Month: January 2013

Robert Broglia releases ‘Snes9x EX+’ SNES emulator to Cydia

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated February 25, 2013

Robert Broglia, the developer behind the free Snes9x EX jailbreak app, and a number of other commercial '.emu' emulators for other consoles, just released Snes9x Ex+. Broglia's latest branch of his popular iOS Super Nintendo emulator is based off of Snes9x version 1.53, which is the most recent available build of the PC software.

The more recent v1.53 codebase should provide near-complete emulation for a number of games, especially those that make heavy use of mode7 scaling or the Super FX co-processor...

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The NRA releases controversial Practice Range app, for ages 4 and up

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

The National Rifle Association, a US organization that promotes firearm ownership, safety and self-defense, has released an app for iOS entitled NRA: Practice Range. The app contains several links to different NRA resources, but the focus is obviously on its built-in mini game.

The game itself isn't anything special, it's a shooting range that offers 3 gameplay modes: Indoor Range, Outdoor Range and Skeet Shoot. But what seems to be causing waves in the tech community today are its in-app assault weapons upgrades, and its 'ages 4 and up' App Store rating...

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How to get Facebook Messenger working on a jailbroken iPad

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated March 19, 2019

Facebook a week ago issued invites for a major news conference due tomorrow to “come and see what we're building”. One source claims the iPad version of the popular Messenger client will be on tap as the social networking giant's last-minute "one more thing" surprise.

What you may not have known is that the current iPhone build of Messenger already has the iPad interface and code in place. And if you happen to have your device jailbroken (as most readers who frequent iDB do), you may want to unlock Messenger for iPad right now. Just follow this simple guide and Jeff's easy to follow video instructions, embedded right past the break...

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IllumiRoom from Microsoft Research gives ‘immersive gaming’ a whole new meaning

Christian Zibreg ∙ January 14, 2013

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=re1EatGRV0w#!

Here's a killer concept I'd love to have installed in my living room. Courtesy of Microsoft Research comes this enhanced gaming experience that projects images beyond a television set, basically turning your entire living room into a video game. I know this is just a concept, but keep in mind that the popular Kinect motion sensing input device also started out as an idea in Microsoft's R&D lab.

What you're seeing in this clip is the real deal - no special effects were added in post processing or anything like that. Microsoft isn't saying when (or if, for that matter) the IllumiRoom project might get incorporated into a next-gen Xbox with Kinect. For now, it's just a a proof-of-concept system, but we wouldn't rule out the possibility of having something akin to this implemented on the Xbox console...

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Apple’s legal chief joins ski resort board

Ed Sutherland ∙ January 14, 2013

Who knew Apple's legal honcho was also a ski bum? Bruce Sewell, the iPhone maker's General Counsel and Senior Vice President, becomes the latest Apple executive to join an outside board of directors.

In Sewell's case, he was named Monday to a chain of ski resorts, Vail Resorts, Inc. Trust me, we were flabbergasted as well.

Sewell, described as a "lifelong skier" who also participated in ski patrols between college and law school, is likely more known for his legal expertise away from the slopes. After losing in a dust-up between Intel and AMD, he joined Apple, where he made real Steve Jobs' call for 'thermonuclear war' against Google's Android...

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Microsoft (barely) sells a million Surface units

Ed Sutherland ∙ January 14, 2013

If you're Microsoft, January can't end too soon. The company's Surface RT is taking a battering from the iPad, selling one million of the tablets during the holidays. According to one Wall Street observer, the consumer-oriented tablet has two strikes against it: being compared to Apple's product and too little retail exposure.

The one million figure is less than half of the two million units previously forecast by UBS analyst Brent Thill. In December, IHS iSuppli projected Microsoft would sell just 1.3 million units of the Surface RT...

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Do reports of iPhone 5 part order cuts mean Apple’s in trouble?

Cody Lee ∙ January 14, 2013

The Wall Street Journal reported last night that Apple has been contacting suppliers to reduce iPhone 5 part orders due to 'weaker-than-expected demand.' The story has made some serious waves today, causing Apple's stock price to drop (at the time of writing) 16 points.

But for several industry watchers, including myself, the math on last night's report just doesn't add up...

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Listen to your iTunes library in 3D with ‘Music Collocator’

Mike Schnier ∙ Updated April 10, 2018

Music Collocator is a jailbreak app recently added to Cydia which plays tracks from your library simultaneously using what the developer calls '3D sound'. In this case, 3D sound means the app plays tracks together, shifting the stereo volume based on where the song is 'located' in 3D.

Since Music Collocator pulls tracks from your iTunes library, you have access to your favorite playlists, artists, albums, and genres. Unfortunately you can't swap individual songs to Music Collocator arrangements à la carte. To get around this limitation, you'll have to set a custom playlist with each track setup you want, and that's not an ideal solution.

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Netflix announces multi-year deal with Turner Broadcasting and Warner Bros. Television

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated December 7, 2016

The popular over-the-top video-on-demand provider Netflix today announced that it has inked a major multi-year deal with both Turner Broadcasting and Warner Bros. Television that includes episodes of shows from Cartoon Network, Warner Bros. Animation, Adult Swim, as well as the show Dallas from TNT. The deal goes into effect on March 30 when Netflix also gets to become the exclusive over-the-top streaming subscription provider for past seasons of Cartoon Network and Adult Swim titles...

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US Bank launches NFC iPhone case for Go Mobile payment service

Cody Lee ∙ January 14, 2013

The iPhone may not have near field communications installed, but that's not stopping companies from trying to integrate the tech. US Bank proves that yet again today by unveiling its new NFC-enabled iPhone case.

The case is a major part of the bank's new Go Mobile payment service, which will allow US Bank customers to pay for goods and services from their checking, savings or credit accounts using an NFC-compatible device...

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Pulse news reader gains beautiful social streams

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 22, 2018

Pulse, the popular news aggregator app akin to Flipboard, was updated today with the ability to browse your Flickr, Instagram, Tumblr and YouTube streams. If you thought that getting your favorite best news content in one place was all the rage back when developer Alphonso Labs launched the app in 2010, you'll want this update for it brings your favorite social feeds in one place, with one clean interface. I'm a big fan of Flipboard which already provides these features, but if you prefer Pulse you can now jump into the 21st century...

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