Sony Music is one of the biggest music industry publishers, but their online service ‘Music Unlimited’ hasn’t lived up to the ‘Spotify Killer’ origins. So they are making the smart move of partnering with Spotify to bring music streaming to Playstation 3 and 4 and Xperia phone and tablet owners on the Playstation Network.
We all know that Apple is doomed… it must be, people have been saying so since the Mac vs. PC days of the late 1980s. In spite of their inevitable demise, Apple chose yesterday to announce that it had exceeded profit and revenue estimates while selling 74.5 million iPhones and 21.4 million iPads last quarter.
When my kids were young, it was the early days of educational computer games, and we were fortunate to have some awesome experiences with software that was interactive and educational. Times have rapidly advanced, and now a new game called Dino Tales presents an interactive world for kids to create and explore using methods including SIRI technology ‘word wheels’.
If you use the Internet even sparingly, you’re bound to know that smart wallets are the next big change in the way that we make purchases. Swyp is the latest product that wants to combine all of your credit cards, debit cards, gift cards, and loyalty cards into one credit card-sized package. Swyp is now up for preorder for $49.
If you don’t hunt, fish, or camp, if you rarely tail-gate, and if the idea of spending more than $150 on a cooler makes you raise your eyebrows in a “why?” configuration, then this post about the Pelican ProGear 80QT Elite Cooler won’t be for you.
Two of the biggest trends for indie games recently are so-called ‘roguelikes’ and space-based simulations. Add real-time shooters and you have the recipe for a fun and addictive game that will appeal to a broad cross-section of players. That is what Stellar, a roguelike space shooter, is offering in a game with a planned 2016 release date. Check it out!
Don’t let “Deflategate” take the wind out of your Super Bowl XLIX (49) fun! Fans can get great experiences from various media, apps and more to celebrate the National Football League’s deciding game. Take a look at more “super” options and ways to get authentic gear.
One of the fun things in first-person shooter games is all of the weapons you can play around with … but it also gets pretty silly in terms of what you are able to carry by the end of the game. Pistols, machine guns, shotguns, grenade launchers, missiles, etc! Now Mythbusters is going to try to carry it all!
One thing I love about using IK Multimedia gear is how it enhances my ability to make music anywhere by drawing power from the 30-pin or Lightning port of my iPhone or iPad. The obvious problem is the power used by an accessory such as iRig Keys Pro comes from your phone, lowering already precious battery life. Enter iRig PowerBridge.
2015 marks the 50th anniversary of Peavey, a company known for high quality amplifiers at affordable prices. They also make much-loved basses and guitars (the T40 and T60 were popular when I was in high school, and I still a T20 fretless bass), as well as sound reinforcement equipment and other products, but amplifiers have always been their focus.
Nearly four years ago, Adobe introduced Forms Central, an online service that let you easily distribute, collect and analyze data using web or PDF forms and surveys. Last week they announced they were killing off the product, and final retirement was July 28, 2015. For users of the service this means finding a new home, such as FormStack.
Late in 2013 Zivix announced PUC, wireless MIDI interface that allowed use of traditional music gear with iOS devices. The original PUC created a local WiFi network to handle the MIDI interface, now they’re back with PUC+ using Bluetooth Low Energy to more efficiently communicate while allowing simultaneous WiFi connections. They also announced jamstik+, bringing BTLE to their smart guitar!
After not subscribing for a while, my family has been thoroughly enjoying a renewed Spotify subscription these last few months. The constant stream of improvements since they first launched has made the service more valuable than ever. Now they have introduced a new feature – Touch Preview – that lets you quickly check out new songs without leaving your playlist.
Dan and Judie wrote about how the iRig Mic Field from IK Multimedia helped them cover NAIAS in Detroit as well as CES, and it illustrated another step in how far IK has evolved in their microphone offerings. Now IK Multimedia is announcing their next step with the iRig Mic Studio, an ultra-portable large-diaphragm mic for every platform.
Brian Fargo and inXile Entertainment had a great 2014 with the release of Wasteland 2. Now they are returning to the property that inspired their first game a decade ago, as they have announced officially that they are working on The Bard’s Tale IV. The last official entry in the series was all the way back in 1988!
I have already noted that IK Multimedia hinted at their full-on onslaught of Android music-making at NAMM, and they are delivering. They announced one of the key items this week – iRig UA, allowing users of nearly any Android device to plug in their guitar and make awesome music using a compatible app. Time for Android users to rock out!
One of the best and most successful movies of the last year was The LEGO Movie. The quality and broad appeal surprised many viewers, and the video games were also quite enjoyable and high quality and popular with gamers of all ages. Now The LEGO Movie Video game has launched for iOS devices for just $4.99 – check it out!
While it seems like vintage gear, trendy tablet interfaces and more fringe stuff are dominating the news out of NAMM this year, a number of traditional music makers are also introducing the ‘boring’ stuff – great sounding gear with awesome features. One of those is Orange, who has announced the Orange OB1 series of rack-mountable bass amplifiers.
This year at NAMM 2015 we have seen the rebirth of the classic synthesizer brands Sequential Circuits and ARP, leaving only one brand remaining. So naturally Moog has come back as well, and they introduced redesigned versions of their absolute classic modular synthesizers the System 15, 35 and 55. These dynamic instruments are all about creativity.
Wow … just wow. Yesterday we heard about the resurrected ARP Odyssey from Korg, and today Dave Smith Instruments has brought back the venerable Sequential Circuits brand name to announce their new Prophet 6 analog synthesizer! Dave Smith is founder of Sequential Circuits and the legendary Prophet V, so he is well positioned to deliver the goods with Prophet 6!
This week at NAMM, legendary amplifier company introduced a bunch of great new stuff, including a surprise item – the Orange MusicBoard Interactive Whiteboard. Anyone with kids in school knows about electronic whiteboards, which allow you to project interactive content from a computer onto a screen. The MusicBoard seeks to revolutionize how music theory is taught to students!