to keep up with the demand for copies.

When were the rights to publish the calendar granted?

3 April 1582

Who awarded the rights to publish the calendar?

the pope

What problem caused the papal brief granting the right to publish to be withdrawn?

demand for copies

When were the rights to print the calendar withdrawn?

20 September 1582

Where were the first calendars printed?

Rome

Who decreed the reform during the fifteenth century?

I'm not sure.

What was Luigi Lilio given exclusive rights to?

I'm not sure.

Why was a new brief granted in September 2015 eighty-two?September

I'm not sure.


The year used in dates during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire was the consular year, which began on the day when consuls first entered office—probably 1 May before 222 BC, 15 March from 222 BC and 1 January from 153 BC. The Julian calendar, which began in 45 BC, continued to use 1 January as the first day of the new year. Even though the year used for dates changed, the civil year always displayed its months in the order January to December from the Roman Republican period until the present.

What year did the Roman Republic use for dates?

consular year

What event started the consular year?

consuls first entered office

What was the date of the consular year before 222 BC?

1 May

What was the date of the start of the consular year from 222 BC?

15 March

When did Rome begin to use the Julian calendar?

45 BC

What was used as the year in the early Roman church?

I'm not sure.

What calendar came into use in 153 BC?

I'm not sure.

During what period did a year used for dates not change?

I'm not sure.

What was marked by the date the Emperor took office?

I'm not sure.


In conjunction with the system of months there is a system of weeks. A physical or electronic calendar provides conversion from a given date to the weekday, and shows multiple dates for a given weekday and month. Calculating the day of the week is not very simple, because of the irregularities in the Gregorian system. When the Gregorian calendar was adopted by each country, the weekly cycle continued uninterrupted. For example, in the case of the few countries that adopted the reformed calendar on the date proposed by Gregory XIII for the calendar's adoption, Friday, 15 October 1582, the preceding date was Thursday, 4 October 1582 (Julian calendar).

What other system of calculations are inherent in the Gregorian calendar?

system of weeks

Why is calculating the days of the Gregorian calendar not simple?

irregularities

After each country adopted the calendar how did the weekly cycle continue?

uninterrupted

What was the date of adoption for the calendar?

Friday, 15 October 1582

What was the previous day's date by the Julian calendar?

Thursday, 4 October 1582

What is simple to do using the Gregorian system?

I'm not sure.

What makes Calgary the days of the week symbol in the Gregorian system?

I'm not sure.

What was interrupted when the Gregorian calendar was adopted in each country?

I'm not sure.

What ended on Friday, October 5 1582?

I'm not sure.


Because the spring equinox was tied to the date of Easter, the Roman Catholic Church considered the seasonal drift in the date of Easter undesirable. The Church of Alexandria celebrated Easter on the Sunday after the 14th day of the moon (computed using the Metonic cycle) that falls on or after the vernal equinox, which they placed on 21 March. However, the Church of Rome still regarded 25 March as the equinox (until 342) and used a different cycle to compute the day of the moon. In the Alexandrian system, since the 14th day of the Easter moon could fall at earliest on 21 March its first day could fall no earlier than 8 March and no later than 5 April. This meant that Easter varied between 22 March and 25 April. In Rome, Easter was not allowed to fall later than 21 April, that being the day of the Parilia or birthday of Rome and a pagan festival.The first day of the Easter moon could fall no earlier than 5 March and no later than 2 April.

Who thought that the seasonal drift in the date of Easter unacceptable?

Roman Catholic Church

What even is tired to the date for Easter?

spring equinox

What did the Church of Alexandria use to calculate the date of Easter?

Metonic cycle

Where did the Church of Alexandria place the vernal equinox?

21 March

Until 342 when did the Church of Rome think the vernal equinox fell?

25 March

Who found the drifting and the date of the spring equinox unacceptable?

I'm not sure.

What did the church of Rome use the metonic cycle to determine?

I'm not sure.

What did the church of Alexandria place on March 25?

I'm not sure.

What did the Church of Rome place on 21 March

I'm not sure.


Ancient tables provided the sun's mean longitude. Christopher Clavius, the architect of the Gregorian calendar, noted that the tables agreed neither on the time when the sun passed through the vernal equinox nor on the length of the mean tropical year. Tycho Brahe also noticed discrepancies. The Gregorian leap year rule (97 leap years in 400 years) was put forward by Petrus Pitatus of Verona in 1560. He noted that it is consistent with the tropical year of the Alfonsine tables and with the mean tropical year of Copernicus (De revolutionibus) and Reinhold (Prutenic tables). The three mean tropical years in Babylonian sexagesimals as the excess over 365 days (the way they would have been extracted from the tables of mean longitude) were 14,33,9,57 (Alphonsine), 14,33,11,12 (Copernicus) and 14,33,9,24 (Reinhold). All values are the same to two places (14:33) and this is also the mean length of the Gregorian year. Thus Pitatus' solution would have commended itself to the astronomers.

Who was the architect of the Gregorian calendar?

Christopher Clavius

What did the architects of the calendar notice about the astronomical tables?

discrepancies

Whose solution to the discrepancies of the tables would have been agreeable to astronomers?

Petrus Pitatus

When did Pitatus offer his solution to the leap year problem?

What is the theory about leap year called?

Gregorian leap year rule

What provided the sons mean latitude?

I'm not sure.

Who noticed that the tables agreed on the time the sun passed the vernal equinox?

I'm not sure.

Who suggested ninety-seven leap years in 400 years during the fifteenth century

I'm not sure.

Who solution to discrepancies in the tables was not agreeable to astronomers?

I'm not sure.

What calendar did Pitatus create?

I'm not sure.


"Old Style" (OS) and "New Style" (NS) are sometimes added to dates to identify which system is used in the British Empire and other countries that did not immediately change. Because the Calendar Act of 1750 altered the start of the year, and also aligned the British calendar with the Gregorian calendar, there is some confusion as to what these terms mean. They can indicate that the start of the Julian year has been adjusted to start on 1 January (NS) even though contemporary documents use a different start of year (OS); or to indicate that a date conforms to the Julian calendar (OS), formerly in use in many countries, rather than the Gregorian calendar (NS).

What designation was added to British dates to differentiate them from countries not using the new calendar?

"Old Style" (OS) and "New Style"

When was the Calendar act enacted?

With what did the Calendar Act align the British calendar?

Gregorian calendar

What did the use of Old Style and New Style cause?

confusion

What law did the British make to cause the use of the Gregorian calendar?

Calendar Act of 1750

Why are old-style new style not using the British Empire?

I'm not sure.

What did the calendar after 1752 to clarify the meaning of old-style new style?

I'm not sure.

What did the calendar act aligned with the British calendar?

I'm not sure.

What this OS indicate January 1 is?

I'm not sure.


The Gregorian calendar improves the approximation made by the Julian calendar by skipping three Julian leap days in every 400 years, giving an average year of 365.2425 mean solar days long. This approximation has an error of about one day per 3,300 years with respect to the mean tropical year. However, because of the precession of the equinoxes, the error with respect to the vernal equinox (which occurs, on average, 365.24237 days apart near 2000) is 1 day every 7,700 years, assuming a constant time interval between vernal equinoxes, which is not true. By any criterion, the Gregorian calendar is substantially more accurate than the 1 day in 128 years error of the Julian calendar (average year 365.25 days).

The Gregorian calendar is an improvement over what other calendar?

Julian

How many days must be skipped to align the calendar with mean solar days in a year?

three Julian leap days

What is the approximate error for every 3,300 years?

one day

What is the error rate of the vernal equinox per every 7,700 years?

1 day

What was the error rate in the Julian calendar?

1 day in 128 years

How does Julian calendar improve the approximations made by the Gregorian calendar?

I'm not sure.

How many years does it take for the Julian approximation to have an error of one day?

I'm not sure.

In the Julia system what is the error rate for the vernal equinox first 7700 years?

I'm not sure.

The Julian system skips three leap days and how many years?

I'm not sure.


Known during development as Xbox Next, Xenon, Xbox 2, Xbox FS or NextBox, the Xbox 360 was conceived in early 2003. In February 2003, planning for the Xenon software platform began, and was headed by Microsoft's Vice President J Allard. That month, Microsoft held an event for 400 developers in Bellevue, Washington to recruit support for the system. Also that month, Peter Moore, former president of Sega of America, joined Microsoft. On August 12, 2003, ATI signed on to produce the graphic processing unit for the new console, a deal which was publicly announced two days later. Before the launch of the Xbox 360, several Alpha development kits were spotted using Apple's Power Mac G5 hardware. This was because the system's PowerPC 970 processor running the same PowerPC architecture that the Xbox 360 would eventually run under IBM's Xenon processor. The cores of the Xenon processor were developed using a slightly modified version of the PlayStation 3's Cell Processor PPE architecture. According to David Shippy and Mickie Phipps, the IBM employees were "hiding" their work from Sony and Toshiba, IBM's partners in developing the Cell Processor. Jeff Minter created the music visualization program Neon which is included with the Xbox 360.

What Microsoft executive was in charge of 360 development?

J Allard

What manufacturer was enlisted to design the 360's graphics processor?

ATI

Where did Peter Moor work before being recruited to help on the 360?

Sega of America

Original 360 Alpha dev kits used what existing system's hardware?

Apple's Power Mac G5

What CPU did the 360 use?

IBM's Xenon processor

Where is the Microsoft headquarters?

I'm not sure.

Who replaced Peter Moore as the president of Sega?

I'm not sure.

What were the names of the IBM employees that hid their work?

I'm not sure.

How many ATI developers worked on the graphic processing unit?

I'm not sure.

What Apple hardware did Alpha kits use after the launch of the Xbox 360?

I'm not sure.


At launch, the Xbox 360 was available in two configurations: the "Xbox 360" package (unofficially known as the 20 GB Pro or Premium), priced at US$399 or GB£279.99, and the "Xbox 360 Core", priced at US$299 and GB£209.99. The original shipment of the Xbox 360 version included a cut-down version of the Media Remote as a promotion. The Elite package was launched later at US$479. The "Xbox 360 Core" was replaced by the "Xbox 360 Arcade" in October 2007 and a 60 GB version of the Xbox 360 Pro was released on August 1, 2008. The Pro package was discontinued and marked down to US$249 on August 28, 2009 to be sold until stock ran out, while the Elite was also marked down in price to US$299.

The Xbox 360 Pro included what size hard drive storage?

20 GB

What was the official name of the lower-priced 360 SKU at launch?

Xbox 360 Core

The Xbox 360 Elite eventually launched at what price point?

The 360 Pro's original storage was replaced by a hard drive of what size in 2008?

60 GB

What did Microsoft name the SKU that replaced the 360 Core?

Xbox 360 Arcade

What was the Xbox 360 Core package unofficially known as?

I'm not sure.

What was the Media Remote priced at in USD?

I'm not sure.

How much was the Xbox 360 Arcade?

I'm not sure.

When was the Core package launched?

I'm not sure.

What replaced the Arcade package?

I'm not sure.


The Xbox 360 launched with 14 games in North America and 13 in Europe. The console's best-selling game for 2005, Call of Duty 2, sold over a million copies. Five other games sold over a million copies in the console's first year on the market: Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Dead or Alive 4, Saints Row, and Gears of War. Gears of War would become the best-selling game on the console with 3 million copies in 2006, before being surpassed in 2007 by Halo 3 with over 8 million copies.

How many titles did the 360 have at launch in North America?

14 games

What title was the console's best seller in 2005?

Call of Duty 2

How many copies did Halo 3 sell?

8 million copies

Halo 3 was released in what year?

Other than Call of Duty 2, how many games sold at least 1 million copies the first year of the 360?

Five

What game was released in North America but not Europe?

I'm not sure.

What year was Saints Row the best-selling game?

I'm not sure.

How many copies did Ghost REcon Advanced Warfighter sell in 2007?

I'm not sure.

When did Gears of War overtake Halo 3?

I'm not sure.

How many games sold over one million copies in 2007?

I'm not sure.


The Xbox 360 supports videos in Windows Media Video (WMV) format (including high-definition and PlaysForSure videos), as well as H.264 and MPEG-4 media. The December 2007 dashboard update added support for the playback of MPEG-4 ASP format videos. The console can also display pictures and perform slideshows of photo collections with various transition effects, and supports audio playback, with music player controls accessible through the Xbox 360 Guide button. Users may play back their own music while playing games or using the dashboard, and can play music with an interactive visual synthesizer.

What 3 video formats did the 360 support natively at launch?

Windows Media Video (WMV) format (including high-definition and PlaysForSure videos), as well as H.264 and MPEG-4

Support for what video format was added in 2007?

MPEG-4 ASP

How are music player controls accessed by 360 users?

the Xbox 360 Guide button

What is one feature of 360 photo slide shows?

transition effects

What did the 2007 update remove support for?

I'm not sure.

When was the visual synthesizer added?

I'm not sure.

Which type of WMV videos do not work on the Xbox 360?

I'm not sure.

How do gamers play videos while playing games?

I'm not sure.


When the Xbox 360 was released, Microsoft's online gaming service Xbox Live was shut down for 24 hours and underwent a major upgrade, adding a basic non-subscription service called Xbox Live Silver (later renamed Xbox Live Free) to its already established premium subscription-based service (which was renamed Gold). Xbox Live Free is included with all SKUs of the console. It allows users to create a user profile, join on message boards, and access Microsoft's Xbox Live Arcade and Marketplace and talk to other members. A Live Free account does not generally support multiplayer gaming; however, some games that have rather limited online functions already, (such as Viva Piñata) or games that feature their own subscription service (e.g. EA Sports games) can be played with a Free account. Xbox Live also supports voice the latter a feature possible with the Xbox Live Vision.

What was the name of the non-subscription Xbox online gaming service?

Xbox Live Silver

What was the "color" name given to the premium version of Xbox Live?

Gold

What key feature is not supported by the free version of Live?

multiplayer gaming

Which popular gaming titles have their own online service outside Xbox Live?

EA Sports games

Voice support came online with what feature addition?

Xbox Live Vision

What was Xbox Live Free renamed as?

I'm not sure.

What color is associated with Xbox Live Arcade?

I'm not sure.

How long was voice support down after its launch?

I'm not sure.

What is an example of a game that does not support multiplayer online?

I'm not sure.

What game with its own subscription service cannot be played using Live Free?

I'm not sure.


The Xbox 360 features an online service, Xbox Live, which was expanded from its previous iteration on the original Xbox and received regular updates during the console's lifetime. Available in free and subscription-based varieties, Xbox Live allows users to: play games online; download games (through Xbox Live Arcade) and game demos; purchase and stream music, television programs, and films through the Xbox Music and Xbox Video portals; and access third-party content services through media streaming applications. In addition to online multimedia features, the Xbox 360 allows users to stream media from local PCs. Several peripherals have been released, including wireless controllers, expanded hard drive storage, and the Kinect motion sensing camera. The release of these additional services and peripherals helped the Xbox brand grow from gaming-only to encompassing all multimedia, turning it into a hub for living-room computing entertainment.

What is the name of the 360's online service?

Xbox Live

What is the name of the feature that allows users to download games from Live?

Xbox Live Arcade

What can people owning both a PC and 360 do?

stream media

What is the name of the 360's motion sensing camera peripheral?

the Kinect

The 360's multimedia capabilities transformed it from a game console to what?

a hub for living-room computing entertainment

What was the name of the orginal Xbox's streaming service?

I'm not sure.

What service only offered subscription services?

I'm not sure.

What do PCs use to stream media?

I'm not sure.

What is the name of the additional hard drive storage?

I'm not sure.

What is the name of the feature that allows Live users to play game demos?

I'm not sure.


The Xbox 360's advantage over its competitors was due to the release of high profile titles from both first party and third party developers. The 2007 Game Critics Awards honored the platform with 38 nominations and 12 wins – more than any other platform. By March 2008, the Xbox 360 had reached a software attach rate of 7.5 games per console in the US; the rate was 7.0 in Europe, while its competitors were 3.8 (PS3) and 3.5 (Wii), according to Microsoft. At the 2008 Game Developers Conference, Microsoft announced that it expected over 1,000 games available for Xbox 360 by the end of the year. As well as enjoying exclusives such as additions to the Halo franchise and Gears of War, the Xbox 360 has managed to gain a simultaneous release of titles that were initially planned to be PS3 exclusives, including Devil May Cry, Ace Combat, Virtua Fighter, Grand Theft Auto IV, Final Fantasy XIII, Tekken 6, Metal Gear Solid : Rising, and L.A. Noire. In addition, Xbox 360 versions of cross-platform games were generally considered superior to their PS3 counterparts in 2006 and 2007, due in part to the difficulties of programming for the PS3.

What was the software attach rate in the US for the 360 by March of 2008?

7.5 games per console in the US

What are two prominent 360 exclusive franchises?

the Halo franchise and Gears of War

Why were early multi-platform games considered superior on the 360?

the difficulties of programming for the PS3

The 360 earned 38 nominations and 12 wins from what organization in 2007?

Game Critics Awards

Microsoft hoped to have how many titles available for the 360 by the end of 2008?

over 1,000

How many games were available for the Xbox in 2007?

I'm not sure.

How many nominations did the PS3 receive?

I'm not sure.

How many awards did the Wii win?

I'm not sure.

How many games did the average person in Europe have for the PS3?

I'm not sure.

What PS3 exclusives launched in 2006 that the the Xbox 360 did not have access to?

I'm not sure.


To aid customers with defective consoles, Microsoft extended the Xbox 360's manufacturer's warranty to three years for hardware failure problems that generate a "General Hardware Failure" error report. A "General Hardware Failure" is recognized on all models released before the Xbox 360 S by three quadrants of the ring around the power button flashing red. This error is often known as the "Red Ring of Death". In April 2009 the warranty was extended to also cover failures related to the E74 error code. The warranty extension is not granted for any other types of failures that do not generate these specific error codes.

What hardware defect code plagued the 360?

"General Hardware Failure" error

What is the flashing indicator of a general hardware error known as?

Red Ring of Death

How did Microsoft react to general hardware error problems?

Microsoft extended the Xbox 360's manufacturer's warranty to three years

What other error code was eventually covered by this warranty extension?

E74 error code

Where did users see the flashing light error codes display on their 360s?

the ring around the power button

How was the E74 error recognized?

I'm not sure.

How many quadrants lit up with the E74 error?

I'm not sure.

What is another name for the E74 error?

I'm not sure.

By how many years was the warranty extended in 2009?

I'm not sure.

When was the General Hardware Failure first discovered?

I'm not sure.


In 2009, IGN named the Xbox 360 the sixth-greatest video game console of all time, out of a field of 25. Although not the best-selling console of the seventh-generation, the Xbox 360 was deemed by TechRadar to be the most influential, by emphasizing digital media distribution and online gaming through Xbox Live, and by popularizing game achievement awards. PC Magazine considered the Xbox 360 the prototype for online gaming as it "proved that online gaming communities could thrive in the console space". Five years after the Xbox 360's original debut, the well-received Kinect motion capture camera was released, which set the record of being the fastest selling consumer electronic device in history, and extended the life of the console. Edge ranked Xbox 360 the second-best console of the 1993–2013 period, stating "It had its own social network, cross-game chat, new indie games every week, and the best version of just about every multiformat game...Killzone is no Halo and nowadays Gran Turismo is no Forza, but it's not about the exclusives—there's nothing to trump Naughty Dog's PS3 output, after all. Rather, it's about the choices Microsoft made back in the original Xbox's lifetime. The PC-like architecture meant those early EA Sports titles ran at 60fps compared to only 30 on PS3, Xbox Live meant every dedicated player had an existing friends list, and Halo meant Microsoft had the killer next-generation exclusive. And when developers demo games on PC now they do it with a 360 pad—another industry benchmark, and a critical one."

What online source called the 360 the 6th greatest console of all time in 2009?

IGN

TechRadar honored the 360 by calling it what?

most influential

What 360 peripheral was the fastest selling consumer electronic device in history?

Kinect

According to PC Magazine, the 360 created the prototype for what?

online gaming

What magazine ranked the 360 as the second best console of the 1993-2013 period?

Edge

Who declared Kinect as the most influential console?

I'm not sure.

Who ranked the PS3 as the second best console between 1993-2013?

I'm not sure.

What did IGN compare Halo to?

I'm not sure.

Who claimed the importance of the Xbox 360 was its exclusives?

I'm not sure.

How many consoles did Edge compare?

I'm not sure.


The Xbox 360 sold much better than its predecessor, and although not the best-selling console of the seventh-generation, it is regarded as a success since it strengthened Microsoft as a major force in the console market at the expense of well-established rivals. The inexpensive Nintendo Wii did sell the most console units but eventually saw a collapse of third-party software support in its later years, and it has been viewed by some as a fad since the succeeding Wii U had a poor debut in 2012. The PlayStation 3 struggled for a time due to being too expensive and initially lacking quality titles, making it far less dominant than its predecessor, the PlayStation 2, and it took until late in the PlayStation 3's lifespan for its sales and game titles to reach parity with the Xbox 360. TechRadar proclaimed that "Xbox 360 passes the baton as the king of the hill – a position that puts all the more pressure on its successor, Xbox One".

Why was the 360 considered a market success for Microsoft?

it strengthened Microsoft as a major force in the console market

What problem hurt Nintendo's Wii console?

collapse of third-party software support in its later years

The Playstation 3 originally struggled for market share for what reasons?

due to being too expensive and initially lacking quality titles

What is the successor to the 360 called?

Xbox One

Which console sold the most units in the seventh generation era?

Nintendo Wii

What was the best selling console of the sixth gen?

I'm not sure.

What feature of the Xbox 360 collapsed?

I'm not sure.

When did the PlayStation 3 debut?

I'm not sure.

What features caused Wii U to struggle?

I'm not sure.

What PlayStation put pressure on the Xbox One?

I'm not sure.


The Xbox 360's original graphical user interface was the Xbox 360 Dashboard; a tabbed interface that featured five "Blades" (formerly four blades), and was designed by AKQA and Audiobrain. It could be launched automatically when the console booted without a disc in it, or when the disc tray was ejected, but the user had the option to select what the console does if a game is in the tray on start up, or if inserted when already on. A simplified version of it was also accessible at any time via the Xbox Guide button on the gamepad. This simplified version showed the user's gamercard, Xbox Live messages and friends list. It also allowed for personal and music settings, in addition to voice or video chats, or returning to the Xbox Dashboard from the game.

What was the original user interface for the 360 called?

Xbox 360 Dashboard

Who designed this user interface?

AKQA and Audiobrain

The simple dashboard could be accessed by pressing what controller button?

the Xbox Guide button on the gamepad

How many tabs were on the 360 dashboard interface?

five

The tabs on the user interface were called what?

Blades

How many blades did the simplified version on the guide have?

I'm not sure.

Who designed Xbox Live messaging?

I'm not sure.

What were the five Blades on the main dashboard?

I'm not sure.

What was the stylized name for the gamercard called?

I'm not sure.

What could not be launched if the console had a disc in it?

I'm not sure.


Xbox Live Arcade is an online service operated by Microsoft that is used to distribute downloadable video games to Xbox and Xbox 360 owners. In addition to classic arcade games such as Ms. Pac-Man, the service offers some new original games like Assault Heroes. The Xbox Live Arcade also features games from other consoles, such as the PlayStation game Castlevania: Symphony of the Night and PC games such as Zuma. The service was first launched on November 3, 2004, using a DVD to load, and offered games for about US$5 to $15. Items are purchased using Microsoft Points, a proprietary currency used to reduce credit card transaction charges. On November 22, 2005, Xbox Live Arcade was re-launched with the release of the Xbox 360, in which it was now integrated with the Xbox 360's dashboard. The games are generally aimed toward more casual gamers; examples of the more popular titles are Geometry Wars, Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting, and Uno. On March 24, 2010, Microsoft introduced the Game Room to Xbox Live. Game Room is a gaming service for Xbox 360 and Microsoft Windows that lets players compete in classic arcade and console games in a virtual arcade.

What was a classic title originally offered by the Xbox Live Arcade?

Ms. Pac-Man

What was a new, original title originally available from Arcade?

Assault Heroes

What date did the Xbox Live Arcade launch on?

November 3, 2004

When was Arcade Live relaunched with 360 support?

November 22, 2005

What is the name of the online virtual arcade that launched in 2010?

Game Room

How much did the game Zuma cost?

I'm not sure.

What Playstation game was included in 2010?

I'm not sure.

What games were released as part of the Game Room?

I'm not sure.

How much was Castlevania: Symphony sold for?

I'm not sure.

When was Xbox Live Arcade decommissioned?

I'm not sure.


At the 2007, 2008, and 2009 Consumer Electronics Shows, Microsoft had announced that IPTV services would soon be made available to use through the Xbox 360. In 2007, Microsoft chairman Bill Gates stated that IPTV on Xbox 360 was expected to be available to consumers by the holiday season, using the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition platform. In 2008, Gates and president of Entertainment & Devices Robbie Bach announced a partnership with BT in the United Kingdom, in which the BT Vision advanced TV service, using the newer Microsoft Mediaroom IPTV platform, would be accessible via Xbox 360, planned for the middle of the year. BT Vision's DVR-based features would not be available on Xbox 360 due to limited hard drive capacity. In 2010, while announcing version 2.0 of Microsoft Mediaroom, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer mentioned that AT&T's U-verse IPTV service would enable Xbox 360s to be used as set-top boxes later in the year. As of January 2010, IPTV on Xbox 360 has yet to be deployed beyond limited trials.

At what conventions did Microsoft announce IPTV support through the 360?

Consumer Electronics Shows

Which Microsoft executive announced IPTV as "soon" in 2007?

Bill Gates

Who was Microsoft's president of Entertainment & Devices in 2008?

Robbie Bach

What UK company did Microsoft partner with to bring IPTV to the 360?

BT

What Microsoft executive announced the launch of version 2.0 of Mediaroom?

Steve Ballmer

Who was the president of Microsoft in 2009?

I'm not sure.

Who is the CEO of BT?

I'm not sure.

Where is the Entertainment & Devices branch located?

I'm not sure.

When were the DVR features made available?

I'm not sure.

When did IPTV launch beyond its initial beta testers?

I'm not sure.


The Xbox Live Marketplace is a virtual market designed for the console that allows Xbox Live users to download purchased or promotional content. The service offers movie and game trailers, game demos, Xbox Live Arcade games and Xbox 360 Dashboard themes as well as add-on game content (items, costumes, levels etc.). These features are available to both Free and Gold members on Xbox Live. A hard drive or memory unit is required to store products purchased from Xbox Live Marketplace. In order to download priced content, users are required to purchase Microsoft Points for use as scrip; though some products (such as trailers and demos) are free to download. Microsoft Points can be obtained through prepaid cards in 1,600 and 4,000-point denominations. Microsoft Points can also be purchased through Xbox Live with a credit card in 500, 1,000, 2,000 and 5,000-point denominations. Users are able to view items available to download on the service through a PC via the Xbox Live Marketplace website. An estimated seventy percent of Xbox Live users have downloaded items from the Marketplace.

What XBox Live service allows users to buy games and downloadable content?

Xbox Live Marketplace

Which levels of Xbox Live membership may access the Marketplace?

Free and Gold members

What hardware is required to use the Marketplace?

A hard drive or memory unit

What virtual currency is used to make Marketplace purchases?

Microsoft Points

Prepaid cards for Microsoft Points are available in what denominations?

1,600 and 4,000

The Marketplace is only available to which level of Xbox Live?

I'm not sure.

How are hard drives or memory units purchased?

I'm not sure.

What is the average price of a game?

I'm not sure.

What percentage of users use prepaid cards?

I'm not sure.

Microsoft points can be used to buy what for the dashboard?

I'm not sure.


Launched worldwide across 2005–2006, the Xbox 360 was initially in short supply in many regions, including North America and Europe. The earliest versions of the console suffered from a high failure rate, indicated by the so-called "Red Ring of Death", necessitating an extension of the device's warranty period. Microsoft released two redesigned models of the console: the Xbox 360 S in 2010, and the Xbox 360 E in 2013. As of June 2014, 84 million Xbox 360 consoles have been sold worldwide, making it the sixth-highest-selling video game console in history, and the highest-selling console made by an American company. Although not the best-selling console of its generation, the Xbox 360 was deemed by TechRadar to be the most influential through its emphasis on digital media distribution and multiplayer gaming on Xbox Live. The Xbox 360's successor, the Xbox One, was released on November 22, 2013. Microsoft has stated they plan to support the Xbox 360 until 2016. The Xbox One is also backwards compatible with the Xbox 360.

What was the initial launch window of the 360 console?

What was one adverse condition that characterized early versions of the console?

high failure rate

What were the designations of the two redesigned 360 models and when did they come out?

Xbox 360 S in 2010, and the Xbox 360 E in 2013

As of June 2014, how many 360s across all SKUs have been sold worldwide?

84 million

When did the Xbox One launch?

November 22, 2013

When did the new extension of the warranty expire?

I'm not sure.

How many Xboxes were sold from 2005-2006?

I'm not sure.

What company ranked the Xbox One as the most influential console of its generation?

I'm not sure.

What historical honor does the Xbox One hold?

I'm not sure.

What were the names of the redesigned models of the Xbox One?

I'm not sure.


In May 2008 Microsoft announced that 10 million Xbox 360s had been sold and that it was the "first current generation gaming console" to surpass the 10 million figure in the US. In the US, the Xbox 360 was the leader in current-generation home console sales until June 2008, when it was surpassed by the Wii. The Xbox 360 has sold a total of 870,000 units in Canada as of August 1, 2008. Between January 2011 and October 2013, the Xbox 360 was the best-selling console in the United States for these 32 consecutive months.

What sales figure was the 360 the first console of its generation to surpass?

10 million

When did the 360 surrender its lead in total sales?

June 2008

What console eventually passed the 360 in total sales?

the Wii

During what 32-month later period was the 360 the best selling console?

January 2011 and October 2013

When did the Xbox achieve 10 million units sold?

May 2008

How many consoles did Wii sell in 2008?

I'm not sure.

For how many months was the Wii the best-selling console?

I'm not sure.

Who announced the Wii in 2008?

I'm not sure.

How many units did the Xbox 360 sell in Canada in 2013?

I'm not sure.

What gaming console passed the Wii in 2008?

I'm not sure.


TechRadar deemed the Xbox 360 as the most influential game system through its emphasis of digital media distribution, Xbox Live online gaming service, and game achievement feature. During the console's lifetime, the Xbox brand has grown from gaming-only to encompassing all multimedia, turning it into a hub for "living-room computing environment". Five years after the Xbox 360's original debut, the well-received Kinect motion capture camera was released, which became the fastest selling consumer electronic device in history, and extended the life of the console.

Besides online gaming and media distribution, what other feature made the 360 influential, according to TechRadar?

game achievement feature

How many years after initial launch of the console was Kinect released?

Five years

Besides it's features, what did Kinect do for the 360 in terms of sales?

extended the life of the console

What is Kinect?

motion capture camera

When was the Xbox 360 deemed the most influential gaming system?

I'm not sure.

What console was the fastest selling in history?

I'm not sure.

Who considered the Kinect the most influential electronic device?

I'm not sure.

What did Xbox 360 deemphasize?

I'm not sure.

The Xbox brand turned away from multimedia to what?

I'm not sure.


Kinect is a "controller-free gaming and entertainment experience" for the Xbox 360. It was first announced on June 1, 2009 at the Electronic Entertainment Expo, under the codename, Project Natal. The add-on peripheral enables users to control and interact with the Xbox 360 without a game controller by using gestures, spoken commands and presented objects and images. The Kinect accessory is compatible with all Xbox 360 models, connecting to new models via a custom connector, and to older ones via a USB and mains power adapter. During their CES 2010 keynote speech, Robbie Bach and Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer went on to say that Kinect will be released during the holiday period (November–January) and it will work with every 360 console. Its name and release date of 2010-11-04 were officially announced on 2010-06-13, prior to Microsoft's press conference at E3 2010.

How did Microsoft describe Kinect?

a "controller-free gaming and entertainment experience"

When was Kinect first announced?

June 1, 2009

At what event was Kinect announced?

Electronic Entertainment Expo

What was the secret code name for Kinect while in development?

Project Natal

How can users utilize the Kinect to interact with their 360 consoles?

by using gestures, spoken commands and presented objects and images

What was the codename for Project Natal?

I'm not sure.

What is Robbie Bach's position?

I'm not sure.

Whose speech first introduced the Kinect?

I'm not sure.

What prevents older models from working with the Kinect?

I'm not sure.

Where was the CES 2010 keynote speech?

I'm not sure.


Since these problems surfaced, Microsoft has attempted to modify the console to improve its reliability. Modifications include a reduction in the number, size, and placement of components, the addition of dabs of epoxy on the corners and edges of the CPU and GPU as glue to prevent movement relative to the board during heat expansion, and a second GPU heatsink to dissipate more heat. With the release of the redesigned Xbox 360 S, the warranty for the newer models does not include the three-year extended coverage for "General Hardware Failures". The newer Xbox 360 S model indicates system overheating when the console's power button begins to flash red, unlike previous models where the first and third quadrant of the ring would light up red around the power button if overheating occurred. The system will then warn the user of imminent system shutdown until the system has cooled, whereas a flashing power button that alternates between green and red is an indication of a "General Hardware Failure" unlike older models where three of the quadrants would light up red.

How did Microsoft modify the architecture of the 360 to reduce failure rates?

a reduction in the number, size, and placement of components

What was the root cause of hardware failures with the 360?

heat

When the newer 360 S models have their power buttons flash red, it means?

system overheating

How does the 360 S then react to an overheating situation?

imminent system shutdown until the system has cooled

How did Microsoft attempt to deal with potential heat-related expansion with GPU and CPU components?

dabs of epoxy on the corners and edges

The second what was removed because of heating issues?

I'm not sure.

Which two quadrants light up on the Xbox 360 S to indicate overheating?

I'm not sure.

The third and first quadrant turn what two colors?

I'm not sure.

Where was extra epoxy placed on the models before the S?

I'm not sure.

What warranty does the 360 S include?

I'm not sure.


On November 6, 2006, Microsoft announced the Xbox Video Marketplace, an exclusive video store accessible through the console. Launched in the United States on November 22, 2006, the first anniversary of the Xbox 360's launch, the service allows users in the United States to download high-definition and standard-definition television shows and movies onto an Xbox 360 console for viewing. With the exception of short clips, content is not currently available for streaming, and must be downloaded. Movies are also available for rental. They expire in 14 days after download or at the end of the first 24 hours after the movie has begun playing, whichever comes first. Television episodes can be purchased to own, and are transferable to an unlimited number of consoles. Downloaded files use 5.1 surround audio and are encoded using VC-1 for video at 720p, with a bitrate of 6.8 Mbit/s. Television content is offered from MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, Turner Broadcasting, and CBS; and movie content is Warner Bros., Paramount, and Disney, along with other publishers.

What was the name of the 360's video store service?

Xbox Video Marketplace

When was this video service launched?

November 22, 2006

When do movies rented through this marketplace expire?

14 days after download or at the end of the first 24 hours after the movie has begun playing

What resolution are videos sold through this service?

What sound standard is supported for the marketplace videos?

5.1 surround audio

When was Video Marketplace released outside of the US?

I'm not sure.

After how many days do TV shows expire?

I'm not sure.

How long do users have to stream a film?

I'm not sure.

How many consoles can movies be transferred to?

I'm not sure.

What is the bitrate for the streamed short clips?

I'm not sure.


While the original Xbox sold poorly in Japan, selling just 2 million units while it was on the market (between 2002 and 2005),[citation needed] the Xbox 360 sold even more poorly, selling only 1.5 million units from 2005 to 2011. Edge magazine reported in August 2011 that initially lackluster and subsequently falling sales in Japan, where Microsoft had been unable to make serious inroads into the dominance of domestic rivals Sony and Nintendo, had led to retailers scaling down and in some cases discontinuing sales of the Xbox 360 completely.

How did the original Xbox fare in Japan in general?

sold poorly

How many original Xboxes were sold in Japan between 2002 and 2005?

2 million units

Between 2005 and 2011, how many 360 consoles were sold in Japan?

1.5 million units

What two console manufacturers dominate the Japanese market?

Sony and Nintendo

Lackluster sales caused Japanese retailers to take what action with the 360?

scaling down and in some cases discontinuing sales

Where did the Xbox sell exceptionally well?

I'm not sure.

How many of the original Xbox sell between 2005 and 2011?

I'm not sure.

How many units did Sony sell in 202 through 2005?

I'm not sure.

What console, released in 2005, did Sony create?

I'm not sure.

When did Edge report Sony sales were falling?

I'm not sure.


Two major hardware revisions of the Xbox 360 have succeeded the original models; the Xbox 360 S (also referred to as the "Slim") replaced the original "Elite" and "Arcade" models in 2010. The S model carries a smaller, streamlined appearance with an angular case, and utilizes a redesigned motherboard designed to alleviate the hardware and overheating issues experienced by prior models. It also includes a proprietary port for use with the Kinect sensor. The Xbox 360 E, a further streamlined variation of the 360 S with a two-tone rectangular case inspired by Xbox One, was released in 2013. In addition to its revised aesthetics, Xbox 360 E also has one fewer USB port and no longer supports S/PDIF.

How many major hardware revisions has the 360 had?

Two

By what other name is the 360 S model known?

"Slim"

Which SKUs did the 360 S replace?

the original "Elite" and "Arcade" models

What component of the 360 S prevents overheating issues prevalent in prior versions?

a redesigned motherboard

What video input format is not supported by the 360 E?

S/PDIF

What was the appearance of the Arcade model?

I'm not sure.

What kind of case did the Elite have?

I'm not sure.

How many USB ports did the S model have?

I'm not sure.

Which video format does S not support?

I'm not sure.

What was the color of the S model case?

I'm not sure.