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Nine Inch Nails sign up for iPhone game
Nine Inch Nails have already established themselves as the pioneers of alternative music marketing strategies and have once again managed to come up with something new for their fans.
This month, the band is partnering up with the developers of Tap Tap Revenge (the iPhone's equivalent to Guitar Hero) to release a NIN-themed version of the application. The game will feature 12 songs from the band's last two albums, thus bringing licensed content to an iPhone app for the first time.
I downloaded Tap Tap Revenge and found it pretty lame, but I'm curious to see how it will work with a couple of NIN tunes I really like.
PS: Thom, if you're reading this, can you please come up with a Radiohead-centric version of Cro-Mag Rally? Nine Inch Nails have already established themselves as the pioneers of alternative music marketing strategies and have once again mana... more -
New nano-chromatic iPods and improvements for the rest
Today in San Francisco, reporters and analysts gathered at Apple's "Let's Rock" event eager to hear Steve Jobs talk about the improvements to his line of iPods.
For starters today Apple is releasing a new version of iTunes. The new iTunes will have a few new features including grid browsing and the Genius function. Genius is an all new way to automatically create play lists from your library based on songs that go well together. This works with music and movies. iTunes will upload a list of your music and movies to the internet to be added to a database. This database will gather and compare information from all Genius users to develop a smart play list. The more people using Genius the smarter it will be. Kind of takes the fun out of the mix tape, but still a really cool feature. The new iTunes can be downloaded for free.
The classic iPod is being upgraded to a thinner 120GB ($249) version and the 160GB is being discontinued.
Next was the big announcement. New second gen nano iPods. The new nano's will sport a whole new look. The nano is going back to a more vertical design like the long forgotten iPod mini. Much like the macbook air they have a new curved aluminum design with a curved glass cover for the screen. This new design will make it the thinnest iPod ever. Apple has taken the accelerometer from the touch and iPhone and it does some great things. The nano now has cover flow so you can browse your music by album cover. One of the coolest things about cover flow on the nano is you to simply shake your nano to scroll through. The integration of the accelerometer also means a larger display for watching video. Some of the other nano improvements include use of Genius play list building without iTunes, built in mic, 24 hour battery life (music playback), environmentally friendly (toxics free), and they come in a wide variety of colors. My favorite is the silver with black click wheel. The new nanos will come in 8GB ($149) and 16GB ($199) models.
The rest of the updates were nowhere near as exciting. Steve announced a new set of ear buds that have both a woofer and tweeter, on cable controls, and a built in mic. You can get a pair of these for the steep price of $79.
The iPod touch also saw a few cool updates. The new touch will be thinner even though they are cramming in more features. Taking up space on the inside of the new touch is a built-in speaker, Nike + and volume controls on the side. Steve also showed a tv spot which basically promotes the touch as a hand held gaming device. With about 700 games on the App Store, Steve boasts that the touch is the "best portable device for playing games." Look out Nintendo... Some of the highlighted games are Need for Speed, Real Soccer 2009, and they even managed to get a version of the new hit game Spore for the iPod touch. The touch screen D-pad and A/B buttons that some of the games has as well as motion senor controlling makes the touch a pretty diverse gaming device. The new iPod touch will come in 8GB ($229), 16GB ($299), and a 32GB ($399) models.
The last updates of the event came for the iPhone. No new hardware, but there is a 2.1 firmware update that fixes a lot of bugs. "Fewer dropped calls, big battery life improvements. No crashes with Apps. Backing up is faster." This update is free for all iPhone owners.
With the whole arsenal of iPods improved, its time to start your Christmas shopping. Oh and F.Y.I. Jobs also mentioned that 90% of US cars offer iPod integration. So if your in the market for a new mp3 player and a new car, you can truly combine them. Today in San Francisco, reporters and analysts gathered at Apple's "Let's Rock" event eager to hear Steve Jobs tal... more -
Forget the iPhone--The iPod Touch is Good Enough
Back in June 2007, I couldn't convince my wife that checking my email in grocery lines was worth $1,320—the cost of an original iPhone and one year of the cheapest plan. These days, the trend-setting phone costs even more money over its life, and it's more than a little restrictive and even a bit buggy. So I'm amazed at how little love the iPod touch gets. It's a slimmer iPhone with almost all its features, it requires no contract, and when you can't get a Wi-Fi signal, your plain, humble cellphone can step up to take its place. Here's why anyone considering the iPhone should opt for its oft-ignored sibling—the iPod touch—instead. Photo by sarchi.
While you won't get every single one of the iPhone's capabilities when you opt for an iPod touch, you'll save a ton of money. Buying an iPod touch costs you $300 for unlimited use, not a guaranteed commitment of more than $1,600 over two years that the iPhone involves (more, if you have to pay a penalty to get out of your current cellphone contract). Here's how I use my plain old flip phone for calls and getting info in Wi-Fi less areas, and the iPod touch for everything else.
Your Non-iPhone Can Do a Whole Lot via SMS
When I'm out with friends and somebody asks the best way to Duff's from Kenmore, or what time The Dark Knight is showing at the Regal Elmwood, I don't wave my iPod touch around, hoping for unsecured Linksys boxes. I send a text message from my plain old flip phone to Google SMS—46653 (GOOGLE)—and I get the results usually in less than a minute. If it's a long address, I'll just call 1-800-GOOG-411 and say "text message" to remember it later.
I spot a repair shop and remember that my inspection runs out on Friday, I set a to-do in Remember the Milk via Twitter SMS, by calling Jott if I'm driving, or, if it's more complicated, sending a pre-formatted text to my RTM email address. I can also read or edit my Google Calendar agenda, check my flight status, and price items on Amazon to avoid impulse buys. You can't swipe, stretch, and pinch this stuff with your fingers, but it's real data, delivered pretty darned fast without the cost of an iPhone data plan. Here are some more cellphone tricks you can do with a non-iPhone.
The Apps Are Just as Good
The iPod touch doesn't have speakers or a camera and you can't speak into it, so it does mean a couple of apps in the iTunes store won't work on the touch. The hummed-song-finder Midomi could win me a few cool-factor points at the bar, and the Talking Phrasebook would be a killer app if I suddenly found myself wandering the Champs-Élysées. But the vast majority of games, apps, and utilities in the App Store work just fine on my iPod touch without voice or speaker functions.
More reading at LifeHacker Link Above. Back in June 2007, I couldn't convince my wife that checking my email in grocery lines was worth $1,320—the cost of an original i... more -
Wooly Willy for your iPhone!
Nothing like a bit of nostalgia to help the time pass. Now you can give Willy a wicked-awesome hairdo with your finger! Ah, technology. Nothing like a bit of nostalgia to help the time pass. Now you can give Willy a wicked-awesome hairdo with your finger! Ah, technology... more
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iPhone gaming gets a jolt with Quake 3 Arena
Accellerometer controls!!! OpenGL!!! Networked gameplay!!! Holy crap!
I thought the homebrew port of Quake 2 to Nintendo DS was sweet, this is awesome.
Here's the question: Would you play a FPS on a handheld like an iPhone/iPod Touch? From we see here, it looks like tilt to move and tap to shoot. Is this ideal?
It would be fun to mess around with. Accellerometer controls!!! OpenGL!!! Networked gameplay!!! Holy crap! ... more -
Could Trism Make iPhone Gaming... Fun?
This game looks cool, but will it turn out to be yet another item cluttering up your homescreen? So far, iPhone and iPod Touch games have been fairly straightforward, but according to this video Trism actually makes use of the touchscreen. Interesting.
The question is, will touchscreen enhanced games for the iPhone transform it into a viable gaming platform?
The Nintendo Wii caught on with casual gamers based on unique interface, and the same could be said for the Nintendo DS, so who knows. This game looks cool, but will it turn out to be yet another item cluttering up your homescreen? So far, iPhone and iPod Touch games h... more -
Ipod iAno
Check out the full length track right here:
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Play me a tune, iAno man
Feeling musical? Here's a virtual piano for your iPhone or iPod Touch. What will they think of next??
Featuring:
*A complete four octave keyboard.
*Multi-touch. Up to 5 keys can be pressed at once allowing complex chords.
*Sounds like a real piano with realistic piano multi-samples.
*Animated piano keys react to your touch.
*Play along to all your MP3s.
*On-screen keyboard navigation allows you to easily move up and down by octaves or "part octaves" (ie. left-most key is a C or an F). Feeling musical? Here's a virtual piano for your iPhone or iPod Touch. What will they think of next?? Featuring: ... more -
Double non-fat Venti iPhone
Soon, thanks to Apple's deal with Starbucks for free access to WiFi at their stores, ordering overpriced coffee will be easier than ever.
Quickorder, a new application for your iPhone or iPod Touch, will enable users to swing by their local Starbucks, order up their favorite drink and avoid a good deal of that always questionable human interaction. Granted, what you're peering at above is still a mockup for now, but it's brimming with potential, no? Soon, thanks to Apple's deal with Starbucks for free access to WiFi at their stores, ordering overpriced coffee will be easier th... more -
ipod accessories are conquering the human body
Seriously, are these things necessary?
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Do you want it to be Apple's iPod or your iPod?
This pic really sums up why the iPod touch should be set free.
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Teenager claims to have easy iPod Touch jailbreak
A 13-year-old hacker claims to have developed code that would let you put third-party applications on an iPod Touch without having to take a computer science class. A 13-year-old hacker claims to have developed code that would let you put third-party applications on an iPod Touch without having to ... more
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New "iPod Touch" Screens Faulty
Apple has admitted that a "small number" of the screens on its new iPod Touch have trouble displaying dark images. Now let's see if Cupertino takes the next step and replaces the glitchy Touches free of charge. Apple has admitted that a "small number" of the screens on its new iPod Touch have trouble displaying dark images. Now let&#... more
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The iPhone Is Here!
It's an iPod! It's a cell phone! It's an internet device! No, it's the new Apple iPhone! In this Current Tech pod, Apple CEO Steve Jobs announces the creation of this revolutionary device. It's an iPod! It's a cell phone! It's an internet device! No, it's the new Apple iPhone! In this Current Tech pod,... more
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Apple unveils Wi-Fi, touch-screen iPods
Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs on Wednesday unveiled a new version of the company's popular iPod media player that is based on the iPhone, featuring wireless Internet access and a Web browser but not cell phone capability. (AP) Apple Inc. CEO Steve Jobs on Wednesday unveiled a new version of the company's popular iPod media player that is based on the iPh... more
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