You may not be familiar with the company Tronical but you will know their work because they are responsible for Gibson’s Robot Guitar tuning systems. Well judging by this video it appears that Tronical are about to launch some standalone systems that can be retrofit to pretty much any guitar be it a Les Paul [...]
Tag: iPhone
App of the Day – FingerPiano
FingerPiano is a fun little app that can transform you into a pianist with no formal training. All you need are your fingertips and eyes to follow the convenient, guiding lights that tell you the next key to hit. With this, you’ll be able to perform the great classics as if you were a pro. (more…)
(Via ZiggyTek Blog.)
Netflix for iPhone and iPod Touch Finally Here
Want to stream Netflix shows and TV on a tiny screen? Well now you can. The Netflix iPhone app is now available on iTunes and it offers the same functionality you know and love on the iPad but on the smaller devices.
No huge changes here: you sign-in, pick a video, and start watching over wi-fi or 3G, with obvious quality reduction with bad reception. Click through for the press release.
(Via TechCrunch.)
Guitar Sidekick – Media Device for Guitarists
A Macworld article indicates there are currently over 500 guitar-related iPhone apps.
Every up-to-speed tech geek, guitar player will want this mechanical interface.
You’re looking at the Guitar Sidekick, an accessory for mounting your iPhone, Blackberry, Droid or other similar media devices to your guitar. The above article link tells you all about it, but the picture basically says it all.
The Guitar Sidekick is available at: www.castiv.com
(Via Strat-O-Blogster Guitar Blog.)
iRig aims at guitar players with an iDevice in tow
If you’re already have a strong interest in playing the guitar and happen to own an iPad, iPod Touch or iPhone (or all three), then the iRig might make for a prudent investment. What, another purchase in these economically trying times? Well, the iRig guitar accessory from IK Multimedia alongside the accompanying AmpliTube iPad and iPhone software will help you make music in a new way. You will have to hook the iRig adapter up to an iDevice and guitar, where the output of the iRig will be connected to a pair of headphones or an amp, where you can then launch the AmpliTube software to play around with a range of effects, amps, mics, pedals, and cabinets right from the comfort of your fingertips. Layer effects and amplifier change can be done with but a touch. Meant to work with an electric guitar, it will also play nice with just about any 6-string with a decent pickup. If you’re interested in expanding your musical repertoire, the iRig can be yours for $39.99 a pop. We don’t think a professionally cut album will feature this anytime soon though, but that’s a nice thought if it happens.
(Via Ubergizmo.)
SCVNGR Looks To Make Checking In Less Antisocial, More Physical
Foursquare may be helpful for seeing what your friends are up to, but the act of checking in — standing in a bar, face buried in your phone’s screen as you hunt for the right venue — is anything but social. Now, hot on the heels of its partnership with the New England Patriots, location-based gaming service SCVNGR is announcing a nifty new feature that could go a long way toward resolving this issue (and we’ll probably see other services copy it). If you’ve tried Bump, it will sound very familiar: a social check-in involves getting a group of friends to physically tap their phones together at the same time (it’s more fun than it sounds).
So why would anyone actually want to do this? First, it’s more fun than your standard check-in — I could see this working as a decent, albeit nerdy, icebreaker at bars. And it’s probable that the Patriots will be trying it out during a game as part of a stadium-wide social checkin. SCVNGR is also incenting users to do this by offering in-game bonuses that make social check-ins worth significantly more than most other actions.
SCVNGR CEO Seth Priebatsch says that he initially hoped to implement the feature using Bump’s API, but found that that service couldn’t properly handle multiple phone taps at once — he says it’s designed for 1-to-1 transfers of contacts and other media. So SCVNGR designed a system that would allow many (even thousands) of people to tap their phones together in order to achieve a group checkin.
Of course, physically hitting devices that cost upwards of $500 isn’t always the best idea, especially when you’re trying to get a bunch of people to do it at once (some of whom may not be especially sober). Fortunately there’s an alternative: Priebatsch says that some well-timed phone shaking when you’re in the vicinity of your friends will work just fine.
(Via TechCrunch.)
Twitter’s iPhone App Now Supports Multitasking In iOS4
Are you a Twitter addict who owns an Apple device? If yes, then undoubtedly you regularly use Twitter’s official iPhone app. You will be glad to know that the app now has a wonderful new improvement.
Currently the app has a number of cool features which facilitate Twitter usage on the iPhone. Some of the app’s standard features include real-time search, top Tweets, trending topics, and maps that show whatever is currently happening nearby and everywhere else.
All these features, while great, have not left the Twitter developers complacent. In order to keep their app on top, they need to regularly update it to take advantage of the new OS’s abilities. They have done exactly this to integrate iOS’s most important feature, multitasking, in their app.
Multitasking lets you use multiple applications simultaneously. Twitter was smart enough to update their app in order for it to support multitasking on iOS 4. This new version of the app is compatible with iPod Touch, iPhone, and the iPad; the OS requirement is iOS 3.0 or later. These requirements let any modern Apple device owners take advantage of the app and all its great features, including multitasking.
Check out the official Twitter iPhone app HERE
(Via Free and Useful Online Resources for Designers and Developers.)
Top 5 DIY iPhone Stands
You’ve already forked out plenty for your iPhone or iPod touch, so why tax your wallet further by buying an expensive stand?
Whether you want to save money, keep your personal drain on the planet’s resources to a minimum, or are looking for a quick-fix solution at your desk, we’ve found five fantastic iPhone stand designs that require no more than everyday objects — and some MacGyver-style skills.
Have a look-see below at our homemade docks, then have a go at making your own and let us know the results in the comments box below!
1. The Paper Clip Stand
What you’ll need:
Overview:
This solution utilizes a large paper clip, cunningly straightened and then twisted to make an impromptu stand for your iDevice. Depending on how strong you are, you might need pliers to help manipulate the clip, but the principle is pretty darn simple — and pretty darn effective. Mods include wrapping a rubber band around the ‘legs’ to aid stability.
In the immortal words of MacGyver himself: ‘A paperclip can be a wondrous thing. More times than I can remember, one of these has gotten me out of a tight spot.’
MacGyver Rating: 5/5
2. The Cassette Case Stand
What you’ll need:
Overview:
We love that this takes (almost) obsolete tech and upcycles it into a useful object. You can use either a cassette case from an old camcorder tape, or an old audio tape (which, if you’re of a certain age, you’ve almost certainly got lying around at home).
Put the tape and the cardboard sleeve to one side, open the case, flip it around, and — presto! — a minimalist desk stand. To make it a super-stable solution in landscape, you might want to use a file to make a nice neat groove for the iPhone to better sit in.
This really works for us as an easy way to keep our iPhone out of calamity’s way on a desk surface.
MacGyver Rating: 4/5
3. The Pencil Stand
What you’ll need:
Overview:
This easel-esque stand can be created from five pencils and several rubber bands. It will require some dexterity to get the pencils in the right place, as you use the bands to hold it all together, and then a little more to get it to stand up straight. However, it is a strikingly simple design once made, and can be collapsed down to nothing again, should the occasion require.
Although this requires the most stuff to actually make, the Boy Scout-style binding process keeps it firmly in MacGyver territory.
MacGyver Rating: 4/5
4. The Sticky Tape Stand
What you’ll need:
Overview:
Perfect for those ‘I just want to catch ten minutes of [insert favorite show] while I eat lunch at my desk’ moments, this devilishly simple solution requires only a roll of sticky tape to work. Simply stick a bit of tape to the back of your iPhone or iPod touch — and voila! — your iBuddy is propped up at a nice angle while you consume both your lunch and choice of video-based media.
It’s not quite duct tape, but damn!
MacGyver Rating: 5/5
5. The Paper Stand
What you’ll need:
Overview:
The instructions call for the use of at least a 270 gsm paper or card stock, so assuming you have that, simply print out the template (available for both A4 and U.S. letter size paper), cut, fold, and faster than you can say ‘origami,’ you’ve got yourself a new dock.
And this one really is a dock (rather than just stand), as it includes space for the iPhone’s cord underneath. We would suggest that anyone not old enough to have a Facebook account should find a responsible adult to take care of the craft knife elements.
(Via Mashable!.)
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