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'Day of the Tentacle' fans create free, unofficial sequel
The classic point-and-click adventure game Day of the Tentacle was released a hair over 25 years ago, so fans have been waiting a long time for a follow-up. With little sign of Double Fine releasing another entry in the series, some fans have taken the initiative to create their own, unofficial sequel. It's called Return of the Tentacle and you can download it right now for Windows, Mac and Linux. Best of all, the game is available for the low, low price of zero dollars.
Unofficial app makes PlayStation 4 to PC streaming a reality
Sony's had its Remote Play tech in one form or another since the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable, but it didn't truly take off until its implementation on PlayStation 4 and the PS Vita handheld. But that's kind of wasted when nobody is buying the Vita and it's getting zero love from its parent company. Remote Play PC is exactly what its name implies: an application that tricks the PS4 into thinking a PC is a Remote Play device. Microsoft changed the game (sorry) with the ability for the Xbox One to stream its games to Windows 10-based hardware and until Sony catches up we're just going to have to settle for an unofficial app that costs money to perform the task.
Subway map artist and Naughty Dog settle The Last of Us complaint
Naughty Dog has apologized for the unauthorized use of an unofficial Boston subway in The Last of Us. The map, examined intently by protagonist Joel above, wasn't made by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority or Naughty Dog. It's the work of a Portland-based artist named Cameron Booth, who posted earlier this week that it was used "without permission or payment." e attacked Naughty Dog for stealing the work, and wrote (in a since-deleted post version) that he believed it unacceptable "to casually appropriate someone else's work and incorporate it into their game without any discussion." Since Booth revealed his complaint, Naughty Dog has reached out to him and Booth has now deleted his initial post, replacing it with the news that an agreement has been made. "It seems as if matters will be resolved to everyone's satisfaction shortly," Booth now says. Booth also apologized for his "initial vitriolic post," adding that both sides share "a lot of mutual respect for each other's creative work."
Facebook Home official on the HTC One, unofficial on Galaxy S 4 (but you can use it anyway)
When it first announced Home, Facebook said that it would support the HTC One and Galaxy S 4 as soon as they arrived. But unless you were into sideloading, any attempt to actually run it on either of those two handsets was greeted with a "not supported" message -- at least until now. Though the app version hasn't changed and there's no mention of support for new handsets, the HTC One now appears to be officially supported, and after bypassing a warning (see the image above), you can now download and run it unofficially on the GS4 as well. That requires the main Facebook app to be up-to-date, however, and we noticed that Home (which has a tiny download size) leans on its much bigger brother for most of the heavy lifting -- updating Facebook actually changes features in the Home app. Android Central noted that it also worked in that way for other previously unsupported devices it tried, namely the Sony Xperia ZL and HTC One X. However, we still couldn't even download the app on the Nexus 4 or LG Optimus G, although it worked just fine via a sideload -- producing the same warning and allowing us to "use home anyway." That jibes with what Facebook told us yesterday -- namely, that it would change permissions so that sideloaders would get all the updates and not be saddled forever with version 1.0. Myriam Joire contributed to this report.
Bomberman gets unofficial web-based version, crams in up to 1,000 online players
This is about to ruin any hopes you had of a productive day. Bombermine, an unofficial version of SNES throwback, Super Bomberman, is a web-based gift that lets you face-off against up to 1,000 players in a single game. Borrowing the same scoresheet setup of a first-person shooter, you'll auto-generate within an existing game once you've picked a username. Beta servers in Europe, the US and Japan all went live earlier this week. The gameplay is unaffected by the transition, although there are some new additions, like a chat window and even a Nyancat-tainted power-up to bring this terrible, terrible time-sink up to date. Get your work in order, then meet us on the servers at the source link.
Unlicensed My Little Pony fighter shut down by Hasbro
Indie developer/non-profit brony collective Mane6, the folks responsible for the unofficial My Little Pony fighting game MLP: Fighting is Magic, have received a cease and desist order from Hasbro Inc., according to its official blog. As a result, all Fighting is Magic related material has been stripped from Mane6's official YouTube channel and other online media portals."We have attempted negotiating with Hasbro for the continued use of the property in our non-profit, voluntary project, but so far we haven't received an answer," the update reads. "As such, we're complying with the contents of the C&D letter until we receive answer from their PR and/or Legal departments."Whether development on the title continues behind the scenes remains uncertain. MLP: Fighting is Magic was one of the many games under consideration for this year's EVO 2013 Championship Series, with its community raising a total of $5,280 during the tournament's breast cancer research charity drive competition.[Thanks, Aries!]
Unofficial S-Voice app gets gagged, Samsung waits for its flagship hero
Did you get a chance to download Samsung's voice assistant APK over the weekend? Don't bother trying now, as Samsung (or Vlingo, which is behind the app) has locked down access for unauthorized devices -- namely anything that isn't a Galaxy S III. According to xda-developers, S-Voice's command requests are being rebuffed once Vlingo's servers detect any phone that's presumably not inspired by nature. There's just over a week to go, however, and soon you'll be able to shoot the breeze with your new smartphone love all you want.
Unofficial Dominion on iOS now, official version later
I'm a big fan of Ascension, the iOS app that replicates the real-life deck-building card game of the same name. But when it comes to more self-contained deck-building card games where you build a deck as you play, as opposed to collectible card games like Magic: The Gathering, there's really one big name out there, and it's Donald X. Vaccarino's game Dominion. It's a great game that like Magic: The Gathering has been begging for a solid iPad/iOS port ever since Apple's platform first took off. That hope is coming true in more ways than one. There's already a version of Dominion available on iOS for US$1.99, but apparently it's unofficial yet (temporarily) approved. It may be strange to see a paid app that's unofficial and actually uses the art and IP of the game, but apparently Rio Grande is cool with that, because it has an official version coming out as soon as "a few weeks" from now. It's granted temporary licenses to developers to release their own versions of the game as long as those versions are down and gone by the time the official release arrives. Personally I'll probably wait for the official version, especially since it sounds like the wait isn't that long. But it's good to hear that one of the best card games around is coming in virtual form to Apple's tablet. As for Magic: The Gathering? Wizards of the Coast, the ball's in your court. Wizards has said it's releasing a reference app for Magic on iOS, but there are still no plans for an official version of the game itself. Meanwhile, Kard Combat is it.
Pass Go, collect 20m credits in Mass Effect Monopoly
One is a complicated, galaxy-spanning game of intrigue and backstabbing, and the other is Mass Effect. Why not combine the two? Deviantart user tommyfilth created this custom-made Mass Effect Monopoly board ("MassNopoly"), complete with Cerberus Tasks and Alliance missions in the place of Chance and Community, and actual Mass Effect relays standing in for the railroads. Eden Prime is the cheapest spot on the board, but beware: Stacked up with a few extra colonies and a corporation, it'll cost you 250 million credits if you land on it. Unfortunately, this was just a DIY project tommyfilth made for his family this past Christmas (inspired by another custom Fallout-inspired Monopoly set), so none of it is official or available for purchase. If we were Commander Shepard, this would be our favorite board game on the -- well, you know.
Symbian Belle download leaked to N8 community, quickly pulled from site (update: Anna available on NaviFirm)
For a very short period of time there was pure bliss for Nokia N8 users with a knack for tinkering around; Symbian Belle, a coveted update to the still-unreleased Anna, was spotted in a user forum, leaked and available for download. Alas, it was not meant to be, as enough users experienced issues installing the new firmware that the files had to be pulled until it can be resolved. According to DailyMobile, the folks behind the update will try again tomorrow, so anyone interested may want to keep a close eye on it just in case it goes live again. As any other unofficial firmware install, it's not for the faint of heart; you'll want to be confident in what you're doing before you get started. Head below for another eight-minute video. Update: It looks like Symbian Anna is now available for N8 users, with early variants of the firmware showing up on NaviFirm. No word yet on when V22 will be available via Ovi Suite or as an OTA update, but if you've already upgraded, let us know how you're finding it in the comments. [Thanks, Daniel]
BlackBerry Monza 9860 photos emerge, ready to take the world by Storm
If photos of a new handset are taken without Mr. BlurryCam involved, launch day is likely close at hand. Such is the tale of the BlackBerry Monza 9860 -- aka the Monaco, the Storm 3, or a plethora of other code names. Regardless of the title, it's an all-touchscreen, 1.2GHz device yet to be announced or even acknowledged by its maker. But since when does that ever stop the leaks from piling up to monstrous heights? A new batch of images showing off the fabled handset has come to light, giving us a respectable peek at the phone's outer beauty; unfortunately, we didn't learn anything new here. The image above suggests this particular machine is AT&T-bound, but we're not entirely convinced -- it could be a test device that's unlocked and using the carrier's HSPA+ network -- especially since T-Mobile's supposedly landing the Monza as early as this week. Perhaps it's even the "shiny, new and social all over" product expected to be announced tomorrow. The puzzle pieces are definitely getting put together, eh? Check out the gallery below for the latest stunning shots. [Thanks, Ratnesh] %Gallery-129121%
Samsung Galaxy R winks at the camera for all to see (video)
Good ol' Sammy's playing another round of Galaxy Alphabet Soup. Judging by a rather legitimate-looking video that's posted after the break, R could be the next character to identify Samsung's rapidly-growing Galaxy lineup. It's speculated to be a version of the Galaxy Z, a more affordable spinoff of the Galaxy S II up for pre-order in Sweden -- one that'll be fitted with a 4.2-inch Super Clear LCD, 1GHz dual-core CPU, "HD" video recording, and 8GB internal memory. According to SammyHub, the unannounced phone could be destined for Europe before expanding its sphere of influence to southwest Asia, China, and the Middle East. If this one doesn't fit your fancy, don't worry -- there's plenty of letters left to claim.
Refresh Roundup: week of July 18, 2011
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy! The LG Optimus 3D appears poised and ready to get Gingerbread in October. [via TheInquirer] Another device in the family, the LG Optimus One, is now being updated to Android 2.3.3 in the UK, though we haven't heard if the update has been deployed elsewhere at this point. [thanks, Aaron] CyanogenMod 7 nightlies are ready to go for the Samsung Galaxy S II. Download at your own risk, as these updates are early releases and may contain bugs. [via PhoneArena] The Motorola Droid X2 is about to undergo soak testing for a "future update." No official word on if this is Gingerbread, though it's highly speculative that minor updates wouldn't go through this type of testing. [via AndroidCentral] Speaking of the X2, it's also received its first custom ROM -- despite the bootloader still being locked -- and XDA has managed to put 2nd-init support on it as well. [via AndroidCentral and Droid-Life] A new HTC Desire HD update, 2.50.405.2, is reportedly rolling out to unbranded versions in Europe that includes a fix for WiFi issues prevalent on the device. [via AndroidCentral] Updates to the BlackBerry Bold 9900 and 9930, 7.0.0.261, were leaked. [via n4bb] In what could be the most bizarre update rollout ever, the T-Mobile myTouch 4G is now starting a limited pilot, and will continue until "the end of the year." [via TmoNews] The Dell Streak 7 now has an unofficial update to Android 3.2 Honeycomb available. [via Netbook News]
Nokia 'Sea Ray' WP7 handset revealed on a factory floor? (Video)
Stephen Elop himself spilled the beans about Nokia's first WP7 handset, codenamed Sea Ray, when he told a large live audience and some whirring video cameras that he wanted the phone to be kept "super confidential." Now we have a whole new puddle of legumes lying on what sounds like a Chinese factory floor, courtesy of the authentic-looking video above. The clip reveals the N9-like device removed from what appears to be a stealth case, followed by a speedy boot-up into the Windows Phone OS. We're also treated to a quick look at the camera in action -- triggered by a dedicated shutter button that's missing on the N9 -- before a hurried "goodbye." There's not much else to see here, but could that reddish theme be a hint that this particular example is destined for Vodafone? Only time will tell. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Skype 2 video chat unofficially enabled on the Galaxy S II, Sensation, and others
The latest Skype update for Android is available to everyone, but it only enables video chat on four specific handsets. Fortunately, impatient modders have gone some way to correcting this profound injustice, by creating APKs that activate video calling on other handsets too. So far we've heard of successful ports on the Samsung Galaxy S II and the HTC Sensation, Thunderbolt and EVO 4G. If you've got some other handset with Android 2.3, a little experimentation with the APK might also be worth your while. However, we just tried it on an Xperia Arc and didn't get very far: the app ran, but efforts to communicate with an Xperia Neo resulted in one-way video, a locked landscape mode and plenty of awkwardness. Let us know if you fare better -- you'll find a Thunderbolt-specific download at the DroidLife source link, and a more general APK at TechPetals. [Thanks, Rashid and JT]
Unofficial remake of first Batman game released
For a full-color history lesson, we suggest you check out the recently completed and simply adorable remake of Batman -- the first Batman! The 3D isometric gem was developed by Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond, and published in 1986 by the once formidable British games giant Ocean Software -- a sort of ancestor of the modern-day Atari Inc. through its Infogrames lineage -- for the ZX Spectrum, MSX and Amstrad CPC (and PCW) "microcomputers" (contemporaries of the dominant Commodore 64). The game stars an Adam West-looking Batman on a scavenger hunt around the deadly Batcave for seven pieces of the Batcraft (so he can get it hovering again and go rescue Robin, of course). According to the Sinclair User review (issue #50, pg. 51), Batman is notable for being an early, if not the first, game to implement a checkpoint system. The unofficial remake of Batman was developed by Tomaz Kac (who also faithfully remade Ritman and Drummond's Head Over Heels followup) and is available to download and play for free on PC. An earlier freeware remake, dubbed Watman, was released for DOS and Game Boy Advance about ten years ago. Consider yourself schooled. [Image sources: Retrospec / RudyKoch]
iPhone Minecraft client posted, pulled
If you keep a close eye on the App Store (or have a quick RSS feed following it), you might have noticed an app called Minecrafted up there on Monday morning. It's a Minecraft client for iOS, a version of the extremely popular indie game that can be run on an iPhone, and connect up to real Minecraft servers. But before you run to download it, not so fast -- the app has been pulled from the App Store already, and if you try to find it on the US store, you'll get an error message. So what's the deal? TUAW contacted the app's creator, Trevor Wilkin, and he told us that his original idea was to create the client, submit it to Apple, and then get official approval from the makers of Minecraft before putting it live. Apple threw it live right away, however, and Wilkin says he "pretty much freaked out and removed from sale as quickly as I possibly could." He doesn't know whether the app is legit or not -- it's all original code, according to the description, but presumably he backwards engineered a few things, because it's apparently compatible with current servers and versions of the game. Wilkin sounds innocent enough to us. He says that he has "no desire to hurt the brand and just wanted to introduce a useful tool. I still hope to work out an official solution that doesn't step on anyone's toes." We hope so, too -- having Minecraft up and running officially on iOS would be a nice bonus for both iPhone owners and fans of the incredibly popular game.
Dell's Stage UI headed to Streak, also unofficially works on EVO 4G (video)
The first time the words "Stage UI" passed our lips, they were in relation to the Dell Thunder leak, but now we're hearing that Dell's custom Android user interface will actually appear alongside Android 2.2 when the update finally arrives on the five-inch Streak. We've just learned that's going to happen this winter in Japan when the Streak launches on SoftBank at the very least, as both are advertised for early December there, but we expect we'll see the updated OS even sooner in the US and Europe for obvious reasons. What's more, an unofficial build of Froyo that leaked out for the Streak last month has since been found to have Stage UI on board. StreakSmart's got a video of a custom ROM running a series of Dell-specific widgets on the Streak, and sister site Good and Evo managed to trick the very same software to run on a rooted HTC EVO 4G. You can see examples of both on video after the break, but here's the basic idea behind the UI -- giant panes of contacts, apps and shortcuts that fill an entire screen each, but leave your app drawer accessible at a swipe. If you're feeling daring, you can try the ROM for yourself at our more coverage link. Just be careful flashing that new baseband, eh? [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
HTC HD7 pictured and specced by rumormongers trying to outdo one another (update: even more pics!)
This morning we had schematics, by lunchtime the HD7 received its first purported image (visible after the break), and now there's already an even bigger and better picture showing the supposed HTC Hub-enriched Windows Phone 7 interface (see above). Any bets against the phone actually dropping into our laps by dinner time? HTCInside.de has garnished its imagery of the phone with a list of specs, headlined by a 4.3-inch WVGA screen, 1GHz Snapdragon SOC (the same QSD8250 as rumored for the Mozart), a 5 megapixel camera with dual-LED flash, 720p video recording, and 8GB of built-in storage. No, we're not exactly blown away by this hardware inventory either, but WMPoweruser has agreed with everything on the list, excepting a MicroSD expansion slot -- its tipster doesn't think there'll be any such expandability. Update: And now we've come across even more live imagery, though the handset they're of is adorned with an HD3 label. Hilariously enough, the title of the Chinese forum thread they're from reads "HD3 picked up at the bar" (according to our machine translation, anyway). Still, this supposed HD3 looks like an exact match for the earlier drawing of HTC's jumbo WinPhone, and you'll want to see it if only for the ingeniously integrated kickstand on the back. All yours after the break. Thanks, Ahmad!
HTC HD7 schematic illustrates our Windows Phone 7 future
First thing's first: there's no way to verify that the above image is a legitimate HTC doc. The tipster seems reliable, having provided WMPoweruser with the HTC Mozart video yesterday, but until we witness Peter Chou holding the damn thing up in front of an audience struggling to get a WiFi signal, we'll remain cautious. Anyhow, what we're looking at above is the claimed first visual of that ephemeral HD7 from HTC, replete with a dedicated camera button and what looks like a dual-LED flash, along with a MicroUSB data/power port and headphone jack at the bottom (identical to the HD2 and Desire HD). It's reassuring to see much of the glorious HD2 heritage being carried over into this successor atop HTC's Windows phone line, though if you're not all that keen on jumping on what looks like yet another superpowered 4.3-inch slate, there's always the rumored Trophy handset as well.
