Having trouble trying to wake up in the morning? Here's an application for your DS that could help, courtesy of Infantile Paralysiser, which basically turns your handheld into an alarm clock. More details on its changelog are in the full article.


Download: Morning Timer v1.2

It's been a while since we last posted about Infantile Paralysiser's Image Viewer homebrew application. The developer has kept busy, though, and has released version 1.0 of Image Viewer. Here's the full changelog for Image Viewer v1.0:

• Improved to use the memory more efficiently.
• The simple disk check and the ARM9 memory check were added to boot-up.
• PSRAM of 'EZ 3in1 Expansion Pack' can be used as an caching memory.
• The IPK file that exceeds 8 files can be treated.
• The view mode was sped up.
• The DLDI driver was updated.
• A small bug that existed in img2ipk.exe was corrected.
• 'Large size limitation' of img2ipk.ini was removed.
• The starting position and the end position of the slide show are resumed.
• The customjpeg mode of the IPK format has been improved. Please encode again with img2ipk.exe.

To find out about what's been changed since our last post about Image Viewer, check out the version history file included in the archive below. There's also an English readme file included in the download, so make sure to read that before you install this application on your Nintendo DS.

Download: Image Viewer v1.0

Infantile Paralysiser (cool name, really) finally updated his uber-useful wifi VoiceChatClient for the DS, after almost a year since its last update.

Those who aren't aware of Infantile Paralysiser's voice chat client don't know what they have missed out on: the wifi VoiceChatClient is basically what its name says, a chat application that is voice-enabled. It also supports the same scribbling function as the PenChatClient, which further adds to the fun factor.

There's only one minor tweak to this latest VoiceChatClient version, which is:

• The WiFi library was renewed to 'dswifi-0.3.3'.

While Infantile Paralysiser provides English translations in his site, there's still some phrases that he didn't translate or clarify. As always, you can take a crack and check if you can decipher some of the entries that weren't translated into English.

Here's the download so you can try the application yourself. Be sure to spread the word to your DS-gamer friends for some chatting fun!


Download: VoiceChatClient ver. 1.6

Infantile Paralysiser, the developer of Moonshell, has released Cooking timer v0.2. This application for the Nintendo DS is essentially an alarm tool that uses pre-selected MP3s instead of the usual annoying buzz associated with more traditional clocks.

Despite its name, we haven't tried to use this application to alert us when our food is done but we have no doubt that it can be used as such. The developer gave word that this latest version has some minor changes though we couldn't really tell since it works just like the previous release. If this is the first time you're trying this program, note that you can tweak the language settings and set it to English in the option menu.

Nintendo DS owners who need a good alarm clock should look into (if not try out) this application. More experienced coders will be happy to see that the source code of the homebrew is included, so they can play around with that a bit.

Download: Cooking timer v0.2

Homebrew developer Infantile Paralysiser, the creator of Moonshell, has come out with DSMPlay v0.8. This application for the Nintendo DS is a media player which should allow you to play both music and videos.

The developer included some bug fixes in this release including file name sorting. If you plan on using this program as an MP3 player, note that this is disabled by default according to the post on the official site. You may have to make some modifications as noted in the for_MP3.txt document included.

The entire package is rounded out by various tools you can use to convert more common formats such as .flv, .avi, and .mpeg into the dsm format. Running these tools effectively compresses the files and allows for better compatibility with the media player.

Download: DSMPlay v0.8

MoonShell, by Infantile Paralysiser, and all its iterations is a multimedia player for Nintendo DS / DS Lite consoles. It currently supports DPG video files, MP3/NSF audio files, and viewing non-progressive JPG/Jpeg/BMP/PNG files. In addition to this it also has support for text files with the .txt extension.

MoonShell makes full use of the dual screens with full support for the touchscreen. MoonShell also has a plug-in system that allows to compatible plug-ins just by copying the plug-in files to the appropriate folder. The program already comes with a few plug-ins preinstalled.

To those who are familiar with MoonShell however, a few things you should know. The version changes have been listed simply as "Changed default to '24kHz 2x oversampling." While this may seem big for people who actually need it, if you're happy with your older (i.e. version 1.6 was where a lot of changes took place) version of MoonShine then no need to upgrade to this newer version. You should note that version 1.6 was a beta build, while this version (Moonshell v1.71) is not a beta.

If you do decide to upgrade however, there is a note on Infantile Paralysis' site saying that you should never use your old MoonShell file with this update.

If you will be using a Super Card CF / SD / Micro SD / etc., Chism's firmware hack will have to be installed. Note that any SD based memory card will have to be formatted using Windows to use FAT (File Allocation Table) 64 KB. The details on how to do that along with the full steps for installation is in the readme file.

While it seems like a lot of work to get this program setup, it's worth the trouble if you plan on using your DS for more than just gaming.

Download: MoonShell v1.71

Over at the VoIP Service Blog, they've compiled a few ways to use the DS for free WiFi VoIP calls. It's actually pretty easy to have WiFi voice chat with your friends. This list is just a few of the common ways.

• VoiceChatClient. The VoIP Service Blog linked back to our previous article on Infantile Paralysiser's WiFi VoiceChatClient v1.5. This homebrew not only lets you have voice chat, it also has an added bonus: whatever you scribble on your touchpad can be sent to the other person. To run this homebrew you will need modified firmware or cards that allow you to run homebrew.
• HelloDS. Alias-Zero, using Stephen Stair's WiFi Lib, has this VoIP application at the NDS Emu website. It is a proof-of-concept, and an update still has to appear. Like VoiceChatClient, it requires modified firmware or a passthrough device.
• Metroid Prime: Hunters. As we reported way back in February of 2006, Metroid Prime: Hunters has a VoIP feature. So you can use this game to chat. Just meet up with your buddy in the pre-game lobby and chat away.
• DSpeak. DSpeak is Nintendo's VoIP solution. It was demonstrated at E3 2005, but it's still a no-show until now. When (or if) it does come out, it will allow in-game and out-of-game chat.

Now you know. So chat away.

Attention NDS newbies! If you're new to the whole homebrew scene (because you got a DS or DS Lite for Christmas), just check out the helpful FAQs and tutorials at our forum at the NDS section of forums.qj.net, and they should help you figure out the ins and outs of Flash Cards and firmwares (you can download homebrew there or at dl.qj.net).

You might have been thinking that MoonShell v1.06 finafinal would have been the last release of the popular media player for the DS, but oh no! The workhorse that is the Infantile Paralysiser has still been working on this release and has found more bugs in MoonShell 1.6 finalfinalbeta1, which was released earlier this week.

Thankfully, he has fixed the bugs and now we see the release of MoonShell 1.6 finalfinalfinalbeta. Now is when you will start to get confused, so just to get things straight, this is MoonShell v1.6 final3. Here's the changelog:

• This is a version that can be used with 'M3Simply/R4/SCDS/EZ5'.
• The disk driver changed completely, and there is a possibility that the adaptor that has worked up to now doesn't work, so make sure you test it out.
• Start NDSROM file has been was changed: older name '/shell' was changed to '/moonshl' and file name 'global.ini' was changed to 'moonshl.ini'.
• The ZLIB compression routine was backed to the Ver1.51 for the text bookmark bug.
• When the error occurs even if it updates it, the bookmark file is broken. Please delete moonshl/bookmrk0/1/2/3.sav and setup again.
• The text plug-in can have displayed on both screens.
• 'The L/R button is locked' item was added to the system menu.
• The number of file reading buffers of the DPG reproduction has been expanded.
• The memory leak bug of the OGG plug-in was corrected.
• The enhancing memory can be used by the PNG plug-in.
• Restore when the last folder is remembered, and it will start next time.
• The StartPath item was deleted from the [System] section of 'moonshl.ini'.
• The DLDI driver for G6Flash was renewed to 2007-01-11 version.

This might not be the final release of this homebrew multimedia player, so don't think take this as 100% finished. As past releases show, the Infantile Paralysiser has a habit of bringing out new releases so stay tuned!

Download: [MoonShell 1.6 finalfinalfinalbeta1]

One rarely sees two shooting stars blazing a trail of light at the same time, but if one does chance upon such occurrence, legend has it that extraordinary things are to come. One also seldom sees the word "final" in succession, but DS 'brewer Infantile Paralysiser hesitated not in doing so.

Could it be a sign that his already efficient app is about to make some really good things happen? Or could it be just, err, online translations making life harder for us?

I'll cut the prophetic tone here. Merely two days after his finalfinalbeta0 update to Moonshell, we're now treated to another finalfinal release, making the application reach the finalfinal1 stage (finally, whew!). This one comes with a very thin info in terms of changelogs. The only visible new feature is the "Text/Binary viewer added dual screen mode," with Infantile stressing that DS owners must "set it from the SelectDisplay item of the [TextPlugin] section."

MoonShell is a multimedia player for the DS; it has support for a variety of files such as DPG (video file), MP3/ NSF (audio files). Plus, you can also view picture files in JPG,BMP, and PNG format. Don't forget to check out the README included in the download, everything you need to know is right in there.

And oh, the download link's right below...finally.

Download: [MoonShell 1.6 finalfinalbeta1]

It doesn't take a whiz kid to see a pattern in Infantile Paralysiser's final beta releases of MoonShell. And what pattern is that? Quite simply, when he says "final" you can bet your auntie's parakeet's food ration for next month that it isn't the final one. What with the Japanese homebrew hero's recent final beta 4 release, you'd almost think that the next would be a final beta 5. Well think again.

Infantile Paralysiser has now released MoonShell v1.6 finalfinalbeta0. Can't get any more final than that! And as transcribed in his lingo that we all love, here's the changelog for his smashing multimedia player:

• The bug to which the plug-in system had been doing an important violation of the memory access was corrected.
• The skin folder was changed from 'moonshl/' to 'moonshl/skin/'.
• The system menu was added.
• An environmental setting is revocable in NDS.
• Binary viewer was added.
• Moreover, it was changed variously in a small point.

He also says that the NDSROM file name was changed among other small minor changes: the folder name '/shell' was changed to '/moonshl' while the file name 'global.ini' was changed to 'moonshl.ini'.

Once again, in our solid QJ tradition, we suggest you take a look at the readme file included in the archive. Everything's there, from installation instructions to version history, system requirements to FAQs. Now, does anyone want to bet on a finalfinalbeta289467 version? Just pass the birdseed!

Download: [MoonShell v1.6 finalfinalbeta0]