torsdag 20 oktober 2011

Time for a New Console Generation?

PC games have eclipsed the 360 and PS3 - is it time for developers to build new consoles?

Time for a New Console Generation?

måndag 3 oktober 2011

EA Adds "No Class-Action" Clause to Origins

EA have updated their Terms of Service contract to include a clause similar to Sony’s PSN Terms of Service, which limits your rights to a class-action lawsuit here in the U.S. By accepting these terms, you and EA expressly waive the right to a trial by jury or to participate in a class action

EA Adds "No Class-Action" Clause to Origins

Trying out the igaming device M3i Zero for DS in which homebrew enthusiasts have been dying for

Tool Firstappearance

This tremendous long awaited M3i Zero have landed. A card that have been gely|greatly|very|massively|widely|really|extremely|highly|enormously} wanted amongst the home brew world because of the feature set. But not only is the components full upgradeable via the kernel,boot flash and firmware, but the Operating system can handle the substantially trumpeted M3 Sakura. In the past just obtainable for the Japanese. Now interpreted for the european market.

This past February right after I was examining the M3 Real, I commented over the power of the hacked multiply loader Operating system. That gave the end consumer many options, enough to suit the several needs of any Ds home brew enthusiast. Now I am glad to find out these opinions have been taken on mother board by Crew M3. The M3i stands out as the initial available retail store card that works with a Double Boot system as standard. It's possible to swap between TouchPod and Sakura by just pushing down the A button on boot.

Nonetheless, enough with the blarney. Let's see what exactly is beneath the cover of the new M3i Zero.

What's Included in the Packaging.

Unit M3i Zero comes in a shiny dark blue retail box printed with the M3 logo and web page link. The back of the package explains the set of features of the card and even includes a pictorial portrayal of the contents of the package. The product packaging measurements, shape and over-all finish, is precisely like the older M3 Real.

The contents of the bundle are inside a standard clear plastic tray. These include as follows: The M3i Zero chip, and is located in a plastic case with enough space for a Micro sd card. This is very much like the cases you can get along with memory cards for example Kingston and Sandisk, a little USB 2.0 reader, designed with a bright white M3 logo design. Sadly the USB reader only shares the style of the Sandisk reader but not the quality. It is serviceable, but I would usually propose getting a decent "brand name" reader to be able to steer clear of the dastardly blight, known as data corruption.

The very last product within the box is the all important firmware power supply cord. It is really an amazing piece of kit. Nothing like the Supercard DSONEi system. The M3 crew now have gone for a very different form factor in regards to powering the flash card from USB. As opposed to the complete card being placed in a slot 1 adapter. They've gone for a much more streamlined yet still fragile layout. At one end of the power cord is a rigid ribbon cable, just like the types which links the Nintendo ds touchscreen to the mother board. This inserts in to the side of the M3i Zero card. Energizing the device during the flash procedure.

Construct class.

Tool M3i Zero is supplied in a black shell. The grade of plastic really feels on par with the Acekard 2. It isn't quite comparable to the earlier M3 Real build quality, that felt strong and quite heavy. The 2 parts of the casing are held together by a clip design and not the common sealed/tiny screws. You will find a noticeable IC bulge on the labeled side of the card. The label is a glossy blue/white layout having a yellow/white M3 Zero brand. The label has been placed straight on the card.

The card's "copper teeth" aren't shielded by the traditional raised fins. Their Printed circuit board is green-colored. The microSD slot is situated on the side of card. The spring features a fairly good action and click. The populated card slot is flush with the top of the shell. Placing the card in to my Dsi wasn't any concern. The IC bulge do not cause any issues by scraping the edges of my well worn slot 1.

Altogether, I felt pleased with the general manufacturing of the card. It's by no means crafted like a tank yet it is not garbage R4 clone territory.

Setting up.

M3i Zero ships as a blank card. Without any firmware. Here are the blurb from the nice M3 folks "M3 unit don't include any kind of copyright data and / or firmware program, although end users may update the program which will make M3i Zero end up being the most potent flash cart".

This is a very smart chunk of chicanery by the M3 guys. As I presume this can aid the card's transportation through a few countries over ardent customs inspections.

And so to get the beast up and running, we have to flash the card's firmware utilizing the included USB power cable. When you're beginning this sounded like a difficult endeavour for somebody as cack handed as me. The rigid ribbon cable end of the power lead looks fragile due to the wafer slender design and style. Yet alas my fears was allayed, because it was extremely easy to stick in the power cord on the side of the card. Pursuing the readme directions, I copied the newest system software to the root of my newly formatted memory card, with the firmware dat file. Then I connected the power cord to my Pc's USB hub. Without delay a red led began flashing inside the M3i Zero's card housing. Soon after 11-25 seconds, the led stopped so I unhooked all the various cable from the card. I hurriedly popped the card into my Dsi and fired the blighter up. Heya Voila! I was greeted by a M3 symbol on the menu screen. Nice! A nice pain-free set up.

I did the patented start the card without any Micro SD card test and the old remove a number of system files test. The M3i Zero surpassed with flying colours, expressing the proper error codes for every single try out.

Final result.

Team M3 appeared to have acted on my statements regarding the M3 Real and presented them in to the M3i Zero. They have delivered the superb Sakura Gui into western market. Not only this, they had additionally delivered very first official double boot system for any flash card. This boosts the strength of the unit by retaining excellent compatibility even though moving ahead with the Sakura codebase through application updates. To be able to upgrade the kernel, boot flash and firmware simply enhances the blend. This in turn raises the endurance of the chip.

I would say the M3i Zero offers the greatest range of options, both in hardware/software, available today for any homebrew fans. This particular card has become my current system of choice for the Nintendo dsi. This is the greatest recommendation I can give any Nintendo ds flash card. report reference: M3i Zero

Nintendo 3DS or Sony Next Generation Portable: Which One is Right for You?


The handheld gaming war will intensify when Nintendo and Sony release the next generation of their handheld gaming systems, the 3DS and Next Generation Portable, respectively. In this article I will look at the pertinent details of each system, so that you can decide which system will be best for you.

First, A Little History

Nintendo has dominated the handheld gaming world ever since the days of the first Gameboy. Sony made a big splash when their PlayStation Portable debuted in 2005, with impressive opening sales numbers. Even so, it could not hope to overtake the juggernaut that is the Nintendo DS and its multiple iterations. Sony did not do itself any favors with the ill-conceived PSP Go, a version of the PSP without a UMD drive. Even with this misstep, Sony has proven itself to be a major player in the handheld gaming market. They look to be upping the ante with the much more powerful PSP2, which is currently codenamed the Next Generation Portable. Meanwhile, Nintendo looks to hold their front running position with the cutting edge 3D capabilities of the 3DS.

Defining Features of the 3DS and NGP


The defining feature of the Nintendo 3DS is, of course, the ability to watch 3D movies, play 3D games, and take 3D pictures, all without the need for 3D glasses. It will be the cheapest and most accessible way to enjoy the current wave of 3D entertainment, which shows no signs of slowing down in popularity.

The NGP's defining features are its power and the dual analog sticks, which will appeal to more of the hardcore gamer demographic. It will allow developers to make games that look almost as good as the home consoles, along with the same ease of control afforded by the dual analog sticks that home console gamers have enjoyed for years.

Release Dates and Price

Nintendo will definitely have the advantage since the 3DS is coming out in March, and the NGP will not be released until the holiday season at the very earliest. Nintendo will also be the clear winner in affordability, as it will launch with a price of $250, and will most likely see a price drop when the NGP finally does release. There has been no announcement of the NGP's price, but anything under $299 looks to be a pipe dream with how much power it is packing.

The Bottom Line

While both companies have blurred the lines as to who their target markets are, in the end the Nintendo 3DS will appeal more to the mainstream market, while the Sony NGP will appeal more to the hardcore gamer crowd. Wherever you find yourself on the gamer spectrum will ultimately guide your decision as to which handheld gaming system is right for you.



 

söndag 2 oktober 2011

Easy Freeboot v5.20 13146

Sneakypeanut released a new version of his Easy freeBOOT - an application which will automate the creation of a 13146 freeBOOT image for JTAG-able consoles based on the original NAND image. What's new/fixed: * Fixed full audclamp on jasper * Added cygnos Smc's * Implemented 13146 * Removed unimportant stuff * Code optimisation Official Site: n/a, by Sneakypeanut Download: n/a (might be illegal under DCMA/EUCD)

Easy Freeboot v5.20 13146