The magic price is $299. That's how much Microsoft will be charging for the bare-bones Xbox 360 game console, which will be out "in plenty of time for the Christmas market," Microsoft execs reconfirmed this week. (But for a real, full-fledged Xbox 360, expect to pay $399.) In other Xbox news, Microsoft just signed up a third console manufacturing partner to its roster of Xbox builders. Also this week, Microsoft rolled out a beta version of Windows Media Connect Version 2, software designed to connect the Xbox 360 to XP-based PCs, so that users will be able to play media files (such as photos and music) from a PC on the new Xbox unit.