Gadgety News

Here’s a bit of news that will make quite a few people happy, especially my bro - who’s getting a guitar soon so he and his daughter can learn to play

Apple has unveiled a new version of Garageband that, as well as adding some new features, includes the option for users to actually learn an instrument or song from within the application!

Best of all, this tuition comes direct from the artist who recorded it.

Garageband will be bundled with nine basic lessons for guitar and piano, but you’ll be able to hop online and download more.

You can also get those special lessons from celebs including John Fogerty, Fallout Boy and Sting.

These lessons are beamed to your rehearsal space/kitchen in the form of high quality High Def videos of the artist talking you through the process.

No pants, dry text or boring lecture here folks!

I think that this is an incredibly cool move as quite a number of people are getting interested in playing an actual instrument after having a giggle on Guitar Hero et al.

And let’s face it; it’s also an extra revenue stream for Apple.

Each lesson will cost $4.99, or around £3.50.

I’m all for it but what do you think?

It seems to have been longer than the 6 months that it actually has been since I got word that Sling Media was going to bring their SlingPlayer to the iPhone 3G.

But it’s here and has been demo’d at Macworld and the plan is to release the final version to the public in the next three months.

Like SlingPlayer Mobile for Windows Mobile, Palm, Symbian, UIQ, and BlackBerry platforms, this iPhone version will let you access one or more Slingboxes from your mobile device and then you can watch your TV stations on-the-go.

You’ll also be able to manage your PVR from the iPhone as well as adding and removing fave channels via your phone.

That’s a first for the SlingPlayer Mobile line of software.

They’ve even utilised the touch screen of the 3Gesus Phone so that swiping the screen horizontally advances you through favourite stations, and flicking up and down rotates through all your home channels.

SlingPlayer should appear in the iTunes AppStore by the end of the March.

Expect it to cost around $29.99 which is the going rate for the lifetime fee of SlingPlayer Mobile on other platforms.

If that’s too much just remember OrbLive delivers live TV and media stored on your PC for $10.

Soo Loos.

Wasn’t she the pig botherer on that ‘celebrity’ reality farm thingy?

Never mind.

This Sooloos is prepared to drag you away from your Sonos media hub.

After getting the details I have to admit I’m adding this system to my ‘If I Had The Cash I’d Buy One’ list.

Sooloos has matched a great server interface with ear-loving compression free audio. Yup, all of your music is stored at optimum-quality Flac for playback through your hi-fi.

You can tell the market that this aimed at when you discover that the system can be sent to 100 rooms (or you can give all your neighbours a treat in the highrise!).

Sooloos are a helpful bunch as they even offer to preload your system with the first 2500 CDs in your collection for free so once you’re hooked up you can play - to add to that the system will also make a 192kbps MP3 file of the same tunes for transferring to your iPod.

Nice

The Control:One control hub looks pretty clean and intuative and centres around the 17in touchpanel that displays all you need to drive the system. It is also the point that houses the CD drive for ripping discs.

You can also port the interface on to your iPod Touch or iPhone!

Control:One links via Ethernet to Source:One which is pretty much the preamp and hooks up to your hi-fi like a seperate CD player, etc.

Then there’s the bit where all of your tunes live. Store:One.

It looks like it is advised that you have 2 of these: One for the choonz and the other as a backup.

The storage seems to come in 1TB chunks which is able to hold 2500 albums in Flac.

Up to 3TB can be installed in each mirrored pair (7200 albums in total) and you can continue to add Store:Ones.

As you can imagine this is not budgety basement stuff and in this current crunchy climate the price may send most of you running shrieking the anthem of “HOW MUCH!!!???!!” but, as I’ve already said, if I had the money………..£11,2700 worth I’d probably be ordering one right now.

Most of the Mac users that I know like the clean lines and style of the Apple products.

If they are unsatisfied with their built-in webcam they would most likely prefer to replace it with something that will not clutter their workspace.

So, Ecamm Network has come to their rescue and have just announced what it’s claiming to be the world’s first Bluetooth webcam.

Word is that it will give you 640×480 H.264 video out with 48 kHz AAC stereo audio.

You also will get 4 hours chat time before you have to do that loathsome thing of whipping out that USB cable to recharge it.

I hope that Mac users are also flush with cash as the BT-1 Cam requires $150 of your hard-earned when it is released sometime in Spring.

If you’re a Windows user there may be a version out soon after.

All those of you that have been waiting for that moment where you can pick which provider you use need wait no more!

Finally, the iPhone 3G has been unlocked with thanks to those clever little coders at the Dev-Team.

The unlocking app with the less than tasty name of  “yellowsn0w”  is available now and only works with the iPhone software version 2.2.

The release isn’t fully finished at present and this bit of genius is still technically a beta - so be prepared for a couple teething niggles but in general it should let you use any SIM card with an iPhone 3G.

Even Stephen Fry gave a hoot of joy after downloading it exclaiming:  “Those witty, brilliant, funny, bright & wholly adorable geniuses at iPhone-dev.org have done it! Soft unlock for the 3g working: bless them ”

Give it a go my lovelies!

yellowsn0w

Say hello to Versimo Networks VuNow Pod set-top box.

The VuNow is a hand-sized set-top box that picks out channels across the interweb and sends them straight to your TV without requiring your puter to be hooked up.

The channels include one solely for YouTube content, another for CinemaNow, a BitTorrent codec option and a “Global’ select channel that takes in choice clips from around the world.

VuNow’s Pod comes in a couple of flavours: The HD version is priced at $150 and a standard definition at $100.

The user interface is apparently pretty easy to find your way around with and is said to be basically modeled on the Apple TV UI.

The VuNow Pod also comes with the necessary video search engine, it’s wireless (though it does have an HDMI port), and requires no subscription fees.

You can also use the pod as a streamer for your personal media on a PC.

The VuNow pod is available now people!

BlogWired

There has been plenty of chat about a tablet-style device from Apple for a number of years.

It has actually got to the point that people were fed up of waiting so they ended up making and selling one and called it the ModBook!

But Christmas 2009 could finally see a fully legit Apple tablet:  The iPad.

Ok, we now have our feet firmly planted in Rumourville, Hypetown and Hearsay City but those folks over at TechCrunch claim that:

‘three independent sources close to Apple’ have confirmed details of a prototype device to them.

From what I gather this iPad is likely to be a large-sized iPod Touch sporting either a 7 inch or 9 inch screen.

It will obviously have access to the iTunes app store with iTunes and a Safari web browser.

TC also add that prototypes have been ‘handled’ by those sources and that Apple is now in discussions in Asia about mass production.

Still, TechCrunch doesn’t say this is an absolutely guaranteed happening:

“I’m not saying Apple is definitely launching a large form iPod Touch.”

As with all rumored Apple products, we’ll see it when we see it, probably 12 hours before it’s actually announced (if it ever is) courtesy of Mr/Miss/Mrs Blurry Cam.

So, for now, file this under ‘believe it when I see it’ and wait for those ’spy shots’.

TechCrunch

Do you long for the iPhone to be given a real keyboard?

Some would  as others remain happy with the touch-screen style board.

With the aid of some Photoshop craftiness here are some design ideas - but we all have to take into consideration the additional width that a real keyboard would add to the Apple 3Gesus phone.

Please feast your eyeballs with these two wish-list iPhone prototypes.

The first is by Mat Brady named the iPhone Elite and the second — an altered version of Brady’s — by Gizmodo dubbed the iPhone Pro.

Some features include an impossibly thin slide-out keyboard, high-quality camera with an optical zoom, 60GB of storage, a front-facing chat camera, and even Nintendo-esque game controls which, of course, add almost nothing to the thickness of the device…but in the really real world?……………. it aint gonna happen now is it?

Marvel at Brady’s design, the iPhone Elite:

And here’s Gizmodo’s tweaked iPhone Pro (note the additional controls):

Windows will soon be running on the iPhone using Citrix Receiver.

This is a remote screen software that connects to a PC and gives you the illusion you are running Microsoft’s operating systems, including the much wanted copy and paste functionality.

Why is this useful? It will give you the ability to run full Windows apps in your iPhone over the network.

According to Citrix, you will have full Windows capability, including cut and paste inside Windows.

Now then.

Citrix via Slashdot

Yet another iPod dock…….and I’ve known about this one for about a month or so thanks to the FCC and their usual leakage

So why should I be writing about this new one from ASUS - just because the AIR3 sound system has gone all official like?

Well, there’s that interet radio that it comes with - that’s pretty cool right?

ASUS is also bigging up the AIR3’s audio prowess, noting that it utilises a Texas Instruments Class-D amplifier and HDSS (High Definition Sound Standard) certified drivers.

The unit is also packing S-Video / composite video outs and supports UPnP (Universal Plug n Play) sharing via 802.11b/g WiFi or Ethernet.

Don’t forget about the useful auxiliary input and built-in weather forecast display that pulls down updates from the interwebsphere.

ASUS state that this dock/radio thingy is fully compatible with all iPods and iPhones except the little Shuffle.

In typical form ASUS fails to mention price or release date - if it is priced realistically then I think they’re on to a winner

Asus AIR3 Specs

As soon as I start to type the words “iPod speaker system” even I start to get heavy of the lids.  But the market is still rather short of ones designed by the ultra-fashionable types.

Designed by one of my favourite designers at the moment, Philippe Starck, the Parrot Zikmu speakers are possibly the the only way to go.

These speakers are not just for your ipod/iPhone by-the-way; oh no.

The Zikmu sound system is good for just about any gadget you possess, just as long as it has either Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to stream the noise across the room.

Yup, even stream tunes from your networked puter!

Failing that though, you can of course just whack your iThingy in the slot on the top.

Each speaker stands around 75cm in height, offering a ‘360-degree immersive sound experience’ for room-filling audio and a stylish curved design that’s certain to impress any reader of glossy home magazines. Unfortunately all of that comes at a price - and with the current exchange rate, you’re looking at just over £1,000 when it launches in spring 2009.

Parrot via Born Rich

Gawd bless ya g’vnor! Mr Apple sir, bless ya heart.

It has been confirmed that Apple will be giving away free media content between Christmas and the new year.

The iTunes Store will be offering a free download every day for twelve days as part of its “12 Days of Christmas” promotion.

The tag-line seems to be “a great way to start filling the iPod you received for Christmas”.

I reckon it’s more a case of ‘download from us and not anyone else….especially that pesky Amazon MP3 lot!’

The first download will be available on Boxing Day and then every day afterwards until 6 January 2009.

Apple says downloads will include rare singles, exclusive live tracks, free music videos from some of the biggest artists in the world plus classic TV episodes.

Any which way you cut it - it’s stuff for free so tis a goodly thing in my book….errr….iPhone

iTunes

If you’re a Metal Gear Solid fan you’ve probably seen the teaser campaign.

If you’re an XBox 360 owner, however, you may be confused when you see that the next MGS fix is coming out on the iPhone (I’m guessing that the iPod Touch will also be able to rock this as well).

It has been pencilled for release in Spring, 2009.

Metal Gear Solid Touch is an original game, not a port-over, that will feature the world and characters of Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots.

It will start with eight stages and Konami promises that more will be made available later on (for download I assume).

There’ll also be freebies in the form of images and wallpapers which are gained by earning points from playing the game.

You’ve probably already worked out that the game will be controlled by touchscreen, which Konami claims will make it

“simple for anyone to move their alignment or switch to zoom mode.”

Konami also announced a number of other iPhone releases including Dance Dance Revolution S Lite, Silent Hill: The Escape and Frogger, which are all due for release shortly.

What strikes me is that with such big names designing for the iPhone is the time up for the likes of the DS and PSP? 

What do you reckon?

Konami via Kotaku

After the initial reports that the  Mac mini was being killed off a new version is rumoured to be appearing at MacWorld 2009 according to Gadget Lab:

Apple will launch an upgrade to its low-end desktop, the Mac Mini, at January’s Macworld Expo in San Francisco, according to an Apple corporate employee who contacted Wired.com.

The source, who wished to remain anonymous (to keep his job), could not disclose details about the Mac Mini other than its upcoming announcement at Macworld Expo, which begins Jan. 5.

Wired is backing this info but is unable to bolster it with any other good solid follow-up meat.

A guesstimate on the specs include the likes of an aluminum brick design (in a desktop? why?), DisplayPort, and 4GB of RAM maximum, with 2.0-GHz Core 2 Duo and a 2.3-GHz Core 2 Duo.

Have you heard anything about this?

Let me know

Wired

Microsoft Live Labs have just released their first application for Apple’s iPhone  before making it available on Microsoft’s own mobile platform.

Curious…………..

Seadragon Mobile was added to the App Store over the weeked. 

It’s a free image-browsing app that allows users to quickly ‘deep zoom’ online images and is intended to “demonstrate what is possible with a mobile platform”.

Seadragon is the backbone for Microsoft’s Photosynth, which allows users to take a grouping of photographs and stitch them together into a faux 3D environment.

“So where’s the Windows Mobile version of Seadragon?”, all you Windows Mobile users may well ask.

Alex Daley, group product manager for Microsoft Live Labs, told TechFlash, “The iPhone is the most widely distributed phone with a [graphics processing unit]. Most phones out today don’t have accelerated graphics in them. The iPhone does and so it enabled us to do something that has been previously difficult to do.”

Crave

If you’re a huge fan of a certain JS Bach but the 172 CD set which was released to mark the 250th anniversary of the composers death was a little too expensive at its £1,000 price point; this may just be what you’ve been looking for.

Passionato have just released the Bach iPod.

The clue is in the name - this is an iPod Classic packed full of the work of J.S. Bach. More specifically 175 hours of the stuff; all pre-loaded in 128KB AAC format.

You get a 120 gig iPod Classic and the whole collection that originally retailed for a grand all for £499. The music is also contained on 3 back-up DVDs so if you ‘Pod does crap out at least you’ll still have your JSB safe.

And even with all those classics pre-loaded, there’s still 63GB of space free for your ABBA, Steelers Wheel, Strapping Young Lad and Carcas tracks.

Passionato

Check it out gamers!

Logitech has announced that  its G13 Gameboard should be out in a month or so.

Rockin a trio of game modes, a built-in 160 x 43 pixel LCD for stats and messaging, 25 programmable keys, and a programmable joystick, Logitech confidently states that the G13

“offers up to 87 ways for you to control your game.”

It also arrives with pre-configured settings for World of Warcraft: Burning Crusade and Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare as well as other top titles.

You can obviously setup custom button-profiles as you please and even create macros on the fly without having to pause your game.

It’s gonna be costing around the £60 mark.

It also appears that we could get its big brother as Engadget Chinese has spotted the G18 keyboard!

They haven’t got much in the way of specs and tings but they did spot the fast function keys on the left side of the board (some which seem to be numbered G11-G15), and the fact that the full board is also packing a tiny display at the center.

GAME ON!! 

Engadget Chinese

This is dangerous news for me.

I have been known to waste DAYS on this game on my puter and now there’s news that there’s going to be an iPhone version of Sim City!

Kotaku has spent some time with EA’s latest big project, namely SimCity, they had nothing but great things to say about it.

Here’s some snippets of the more important aspects of their testing:

Whatever you do, though, don’t go thinking this is SimCity Lite. This mobile version is fully featured, with pre-built cities, accountant recommendations, water pipes, natural disasters, etc. The works.

[Pinching] in as close as you can on the 2D sprites reveals intricate details, such as smoke emitting from towers, or shading alongside the buildings. Overall, a really nice graphical presentation that compares similarly to SimCity 3000.

If you would like to read all of their opinions click the link below - All it leaves me to say is that SimCity will be released before this year is over.

I apologise now for not answering your calls after then!

Kotaku

Happy Birthday Mouse!!

The oddly named control device is celebrating its 40th birthday today!

Even though it has since lost its wheels and many have no tails (wires) they’re still pretty much the same as they’ve always been - even though its demise has been predicted.

It was created by Doug Engelbart and his team at the Stanford Research Institute in California and was a controller housed in a carved wooden block with wheels on the bottom and a wire out the front which later migrated to its more familiar position.

Someone called it a ‘mouse’ as a joke and the name stuck. He said:

‘We thought that when it had escaped out to the world it would have a more dignified name. But it didn’t.’

His first mouse was up and running in 1968, and was first shown to the public in a demo on December 9 that year. (The vid clip below)

Xerox developed the mouse in the 1970s, launching it alongside the Xerox Star computer in 1981. It didn’t exactly thrill the world but when Engelbart’s patent ran out Apple snapped up the rights from Stanford for $40,000 - cunning huh?

It was then launched alongside the Mac in 1984.

Then the PC users picked up on it and the rest, as they say, is history.

Check out a vid clip of part of the first test

Ars Technica was messing around with the latest iPhone SDK and found something called MPTVOutWindow - which, unsurprising given its name, sends video out through the Dock Connector port to an outside source - (the TV bit of the name), such as an external screen.

Apparently this bit of kit is meant for movies but also allows any program to export the current contents of the screen, theoretically allowing apps intended for screens larger than the 3.5 inch one on the iPhone.

iPhone developer, Erica Sadun, points out that the touch input is disabled in this mode so that stops the iPhone being used as a regular controller for games or presentations. It does, however, recognise accelerometer input for a basic level of control.

Check out the vid

iPhone Video Out from Ars Technica on Vimeo.

AppleInsider