[Jarek Lupinski] wanted an instrument that would let him play chiptunes live, without a need for pre-programming a cartridge for playback during a concert. His preferred hardware is an original Nintendo Entertainment System because of its familiar nostalgic sound. After picking up a lot of 5 broken NES units he set out to build a midi-compliant device.

The five NES units he bought had nothing wrong with them other than the 70-pin cartridge connector. He fixed them all, then de-populated the board on one and tried to build out a circuit on a breadboard. After much trial and error, forum searching, and conversations with others who were familiar with the hardware he got the circuit working. He’s posted a schematic and had a board fabricated which takes the transplanted chips and transforms them into an instrument. Check out the test notes being played by an Arduino Mega after the break.

http://hackaday.com/2010/10/03/chipt...ment-from-nes/ ...

When Apple addressed a congressional inquiry on privacy in July, the company claimed that it couldn't actually track a particular iPhone in real time, as its transactions were anonymous and thoroughly randomized. Bucknell University network admin Eric Smith, however, theorizes that third-party application developers and advertisers may not have the same qualms, and could be linking your device to your name (and even your location) whenever they transmit data. Smith, a two-time DefCon wardriving champ, studied 57 top applications in the iTunes App Store to see what they sent out, and discovered that some fired off the iPhone's UDID and personal details in plaintext (where they can ostensibly be intercepted), including those for Amazon, Chase Bank, Target and Sam's Club, though a few were secured with SSL. Though UDIDs are routinely used by apps to store personal data and combat piracy, what Smith fears is that a database could be set up linking these UDIDs to GPS coordinates or GeoIP, giving nefarious individuals or organizations knowledge of where you are.

It's a scary idea, but before you direct hate Apple's way, it's important to note that Cupertino's not necessarily the one to blame. iOS is arguably the best at requiring users to opt-in to apps that perform GPS tracking; transmitting the UDID and account information together publicly is strictly against the rules; and we'd like to think that if users provide their personal information to an application developer in the first place, they'd understand what they're doing. Of course, not all users monitor those things closely, and plaintext transmission of personal details is obviously a big no-no.

Smith's piece opens and closes on the idea that Apple's UDID is like the unique identifier of Intel's Pentium III processor, which generated privacy concerns around the turn of the century, and we wonder if ths story might play out the same way -- following government inquiries, Intel offered a software utility that let individuals manually disable their chip's unique ID, and removed it from future CPUs.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/10/03/h...-udid-pose-se/ ...

Toshiba has unveiled what it claims are the world's first LCD TVs that allow viewers to watch in 3D without the need for special glasses.
The new REGZA GL1 series consists of the 20-inch 20GL1 and the 12-inch 12GL1. Both products will be available in Japan from the end of December.
The TVs use new Toshiba image processing technology to create nine parallax images and produce to 3D images. As a result, the vendor says, the images can be viewed from any angle. ...

Traditionally, the low tech, low cost nature of mobile platforms made casual titles a natural fit for publishers and players. But with today’s powerful processors, 3D graphics and new touchscreen controls, EA have begun forging a new wave of core games on mobile platforms.
At an event in London, EA took us through their mobile line-up, which included FIFA 11, EA Sports MMA, Mirror’s Edge and more.
FIFA 11 (iPhone, iPod Touch)
New licenses, animations and motion-captured players were EA’s core features for the mobile version of their ever-popular football franchise. The bright screen of an iPhone 4 certainly backed up those claims when we tried it ourselves. A virtual analogue stick is used to control players, while actions, like passing and shooting, are selected with you other hand. The choice of 500 league teams and 50 real world stadiums should give the game credibility in the eyes of sports fans.
EA Sports MMA (iPhone)
THQ’s swings have failed to leave their opponent groggy. Using assets from the console version, EA Mobile are launching a counter attack with their inaugural MMA mobile game. Producer Nick Wong emphasized that control has been a top priority for the development team. In MMA mobile the screen is split into four invisible quadrants each corresponding to your fighter’s limbs. A combination of taps and swipes are used to perform attacks. In our hands-on, we sampled standing, clinch and submission portions. Control for each discipline is context specific. Going for familiarity, EA have fighters such as Jason Miller and Randy Couture. EA Sports MMA is an ambitious offering and evidence that EA believe the time is right for more complex mobile games.
Mirror’s Edge (iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad)
Though it defeats the purpose of the console game’s design, Mirror’s Edge appears to have been far more successful as a side-scrolling platformer than a slightly dodgy first-person one. Of all EA’s action games on show this one was immediately engrossing. Swipes are used to make Faith jump, duck and roll her way across stark white rooftops. Though noticeably jagged, there are reams of detail to the 3D cityscapes and buildings that sustain your acrobatics. Its looks alone will attract attention, and, in the wake of Canabalt, a more traditional platformer could be precisely what handheld players want. Get a taste for side-scrolling Mirror’s Edge at www.mirrorsedge2d.com.
R-Type (iPhone, iPod Touch)
IGN have ranked R-Type in their all-time Top 10 Toughest Games to Beat, and they’re not wrong. Rose-tinted nostalgia must have been a major part in this arcade relic getting a mobile revival. You hold the device flat, tilting it to move your ship about on the default setting. Ported by DotEmu, all eight levels from the original arcade version are present and a trio of control methods. Unlikely to spread through word of mouth due to its punishing difficulty, brand cachet will have to suffice.
Yahtzee (iPad)
Yet another reason not to buy those tempting travel editions while you’re waiting in the duty-free lounge. Yahtzee on iPad is captivating thanks to its colourful HD visuals. In this classic dice game the aim is to score the most points with the sum of five dice. You can play head-to-head or pass the iPad around, but the novelty of touchscreen dice shaking coupled with convincing sound effects makes the illusion of playing virtual Yahtzee exciting in itself.

http://www.casualgaming.biz/news/304...bile-platforms ...

The creator of indie game Explosionade has called on Microsoft to update its "stuck" Xbox Live Indie Games Top Downloads list.

Developer Mommy's Best Games has refused to release the side-scrolling shooter – which it says is finished - until the "broken" service is fixed.

"Great news - Explosionade is finished and ready for you to play!" wrote studio head and former Insomniac designer Nathan Fouts on his website.

"The bad news - I'm not going to release it till the Xbox Marketplace is less broken. Sorry, but I want the best launch possible, and when the Top Downloads list isn't up to date, it's a crappy time to release a game to Xbox Live Indie Games."

Fouts' complaint centres around the Indie Games section of the Xbox 360 dashboard. The New Arrivals section shows the 20 most recent XBL Indie Games uploaded to the service. Top Downloads is supposed to show the 20 games currently downloaded the most.

Fouts reckons the Top Downloads list is "stuck".

"If we released Explosionade today, but the Top Downloads list is not updating properly we will miss a huge chance for more sales," he said.

"We love making games as a full time business. If we have a bad launch for Explosionade, it will greatly hurt our potential to carry on.

Fouts added: "Sales data has been spotty since 28th September, which means the Top Downloads list has been spotty in terms of reflecting gamers interests. In months past, the Top Downloads list has stayed stuck for days, sometimes over a week.

"I really want to release Explosionade, as I publicly announced we could release by 4th October. It was ready in time for review earlier this weekend, but I've been waiting till Top Downloads is functioning properly."

Fouts created Weapon of Choice after ditching life at Resistance developer Insomniac to set up shop as an independent games maker. Eurogamer interviewed him in January.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...xblm-is-broken ...

Rockstar Games has accepted substantial damages after the Daily Star newspaper made up a false Raoul Moat story.

The Star, owned by Richard Desmond's Express Newspapers, published libellous accusations when it claimed that Rockstar planned to launch a GTA game based on gunman Raoul Moat.

The paper made up a game called Grand Theft Auto Rothbury and claimed it would be based on the Northumberland shootings.

The Star even went to a grieving relative of one of Moat's victims for a response to the fictional title.

In the article the paper said the people behind the production of the game were "questionable idiots" who were making money out of other people's misery. It published a lengthy apology soon after, but by then the damage, for many, had been done.

Take 2's lawyer told the ruling judge that the Daily Star failed to contact the publisher before running the story, according to a report from The Guardian.

She said: "The defendant now accepts that Rockstar Games never had any intention to create such a video game at any time. The story was entirely false."

The amount of money paid to Rockstar was undisclosed, but we do know Express was ordered to pay Rockstar's legal costs. A spokesperson for the media group apologised for the upset and damage caused. It described the incident as a mistake.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...alse-gta-story ...

Epic Games boss Mark Rein reckons future Xbox and PlayStation consoles could be portable.

"Imagine a future Xbox 360 that is actually a tablet you carry around," Rein told Develop.

"It will have more power than 360 does today, with technology like Kinect built right in.

"Imagine walking into a bar with some friends, propping it up on the table and playing games like Dance Central or Kinect Adventures anywhere you go. Then when you get home that same device will use technology like AirPlay or wireless HDMI to connect to your big screen, you'll pick up a wireless controller, or use your phone as a controller to play games like Gears of War.

"It feels like there's a great opportunity for game consoles to cease to be something you plug into the wall and rather become something you take with you. Of course it will be more than just your game console; you can have your productivity apps, your documents, and your media collections on it as well."

Both Microsoft and Sony have kept quiet on their plans for new hardware, and instead pushed motion control add-ons Kinect and Move.

Microsoft reckons Kinect, due out on 10th November, will extend the life of the Xbox 360 by five years.

Epic, of course, is an important cog in the Xbox 360 wheel. Its Microsoft Game Studios-published third-person action series Gears of War has done much to attract gamers to the console.

But Epic is keen to extend its reach beyond home consoles, and has in recent months pushed the viability of triple-A games on mobile phones such as the iPhone.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/20...ould-be-mobile ...

The latest UK software sales results have been released by GfK Chart-Track - for the week ending October 2 - showing that FIFA 11 has scored a number one for Electronic Arts.

That means that Codemasters' impressive F1 2010 title was pushed down to second, with Dead Rising 2 remaining in third place.

Xbox 360-exclusive Halo: Reach fell to fourth, ahead of Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock in fifth - while the real-life Ryder Cup action has prompted another EA Sports title in the form of Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 to jump back up to sixth.

The top ten was rounded out by Sports Champions, Price of Persia, Toy Story and Civilization V.

The full list is as follows:

1. FIFA 11 (Electronic Arts)
2. F1 2010 (Codemasters)
3. Dead Rising 2 (Capcom)
4. Halo: Reach (Microsoft)
5. Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock (Activision Blizzard)
6. Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 (Electronic Arts)
7. Sports Champions (SCEE)
8. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (Ubisoft)
9. Toy Story 3 (Disney)
10. Civilization V (2K Games)

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...mber-1-success ...

Nintendo has revealed that one in three households in the UK contain a Wii console, while over 11 million people - around one in six people - own a DS handheld.

The statistics, supplied by GfK Chart-Track, have been released alongside the company's Christmas line-up, which includes an array of UK celebrity spokespeoeple.

Topping the list is actress Dame Helen Mirren, who will be promoting Wii Fit Plus, while pop group JLS is fronting Wii Party.

Meanwhile, broadcaster Sir Terry Wogan will be endorsing Brain Training as pop-football duo Louise and Jamie Redknapp enthuse over New Super Mario Bros.

Other names involved in Nintendo's advertising plans include Alexandra Burke, Olly Murs, Ant and Dec and Jedward.

"This year's star line up is the best yet, demonstrating the wide appeal of Nintendo products," commented Nintendo UK marketing director Dawn Paine. "This Christmas, with the help of our celebrity friends, we will be helping the nation play together and have fun whatever their age."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...ve-wii-console ...