Palm Pixi Hands On: The Smaller Pre With A Better Keyboard and No Wi-Fi

Posted By: wraggster

The Palm Pixi is just what you'd get when you ask your engineers to take the Pre, keep as much stuff as possible, but make it smaller. It's a keyboarded candybar (with webOS), but it loses some vitals like Wi-Fi.

http://gizmodo.com/5355112/palm-pixi...d-and-no-wi+fi

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Sprint's Palm Pre Drops to $100, At Least For New Recruits

Posted By: wraggster

Sprint's effectively knocked another $100 off the price of the Palm Pre, with a mail-in rebate for anyone who ports a number from another carrier to start a new contract. Good news for everyone! (Except loyal Sprint customers.)

http://gizmodo.com/5354759/sprints-p...r-new-recruits

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Video: webOS 1.2 in action, LED notifications just a hack away

Posted By: wraggster

Palm might have tried to bottle up that webOS 1.2 leak the other day, but it looks like it was to no avail -- videos of the new build in action have hit YouTube, and the hacking community has already ripped the code apart and found some new features. Just like we'd heard, the browser's been updated and there's revised and improved copy / paste functionality, but the big new feature seems to be email searching, which Pre owners have longed for since day one. Hidden deeper, it seems like the LEDs in the gesture area can be enabled for notifications by tweaking just a few lines of code, and there's also the somewhat disconcerting addition of remote app kill switch for Palm, which would apparently let it delete apps anytime it wants. We're sure this is just a cover-your-ass move as Palm prepares to open up the App Catalog -- and it's not exactly unprecedented -- but it's still a little disconcerting given how closely Palm seems to be monitoring Pre usage to begin with. Oh, but come on, let's turn that frown upside-down -- video of new features after the break.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/05/v...t-a-hack-away/

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Palm webOS 1.2 leaked, plugged in record time

Posted By: wraggster

You know, sometimes if you just study hard, keep your nose clean, and stay away from the pirate cable TV business, fate will do you a solid. For instance, check this post by PreCentral forum member go4craig. Today, the hapless youngster innocently applied webOS Doctor in a bid to reset his phone back to factory and wouldn't ya know it? When all was said and done, the phone's operating system was upgraded to webOS 1.2. And what's more, the maneuver has been repeated successfully by a handful of other forum members.

What can the accidental early adopter expect for their trouble? How about account information for the App Catalog (a sign of paid apps to come), a Select All option in the browser's edit menu, and some changes in GPS location services. In addition to all this inadvertent newness, the update is said to have "much improved (zoom animation)" and a number of "little tweaks throughout." Sadly, as of this writing the gang at Palm seem to have plugged the leak. But chin up, little ones -- we're sure an official release must be imminent.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/04/p...n-record-time/

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Palm Pre Tetris Mania Demo is Pointless at 30 Seconds of Total Length

Posted By: wraggster

Electronic Arts knows that we can't wait to get our Tetris fix on the Palm Pre, so instead of making us wait until the October release of Tetris Mania, they've released a thirty second demo. A thirty-freakin'-second demo

http://gizmodo.com/5352298/palm-pre-...f-total-length

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Pre virtual keyboard developing rapidly, gets easy install method

Posted By: wraggster

We know you just can't wait to get typing on the Pre's lush touchscreen, and the folks at WebOS Internals must feel the same way as they've been hard at work making their on-screen keyboard a functional reality. Installation has been made a breeze thanks to the Preware app, and usability seems to have improved markedly since the pre-alpha version, but a few kinks remain that need to be ironed out. Still, if you're willing to put up with some buggy behavior and the potential for your Pre to melt into a puddle of fiery lava, then slide past the break to get educated on the how, what and where to download.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/31/v...s-easy-instal/

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Bell's latest Pre ad insults Americans, old people

Posted By: wraggster

With the latest installment of Bell's "Meet my Palm Pre" series, paid spokesman Bradley here has basically guaranteed himself that he'll be visited by elderly American roller girls with bad attitudes and a taste for justice. Some of the gruesome highlights:
"Unlike our neighbors to the south, Canadians are an active people."
"Coupe de Kill is kinda scary. I should probably get out of here before she goes on Twitter."
"According to Wikipedia, this game was first played in 1299. And, uh, I think some of these people were maybe there."
Follow the break for the video.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/31/b...-and-bloody-r/

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

NEO Myth MD 3in1 flash cart + 512M (Genesis/32X/Master System Flash Cart) Review

Posted By: wraggster

A Little about the reviewer

Ive been an emulation and homebrew fan for as many years as i can remember but nothing i repeat nothing is better than playing on the real hardware.

Back in the Megadrive(genesis) and Snes days i owned a Super Wild Card and a Super Double Pro fighter, both cost about 300 pounds and ill admit that it was a great way to play games that i would never have been able to afford or because of stupid region lockouts.

So the day when Neoflash announced they were working on a Flash Cart for the Megadrive called NEO Myth MD 3in1 flash cart i wanted one so badly, infact on the day they announced it i went out and brought a Megadrive.

So anyway to my reason for posting, sadly i dont own a 32X, i did a look on ebay and boy are they fetching a decent price (100 Pounds) so i can only really test Genesis and Master System Games.

The good news is that you dont need a Master System to play the games via this flash Cart. Now i am no tech head just really a normal user much like most folks so this is a review in that atittude.

Photos

The Packaging



The Unboxing



The Flash cart in its 2 parts



The USB Lead



Neo 2 cart & 512mb Card



The Cart in my Megadrive



Getting Started

One thing that didnt come with my review sample was a driver CD, thankfully Dr Neo of Neoflash has been releasing and updating his recently released GBA + MD 3in1 Myth cart PC programmer V2.82 (Local Download Here).

Now sadly i didnt have any info on what to do, which is something i expect Neoflash to sort out on retail of this flashcart..

So heres what i did

First off connect the USB Lead to your PC/laptop

Making sure the ram cart (or indeed the Neo2 is in the Super MD Flash Cart)

Connect USB Lead to Flash Cart

Then it will come up asking you for drivers

At this point unzip the (GBA + MD 3in1 Myth cart PC programmer V2.82).

Click on the exe file and it will unpack itself and also will find the drivers.

If that was successful you should now be able to add roms etc.

Adding Roms etc

A strange bug if you will is that the Cart asked for the drivers again, i just let them find the drivers automatically and everything was ok, a tad infuriating but for anyone with modest experiance of using Windows its no real hardship.

Click on the shortcut for Neo2 Ultra Menu (software you just installed)

all being well heres the screen you should see



Now im no great techie but this is where things are very easy. its just a case of dragging and dropping your Master System/Genesis/32x roms onto the window where it shows you the rom info, its as easy as that.

I hate messing around so thats a big thumbs up from wraggy - Remember that to play 32X roms you need a 32x although you can play both Genesis and Master System Roms on the Genesis.

After you have dropped all the roms you need onto the window you click MD Burn and it takes a matter of a minute or maybe more depending on the amount of roms your putting on the cart.

Theres a load of other options in there including options for N64 etc so obviously this software is going to be used for the upcoming N64/Snes Flash Carts.

Another great thing to note is that if you have the Neo 2 Nintendo DS Flash Cart that also can be used in the Super MD Flash Cart. I havent tried it yet but you can use the ram cart in a GBA too.

Now for Gaming

Plug the Cart in and turn on your system, you will see a screen like this (sorry for crap photo my new tv dislikes rf output)



Now press up/down to scroll through roms.

Press b/c to load your desired rom



Enjoy your gaming

Game Testing

Games ive tested so far

Alladdin - Megadrive - Working Fine - (better than Snes version)
Bubsy - Megadrive - Working Great - What could possibly go wrong :P
Cannon Fodder - Megadrive - Working fine
Desert Strike - Megadrive - Working Great
Duke Nukem 3D - Megadrive - Working fine
Earthworm Jim - Megadrive - No Worky
Ecco the Dolphin - Megadrive - Works Great - although i hate the game
International Superstar Soccer - Megadrive - working great - what a bloody game
Megalomania - Megadrive - Working Great
Pro Wrestling - Master System - Working Fine
Road Rash 3 - Megadrive - Working Great
Sonic 3D - Megadrive - Working fine
Sonic and Knuckles - Megadrive - None Working
Spot Goes to Hollywood - Megadrive - No Worky
Super Skidmarks - Megadrive - Working fine - Bloody hard to control though :P
Super Streetfighter X - Megadrive - None Working
Theme Park - Megadrive - Working Great
Urban Strike - Megadrive - Works Great
Virtua Racing - Megadrive - No Working - Must be because of the SVP chip if memory serves me right.
Virtua Fighter 2 - Megadrive - Awesome working
WWf Wrestlemania Arcade - Megadrive - No Worky

Thanks to Djoen for testing 32X Roms and heres what he says

till now 1 none working (Darxide 32X (M4)(EU)) and 1 that locks up (Star Wars 32X (EU))

ill update the list through the day and start writing my review whilst i enjoy the good old days.

Conclusion

Today was one of them times when i was took back to the reasons i truly love the homebrew/Emulation scene. The Flash Cart seems easy to use, only gripe is the annoyance of having to find the drivers every time you plug it in, but it does in a matter of seconds so not really a biggie.

The adding of roms to the cart is as easy as they come so a big plus factor there. The amount of roms you can add makes this a great cart too, the supporting of 3 systems and infact 4 if you take in the fact you can use it in a GBA is great.

On the whole bar the fact i cant test 32x due to not owning one (but 32x roms do work), the roms it plays is great, there are a few however with built in detection that obviously need some working on via Neoflashs part, the only rom i cant see working is for example Virtua Racing because of the extra chip inside the original game.

The price for the Flash Cart is $150 so it maybe wont be accessible to a lot of the newcomers but to retro collectors/major emulation fans it will be very worth it.

My advice is to those who are tempted is go for it, the flash cart does what you really want it to and thats play Sega Master System, Megadrive and 32X, a big thumbs up for Neoflash on this retro cart, i cant wait to see what they do with the N64, Nes and Snes Carts. Once the software is updated to work on the roms that wouldnt play this time and maybe a few new additions then you have a major winner.

Links of Interest regarding the NEO Myth MD 3in1 flash cart + 512M (Genesis/32X/Master System Flash Cart)

Ic2005.com - Official Sellers of the NEO Myth MD 3in1 flash cart and Neoflash Products.
Neoflash Topic where testers are working on improving software and compatability.
Sega NG - Great site for info about the 32x, Master System and Megadrive.
Genesis Homebrew Roms
SMS Power - Great Sega Master System Homebrew Resource
Sega Saturn News- 32X Homebrew Roms
Neoflash Forum for all disccussion regarding the flash cart.

11 comments - Last Comment By Sektor

If You Could Own Only One Console, What Would It Be?

Posted By: wraggster

We made it. You and me. We made it to Friday. And more importantly, we made it to TELL US DAMMIT.

Here's how it works: We ask a question, you answer it. Simple and no strings attached! This isn't some marketing survey or whatever. It's an emotional investment in you. Yes, we're interested in knowing you, reader person.

You probably know oodles about us - more than you even want to, we're sure. But, hey, we'd like to know about you. That way you won't be some faceless blob - and we might feel a tinge of guilt when we ban ya. Or not, because really we're incapable of human emotion.

Question: If You Could Own Only One Console, What Would It Be?

http://kotaku.com/5348211/if-you-cou...at-would-it-be

27 comments - Last Comment By ivion

Snow Leopard Drops Palm OS Sync

Posted By: wraggster

It's been just a little over a month since Apple blocked iTunes sync with Palm Pre, and now Apple takes that strategy one step further by blocking Snow Leopard sync with Palm-OS powered smartphones. Even though Palm has officially retired Palm OS and is now focusing hard on its next-generation WebOS in the Palm Pre, the company is still selling Palm OS-powered smartphones; two current models are the Treo Pro on Sprint and the Centro.

http://apple.slashdot.org/story/09/0...s-Palm-OS-Sync

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster