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Be a mobile DJ and play that level again: iPhone apps of the week

As we draw closer to the release of the iPad 2, the Apple rumor sites are heating up, with the usual speculation and research into hidden clues about what the new device will be like. Rumors about faster processor speed and front- and rear-facing cameras have been out there for a while, but an article over at AppleInsider breaks down what types of the iPad 2 Apple is banking on selling most.

The first iPad came in Wi-Fi-only and 3G/Wi-Fi varieties. But with the introduction of iOS devices to Verizon, Apple has needed to make some adjustments to the hardware to make sure it works on all carriers.

According to the article, Apple is expected to offer three variations of the iPad 2: a Wi-Fi only version, a GSM/UMTS version for AT&T, and a CDMA/EV-DO version for Verizon.

AppleInsider reports that Apple is producing more of the 3G-enabled models than the others and concludes that the company thinks most people will opt for the 3G version over just Wi-Fi.

It's tough to say what Apple is really planning, but if you were going to buy an iPad 2 at launch, which variation would you buy? Let me know in the comments.

This week's apps include an app that lets you bring two turntables anywhere and a platform game that's so difficult you can't stop playing.… Read more

Original Game Boy becomes a Web app

One consequence of the steady increase in computer power is that newer machines can emulate the behavior of older ones, with software running fast enough to simulate operations that formerly required hardware.

Now, in an illustration of just how far Web programming has come, one coder has begun a project called jsGB that lets a Web browser emulate Nintendo's original Game Boy handheld game console.

Imran Nazar, a 26-year-old programmer from Manchester, U.K., has begun work to emulate the Game Boy in JavaScript, the Web programming language whose performance has become a top priority of browser makers today. JavaScript is used for everything from pop-up dialog boxes on Facebook to the Google Docs online productivity applications, but Nazar is busy adding 1989-era Tetris and similar games to the list.

"New JavaScript engines such as [Firefox 4's JaegerMonkey] mean much higher speeds for the core processing, more than enough to cover emulation of a basic system," Nazar said in a blog post on Mozilla's gaming site. In addition, HTML5 now offers the Canvas element for easily controlling a two-dimensional graphical display, he said.

"Why write a console emulator? It's a good way to learn the ins and outs of a particular console, and excellent for bringing together the lowest and highest levels of development," Nazar said. "And why build a console emulator in the browser, using JavaScript and HTML5? I say: why not?"

The work spotlights the growing capability of Web-based programs. JavaScript performance increases, though hard to measure, are opening new horizons for Web programmers. The cloud computing philosophy, which can let people get access to information and use online tools wherever they have a browser, is gaining credibility. New Web standards and browser features such as offline storage, advanced graphics, and hardware acceleration improve what browsers can do.

It's not all easy going, though. Perhaps the most advanced embodiment of the Web-app future, Google's Chrome OS, is stumbling on its way to market. Its troubles aside, however, it's clear more and more gets done in a browser window. … Read more

Game Boy games we want to see on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console

Sometimes, old can be better than new, especially when old is cheap. Retro games have flooded the Nintendo Wii via the Virtual Console, and the Nintendo 3DS will receive similar treatment via its recently announced Game Boy Virtual Console.

Considering the Game Boy's history dating all the way back to 1989, that adds up to a heck of a lot of games that could come back into circulation. Not all of them should, of course, but there are plenty of gems well worth a price point that we sincerely hope wouldn't hover above $5.

In fact, a retro … Read more

Nintendo finally gets its Game Boy virtual console, and other 3DS surprises

It seemed obvious when the Nintendo DSi first debuted: offering classic Game Boy titles from Nintendo's decades-long back library would be a perfect fit and a no-brainer parallel to the Virtual Console on the Wii.

But it never happened. Now the upcoming Nintendo 3DS, which won't be released in the U.S. until 2011, will rectify this with a Virtual Console of its own, according to a Nintendo announcement released early this morning. That's great news, but there are a few more surprises that the 3DS unveiled--some of which we had been expecting in the Nintendo DSi, … Read more

iPhone console emulators: What's the point?

As a teenager I just about lived in the video arcade (Abbey Road in Farmington Hills, Mich.--anyone remember it?). I owned an Atari 2600, an Apple IIe, an Amiga, a Sega Dreamcast, and just about anything else that was good for games.

You'd think, then, that I'd go ape over something like C64 for iPhone 1.7, a newly updated Commodore 64 emulator that revives such classics as "Boulder Dash II," "Jupiter Lander," and "International Karate."

And you'd be wrong. While I have nothing but fondness for the videogames of … Read more

The 404 628: Where we're built for speed, not comfort (podcast)

Thursdays are always special on The 404 Podcast because Natali Del Conte drops by to help us discuss stories, but today we say TTFN to our Loaded friend as she takes time off to take care of our little co-host-to-be. Since today is the last time she'll be on the show for awhile, we make a solemn oath to leave pickles, Inception, and iPhones out of the day's news rundown.

Remember Chatroulette, the Web site that uses your webcam to put you in a video chat sesion with a person on the Internet? It might be so three … Read more

An iTunes cloud service not imminent, insiders say

An article about Apple's plan to "soon" launch a cloud service featuring music and movies stirred up a great deal of speculation on Thursday. "Soon," however, is a relative term because Apple has yet to snag licenses from the top four music labels, sources tell CNET.

The Boy Genius Report's article cited an anonymous source who declared that the Apple service will offer "streaming music and movies from Apple's servers to your computers," will sync iTunes with devices, and will stream content from a home computer to other Web-enabled gadgets.

While … Read more

Google Street View's 'horse-boy' mystery

Do you feel the "Scent of Danger?" Could it be the "Centaur of Danger?"

There are unearthly beings in our midst. And I am not referring specifically to any unearthly being that Stephen Hawking is so keen for us to avoid.

Please look at the image from Google Street View that I have been brave enough to present here.

It is the body of a man. It is the head of a horse. They are on the very same being. You try and tell me that this not something from out there, rather than in here. … Read more

The 404 569: Where it's a bad day for the Internet (podcast)

Last week on The 404 Podcast, we talked about the Boy Scouts of America's newest merit badge for Geocaching that teaches young men how to use a GPS Navigation device to locate hidden containers across the world. Today, the Scouts have added a new tech-related achievement--a merit badge for playing video games.

To earn the patch, the Boy Scouts will have to explain why a rating system for games are important, create a schedule with an adult to play games after chores and homework are done, and to only play games approved by a parent, guardian, or teacher.

Geocaching? Video games? Were the Boy Scouts always such tech nerds? Don't they belong to the outdoorsy subcategory of dorks? In fact, the three of us specifically chose not to join the Boy Scouts (unless you count Webelo Yu) as children, favoring LAN parties and D&D tournaments instead. So here's our idea: how about rewards for learning computer skills that actually have a purpose, maybe for building a Web site or learning how to use Adobe Photoshop? As it stands, look out for a lot more overweight, lazy Scouts rolling to a crosswalk near you.

404 listeners with a fear of flying will either be terrified or relieved by the FAA asking all airlines to ensure the concentration of their pilots in flight, which includes restricting pilots' use of personal electronics like laptops and handheld gaming devices.

We're alarmed that this is even a problem, but the FAA cited a case in Minnesota where a plane flew 150 miles off course because the pilots were too distracted by their laptops to pay attention to the navigation controls. So the next time you walk by the cockpit and see the pilots playing Microsoft Flight Simulator X, send them this link but maybe tell them to read it later.

When Iranican cleric Hojatoleslam Kazem Sedighi was quoted last week blaming earthquakes on "women who do not dress modestly," American student Jen McCreight took it upon herself to create the Boobquake Facebook Group with hopes that all members would join her on April 26 in showing tons of cleavage to disprove their supernatural powers.

Well, in an ironic twist of fate, Taiwan suffered a 6.5 magnitude earthquake on April 26, validating Sedighi's cause-effect hypothesis to some. In reality, dozens of quakes occur dozens of times a day on Earth, and the Boobquake creators consider the day a success since the goal was to see if such phenomena increased in number or severity.

Either way, the guys at The 404 fully support your cause, Jen McCreight. Please let us know if you need shopping tips or wardrobe styling- we're happy to help!

EPISODE 569 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Boy Scouts to get video game awards

The Boy Scouts of America has added two awards for kids to earn, the group announced Wednesday. But the focus of these awards might surprise you.

Rather than teach survival techniques, the awards will allow scouts to earn a belt loop or academics pin by playing video games.

Earning the belt loop is actually quite simple. Tiger Cubs, Cub Scouts, and Webelos Scouts can get the loop by explaining "why it is important to have a rating system for video games." They also need to "create a schedule" that includes "chores, homework, and video gaming.&… Read more