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Microsoft delays tool that will bring Android apps to Windows
Microsoft has confirmed that a tool that lets Android apps easily run on Windows 10 is "not ready," according Windows Central and other sources. The software giant introduced the Windows Bridge for Android, dubbed "Project Astoria," earlier this year as part of a larger effort to help app-builders easily convert Web, iOS and Android apps to Windows. Developers complained that it still isn't available (unlike the other apps), though Microsoft hasn't said the project is in trouble. However, the Project Astoria forums have gone dark and Microsoft removed the Android subsystem from the last Windows 10 Mobile preview, suggesting it may be killed altogether.
Dear Veronica: Going old school with game emulators!
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-408727{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-408727, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-408727{width:570px;display:block;}try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-408727").style.display="none";}catch(e){}I can't believe it's already been 20 episodes! You guys have been awesome about sending in questions, so thank you. But enough sentimental stuff, let's get to the questions!
Play PSP games on an Oculus Rift with this VR emulator
While Sony is mulling the PlayStation Vita's future, someone is giving the last-generation PlayStation Portable a new life -- in virtual reality. Oculus developer 2EyeGuy has created an Oculus Rift emulator called PPSSPP VR for PSP games, and it arguably works better than the original. As he puts it, "PPSSPP VR... lets you actually be inside PSP games. You are not playing on a virtual handheld or screen, you are inside the virtual world." The simulator works perfectly with a large number of PSP games, including Final Fantasy 7 and Wipeout Pure, and good-to-poorly on others, like Gran Turismo and Star Wars Battlefront II.
Wii U emulator (almost) runs 'Mario Kart 8' on your PC
Want a Wii U but don't want to own Nintendo's latest console? That's sort of possible now. I emphasize the "sort of" because the recently released Cemu emulator is almost entirely broken at this point. There isn't proper gamepad support, there's absolutely no audio and the game video stutters and glitches pretty badly in most cases if the titles launch at all. For example, in Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD's attract mode (the opening menu screen), little Toon Link looks he has some seriously Donnie Darko-esque energy tubes coming out of his chest, stretching far out from his cliffside overlook on Outset Island. Peep it in the video embedded below. "Contains basically no optimizations," the download page reads. "Expect slow frame rates and long load times."
Developers can test Android Auto apps without buying a Bentley
Android Auto developers now have way to try out their apps without spending lots on an actual head unit or entire car. The Android Auto Desktop Unit (DHU) runs on your Windows, OS X or Linux desktop and works in conjunction with the companion app on Android 5.0 (Lollipop) or higher. Installing it is a bit of a rigmarole and you'll need to connect your Android device via a USB cable, but you probably already know that if you're a developer. Once you've compiled and installed your app, it'll "behave as if it's connected to a car," according to Google.
BlueStacks emulator runs Android apps on your Mac
The BlueStacks Android emulator, which already has around 90 million Windows users, has finally arrived on OSX after an extended beta testing phase. The free emulator runs both x86 and ARM-based apps as well as provides full keyboard and mouse support. It even allows for gesture controls like pinch to zoom with a trackpad and takes advantage of your Mac's Retina display. Users can sync files and data from their mobile devices or pull new apps from Google Play directly to their Mac. You can download the program directly from the BlueStacks website.
You can play 2,400 classic DOS games in your web browser
If you're a PC gamer of a certain age (cough), you've probably lamented that many of the titles you played as a kid are hard to use on modern systems without downloading emulators or waiting for special re-releases. Well, it just got a lot easier to relive your gaming glory days. The Internet Archive's growing collection of web-based retro games now includes roughly 2,400 MS-DOS classics -- you can now play cult hits like Gods or Tongue of the Fatman in your browser. This won't quite recreate the experience of sitting at the family computer, of course. The project's Jason Scott warns that you can't save your progress on the web, and that some games could still "fall over and die" despite attempts to include only those programs that are likely to work properly. But look at it this way: even half-functional web emulation could prevent a much-loved game from fading into obscurity.
EFF wants to legalize tinkering with shuttered online games
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is seeking six exemptions to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, one of which may affect your enjoyment of video games and possibly MMOs at some point in the future. In a nutshell, the EFF wants to legalize tinkering with titles which have had their online functions terminated. "The fair use doctrine enables the manipulation and copying of software code in order to gain access to the ideas and functions embedded within it that are not protected by copyright, including server communication protocols," the EFF says. Unfortunately for MMO emulator fans, the petition doesn't apply to "persistent world" titles at present.
The next iOS update will likely block your favorite game emulator
If you're using iOS, you'd better not get too attached to your favorite unofficial game emulator -- there's a real chance that you won't have an easy way to load it before long. The GBA4iOS team has noticed that the iOS 8.1 beta fixes a loophole that lets you install third-party emulators and other unapproved apps simply by rolling back the date on your device. This won't prevent you from installing emulators if you're willing to jailbreak, but you'll have to give up the luxuries afforded by official support (such as timely OS updates) if you want to relive your gaming glory days on an iPhone.
The Daily Grind: Are MMO mods and emulators on their way out?
We don't talk about emulators on Massively often because we're forbidden to encourage illegal activities or link or name specific emulators save those rare few publicly sanctioned by studios (so please don't). In fact, we've written before that emulators are a frustrating topic for many of our writers since gamers pour boatloads of creativity and technical skill into both legal and illegal emulators for games dead and alive, creativity that we can't write about even when we'd like to. I can't be the only one who's wondered whether legit modders and underworld emulator coders are abandoning their craft in favor of more legal ventures, however. There might be more sunsetted MMOs, moddable UIs, and calls for "classic" game versions than ever, but the rise of low-risk crowdfunding, easy Steam greenlighting, and modular multiplayer titles that encourage customization makes me suspect that people who once modded shady MMO emulators or built interfaces for the masses are being lured away to work on something more legitimate or profitable or resume-worthy. What do you think? Are emulators and modding going out of fashion? (Please don't link to anything illegal!) Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Toontown Online 'homage' illustrates emulator quandary
Disney's Toontown Online was shut down last year, but that hasn't kept fans from working on a so-called "homage" to the game. A team of 24 or so volunteer developers have been working on making Toontown Rewritten with publicly available images and their own skills as programmers and artists. While the team isn't charging players to access the title, its status as a de facto emulator could put it in jeopardy with the Mouse House. Disney hasn't commented on it yet, but copyright attorney Scott Landsbaum noted the quandary that such projects face: "When does a fan homage that is beneficial to your brand cross the line to infringement that can no longer happen?" Analyst Michael Pachter claimed that it was "unusual" for fans to take on such emulator projects, which was rebutted by Raph Koster, who tweeted, "Sorry Pachter, but hasn't EVERY shuttered MMO (and some open ones) been remade by fans?" A similar project for the also-defunct Pirates of the Caribbean Online claims that Disney has given the emulator its blessing.
Mac on iPhone would be a lot of fun
It's a shame this doesn't actually exist, because I bet a lot of people would love to mess around with an emulated version of classic Mac software. Imagine "booting up" touchscreen versions of Artillery or 3D Checkers. It would a nostalgia trip worth at least a few bucks, right? [Photo credit: Rob Marquardt]
The best Nintendo DS emulator on iOS doesn't require a jailbreak
Apple has a pretty strict stance on emulators in regards to the App Store, so unless you're willing to jailbreak your iPhone or iPad, the options for retro gaming are usually pretty slim. That is, unless the developers of said apps decide to ignore the App Store entirely -- that is the case with NDS4iOS, a Nintendo DS emulator from the same team that launched the jailbreak-free GBA emulator, GBA4iOS, to much acclaim. Much like its predecessor, NDS4iOS can be downloaded straight from the official website. After some finagling with the date, which is required since Apple predictably revoked the dev certificate, the app will load up and present an empty list for game ROMs. You can tweak settings like the opacity of the controller overlay as well as frame skips and other performance enhancements. When you're ready to play, you can seek out game ROMs (to games you already own, of course) via the built-in site links, which then download directly to the app or to a synced Dropbox account. Loading a game is instantaneous and the game provides save state functionality to resume previous play sessions automatically. Perhaps the best part about the app is that it features full touchscreen support for the "bottom screen" of DS games, offering a true DS experience without the system itself. I found that some games seem to suffer a bit in the transition, however, such as the unexpectedly laggy Mario Kart DS. Other games work splendidly, so it's really a bit of a crapshoot. If you're thirsty to relive your DS glory days, this is as good as it gets without dragging out your dusty Nintendo handheld and trying to remember where you left the charging cord.
Daily Update for December 27, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio podcast format. You'll hear some of the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the player at the top of the page. The Daily Update moved to a new podcast host in the past few weeks. Current listeners should delete the old podcast subscription and subscribe to the new feed in the iTunes Store here.
Internet Archive starts preserving classic game consoles on the web
Many gamers won't load a console emulator for much more than a brief nostalgia kick. The Internet Archive has loftier goals, however. It's expanding its Historical Software Collection to include the free-to-play Console Living Room beta, which recreates classic '70s and '80s systems on the web for the sake of the historical record. The initial library includes hundreds of games for the Astrocade, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, ColecoVision and Magnavox Odyssey. There are gaps in the catalog, and sound isn't working; the CLR isn't yet a match for a conventional software emulator, let alone the real thing. The Internet Archive promises to address both problems in the near future, though, and it shouldn't be long before its collection delivers a complete vintage gaming experience... minus the old-fashioned tube TV.
Chrome DevTools now lets you see how websites behave on mobile devices (video)
Developing a mobile-friendly website can be daunting. How do you account for the many, many devices that will see your page? If you grab Google's new Chrome 32 beta, that kind of testing should be trivial. The desktop browser's DevTools for Mobile can now emulate the behavior of mobile gadgets down to their display resolutions, sensors and touch input. Those who need to test on real hardware will have an easier time, too -- Chrome 32's new USB support lets you screencast an Android device's browser to see how code runs without leaving the developer environment. Many of us normal web denizens won't see the benefits of the updated DevTools, but site builders eager to save time will want to visit the source links.
New 'experimental' emulator makes Ubuntu mobile OS development easier
Ubuntu's touch-based (read: mobile) OS is still finding its footing with users (and a hardware home to call its own), but the outfit's paving the way for developers to get onboard. An experimental emulator for the mobile OS has just been released that apes much of the feel, and occasionally the look, of Android's own emulator for desktop. As it's currently a work-in-progress, not all of the functionality is available at the outset. ADB, SSH access and serial console are all turned 'on' by default, but you'll need to fuss with the emulator to enable things like Powerd and "a few other services." There are also some non-responsive UI bits to deal with, since the provided keyboard layout is somewhat unworkable, but no doubt future releases will see these rough edges ironed out. That said, it's a good way for devs and non-devs alike to glimpse the Ubuntu experience on mobile.
Internet Archive brings bygone games and programs to the browser
One of the inherent downsides of technology's rapid advancement is how much of its history gets left behind with each new plateau we reach. However, the great minds at the Internet Archive (IA) have come up with a way to not only preserve our past, but make it accessible via the Javascript MESS emulator that can run a slew of classic games and programs in your browser. Next time you have a hankering to futz with WordStar or play E.T. The Extraterrestrial at work, you won't have to go blow the cobwebs off the relics sitting in the office supply closet, you can just check out the IA's Historical Software Collection. From there, you're but a few clicks away from reliving a curated swath of computing's best (and worst) moments. Now if you'll excuse us, we're going to be playing The Hobbit for the the foreseeable future. [Image credit: wizzer2801/Flickr]
Tesla Model S to get app support and Chrome by late 2014 (video)
Tesla's Model S may soon be as friendly to developers as it is to drivers. Elon Musk has revealed at a Munich reception (shown after the break) that he hopes to open the EV's infotainment system to third-party apps by the end of 2014. As part of the software transition, the sedan will also get Google Chrome -- a big improvement over the current browser, particularly for web apps. Musk didn't say how local apps would work, although he noted that Tesla is "considering" an Android emulator that would take advantage of the car's Linux platform. We wouldn't count on loading Flipboard while stuck in a traffic jam, but it's clear that the Model S' center stack will eventually become more of a general-purpose computer.
ColecoVision project promises officially licensed gaming nostalgia (video)
Rantmedia Games has a knack for rekindling childhood gaming memories -- see its uncannily accurate Vectrex Regeneration as proof. We're glad to hear, then, that the developer wants to revive our nostalgia once more with its upcoming ColecoVision app. The crowdfunded project has all the necessary licensing to recreate both Coleco's system and 20-plus classic games, promising as authentic a Zaxxon experience as you'll get without the hardware in hand. Rantmedia also hopes to foster a competitive streak with leaderboards, achievements and player challenges. Should the company reach its $250,000 funding goal, it expects to release an iOS version of the software by March. The firm also wants to target Android, the PlayStation Vita and desktops, although additional OS support will depend on feedback. Whatever platforms the ColecoVision app supports, it's clear that anyone with a soft spot for Choplifter will want to chip in $10 or more at the source link.
