Archive for the ‘ipad’ Category

AirPlay for Windows Media Center does exactly what you’re thinking it does

This isn’t the first time Windows has been invited to the AirPlay party, but Thomas Pleasance’s AirPlay for Windows Media Center addin seems to already be one of the smoother combinations we’ve seen and it’s still in beta. Unsurprisingly, it does what the name says, so after installing Apple’s Bonjour service and the free client on your Media Center PC you should be able to stream video or pictures to it (there’s no support for music yet) from an iPad or iPhone with a simple click. The Digital Lifestyle has already gotten a quick hands-on with the app and got it working seamlessly as seen above, check that out for more details or hit the source link to download the necessary software to make it all work.

AirPlay for Windows Media Center does exactly what you’re thinking it does originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 24 May 2011 03:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HP thinks the TouchPad will be ‘better than number one,’ if that’s even possible

HP’s expectations for its new TouchPad tablet are running pretty high — so high, in fact, that they can only be expressed with a make-believe number. During a recent press conference in Cannes, HP’s Eric Cador boldly declared that his company’s new slate won’t just be the best on the market, it’ll be the bestest. Cador explained:

“In the PC world, with fewer ways of differentiating HP’s products from our competitors, we became number one; in the tablet world we’re going to become better than number one. We call it number one plus.”

A spokesman later confirmed that the device will launch in the UK with apps from the Guardian, Sky and Last.fm, but promised that “thousands” of other apps are on the way. The metrics might sound a bit optimistic, but the message is clear: HP thinks the TouchPad will annihilate the iPad and blow our minds to smithereens. We’ll just have to wait and see whether it’s as explosive as advertised.

HP thinks the TouchPad will be ‘better than number one,’ if that’s even possible originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 23 May 2011 03:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Acoustic Research ARS20i: a dock for your iOS device

If you haven’t got a docking station for your iOS device mainly because you don’t want to spend a fortune on one, you don’t have to. The great thing about having a popular device like the iPad or iPhone means there will be tons of third party manufacturers creating accessories for the gadget. So while docks like the JBL OnBeat might be a bit too pricey for some, the ARS20i from Acoustic Research might be a little more affordable at about half the price.

Acoustic Research’s dock has the ability to dock your iPad, iPhone or iPod Touch through the 30-pin proprietary Apple port. Once plugged in, your iOS device can play music through the docks’ two speakers. While connected to the dock, the device is also charged while playing music. If you’re using the dock to watch movies, it even has an easily rotated base that can hold your iPad in landscape mode.

It also comes with a 3.5mm audio input port for those times when you don’t have your iOS device with you or you have a non-iPod using friend who wants to share his/her music on your speakers. The ARS20i also functions as an alarm clock and a digital FM radio when used standalone. It is available now from Amazon for $77.74 (normal price $79.99).

Acoustic Research ARS20i: a dock for your iOS device, By Ubergizmo. Top Stories : Galaxy Tab 8.9 Preview, HTC Thunderbolt Review,

Pre-Order Your iCade Now

By Chris Scott Barr

Owning an arcade cabinet is one of those dreams that most every gamer has. Unfortunately there are some major hurdles involved with owning such a thing. First, if you want one with a good game (or multiple good games) you’re going to have to shell out a few hundred bucks. Then there’s the issue of space, and weight. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried to move one, but arcade machines are really heavy. Well, if you already own an iPad, you can turn it into a miniature arcade cabinet.

That’s right, you can finally head over to ThinkGeek and pre-order your very own iCade. The April Fool’s gadget from last year is going to be shipping on May 11th. The price hasn’t changed from the earlier $100, so no worries about having to pay more. What’s even better is that Atari has already released their collection of 100 classic games, so there will be no shortage of games to play when yours arrives.

[ ThinkGeek ]

Indie Musicians Record Entire Album With GarageBand for iPad

Apple’s GarageBand app for iPad makes music creation so simple that a band produced an entire album with it in just two weeks.

The Ultramods, an independent punk duo, recently released its album Underwear Party. The band composed and recorded everything in the GarageBand iPad app including vocals, virtual lead guitar, bass guitar and drums.

For the drum beats, The Ultramods used GarageBand’s SmartDrum instrument, which enables you to compose a simple drum loop in a few seconds, without any knowledge of using a professional drum machine.

“I see [the GarageBand app] as an everything-combined-into-one package,” said Max “Bunny” Sparber, The Ultramods’ lead singer. “Both new musicians and professional musicians are going to be very surprised with what they can do with it.”

First released in 2004, Apple’s GarageBand is a simplified audio tool designed to make music production accessible to everyday customers, without the need for expensive professional hardware. 

Last month, Apple’s Steve Jobs introduced the iPad 2 with a new version of GarageBand remade for the iPad’s touchscreen interface. It’s one of several apps aimed at making the iPad 2 into a tool for creativity, not just for media consumption.

Some might say that GarageBand for iPad furthers Apple’s vision of making music creation accessible for the masses. Starting at $500, the iPad is more affordable than a Mac, and the $5 GarageBand app doesn’t require additional external instruments or hardware for recording music. All the necessary tools are available inside the app.

The GarageBand app packs a virtual keyboard, lead guitar, bass guitar and drum, and up to eight tracks of layered instruments can be recorded to create a song. GarageBand also includes “Smart” instruments that automatically generate drum loops and guitar or piano chords so that even people without musical training can pick up an iPad and create a song.

Sparber said he was excited about the dramatically lowered cost of music production thanks to the iPad and GarageBand. Furthermore, there are no additional costs to upload and sell an album on the internet, Sparber said.

“Making an album even a year ago costs thousands of dollars,” Sparber said. “This is a huge transformation. It’s part of the ongoing democratization where the tools have become inexpensive, and that’s a very exciting prospect.”

The Ultramods are selling their album for $10, and the band provided a free MP3 track for Wired.com readers to sample.

See Also:

• Garage Band: Apogee’s Jam Connects Your Guitar to Your iPad …
• GarageBand Kicks Out the Jams
• GarageBand.com Leaves Door Open

From TheLoop

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