jam

I grew up playing video games and was part of the era of going to arcades and dropping quarter after quarter into my favorite games. Back then, if you would have told me that one day I could play the same games on a mobile phone I would probably have said, "I doubt it, and who would want to lug one of those giant things around anyway?" In the '80s, mobile phones were huge. In other words, I would never have believed it.

Now, there are hundreds of games in the iTunes App Store that bring old classics to your touch screen. Not all of them are perfect, certainly. Sometimes the controls don't translate well to the touch screen, for example. But even with mediocre controls, it's still fun to be able to play a game you loved as a kid while you're commuting to work or in between classes.

This week, two games were released that were favorites of mine in the arcades, and both work relatively well on the touch screen. My question to you is, What games from the old days should be made for iOS? What games should not? Let's talk about it in the comments.

This week's apps are a classic gory fighting game and an arcade basketball remake that might already be one of my favorite games of 2011.… Read more

With Windows, it can be hard to see the trees for the forest; it does a pretty good job with the "big picture," but you've got to do some clicking to see the details, which actually makes it harder to get an accurate overview of your system. JAM's TreeSize Free is a nifty bit of freeware that displays the size of every folder and file, including every subfolder, in a series of expandable Explorer-like tree views. You can use TreeSize Free as a standalone app activated from the desktop or start menu, but you can also … Read more

editor's notebook Is Google's Street View about to become a global forum for street theater?

It might be headed in that direction, if Italian officials get their way. According to a report, Italy has demanded that Google start giving people in that country three-days warning, via radio and newspapers, as to when its Street View cars will be roaming the stradas collecting images to plaster all over the Web.

The demand, picked up by PC Magazine from a report in La Stampa, is hardly surprising. As my colleague Chris Matyszczyk has pointed out, the Street View cars have … Read more

Game-streaming technology company InstantAction is launching its very own title on Monday that puts a Guitar Hero-like experience inside of Facebook, and soon on any other site.

Called "Instant Jam," the new title brings the same general gameplay as most music rhythm games, with users having to key in the notes from popular songs as they rush towards the screen against colorful, and animated backdrops.

It requires no special software downloads or hardware on the part of gamers. Instead, it uses the embedded game technology the company debuted early last year to stream visuals from its server farm.… Read more

I know it's summertime, but there's only so much fresh air and sunshine a person can take. Sometimes you just want to hole up in an air-conditioned room and play games till your brain rots. Then, back outside for fresh air and sunshine.

With that in mind, let's take a look at four new games sure to rot your brain--er, keep you entertained--during these lovely summer months:

Despicable Me: Minion Mania: I always find it a little strange when a movie tie-in arrives before the movie ("Despicable Me" opens July 9), but when it's … Read more

On today's show, size matters. You're going to hear that a lot. So, apologies in advance. Also, we have a great interview at the top of the show with Stephen Volz and Fritz Grobe, otherwise known as the Coke and Mentos guys. They've got a rocket car, a Coke Zero contract, and a dream. Also, Goatse wants to clear up some things, Mortal Kombat is back, and once again? Size matters.

Now drivers can view traffic camera images in real-time with a new application for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.

TrafficJamCam, from Visteon, lets users see current traffic conditions on highways and major roadways of their choosing, faster and more accurately than typical radio updates or other traffic reports. This allows drivers to plan or change their driving routes based on current traffic or road conditions.

TrafficJamCam is available in separate applications for viewing traffic in 17 metropolitan areas: Atlanta; Boston; Chicago/Indiana; Charlotte, N.C.; Denver; Detroit; Jacksonville, Fla.; Las Vegas; Memphis, Tenn.; Minneapolis/St. Paul; New York City; … Read more

iStunt Reloaded is an improved and expanded version of iStunt, a physics-based, 2D arcade snowboarding game.

iStunt Reloaded's graphics have gotten slightly more sophisticated, but its gameplay remains the same: you tilt your device left and right to rotate the angle of your snowboard (when you're in midair, this is how you perform flips), you jump with a quick swipe up, and you crouch (to pick up speed) by swiping down. Each of the game's 30 levels challenges you with a stunt-filled course (with checkpoints to save progress), from straightforward jumps and flips to much more convoluted … Read more

This was my third Head-Fi "meet," and at each one I've met lots of great people sharing a common passion for hi-fi. I'm not sure why, but Head-Fi members are a lot younger than most audiophiles. You see a lot of under-30 members, and it seems like under-40 Head-Fi-ers are in the majority! The weather outside on Saturday in Queens, NY, was frightful, but inside the vibes were warm and inviting. This event was hosted by my friend, Aaron Kovics (Head-Fi username Immtbiker).

Head-Fi meets gather Internet friends at a place, in this case a hotel, where they can listen to each other's headphones and headphone amplifiers. Some amps are home-built designs, some are commercial units. And unlike regular hi-fi shows, you can listen to what you want, with your own music, as loud as you want.

I met one guy with a set of vintage Grado Signature HP-2 headphones, probably from the early 1990s. They had a very dynamic, bold sound, and a special something I can't quite put my finger on. I'm a big fan of John Grado's current line of headphones (and phono cartridges), and I sold a lot of those early Grados (designed by John's uncle, Joseph Grado) when I worked as a salesman at a high-end audio store.

As I recall the original Grado headphones sold for $400 or $500, but used ones now go for $1,300 to $2,000! That's what I love about the best high-end gear; it sounds amazing, it's built to last, and it goes up in value! Think anybody will want to buy a 30-year-old iPod for a premium price in 2040 to actually listen to? I doubt it. … Read more