Developages - Development and Technology Blog

Filed under: Gaming

Console modder Sam Thornley actually built this Pac-Man Mini handheld way back in 2007, but he only recently shared it with the members of Ben Heck’s forums, and we’re sure glad he did. There’s nothing too special at the heart of this one, just a Jakks Pacific Namco Arcade Classic system, but Sam hit all the right marks with the little details, from the red buttons that are just itching to be pressed to the old school flip switch to the bigger-than-it-has-to-be casing. If you think you’re up to the task of building your own, you can find all the details you need an plenty of pics to guide you on your way by hitting up the read link below.

[Via Technabob]

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Original post by Donald Melanson

Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment

After a long long delay from that March 2007 announcement, Sony Japan just opened its doors to applications for the closed beta testing of PlayStation Home. Sony expects to drop 10,000 gamers (18 years old and up) into the virtual world when it launches in beta sometime in late August. Closed beta tests are due in other markets (er hem, the US) at about the same time with an open beta coming sometime later in the year. Lucky beta testers will be able to explore the 3D world and play games like PacMan in the Namco Museum, both of which are pictured after the break.

[Via Impress]

Continue reading Sony begins accepting PlayStation Home beta applications

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Original post by Thomas Ricker

Filed under: Laptops

The sub-$300 RazorBook 400 is far from being the most potent netbook on the block, but that succulent price tag will likely compensate in the eyes of some folks. If you’re one such character, you’ll probably want to take a look at the first hands-on video with said unit. Predictably, this bad boy is ridiculously small, and if the 45 second boot-up is any indication, it’s pretty sluggish as well. Video is just after the break.

Continue reading 3K Computers’ RazorBook 400 gets hands-on treatment

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Laptops

Our feelings are largely unchanged about the lackluster RazorBook 400, but hacking a full Benjamin from the asking price is sure to get people looking. Yep, the subnote we previously heard would run around $400 has just been officially announced by 3K Computers at $299. Specs wise, everything is remaining the same — less than 2-pounds, 7-inch display, 4GB of internal flash and a promised boot-up time of under 8-seconds — but it just got a lot harder to brush this one off and look elsewhere.

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Original post by Darren Murph

According to a report in today’s Wall Street Journal, pesky Research In Motion (RIM) plans to introduce a touch-screen version of its BlackBerry to thwart the challenge posed by the popularity of Apple’s iPhone. (And no wonder we are seeing so many RIM TV ads …)

Apparently dubbed the Thunder, the new BlackBerry is among RIM’s strongest moves so far to appeal to the increasing number of consumers jumping for multimedia phones, a market that is increasingly turning to touch-screen devices for their ease of use (and cool factor). Easy integration with iTunes and the iPhone’s sophisticated touch-screen were key features that made the iPhone such a big hit.

Slated for introduction in the third quarter, the Thunder will be sold exclusively through Verizon Wireless in the U.S. and Vodafone in Europe. Verizon Wireless’s main rival, AT&T, is the iPhone’s exclusive distributor (sadly) in the U.S.

(Thanks to The Boy Genius Report for the photo!)

Tags: Apple, AT&T, BlackBerry, iPhone, iTunes, multimedia phones, Research in Motion, The Boy Genius Report, Verizon Wireless, Vodafone, Wall Street Journal

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Original post by nafiz

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Portable Video

Ah, D1, that most professional of video recording resolutions. Streaming Networks’ new iRecord Pro bests its previous iRecord offering with some fancy 720 x 480 recording, in addition to new DVR functionality and the ability to convert video formats without a computer. Given the quantity of content we’re consuming on the go these days, there’s certainly room for a device that can easily nab and convert video from our TV setup for some viewing on the move, but time will tell if Streaming Networks has hit the sweet spot with this $260 device. It’ll be available sometime in the second quarter of this year.

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Original post by Paul Miller

Filed under: Laptops

After a week full of Red Bulls, Fruit by the Foot and dreams of In-N-Out, the mighty Sony VAIO loaded with Linux stood as the only machine unhacked by the end of the PWN 2 OWN hacking contest at CanSecWest. As you’re well aware by now, the MacBook Air on display was seized in two minutes by the presumably well prepared Charlie Miller, and after two full days of work, Shane Macaulay and a few of his 1337 associates managed to crack the Vista rig on Friday. Reportedly, Shane and his pals weren’t expecting to do battle with the extra protected SP1 version of Vista, and while the exact loophole won’t be divulged, we are told that it was a cross-platform bug that “took advantage of Java to circumvent Vista’s security.” In the end, it was reported that some folks on hand had discovered bugs in the Linux OS, but many of them “didn’t want to put the work into developing the exploit code that would be required to win the contest.”

[Image courtesy of TippingPoint]

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Laptops

And just think — last year you were singing Dino Dai Zovi’s praises for taking control of a MacBook Pro in nine whole hours. This year, the PWN 2 OWN hacking competition at CanSecWest was over nearly as quickly as it started, as famed iPhone hacker Charlie Miller showed the MacBook Air on display who its father really was. Apparently Mr. Miller visited a website which contained his exploit code, which then “allowed him to seize control of the computer, as about 20 onlookers [read: unashamed nerds] cheered him on.” Of note, contestants could only use software that came pre-loaded on the OS, so obviously it was Safari that fell victim here. Nevertheless, he was forced to sign a nondisclosure agreement that’ll keep him quiet until “TippingPoint can notify the vendor,” but at least he’ll have $10,000 and a new laptop to cuddle with during his silent spell.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Laptops

Last year’s PWN 2 OWN contest at the CanSecWest security conference went over way better than expected (read: exploits were glorified), so this year, organizers have spiced things up by letting hackers have their way with three separate machines. The Linux, OS X and Vista-based rigs were all setup as similarly as possible in order to “make sure the attack surface was the same on all of them.” For attendees in Vancouver, there sits a $20,000 top prize — which dwindles with each passing day as restrictions on attacks ease up — but it can only be acquired if an all new zero-day cyber roundhouse kick is used. Anyone here going to give it a go? You get to keep the freshly victimized laptop too, you know.

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Original post by Darren Murph

Filed under: Cellphones

Now, we know the official story on the CeBIT Meizu shutdown was related to MP3 codec licensing, and not the M8’s iPhone-like UI. Still, it does seem strangely fortuitous that more pictures of the phone’s interface have just appeared that seem to showcase a move away from Apple’s familiar look. The Chinese site CNMO has new shots of the device’s music player, which now appears to incorporate song info, EQ display, lyrics, and volume / tracking controls all on one screen. The pictures also show a couple of different music browsing options, both in landscape and portrait mode. Is this a signal that the company is putting some distance between the M8 and the iPhone? Only time will tell.

[Via PMP Today]

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Original post by Joshua Topolsky

nerdyH writes to tell us that the Xenomai/SOLO project is attempting to deliver VxWorks and other RTOS emulation for any Linux kernel. “Some weeks ago, I started laying the groundwork for porting the Xenomai emulators natively over the PREEMPT_RT kernel. Unlike the co-kernel based Xenomai version, SOLO does not require any kernel support from additional modules or patches. It is fully based on the standard POSIX library, and runs as a regular process controlled by a single image Linux kernel. As a first step, a VxWorks emulator has just been rebuilt over this new framework.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Original post by ScuttleMonkey

Filed under: Cellphones

We’ve seen a lot of phones float our way over the years, and some of them have had emulation capability, but it’s rare when you see a mobile phone-maker actually advocating that you pirate ROMs for their device. Of course, that’s exactly what Fly Mobile is doing when it comes to its MC100 handset. The phone has all kinds of regular features we’re sure you’d be interested in, like a 240 x 320 display, AAC, MP3 and MPEG4 playback, a microSD slot, and that handsome, “noble” dark brown finish. It all sounds good, but we know there’s only one set of qualities you’ll be laying down cash for: the phone’s ability to play SNES, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and NES ROMs. Just remember, your favorites “can be freele [sic] downloaded frim [sic] Internet.” $270 and it’s yours.

[Via Mobile Magazine]

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Original post by Joshua Topolsky

Filed under: Gaming, Portable Audio, Portable Video

This here S5 doesn’t really have much in the specs department that isn’t inside of every single wholesale PMP to come out of China in the past year, but with emulators for NES, Sega and even SNES (a rarity for these things) built in, we’d certainly give it a second look where it to ever show up Stateside. Outside of the gaming you’re looking at a 2.4-inch LCD, and some decent codec support, including Flash video. No word on price or when this thing will be hitting obscure Chinese retailers in limited quantities.

[Via PMP Today]

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Original post by Paul Miller

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets

You’ve got to give the Pentagon credit for imagining every possible threat scenario in its latest wargame, dubbed “Cyber Storm,” but the plotline this time around is pretty wild. Starting with an electronic attack on the Port Authority of New Jersey, major new networks and bloggers spread “believable but misleading” information without revealing their sources — all while hundreds of people on the “no-fly” list stream into airports, DC’s Metro trains shut down, air traffic control towers in Philly and Chicago are disrupted, and mysterious liquids are found on the tube in London. That’s quite an afternoon, but we’re taking offense to the Pentagon’s classification of the press and bloggers as “threats” — come on guys, we’re here to help. We wouldn’t spread rumors — there’s nothing at all in the hollowed-out left leg of the front pew at St. Micheal’s Church in Fort Walton, Kansas.

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Original post by Nilay Patel

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

We’ll spare you the obvious here — we’re quite aware that Shiro’s VJ (pictured) looks an awful lot like something else — but nevertheless, the outfit is hoping that its forthcoming trio of portable media players can somehow get traction in the overly saturated market. The aforementioned VJ reportedly rocks a 2.4-inch 320 x 240 resolution display, up to 8GB of internal storage space, a microSD expansion slot, built-in microphone for voice recording, an FM radio, up to 20 hours of music playback (5 hours of video) and support for MP3, WMA, WAV, BMP and JPEG files. As for the MR, look for similar features in a smaller (2-inch display) package with a maximum capacity of 4GB, while the MD boasts an even tinier screen (1.8-inch) and a fair bit less battery life. Regrettably, no pricing details were mentioned, but we get the feeling Shiro will be saving those tidbits for CES.

[Via Wired]

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Original post by Darren Murph