This week’s update includes a bat, two shanks, a red friendship, a coupe of causes and a bit of “Doh!”

Microsoft Points may become a thing of the past if a report from Inside Mobile Apps turns out to be true. The website claims a knowledgeable source has informed them Microsoft will phase out Microsoft Points by the end of 2012. Microsoft will allegedly start honoring exact monetary amounts based where transactions originate. In other words, we more »

The glitch that was reported to have resulted in over a million dollars in stolen Microsoft Points was true to an extent. There was an algorithm that allowed users to create promotional codes for free Microsoft Points, but the total amount stolen wasn’t anywhere near the reported $1.2 million. Still, Microsoft is prepared to take action against those who used the exploit.

A couple days ago, a forum user started a posted informing everyone of a glitch within Microsoft’s system for distributing Microsoft Points. The alleged thieves discovered a way to trick Microsoft into giving up promotional codes for 160MSP, a 48-hour Xbox Live Gold trial or a code for a Halo: Reach Banshee avatar prop. It was supposedly done by exploiting a couple elements within a URL. By the time Microsoft discovered the exploit and patched it, a lot of people had already made off with free stuff.

Microsoft debuted its Xbox Live Rewards program today. This program awards you with Rewards Points for completing specific actions on Xbox Live. It’s nice to have a service that gives you Microsoft Points for doing what you would normally do anyway, but there are some subtleties that should be known.

Microsoft has a pretty good deal going on right now for a 4GB Xbox 360. Just in time for the holiday season, this bundle contains everything one would need, plus a little bit extra.

Microsoft wants to thank all of its fans for being so supportive over the summer. Therefore it wants to extend a special offer to all gamers. You have a chance to earn 800 Microsoft Points and you won’t even have to use Bing to get it.

Microsoft really wants you to use Bing. Bing is Microsoft’s search engine that hopes to pull you away from Google’s death grip. Microsoft knows it’s incredibly difficult to convince people to use Bing in place of Google. After all, Google has done something no other search engine has ever done – become a verb. Whenever someone wants to know something, they Google it. We don’t Yahoo it or Jeeve’s it. Microsoft tried to duplicate Google’s success with its Bing It campaign, but it didn’t quite work at as well as Microsoft might have hoped.

We now have one less outlet to purchase Xbox Live Arcade game codes from. Amazon recently announced it will no longer be selling codes for Xbox Live Arcade games. Amazon did not give a reason for the sudden end of this service, but the online retailer will continue to sell Microsoft Points.

Xbox Live has a funny way of doing business. Instead of charging a solid dollar amount for the games, movies and other content offered through the service, it uses a point system to determine a monetary amount. We know how it goes. 800 MS points equals $10, 1600 MS equals $20, and so on. The problem is there is no option to purchase 1200 points. Points are sold in bundles of 400, 800, 1600, 4000 and 6000. There are also items such as Avatar clothing and themes that can cost 80 MS points each.