A new and quite frankly revolutionary initiative between MTV Games and Harmonix is about to set the world alight and make the Rockband franchise even more exciting than ever. Not content with a million and one song packs and the upcoming Beatles game, there will be a whole new addition to the already hit game that will set it apart from it's Guitar Hero rival.

Check after the break to see how Harmonix are about to revolutionise music

This week Microsoft will allow a lucky selection of Xbox Live members to preview it's new dashboard features which the rest of us not so fortunate gamers won't see until November.

A huge list of new features has been revealed. Some of them are minor, some of them will make a huge difference to our XBOX experiences and look very interesting indeed.

The lucky few who I think had to sell their souls, grandmothers and first born puppies will get to preview these new features will have the opportunity to test the Avatar marketplace, Xbox Live Parties and much more.

There are a few of Microsoft's planned features not included during this preview and they include the much talked about Last.fm application, Facebook and Twitter integration and Zune HD instant-on videos, but the Games on Demand service will be previewed next month.

Check after the break to see what you're to expect when the services all launch for real in November of this year.

So, there are certain things we know we should just not do. We don't need laws to tell us what they are either. For instance we all know that running whilst carrying boiling fat isn't all that clever, we don't need a law to tell us so. We all know that setting fire to our own hair isn't exactly genius but we don't need telling that either......

But in New York motorists apparently need telling that gaming and driving isn't wise and has recently passed a bill banning it. So yes, all you New Yorkers out there who are partial to a game of Patapon or Phoenix Wright while in control of a car be warned, your hobby could get you into some serious hot water. $150 worth of hot water to be exact.

Now this law doesn't just stop at banning gaming behind the wheel it also hits out at the kind of wise upstanding member of the driving community/retard that should be drowned in a bucket of vomit (delete where applicable) that sends text messages, looks at lolcats on Google and does those million and one other (stupid?) things that take their attention off the road that my dad seems to enjoy shouting at so much.

Although this is clearly designed to make the roads a safer place, it doesn't really say much for the authority's faith in it's public if they have to introduce such a law. Of course safer roads will always be welcome, after all I'm pretty sure pedestrians prefer not to be run down by somebody more concerned with the death of Aeris on their PSP when they should be watching the road.

Alternatively, if the authorities really wanted to take measures to keep death off the road they could just make us all drive on the pavement.