Xbox 360 Gold Box Day

For anyone that picked up the Xbox 360/Gift Card Bundle or already has an Xbox, you'll want to check today's GoldBox and Lightning Deals at Amazon, as it's Xbox 360 Gold Box Day! There are already two deals up and there are new ones during the day, with the last to appear at midnight EST and every single one of them is on an XBox 360 game.

Free Audiobooks at Audible

Besides the free course in Haitian Creole and FREE: The Future of a Radical Price, by Chris Anderson, there are a few other interesting audiobooks amongst the current free offerings at Audible.

The Conservative Nanny State: How the Wealthy Use the Government to Stay Rich and Get Richer, by Dean Baker, narrated by Sandra Swafford.

Book Description
In his new book, economist Dean Baker debunks the myth that conservatives favor the market over government intervention. In fact, conservatives rely on a range of "nanny state" policies that ensure the rich get richer while leaving most Americans worse off. It's time for the rules to change. Sound economic policy should harness the market in ways that produce desirable social outcomes: decent wages, good jobs, and affordable health care.

A Study in Emerald, by Neil Gaiman, narrated by Neil Gaiman is a short story.

Book Description
Alluding to both the Sherlock Holmes canon and the Old Ones of the Cthulhu Mythos, this Hugo Award-winning short story will delight fans of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H. P. Lovecraft, and of course, Neil Gaiman.

A Study in Emerald draws listeners in through carefully revealed details as a consulting detective and his narrator friend solve the mystery of a murdered German noble. But with its subtle allusions and surprise ending, this mystery hints that the real fun in solving this case lies in imagining all the details that Gaiman doesn't reveal, and challenges listeners to be detectives themselves.

Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us, by Seth Godin, narrated by Seth Godin

Book Description
A tribe is any group of people, large or small, who are connected to one another, a leader, and an idea. For millions of years, humans have been seeking out tribes, be they religious, ethnic, economic, political, or even musical (think of the Deadheads). It's our nature.

Now the Internet has eliminated the barriers of geography, cost, and time. All those blogs and social networking sites are helping existing tribes get bigger. But more important, they're enabling countless new tribes to be born - groups of ten or ten thousand or ten million who care about their iPhones, or a political campaign, or a new way to fight global warming.

And so the key question: Who is going to lead us?

The Web can do amazing things, but it can't provide leadership. That still has to come from individuals - people just like you who have a passion about something. The explosion in tribes means that anyone who wants to make a difference now has the tools at her fingertips.

If you think leadership is for other people, think again - leaders come in surprising packages. Consider Joel Spolsky and his international tribe of scary-smart software engineers. Or Gary Vaynerhuck, a wine expert with a devoted following of enthusiasts. Chris Sharma leads a tribe of rock climbers up impossible cliff faces, while Mich Mathews, a VP at Microsoft, runs her internal tribe of marketers from her cube in Seattle. All they have in common is the desire to change things, the ability to connect a tribe, and the willingness to lead.

If you ignore this opportunity, you risk turning into a "sheepwalker" - someone who fights to protect the status quo at all costs, never asking if obedience is doing you (or your organization) any good. Sheepwalkers don't do very well these days.

Tribes will make you think (really think) about the opportunities in leading your fellow employees, customers, investors, believers, hobbyists, or readers....It's not easy, but it's easier than you think.

Millionaire Upgrade , by Richard Parkes Cordock, narrated by Nigel Acheson.

Book Description
Do you ever wonder if you have what it takes to become a millionaire?

Imagine finding yourself sitting next to a self-made millionaire for eight hours on a long-haul international flight. Imagine that person was prepared to share with you the secrets of their success. For one lucky person this actually happened. Inspired by a true story, Millionaire Upgrade is the tale of one very experienced entrepreneur and one very lucky passenger.

The story unfolds mid-air at 35,000 feet as Michael, the savvy self-made millionaire, shares his wisdom, eight-step approach, and magic ingredients for success with Tom, the aspiring entrepreneur. Their mid-air conversation contains all the secrets and practical insight you need to help you make your first million. It shows how you can turn your strengths and passions into an exciting, rewarding, and challenging enterprise.

Better than any in-flight movie, Millionaire Upgrade gets you inside the minds of successful entrepreneurs and self-made millionaires giving you the inside track on how they think and act.

Extraordinary Leadership, by Robin Sharma is a speech, rather than a book, but looked interesting.

Book Description
In a constantly changing, hyper-competitive world, leadership is more important than ever. Yet few people have what it takes to inspire, develop, and guide others. In this presentation, Robin Sharma shares the leadership lessons that he gives to clients such as Nike, Microsoft, and NASA.

Amazon Announces Kindle Development Kit

Don't like the way your Kindle works? You (or another developer) can change it, using the newly announced Kindle Development Kit.

Today, Amazon announced that it is inviting software developers to build and upload active content that will be available in the Kindle Store later this year. The new Kindle Development Kit gives developers access to programming interfaces, tools and documentation to build active content for Kindle...

There is already a waiting list to get access to the Kit, but it looks like games, interactive cookbooks and travel guides are already in the planning stages.

Click HERE for the full press release.

Gamers Special - Donate $20 to Haiti, Get >$1400 Package as Thank You

DriveThruRPG.com, a company I've dealt with in the past, is collecting donatons for Doctors Without Borders and matching any smaller donations ($5 or $10), but for those willing to part with $20, they have put together a huge collection of gaming books and materials (in PDF form) for you to download as a thank you. If you play RPG's, this is a tremendous deal, even if none of the money went to Haiti (but I trust that it will). The response has been so great, in fact, that they are asking those who donate to wait a day or to before downloading (they'll keep your order safe in your account), as their servers are getting quite a workout.

Click HERE to sign up or HERE to see the press release.

To donate a lesser amount, click HERE for $5 or HERE for $10.

Get $50 Gift Card with XBox 360 Holiday Bundle

In a deal similar to the earlier one for the Wii/Wii Fit bundle, Amazon is currently offering a $50 gift card along with the Xbox 360 Elite Winter 2009 Lego Batman / Pure Bundle. You have to order the two items together on the Deals Page, where you can't see the bundle price, but I just checked it in my cart and it was $239. The two included games usually sell for about $20 each (although you can get both together right now for $17.79) and the bundle is discounted $60 from list price. I don't have an Xbox, but they are excellent gaming consoles, from what I've read, and have the ability to stream Netflix movies (although that appears to require an Xbox Live subscription).

I do see one restriction - you can't use any promotional or gift certificates to pay for the purchase (I have $20 in promotional certificates from an earlier game deal), so you may need to change your payment method during checkout, to ensure you don't try to apply any balances. Offer valid January 17, 2010 through January 23, 2010 or while supplies last.

Bundle Description

* Includes LEGO Batman: The Videogame and PURE
* 120GB hard drive
* Sleek black console with matching wireless controller and headset
* HD ready - with an HDMI port (HDMI cable sold separately)
* Ethernet cable

The Xbox 360 Elite Holiday Bundle is a great value with two great games included, a massive hard drive, an HDMI port (HDMI cable sold separately), a black wireless controller and headset, and a premium black finish. With three powerful core processors and full surround sound, the console redefines what games look like, sound like, feel like, and play like to engage you like never before. Every Xbox 360 game title supports a minimum of 720p, and up to 1080p high definition resolution or 480p standard definition resolution, in 16:9 widescreen.

LEGO® Batman™: The Videogame (included):
Play as Batman and his sidekick Robin as you build, drive, swing, and fight your way through Gotham City. Then jump into the story from the other side and play as Batman’s foes! There’s no rest for the good (or the evil!). (Rated "E10+" for Everyone 10+)

PURE® (included):
Take off-road racing to a new level. Experience pure adrenaline and emotion as you execute incredible aerial tricks and death-defying massive jumps. (Rated "E" for Everyone)