Loading ...iPhone Jailbreaking: Big Waste of Time
Hello folks. This was going to be a Baseless Opinion article, however after thinking about it for a bit I realized that I do have something to base my opinion on. JAILBREAKING IS A WASTE OF TIME AND EFFORT!!!
Now that I have fixed my capslock key, i will continue…
Jailbreaking is the method of installing third-party apps onto an iPhone or iPod Touch that are not bound by the Apple AppStore or the iPhone SDK. Note: This is different from Unlocking, which allows the iPhone to be used on carrier’s other than AT&T. One may wonder: Why would I want to jailbreak my iPhone when I can just get Apps via the iTunes Store? Many will say that the jailbroken apps allows for more flexability, such as background processes or being able to use your iPhone’s Edge/3G networking on a Laptop.
Not my iPhone, nor an example of what Jailbreaking will do to an iPhone, but damn if this image ain
So yesterday I took the plungs and jailbroke my iPhone. I was immediatly welcomed by the Cydia app installed. While it wasn’t graphically as user-friendly as the AppStore installer, it was good enough for me to get my hands around it quickly. I began installing a few apps that looked useful.
Categories is an appliation that allows you to create folders on your iPhone and place apps within them. Rather than sliding from screen to screen, you simply open the folder and are given another screen with the apps. This was a great additon for cleaning up the main screens to only the main programs I needed to use. I created a folder for Games, one for Utilities, one for Social programs (chat) and a few others.
I then installed an app that let me remove the AT&T text from the status bar. I know who my providor is, I pay them every month. I don’t need their name plastered on my phone all the time, so now it is blank. XD Go me. Intelliscreen was another app that peaked my interest, allowing my lock screen to show the latest calls, SMS messages and emails without having to go into the individual apps.
Sometime later, however, I began to realize why Jailbreaking wasn’t for me. My iPhone became the most unstable computing/phone device I have ever used. Random app rebooting, apps not being able to use the wifi or edge network, iPhone locking up or rebooting for no reason what so ever and worst of all, a few times the power button would not turn the iPhone back on after it had been turned off completly.
While I was able to turn the phone back on by plugging it into my iMac I desided to do the next best thing to jailbreaking, UN-JAILBREAKING! So I loaded up my iPhone in recovery mode and restored it to the legit 2.1 software. I restored the phone from a backup and… wait… where are my apps? Almost all of my apps were no longer showing up.
After awhile of wondering why my apps were not displaying I discovered that they were flagged as “hidden” by the Categories application. Ugh. So now I had to re-jailbreak my iPhone just to get the app icons to display again. Not only that, but I had to backup the iPhone after I made them visible but BEFORE I un-jailbroke it a second time. Ugh x2. By the way, as of the time of writing this very sentence, I am in the middle of the second un-jailbreak.
Everyone who is out there that has jailbroken their iPhone and loves it, good for you BUT, and I cannot stress this enough, DO NOT JAILBREAK IPHONES FOR YOUR NON-GEEKY, NON-COMPUTER SAVY FRIENDS! You will be garenteed to make enemies of them when their iPhones mess up like clockwork, they have no idea what to do and their phone may not be stable enough to even call you to demand fixing it.
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Featured Stories
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Is Apple Nintendo’s Problem?
Is Apple Nintendo’s Problem?
Nintendo has seen a significant drop in profits lately and most say Apple’s mobile gaming platform is to blame. Nintendo themselves are even keeping an eye on Apple. Sony and Microsoft is no longer the thorn in Mario’s side. It’s the big “little i”.
Is Apple really the biggest issue Nintendo is facing or is it a larger issue? Most likely, a little bit of both. As a hardcore Nintendo fan, I can safely say that my favorite gaming company has failed me the past few years. It all began with the shoddy release of Twilight Princess, the lack of core titles for the DS and then the Wii games that were off-shoots of “Sports” started to move through the shelves.
What’s left for us? The Moms, families and kids are only going to enjoy their Wii for so long. Then, they will put it down for a new toy that’s promising family fun. I have it on good authority to say this since I’ve sold my Nintendo Wii. Why? Because my kids stopped playing it and moved on to something else.
Nintendo has forgotten about their core audience. They have been pumping out games for a brand new audience that were quite successful. You can only go so far with the “Wii-fit-sports-swimming pool-billiards-backyard party” franchise. Frankly, you can only go so far with any franchise. I have to admit, even Zelda is in desperate need of an upgrade.
Bring that issue alongside Nintendo’s current handheld competition and you have a major problem. Apple is starting to dominate in that category. Wait a second, the iPhone/iPod Touch isn’t a handheld system! It’s not? It fits in your hand and you play any game that you can play on other systems. I should say it is.
Nintendo DS requires wi-fi to get into the shop or to download. The iPhone requires a cell phone signal and that’s all. Nintendo DS games cost between $10 and $40. iPhone games cost between $0.99 and $7.00. Even popular games like Command and Conquer and Civilization cost around $6.00.
Apple has a big advantage over Nintendo in the ease of getting your games, organizing your games and they are much more cost effective. Plus, the accessories needed and the price of the games are in Apple’s favor as well.
Nintendo long ago lost a good part of their core audience. They didn’t seem to care since the core audience stuck around for the DS. They moved to a new market with the Nintendo Wii, bringing in the family gaming system and allowed Microsoft and Sony to take their core console gamers.
Apple has moved in on their handheld market in a big way. Not only have they taken a large chunk of the core handheld audience, but they are also taking the casual audience as well. This isn’t the end for Nintendo. It isn’t time to scream doom and gloom or get ready to plan the funeral of Mario. It is time for Nintendo to start looking closer at their audience, the behavior of their audience and who is holding the market shares. -
5 Awesome Nintendo character tattoos
5 Awesome Nintendo character tattoos
Like other uber geeks, we are the beautiful people and we have awesome taste in tattoos, clothing, games, tech, gadgets and nostalgia. A generation grew up on Atari, Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong and the Mother of video game entertainment of the 1980’s – Nintendo. We proudly wear our dorky gamer badges on our bodies for all to see.
There are probably hundreds of thousands of Nintendo tattoos out there. We scoured the web to find our 5 favorite Nintendo character tattoos.
#5. Hey. Hey Listen!
Why Navi? Of all things, why Navi?! Because you said that as soon as you saw this tattoo. She’s embedded into your brain, the constant screaming of “Hey, hey hey listen!” and this brave man has made sure everyone will remember it. The tattoo is really well done, but we all hate him just a little bit.
#4. Stars and Ghosts, oh my!
This tattoo comes complete with invincible stars and a Boo. It’s quite obvious this girl loves her Nintendo. We love her half-sleeve and her stars. The original photo by Kotaku stated this woman’s husband was the tattoo artist. We love both of them just a little.
#3. 8 Bit Mario
Memories of throwing your controller when Mario died, moving the controller with Mario to make him jump and wanting to kill Toad when your Princess was in another castle come to mind when looking at this tattoo. The original tattoo is credited to artist Jon Poulson on Flickr.
Number 2 and number 1 are after the break
#2. Mega Man 8 Bit
8 bit art is win. Well done 8 bit art of Mega Man on your arm? A lot of win. Orginal source unknown (if someone knows it, please catch us on Twitter so we can credit it!)
#1. Samus Aran
Samus Aran will kick your butt.
Nothing else needs to be said about that. Unreality showed off this piece along with some other great Metroid themed ink.
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E3 2010 Predictions
E3 2010 Predictions
E3 2010 is a couple of months away. As usual, everyone is making predictions and speculating what huge announcements are coming. A lot of talk is revolving around Sony and Microsoft this year. There are hopes of long-awaited games finally coming out in the public eye.I wonder if Duke Nukem will finally come out? Sure. Right.
For E3 this year, I have a couple of predictions of my own. I am hoping that Nintendo redeems themselves and announces a new Legend of Zelda game. I see the game releasing during the 4th quarter of 2010. Gears of War 3 is another prediction. I don’t see it releasing in the 4th quarter of 2010. I see an announcement at E3 with the possibility of release in 2nd or 3rd quarter of 2011.
I asked on Twitter what your predictions for E3 are from The Geek Media’s Twitter and my personal Twitter. The answers after the jump.
@MemBirdman : “I predict a combined 137 minutes of stage time for Natal & Touch during the press conferences. That might be conservative. :/”
@Mifio: “APB launch date announcement, Uncharted 3… And thats all I really care about.”
@DCSilverwing: “ok, my official prediction (based on nothing) Elder Scrolls, and SOME kind of TRON game…”
@Leto: “I don’t have a lot of expectations, after a few flops in March. Hoping that more of The Old Republic is shown off though.”
@MemBirdman: “I predict that Shigeru Miyamoto will do something during the Nintendo press conference totally awesome and mildly pedophilic.” (Wait…what?)
What are your predictions for E3?
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Is Apple Nintendo’s Problem?
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