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Plex Arcade features a bunch of old-school Atari games
You can also add your own ROMs and emulators to your server.
GB Studio lets anyone create a Game Boy game
Yesterday marked the 30th anniversary of the Game Boy's release in Japan. If you're like our editors, that brings back all kinds of nostalgic memories. We've certainly come a long way since then -- so far, in fact, that you can now create your own Game Boy games. Last week, developer Chris Maltby released the code for GB Studio, a free tool for building real Game Boy ROMs.
Kindle Fire HD 8.9 ROM lets Nexus S spin right 'round Amazon's carousel
Sometimes you hack for the heck of it. And for xda member GalaxyUser, that "just because" mission statement was enough to warrant a port of the Kindle Fire HD 8.9 experience to the Nexus S. Yes, you read that right. This ROM was made for that Gingerbread flagship of yore, not Google's more appropriately sized 7-inch tablet. So although the carousel UI seems to boot just fine, allowing access to Amazon's apps, WiFi and the accelerometer, there's not much that's workable on the phone side of things (i.e., calls, camera, Bluetooth and sound, amongst others). Needless to say, you shouldn't attempt this without a firm grasp on the ins and outs of rooting, nor is the ROM a wise choice for a daily driver. But as a mere dalliance with the flashdance that is Android, you can't go wrong.
LG Optimus G comes with locked bootloader, might not be cause for panic
We're fans of the LG Optimus G, although the custom ROM lovers among us might want to tamp down their expectations after this. We've confirmed comments to Android Central that the late 2012 flagship has a locked bootloader much like the Optimus 4X HD and Optimus Vu that went before it -- any serious experimentation with a typical carrier variant could at least require jumping through some hoops, if it's possible at all. It might not matter much for the sort who cares about bootloaders, though. If statements by other LG staffers are more than just wishful thinking, there could be a Nexus variant of the Optimus G next week that's as good as a blank slate for modders.
Refresh Roundup: week of September 24th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. 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 we could find during 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!
How to set up your Raspberry Pi to play Atari 2600 games
So after your brain hurts a bit and you're tired of learning computer science on the Raspberry Pi, you might want to relax with a bit of nostalgia and exercise your thumbs with some retro gaming. Want to revisit your childhood memories of Pong? Ping away. Maybe your kids have been hounding you for a video game console but you don't have the $300 to spring for a PS3. The Pi can help you with this and help teach your kids something, to boot. After some slight software configurations and a hardware purchase or two, you can relive the days of the almighty Atari 2600. Catch us after the break and we'll show you how to get your Pi to play all your totally legal cartridge backups.
Refresh Roundup: week of September 10th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. 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 we could find during 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!
Mobile Miscellany: week of September 10th, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, C Spire Wireless activated its first LTE networks and we discovered strong indication that Isis will leverage the GSMA's SIM-based NFC standard for its mobile payments system. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of September 10th, 2012.
Refresh Roundup: week of September 3rd, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. 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 we could find during 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!
Purported HTC Accord Windows Phone schema leaked on Twitter
While certain other manufacturers claim a lot of the Windows Phone column inches, there are other players in the game. An image that recently popped up on Twitter reminds us that HTC is also a supporter of Microsoft's mobile OS. The picture above claims to be a possible schema for a forthcoming handset, which the poster believes to be the HTC Accord. The account belongs to a prolific XDA-Developer user with a history of Windows Phone ROMS, so it's entirely possible this was found somewhere along the way. Likewise, though, we'll have to take this with the requisite amount of salt. There's not much in the way of specification to be gleaned here, either, but at the least we can get a sense of what the design style might be like going forward. We just need to wait now for the official product launch event to join the ever-growing list.
Jelly Bean pre-release for Verizon Galaxy Nexus now available from Google
More timid users might want to sit this one out, but for everyone else, you'll be glad to know that a pre-release build of Android 4.1 is now available for installation on the Galaxy Nexus from Verizon. Many of you are likely aware that custom Android builds such as AOKP and CyanogenMod have provided an early taste of Jelly Bean for a while now, but this time around, the flashable zip files are available directly from Google -- that's right, this is pure AOSP. Specifically, users will be treated to build JRO03O, which is an incremental update over the previously released binaries. The caveat here is that the software has yet to receive certification from Verizon, and you'll need to unlock your bootloader to join in the fun. For experienced users who've already installed a custom recovery utility such as ClockworkMod Recovery, the process couldn't be easier. Naturally, if you're already on a custom build, you should perform a data wipe within the recovery utility, then install the IMM76Q package and then flash the JRO03O build on top of that. Regardless of your experience level, anyone with the proper motivation should be able to pull this one off. Those starting at square one will find a complete list of instructions at the source link below.
Refresh Roundup: week of August 20th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. 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 we could find during 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!
HTC Thunderbolt, Droid Incredible 2 go back to the future with leaked Ice Cream Sandwich ROMs
Looks like some HTC oldies are in store for Android OS goodies -- unofficially. Though Verizon's yet to publicly confirm availability, it does appear Droid Incredible 2 and Thunderbolt owners (like this sorry bastard) are in store for a very real Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade. Two deodexed ROMs based on purported stock 4.0.4 builds have recently hit the forums treating eager and, in the case of that latter LTE handset, beleaguered users to a host of performance tweaks, as well as that Sense 3.6 skin. It should go without saying that you'll need to be rooted to flash either leak and, as always, the usual warnings apply: backup first and proceed at your own risk. That said, consider this your ticket past the Big Red tape.
CyanogenMod 9 now stable on every supported device, get your fix today
We saw CyanogenMod 9 reach the perfect poise of a stable release on the Galaxy Nexus just this past Thursday. It's now time for everyone else to join the club: all devices that can run CM9 now get the firmware in the same polished state, giving more conservative fans a path to CyanogenMod's custom Android 4.0 build. The code brings an audio equalizer, OS gesture commands and themes, among other tweaks that you won't find sitting in that vanilla Ice Cream Sandwich. If you're not so adventurous as to live on the bleeding edge that is CyanogenMod 10, hit the source link for the (considerably safer) next best thing. [Thanks, Bryson]
OTA Update Center encourages PC-free upgrades for custom Android ROMs
Over-the-air firmware updates are mainstays for most smartphone platforms, but custom ROM builders have rarely had such a luxury, even with Android. The OTA Update Center wants to shoulder that noble burden. Along with simply hosting the updates to prevent outrageous bandwidth bills, the Center enables everything an Android ROM creator might need, such as update checks, on-device firmware flashing and wiping either a cache or all user data for the more dramatic upgrades. In practice, the real perk is the cost: it's free to use, so everyone from hobbyists to seasoned teams can take advantage. While the list of those either using or planning to use the OTAUC isn't public, we're hoping it leads to a few more experimental builds of CyanogenMod and other ROMs that can now get the same tender loving care as the official code.
HTC Sense 4.1 reportedly leaked with custom ROM, One X owners taste the future
It feels like just yesterday that we were getting acquainted with the back-to-basics ways of HTC's Sense 4.0. Well-known HTC phone modder Football doesn't want us to get comfy: he claims to have both obtained a leaked version of Sense 4.1's ROM Upgrade Utility (RUU) and folded it into the 2.2 update to his Maximus firmware for the international One X. While it's no Jelly Bean, the Maximus-tuned version of HTC's Android 4.0 flavor appears to give Sense a shot in the arm, taking care of lag in the launcher and live wallpapers in addition to delivering a healthy overall speed boost. That 0.1 numbering gives a good indication of just how light the visible feature set might be, though -- other than an existing update to substitute the virtual menu button for a long-press of the home key, the interface changes are mostly limited to dedicated buttons for switching browser tabs and between different cameras. It's no surprise that HTC hasn't said a word about its own plans; rumors of new One devices, however, can't help but fuel suspicions that Sense 4.1 is just around the bend.
Google posts Android 4.1 Jelly Bean images for Nexus devices, modders rejoice
If you're the sort to get a little too adventurous with CyanogenMod 10 or other custom ROMs, Google just gave you a crutch. Android 4.1.1 factory images are now available for every Nexus device that can currently get a taste of Jelly Bean: the HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S and the expected Nexus 7. While it's not a complete safety net, the gesture will let dedicated modders flash their phones and tablets knowing that they can almost always jump back to the pure OS if someone's definition of "alpha build" is a little too rough. CDMA users are unfortunately left out of the loop; let's just hope they're brought up to speed before too long. [Thanks, Vince]
Motorola to allow bootloader unlocking from Photon Q 4G LTE onwards
Motorola's initial promise to allow unlocked bootloaders came across to many enthusiasts as somewhat hollow: as long as there was an escape clause, carriers like AT&T and Verizon could clamp down and maintain the tough-to-modify status quo. RAZR-philes will be happy to know that there's a plan to cut their own chains loose, after all. Starting with the Photon Q 4G LTE's August launch, owners will have the option to unlock the bootloader of at least some devices in an official way that reportedly keeps carriers satisfied. Details of how the process works will come later; we don't know if Motorola will take a cue from HTC's identifier tokens or try something more exotic, even if it's likely in either case to offer a big, fat disclaimer regarding the warranty. The option won't be the same as buying a phone that's unlocked from the start, but we don't think too many custom ROM lovers will mind after knowing that one more Android manufacturer is on their side. [Thanks, RTbar]
HTC HD2 gets unofficial Android 4.1 Jelly Bean port, becomes the Phone That Would Not Die
There's a golden rule for the HTC HD2: if there's a new mobile OS, the HD2 must get a port. It's practically a law of nature, then, that Evervolv at the XDA-Developers forums has produced a pre-alpha port of Android 4.1 for the originally Windows Mobile-based legend. More components are working than not despite the extremely early state, with the camera, Google Now and web browser being the remaining bugaboos. We're still warned that the experimental firmware isn't meant for day-to-day use, but there's every intention of making the release stable -- good news for anyone who's eager to avoid a flash-in-the-pan ROM. If that happens, the HD2 will have had nearly as many lives as a cat.
Refresh Roundup: week of May 28th, 2012
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. 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 we could find during 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!
