iOS 5.0.1 Untethered Jailbreak for pre-A5 devices released: RedSn0w

If you have been following the development on the iOS jailbreak community, you would probably know by now that the untethered jailbreak has been released for iOS 5.0.1 for all iDevices (except for iPhone 4s and iPad 2). Few hours right after the release announcement, I jumped in immediately to restore my iPhone 4 (which was on iOS 4.3.2) and jailbreak it. Dev-team has release the latest RedSn0w tool (version 0.9.10b2) that includes the exploit to jailbreak the iOS 5.0.1.

There are some pre-requisites before you try and jailbreak your iDevice. Click on for more...
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Sonic 4 Episode 1 HD Arrives on the iPad

SEGA has given iPad owners an early Christmas present this year, Sonic 4 Episode 1 is now in HD on the iPad! For only $1.99, iPad owners can play the game in HD, no longer having to upscale the original iOS release. It'll be like holding an HD tv really close to your face. I can only imagine players getting dizzy when the screen rotates with Sonic as he goes through loops. Based on the screens, this is an HD version of the iOS release, meaning no new act 2's for Casino Street and Lost Labyrinth. Still, at $1.99 it's a good price. Check it out on the app store!

Sonic CD Hits the iOS and Android TODAY!

Waaaaaay way back in 2009 I talked about Christian Whitehead's fan made port of Sonic CD. Two and a half years ago I said, "Hopes are high for SEGA to move ahead with this advanced port, and if the final release is anything like what Whitehead has now, it would make for an awesome port". Here we are now years later, and we finally are getting what we wished for... and then some! The iOS release of Sonic CD, out today for $1.99, is beyond perfect. It implements Sonic 2-like physics, including the spin dash, it features BOTH soundtracks AND as an added bonus gives players the option to play as Tails. A hint at what to expect from Sonic 4 Episode 2?

Best of all, the app is universal and can be played on even the oldest of hardware. Any reader of this blog should know that I have a first gen iPod Touch. Why haven't I upgraded? Because aside from a handful of games that don't support my device, I can still listen to music, watch movies, surf the web and play a number of great games like Whitehead's Sonic CD. Why discard a device when you can do all that? Also, Gamestop won't buy it back because I engraved "Don't Panic" on the back of the thing. Screw them.

So if you have an iOS device, or own an Android device, a 360 or a PS3, download this game now!

How to enable CAPS LOCK on your iOS keyboard

I'm sure many people use capital letters when typing messages on their smart phones. And iOS (iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad) does a good job at automatically capping your first words right after the last fullstop. It will also capitalize certain words automatically like, ASAP, FYI and also all the first letters of names or days, like Michael, John, Monday, Tuesday, etc... You get the drag. But besides that, when and if you want to type a whole word in capital letters for whatever reasons (for example, trying to show that you are shouting, gasping or just want to stress a certain word in your sentence), many would repeatedly type in the "SHIFT" key repeatedly for every letter being typed. There is an easier way...
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Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing appears in latest iPod Touch commercial

While most people find the Apple iPod ads to be pretty annoying (I liked the old silhouette ads), SEGA fans should crack a smile at the iOS version of Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing getting a nod in the latest iPod Touch ad. At the ten second mark the game makes an appearance. This is a pretty awesome bit of show for the game, considering it makes it look like Apple believes it is the best kart racer on the platform. Which it actually is. The game is a lot of fun, and is only $1.99. So if you have an iOS device, download the game asap.

Bejeweled Blitz - AppStore FREE download

Popcap has just released a new version of Bejeweled Blitz for the iOS (no Android version reported yet). Unlike the Bejeweled 2 (which also have Blitz mode included), it is a purely only Blitz mode. What is the Blitz mode? Its a 1-minute game play mode that you try and score as many points as you can and you will able to compare scores with your online friends (on Facebook and Google+). If you have played it on Facebook (FB) or Google+ (G+) and also on your iDevice, you should know that many of the features that you are able to play on FB and G+ are not available on the Bejeweled 2 Blitz (B2B) app previously.
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Street Fighter x Tekken

Arriving this coming March 2012 is the collaboration between Capcom and Namco for their long standing stranglehold titles, Street Fighter franchise (henceforth regarded as SF) and the Tekken franchise. Aptly named "Street Fighter x Tekken", it is a crossover fighting game of characters from both the franchise. It will be developed by Capcom and adopts the 2D fighting platform which we know and are familiar with on the SF series. This game was first announced during the 2010 Comic-con International even at San Diego and looks like it is nearing release, targeted somewhere early March 2012. It is said that Namco is also developing a "Tekken x Street Fighter" game which will base on their Tekken's 3D fighting platform. But that has no release date yet and it is also for another blog post ;)
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iPhone 4S - Maxis & DiGi registration now available

Maxis today just put up in their iPhone website the availability of the iPhone 4s in Malaysia. Although it is not specified on the site when exactly it will be available, I presume it won't be too long because its already all over the world except for Malaysia. Of course it is already available in other mobile phone suppliers, but Maxis, DiGi and Celcom would be their official distribution network.
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The Dark Truth About Angry Birds

This is hilarious! Found this on a blog and thought it is appropriate that I share this.

I wonder if the makers of Angry Birds really did get their inspiration from Sesame Street... Angry Birds has been such a big success that not only kids love them, even adults go ga-ga over them. Not only are their games successful, they have had a movie made as a tribute to them (Rio), they have sold millions of soft-toys (and other toys) and they have all other kinds of accessories for anything you can think of made in their image!

Advertise here

1112 Ep. 1 - Free on Appstore for Thanksgiving

One of my favorite games on the iPhone is 1112. This game has an engrossing storyline and will keep those who like mystery and who-dunit games happy and content. The gameplay is mostly of puzzles and only solving the puzzles will allow you to progress in the game. Its graphics is made mostly of static images but they are beautifully drawn and definitely sets the mood for the game. The sound department is also very befitting.
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2012 Illustrator Wall Calendar template S1

The year end is near and no doubt many of you are looking for 2012 Calendar templates for whatever purpose you have. I have created an Adobe Illustrator wall template for year 2012. This wall template contains a space for you to put your own picture. You can edit the sizes as you see fit, but the font type is already fixed (all fonts have been outlined). The weekend dates are colored, but if you don't like it, you can modify to your own preference.
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The Nomad Junkyard is finally on Twitter!

After years of begrudgingly avoiding Twitter, I've finally joined. Want to follow my "tweets"? Follow me here: http://twitter.com/#!/SEGANomad

I think my hesitance towards Twitter was in part because I friggin' hate when people post about nothing, like for example: "just ate a grape"and "saw a red car". Hopefully I won't succumb to this level of idiocy, and won't post something every five minutes. Mainly, I intend to use Twitter to highlight the various posts I make around the web or to make comments on current happenings in the SEGA world.

So, without further ado, let the great experiment begin!

Classic Game Room HD: PAC-ATTACK

CGR strikes again, with a review of the underrated and highly complicated puzzle game PAC-ATTACK for the Game Gear. I discovered this game a few months back in a collection of Genesis roms. I was expecting a Pac-Man platformer, and it turned out to be something completely different! Instead, the game plays like a cross between Pac-Man and Tetris. It sounds odd, and it is, but it works! As Mark mentions, you feel like you're doing multiple things at once, and you are. Its a very tricky, but unique puzzle game.

Free GPS App with Waze

There are many GPS apps available for our smart phones nowadays. Just to name a few is Tomtom, Papago, Sygic, Navigon, PapaGo, Garmin, etc... the list goes on. But how many are free? Its safe to say they are mostly quite costly, Tomtom for example, sells for at least US$49.90, Sygic at least US$19.90 and Navigon around US$29.90. And to top it off, they are sold separately for each region. So if you have Tomtom USA and wants to go Singapore and use it, you'll have to buy a separate app at US$69.90! Same goes for the other GPS apps, they are all sold separately according to region.


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Get it cheap. Groupon iPhone App now works for Malaysia too!

The Groupon app has been available for a very long time now but it wasn't available for Malaysia before. Maybe because Groupon wasn't in Malaysia yet. Groupon is now tied up with Malaysian website Groupsmore and it was only a matter of time before their app is updated to support Malaysia as well.  The latest update of the app, version 1.5.5, now lets you view deals available in Malaysia and that is good news for bargain hunters here!
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Transition from iOS 4.x to iOS 5 and Jailbreaking

I have recently made a transition from iOS 4.x to iOS 5 on my iPhone 3GS and I can say it wasn't a particularly smooth sailing journey. Of course we're talking about jailbreaking it as well. My plan was to do this:

1. Sync & backup iPhone 3GS with iTunes
2. Fully restore iPhone to iOS 5
3. Jailbreak iOS 5 with redsn0w
4. Install AppSync 5.0+ from Cydia
5. Restore from backup to iPhone with iTunes.

Sounds easy right? Wrong! Now usually when after I sync and backup the iPhone before an upgrade of the firmware, I will do a backup of the backup first so I can do it again if I screw it up. I have written an article on how to do this before and you can see it here: [Restoring from a backup for iPhone, jailbreak or not!]

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eBuddy XMS vs. WhatApp... FIGHT!

Blackberry's BBM service may be popular, but it is limited to BB-to-BB messaging. iMessage maybe supported by a monstrous Apple, but again limited to iOS-to-iOS messaging. In our imperfect world of multiple mobile OS platforms, you can't seriously expect everyone to own multiple devices just so they can send free messages to all their friends, can you? Well, maybe some will answer, yes you can, but not all of us are so fortunate. That is where apps like eBuddy XMS and WhatsApp comes and save the day. Of course there are a thousand more apps out there that does similar functions, like Pingchat, Facebook Messenger, TextPlus, etc,  but these are my 2 favourites. I also wrote a review on Viber, that has also added text messaging functions, but its more popular for its free VoIP calls service. Check out that review here: [LINK]

But today, I'm going to compare just XMS (ver 2.0.1) and WhatsApp (ver 2.6.7) on the iPhone iOS (that's the only one i own)... jump in!
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Arts & Crafts: Make your own Sonic Generations Genesis box!

NEW DOWNLOAD LINK (added 3/19/2015)

Back in late 2010 I put together a nifty Sonic the Hedgehog 4 mock Genesis box complete with cover art, a cartridge sticker and a fake instruction manual. The project was a mini labor of love for both retro Genesis box designs and my favorite SEGA franchise. Today, as Sonic Generations releases, I'm happy to present another Genesis box design, this time for Sonic Generations. I figured, as the series focuses on both modern and classic, it would be fitting to provide a classic version of the game case. As the actual Generations cases for 360 and PS3 tout 3D support, I thought I'd throw Master System fans a bone and added the "SegaScope 3-D" logo to the case. Let's get started!

Here's what you'll need:

• The files, available here 
• A plastic Genesis or Mega Drive case and game cartridge
• Two 8.5"x11" sheets of printer paper 
• One 8.5"x14" sheet of printer paper, or whatever can fit a 7"x11" image 
• Tape, plain or double sided 

Print the cartridge sticker and instruction manual on the 8.5"x11" pieces of paper, cut on the edge. Fold the manual in half and place a piece of tape inside to keep it shut. Use double sided tape or loops of regular tape to stick the sticker to the cartridge. Print the cover on the larger piece of paper, trim and place in the Genesis box, place the cartridge and manual inside the box. And presto: a retro Sonic Generations Genesis box that doesn't require a time hole to produce. Enjoy!

Nokia is back... With WP7 and a vengeance in mind!

It's been a long time since, but Symbian and Meego can finally bow out. Symbian can be proud it has survived this long but it's waned popularity does little for it to bow out in more dignity than Nokia would have liked. But they knew last year that they had to do something drastic to save their stranglehold as the once indisputable king in the 90s and early 2000s. The likes of RIM, Apple and Android have taken a big chunk of their OS market and most definitely affected the sales of their phones.
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SEGA Celebrates Halloween via an App Store Sale!

SEGA's getting into the Halloween sprit by way of an app store sale! Okay, so it really isn't Halloween related, though the port of Virtua FIghter 2 is pretty scary. The prices are great, with Brick People and ChuChu Rocket! being the standout titles. Check out the list below:

• Brick People – $1.99 → $.99
• Brick People for iPad – $2.99 → $.99
• ChuChu Rocket – $2.99 → $.99
• ChuChu Rocket! HD for iPad – $4.99 → $.99
• Gunstar Heroes – $2.99 → $0.99
• Virtua Fighter 2 – $1.99 → $0.99

In other handheld news, Sonic Generations for the 3DS has been given a date: November 22nd! You'll note I don't mention the 3DS too often on this blog, as I don't own one. However, with the releases of Shinobi and Sonic Generations, I may just take the plunge and get my hands on a 3DS. I have yet to play any DS titles, and really would like to try the Rush titles and Colors DS. I've also developed a Phoenix Wright obsession thanks to the iPod Touch port of the first game. Since Capcom have yet to confirm more Wright titles for the iOS, I might as well get a 3DS so I can enjoy all the titles as well as new releases.

[Source: Touch Arcade]

Brick People Out Now for iOS!

If only it supported iOS 3.0...

SEGA Blog has announced the release of Brick People, an iOS version of the Japanese arcade title which used real blocks and a large video screen to create the illusion of tiny people climbing on the real blocks. SEGA Blog describes the game:

Build brick steps and structures to help the hungry Brick People reach a collection of delicious snacks. The fun-loving Brick People have varied abilities that can help you complete missions, but be careful as the Brick Monster will create obstacles and throw them in the path of these tasty treats! Aside from utilising the iOS’s multi-touch interface to enable quick brick stacking, BrickPeople will allow players to race against each other to become the best bricklayer. Use Bluetooth to compete against friends in multiplayer matchups, or use an iPad to compete head-to-head on a single device. Players can also compete with others around the world when posting high scores on the Game Center leaderboards.

I would love to try the game out! Unfortunately, it does not support older devices. Only iOS 4.0 and above, which is pretty lame. I can play Sonic 4, Chu Chu Rocket and All-Star Racing on my first gen iPod Touch, and yet a simple game featuring little people climbing on bricks is too much for my device to handle. However, if you have a current gen iOS device, check the title out! It's at the low price of 99 cents!

[Source: SEGA Blog]

Google Plus+ is finally open to public - I'm PLUS-ed!

If you haven't already heard, Google Plus is now open to public. Still in beta though. So if you have been waiting and waiting for the opportunity to try it out or if you are finally sick of Facebook and want to migrate, the chance is finally here. Am I excited? Well, lets see if enough of my friends move over and abandon Facebook. Facebook has got the stranglehold for more than 5 years and its subscriber base definitely won't die off the way Friendster, Hi5 and Multiply died. Odds are, people will still keep going to Facebook as they have invested too much in it in terms of time, building their friends list, photo uploads, etc.
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Sonic CD heading to mobile devices!

While a Sonic CD rerelease was leaked by Microsoft's Major Nelson earlier this week, the game has just been revealed to be releasing on iOS, Android and Windows Phone mobile devices! What more, the game is said to have iOS exclusive features (Game Center achievements?) and sounds like it will feature the original soundtrack.

The trailer itself is quite interesting, as it directly ties Sonic 4 into Sonic CD by peppering in images of Metal Sonic (who appeared post-credits in Sonic 4) and stating "THIS HOLIDAY SEE HOW IT ALL STARTED". I'd assume they mean, play Sonic CD to see how the Metal Sonic rivalry began. Personally, I think SEGA realized that Sonic 4 Episode 2 was not going to be released in 2011, and to keep the idea alive they rereleased Sonic CD as a stand-in, making the 2012 Episode 2 wait less of an annoyance. Hey! If SEGA wants to delay Episode 3, and give us Chaotix, I'll be more than happy!

Jobs quits job

Steve Jobs of Apple Inc. just announced that he is relinquishing his post as CEO of the company and will remain only as chairman and employee. This has been a long term speculated many months back when he first took a long leave of absence and many have suggested that it may be for health reason (as can be seen from his significant lost in weight). Today, this news came through and you might say the rumor mill may have its truth in it. But even with this news, Apple's stock has not suffered any disastrous effect. In fact, it went up a few dollars during trading hours.

 This I believe may be because he still remains in Apple Inc. as chairman and still significant enough to lead the company. And even as chairman, I believe no one will deny the fact that he will hold considerable influence in what steps the company takes next. Jobs have single-handedly brought Apple back from the brink of death with the first release of the new generation iPod (new then) and then the iPhone. Of course the rest as they say, is history. Not only is Apple Inc. back to life, but it is today the most valuable tech company in the USA (if not the world!). The release of the iPad only propelled it to further unimaginable heights.
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First Impressions : Thundercats 2011

It's probably been at least 25 years since I watched the Thundercats. It is one of our favorite action cartoons amongst the likes of Transformers, Silverhawks, He-Man, Voltron and the list goes on. In those days, my siblings and I would religiously watch it every time it was on TV. Thundercats definitely ranks high in my fav list.

So can you imagine my excitement when I recently found out that the Thundercats has been remade? Well, Malaysia is a country which is probably slower in terms of getting new western series, more so with cartoons. So I had to use other means to get a hold of the new Thundercats 2011 series.... It wasn't hard to find.
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The Best VMU Games

Happy summer, all! Boy has it been a hot one. Thankfully, a majority of the places I spend my time are well air conditioned. I can't think of a proper segue from talking about the weather to Dreamcast VMUs, so I'll just start talking about the VMU. Check out my latest entry to my weekly series over at SEGAbits: The Weekly Five: The Best VMU Games. Where I list off my five favorite VMU games.

After all that typing about the VMU, I'm starting to get the itch for some Dreamcast gaming! With 9/9 coming up, I really should get into some more obscure titles that take advantage of the VMU. Perhaps I'll start playing a bit of Zombie Revenge to raise my own little zombie, or start fresh with a chao? Well, once I make my decision, I'll be sure to share my experiences here at the Nomad Junkyard. I think it's about time the VMU got a little love.

The Norway Terrorists Gets To Live Here...

Talk about a 'prolonged' holiday getaway abode. Norway has the perfect getaway, for FREE! You just have to commit a crime or two. The more serious of crimes you get into, the longer your getaway is. The recent killings of around 90 victims by a Norwegian terrorist have outraged most people in the world. Well, wait till see where this guy (and most of the Norway criminals) gets to hangout if he is found guilty.

Here is the room in which he will be living in:

Pretty cool huh? It comes with its own LCD TV and also a mini-fridge!

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A Robotic Flying Bird, Intriguing!

Ted.com talk recently showcase this amazing invention. Well, its not so much an invention but more of a near perfect simulation. It is a robotic flying bird which imitates a real bird's fluid flying movements through some simple yet intriguing mechanical engineering. This robotic bird flies effortlessly like a real bird and can do all the swoops and dives that a real bird can. Amazing tech...

Advertise here

Now, can we apply this into a real life Angry Birds game? That would be loads of fun! Lol...

Viber, now on Android!

Good news for Android users (and iPhone users too!), Viber has launched their Android app which will certainly be a welcome for the iPhone users alike. iPhone users can now also call their friends who are on Android phones far far away in another continent, for FREE!

Read my previous review of Viber for iPhone version 1 here and version 2 here. I don't have an Android phone, so I couldn't possibly give an accurate enough review of this new app for Android. But I'm sure it will work great and save for some bugs (its new on Android, so give them some slack).

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SEGA Says "Happy 20th Sonic" with All-Stars Racing iOS!

 First off: Happy 20th Birthday Sonic! I had to say it.

Secondly, SEGA said "happy birthday" in their own way by offering up a new iOS Sonic game. Sonic and SEGA All-Stars Racing has released for all iOS devices and is at a reduced birthday price of $1.99! After the festivities die down, the app will be $4.99. I downloaded the game this morning, and to my delight it plays on the first generation iPod Touch, meaning every iOS device will be able to play the game!

The game kicks off with the full CG intro as seen in the console version of the game. From there, you're presented with a slick menu featuring high quality menu music as heard in the console versions. So no downgraded Nintendo DS music to be found. Very nice. Menu options include: single player, multiplayer, shopping, achievements, leaderboards, OpenFeint (a mobile social gaming network that tracks scores, achievements and saves ones game to "the cloud"), licence and options. Single player features grand prix, single race, time trial and missions. So expect to see every single player mode from the console versions in this mobile version.

That isn't to say that the game is 1:1 with the console versions. Tracks and characters are derived from the Nintendo DS version of the game, however graphics have been improved and sounds match those from the home console versions. The character roster has been cut down to ten: Sonic, Tails, Eggman, Aiai, Billy, Amigo, Beat, the Chu Chus, B.D. Joe and Ryo. While I was sad to see certain characters not appearing in the game, it's still a rather solid cast and great for a $2 game. At least Ryo is still there!

 Tracks have also been trimmed, with only twelve appearing. Sonic's casino tracks are absent, as are a number of other tracks. However, considering many tracks in SASASR are in similar environments, there isn't much lost in that regard. You sill see the curian mansion, Amigo's crazy world, Billy's hot and cold environments, the GG's turf and Eggman's fleet. You just won't see any casino track.

 The game controls well for an iOS title. Players are given the choice of tilting the device like a wheel or controlling the left and right steering with a slider. I've yet to master the controls, but I have gone from placing last to placing third within 15 minutes so there is hope for me yet.

I'll hold off on saying more, as I'd like to officially review the title next week, but suffice to say things are looking very very good for the title and it is a must download for Sonic fans, racing fans and plain ol' SEGA fans. I mean, it's only $2!

Again, Happy Birthday Sonic!

Post-E3: SEGA's Handheld Releases

Another E3, another great assortment of portable SEGA games! On display, but not the most talked about game at SEGA's booth, was Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing for iOS devices. From live coverage, I gathered that the game will be available for all iOS devices (here's hoping it even plays on the first gen iPod Touch), it will release sometime in the summer and it will be a cool $4.99. The game looks to be an enhanced port of the Nintendo DS release, however the game will only contain 10 of the 20 racers found in the original release of the game. Still, for the price I can live with having only half the roster. At least Ryo made the cut



While I don't typically cover DS or 3DS games, I should mention Sonic Generations and Shinobi. Both games were available to demo at E3, and in my opinion both are looking great! Sonic Generations is getting some slack for not being as graphically amazing as it could be, however the game is still a ways off so things could improve. Also, one has to wonder if development shifted from the DS to the 3DS as the HD versions of Generations started development in 2008. Well before the 3DS existed. As long as the game is fun, I look forward to giving it a spin.

Shinobi 3DS is definitly a game to watch. Being the first new title in the series since 2002, Shinobi (the fourth game to share this title) brings back the 2D gameplay of the original Genesis games, infuses a bit of the PS2 visual style and has a look of its own. The game is a prequel to the first Shinobi, starring Joe's father Jiro Musashi. I'm loving this bit, as Jiro is both a new character but also has a firm connection to Joe himself. We've already played as Joe's son Hayate, so why not play as his dad? Early impressions have been positive, and the game is said to have a load of bonus content. Expect Shinobi to release Sepetember, 2011.

Finally we've got the big new handheld from Sony, and I have to admit, as much as I am not a fan of the PSP, I really do like the look of the Vita. Good control layout, cool functions, backwards compatibility and great price. I probably won't be getting one this year, but between this and the 3DS, I'm leaning towards the Vita. If only it had a better name...

Apple's new iOS5, anything else new?

It was the Apple's WorldWide Developer Conference (WWDC) yesterday. There were no new consumer hardware introduced as some have expected, but there were 3 main things. No iPhone 4S or iPhone 5 that was rumored to be announced. The 3 things were the OSX Lion, iOS5 and iCloud. I'm not going to talk about OSX Lion as I do not own a Mac (but I am surprised at the $29 upgrade price!). I'm going to talk mainly about the new iOS 5 and some of its main new features that they have added.
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2013 Calendar template for Adobe Illustrator

Previously I have posted an entry about trying to download a Calendar template for Adobe Illustrator CS2. I have found that many of them are either not suitable for starting out your own design from scratch or it is for higher versions of Adobe Illustrator. I know that many like me are searching for calendar templates for their new projects and probably do not have the latest Illustrator versions to open the available templates out there.

Advertise here

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Restoring from a backup for iPhone, jailbreak or not!

Here's a myth that most people believe, "You cannot backup or restore a jailbroken iPhone". The fact is, you can. And yours truly have done it a million times (over exaggerated of course). I personally do not use AptBackup, PKGBackup or any Cydia apps to help me backup my apps' settings and data. iTunes can do all that for you. What does that mean? It means that not only are you able to backup your iPhone's settings, the legitimate apps and its data (and settings), but you will be able to also backup your Cydia apps' settings. I will tell you how...
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Too Many Games Convention 2011

THE NOMAD ON-THE-GO

Over the weekend I had a chance to attend the Too Many Games convention in Oaks, PA. The convention touted guests including the ScrewAttack guys, the Angry Video Game Nerd and even that woman who played Rom's wife Leeta on Star Trek DS9. The convention was also said to be filled with vendor tables, selling more used games and hardware than one would usually see in one place. So, having been to the convention, how did it go? Read on to find out!

Hey look! ScrewAttack guys in the upper right.

I reached the convention at 3pm on Saturday, having brought along two friends of mine. We all had our missions for the day. My one friend was dead set of finding The Misadventures of Tron Bonne for the Playstation. His girlfriend was intent on finding a used Dreamcast and a few games (good for her!). I, meanwhile, had a laundry list of SEGA games to find.

I swear I saw this same cabinet two years ago.

James Rolfe (aka the Angry Video Game Nerd) had just started his AVGN episode screening as we arrived. While there were seats, it was a choice between sitting for the next 2 hours or shopping. I had the itch to buy games, so I went with shopping. Thankfully, with the AVGN screening going on, the vendor area was quite empty. About half the room was made up of used game tables, and half of those were quite impressive. One vendor offered up only sealed games, and he had a large amount of Dreamcast titles. However, a good portion of the games were quite common and there were multiple copies of each. So, want Phantasy Star Online? He has twenty of them!

The tables I spent most of my time at were the ones with piles of Saturn, SEGA CD and Dreamcast games. I've nearly given up on buying Genesis, Game Gear and Master System games, due to the fact that the cases take up so much space (with the exception of Game Gear games) and that I can emulate any title perfectly on my GP2X Caanoo handheld. Currently, the Saturn and SEGA CD are my focus as there are a number of great and bizzare games that I've yet to own for those systems. I still am on the hunt for Dreamcast games, however there are only around thirty that I really want and out of those, most are rare and expensive. So the chances of finding them in a bargain bin are next to none.

Having just bought a Wii, I was excited to find both House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return and Ghost Squad for $10 each. Funny, I feel no need to buy Super Mario Galaxy and yet a SEGA lightgun game will get my heart racing. I also found a SEGA CD 32X game titled Corpse Killer. Corpse Killer was one of those awful fmv games that had an enhanced release for those who had both the SEGA CD and the 32X. As I have both successfully hooked up, I figured "what the hell" and bought a near mint copy of the game for $4. The way I see it, if you have a working SEGA CD and 32X and were able to hook the thing up, Corpse Killer is your reward. Now I just need to get my hands on Night Trap.

Oh yeah, I bought a VMU too. Can never have enough of those!

At the same vendor table, I found Virtual On for the Saturn and picked that up for $8. Finally, I hit the ScrewAttack table and picked up all four volumes of AVGN for $50, a great deal! Usually these go for $20 each online. Whatever the price, I'm happy to support James and his work. I'm really looking forward to his AVGN movie.

James assisting a cameraman

Before leaving to get some dinner, we walked past the massive autograph line for James. Since the line was way too long, we decided to walk ahead and catch a glimpse of James. It looked like he was about to be filmed for something, and had to use his camera skills to assist the cameraman. Cool to see him in person and pick up his DVDs, maybe I'll get an autograph at some point in the future.

Overall it was a brief, but fun afternoon! Picked up a bunch of great games (all SEGA, I'm such a fanboy) and saw some internet celebs. My friend found Tron Bonne, but it was going for $80 (ouch!), so he passed on it. His girlfriend fared much better. She found a used Dreamcast, controller and memory card for $20 plus picked up Jet Grind Radio (after I begged her to pick it up) and Phantasy Star Online Ver. 2. I told her that it would be quite boring offline, but she seemed to not care. Oh well, as long as she had fun.

Oh yeah, and we met a demon:

SEGA App News Roundup!

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Boy what a crazy week it has been. Royal wedding and bin Laden's death! But that's not the focus of this blog. No, dear readers, today I'm here to round up some SEGA App Store news! Let's begin.

Streets of Rage 3 Kicks the Crap Out of iOS

SEGA completes the Streets of Rage trilogy on the iOS platform with the release of Streets of Rage 3, now available at the iTunes Store for $2.99. As stated many times before on this blog, the SEGA Genesis emulator isn't the best, however the slower moving the game, the better the results. So RPGs like Shining Force are great, while fast paced games like Sonic 2 are not too good. The Streets of Rage games fall inbetween these, and thus is a good but not amazing port of the game. Still, reviews are reasonable and it sounds as though the game is fully playable and fun. What more, there is bluetooth peer-to-peer multiplayer support. So you can kick ass wirelessly with a friend.

Sonic Marches to the Beat of a Different Drummer

SEGA has teamed up with Namco to release a Sonic download pack for the tapping drum game Taiko no Tatsujin Plus. The app and the pack is Japan only, and features Sonic characters from Sonic 4 Episode 1 marching across the screen as players tap along with tunes from Sonic 4. Sounds very... odd. Which is just what I'd expect from a Japanese game.

[Source: SEGASHIRO]

Fast Striker Strikes the iOS

Indie Dreamcast shmup Fast Striker, released late 2010, has arrived on iOS devices thanks to NG:DEV.TEAM. The port looks to contain everything found in the Dreamcast version, along with updates including a portrait screen mode, online rankings, direct controls (I assume moving your finger about the screen to guide the ship, a very effective control method in my opinion) and a visable player hitzone. Check out the trailer below:

Take to the streets with Streets of Rage II for the iPhone

Hey kids, I'm back! After a busy few weeks I have returned to the Nomad Junkyard to report on iPhone ports and post the occastional SEGA Nomad related post. In iPhone news, Streets of Rage II has arrived on the iPhone for $2.99. I've yet to buy it myself, and probably won't unless a 99 cent sale rolls around. Gaming news website GamesRadar makes mention of audio problems, specifically distortion. Hopefully SEGA patches this ASAP.

In other news, there is a strong chance that I will film part 2 of my Pier Solar video tomorrow. Part 1 can be seen in the post below, and if you watch until the end, part 2 is said to feature the game being played on the SEGA Nomad. Ooooh!

What's The Big Fuss About White iPhone 4?

Recently there has been news that says the white iPhone 4 will be out by end of April. Well, we have been hearing its "intended" release dates ever since the black iPhone 4 was released. Seriously though, what is the big fuss about the release of a white colored iPhone??

The white iPhone 4 has been delayed time and time again and the speculations on the Internet over its release has sprout like mushrooms on every tech sites you can imagine. So what if the white iPhone 4 is being released? I certainly won't care. Definitely not when we're close to a new iPhone 5 being released. Would you get the white iPhone 4 knowing that iPhone 5 may likely be released in 3 or 4 more months later?
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