News & Features

PowerCup Car Charger Handles Your Devices on the Road

As our mobile environments are becoming more and more connected these days we struggle to accommodate the plethora of devices some of us carry with us and even use while on the road or stuck in traffic. Enter the PowerCup Car Charger and Tablet holder from USBFever.com. Here is a device that anchors in a center console cupholder and expands power functionality inside the vehicle by offering two cigarette lighter-style sockets and two 5V USB ports for charging mobile devices. A short flexible stalk leads to an expandable holder for your Apple iPad or Samsung Galaxy Tab. Of course, neither…


RIM Unveils Their Blackberry 10 at the Blackberry Experience in NYC

It is RIM’s last hope to stay afloat. After hyping the BlackBerry Playbook and banking on its success RIM has continued to stumble. Even hardcore BB-user like Elana and her brother have left their BlackBerries and moved to other platforms. And as for the Playbook not being a hit, when the company that made their chops on messaging releases a tablet without a native email client, how could it possibly succeed? So RIM has developed and entirely new operating system and is formally showing off the OS and the devices to run it. I’m in Manhattan for the Blackberry Experience…


Apple Introduces 128GB iPad 4, Pricing as You Would Expect

For the past couple of years everyone has wondered when Apple would come out with a 128GB iPhone or iPad, and last fall I think that many were genuinely surprised that the iPad 4 didn’t up the capacity. Well, now we have our answer … and it comes in the form of the 128GB iPad 4. The announcement came today, and the new version of the iPad 4 is going to be available starting Tuesday, February 5. According to a press release from Apple, the main focus is a sort of ‘Pro’ version of the iPad for the Enterprise –…


Prophet 12 Synthesizer by Dave Smith Introduced at NAMM 2013

One of the first synths I did serious work on was the Prophet 5. That synth was introduced by Sequential Circuits in 1978 as one of the first polyphonic instruments, but the reason it is still popular is the amazing sounds. The Prophet 5 was the brain-child of Sequential Circuits founder Dave Smith. If that name sounds familiar it is because Smith is also known as the ‘Father of MIDI’, and I recently wrote about the 30th anniversary of MIDI. After Yamaha bought Sequential Circuits in 1987, Smith went on to head up the new US research lab for Korg…


Apple Releases iOS 6.1 with iTunes Match Song Downloads and More

Have you ever just wanted to download ONE song from an album on iTunes Match so you can listen on the go? It simply didn’t happen … until now! Today Apple released iOS 6.1 with a number of improvements (and likely even more unannounced improvements). These include support for 36 additional LTE carriers for iPhone (23 for iPad), individual song downloads, Siri interaction with Fandango, and more. One unstated improvement in iOS 6.1 is found in Passbook. Previously, when you started the app for the first time an introduction was displayed. You were then sent to the iTunes App Store…


Windows 8 Pro $40 Upgrade Sale Ends 1/31/13

Microsoft’s sale of Windows 8 Pro for only $40 ends on Thursday.  If you haven’t taken advantage of the sale, time is quickly running out! If you’ve purchased a Windows 8 (Sadly, not Windows RT) tablet, ultrabook or other computer and you attempt to upgrade directly through the “Add Features To Windows” function, you do not get this discount, and the Pro upgrade price is $70. However, if you have a, XP, Vista or Windows 7 computer that you can run the Windows Upgrade Assistant on, you can purchase the upgrade from your computer, and then STOP and not download the Windows…


Crysis 3 Multiplayer Beta Begins January 29

The open multiplayer beta for the sandbox shooter Crysis 3 game starts January 29 on PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 where players can battle the corrupt Cell Corporation. Players can try out the new superpowered Nanosuit, which features cloaking, vision, and armor properties. Players also get two team-based modes (eight in full game), two maps (12 in full game) and the new New York social feed, which lets players share their accomplishments. This beta ends on February 12. Besides the nanosuit, players will encounter powerful equipment and weapons including the typhoon assault rifle that fires 500 rounds per second….


CTA Digital Pedestal Stand for iPad Keeps You Connected in the Bathroom

Admit it. Many of you have surreptitiously or otherwise carted your iPad into the bathroom because…well because you just love your iPad and are using it productively, right? Sure you do. The biggest problem in using the iPad in such situations is that human anatomy is at odds with multitasking when responding to the call of nature, and most people I know of only possess a maximum of two hands. What to do to solve the crisis? Why, never fear CTA Digital’s Pedestal Stand for iPad 2/3/4 with Roll Holder is here to solve this dilemma! Standing at about 32″…


Korg Introduces 9 New Products at NAMM 2013, Including KingKORG and MS-20 Mini

At the NAMM 2013 show, Korg announced nine (!) new products that all look great – I recommend you head to Korg to get all of the details. But I wanted to highlight two that look super-cool: the MS-20 Mini and KingKORG. The MS-20 Mini is the reimagining of the classic monophonic synth that we have seen emulated so much recently. The KingKORG is a robust analog modeling synth built for great sound and performance. MS-20 Mini Everyone loves the Korg MS-20, it seems. This 1978 monophonic synth with cable-patching and limited configurations ultimately had one major thing that has…


Mobile Jaw Reviews the Samsung ATIV S and Nokia Lumia 920

Last year, Judie and I spent time going deep with Windows Phone 7. We put our iPhones in the drawer and made HTC Titans our only phones. We both liked the experience, but ultimately returned to our iPhones. When Microsoft sunset Windows Phone 7.5 just weeks after releasing the Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone I was not impressed. It was a kick in the face of those who were early adopters of Windows Phone. I really thought I was be done with Windows Phone forever. I wasn’t. Judie wasn’t either. In fact, when HTC and Microsoft released the flagship of…


AVID Teams with Katy Perry & Adele’s Producer for Online Talent Competition

If you are like me, you love the IDEA of a musical talent competition for a recording contract that slowly funnels from thousands to just a few … but the execution always gets muddled down as the music becomes secondary to what works on TV. But what if there was an online contest that will result in three lucky winners having their music heard, mixed and mastered by some of the industry’s top folks? That is exactly what Avid is announcing in conjunction with Abbey Road Studios. Avid is the maker of Pro Tools, which is THE system of choice…


Mackie Updates Master Fader Control App for DL Series Live Mixers

Last year at NAMM Mackie brought iPad control to their DL1608 mixer. Now for 2013 NAMM they have introduced the DL806 mixer and major updates to their Master Fader control app. This EQ is great for getting vocals, guitars and other instruments to sit perfectly in a mix. Now, DL users can choose between clean, surgical modern processing and the new range of classic vintage plug-ins for more flexibility in use. You can grab the app for free now, and the update will be coming soon. Mackie has added an episode to their DL Series podcast regarding Master Fader v1.4…


GoG.com Adds 10 New Mac Games for January!

The answer to the question ‘where do I get Mac games’ has changed over time. A few years ago you would answer ‘I’m sorry dude, really sorry’. Then along came Steam, then the Mac App Store, and most recently GoG.com. Now you can proudly answer that there are great choices and prices at Steam, GoG.com and the Mac App Store. And GoG.com is advancing at an amazing pace, today announcing the addition of 10 Mac games to their roster. And like every other game, you now get the Mac and PC version of the game as well as all the…


Thermometer for the Naturalist that Will Leaf the Competition Behind

For those seeking escape from the mechanical, desiring a more natural space, yet have the nagging desire to have an idea of what the approximate room temperature is in you sanctuary, Gizmine may have the thermometer for you. The aptly named Leaf Thermometer not only looks natural and realistic, it actually gives you a rough idea of how warm or cold it is by changing its color accordingly. No more straining eyes at small gradients on glass thermometers or glancing at digital readouts … just check the color! Henry David Thoreau would have been proud to have one while loitering…


HDtracks Offers a Master Quality Music Experience for the Masses

I was recently cleaning up some Iomega Jaz disks and came across a folder with stuff I used to keep on my Pocket PC devices. In there was a bunch of music I had ripped from CDs to store on Compact Flash drives from 32MB to 256MB as my devices progressed from the HP 430se to the Jornadas and iPaqs. For some reason I decided to listen to some of the music, and it sounded AWFUL! The undersampling was atrocious, and the lossiness was readily apparent. Of course, the compression schemes used by iTunes, Amazon and others is much more…


No More “Either Paper or Tablet” Decisions Thanks to the New Booqpad mini

Booq has just announced their new Booqpad mini, an iPad case that combines protection for the iPad mini with the tried and true efficiency of paper and pen. As booq explains, the Booqpad mini “allows you to conveniently keep your business cards, stylus, pen, cash and other important documents close to your iPad mini, as well as your important hand-written notes. Booqpad mini: • Easily stores pen, stylus, cash, business cards, paper notepad, and iPad mini, all in one elegant folio • Is designed symmetrically for left and right-handed users • Secures and protects iPad mini, providing in case access…


Geeksphone to Ship FirefoxOS on Developer Hardware Next Month

  The biggest criticism I have of Android and iOS challenger UbuntuOS is that they made an announcement with no hardware that was even close to shipping.  Well, the Mozilla project has gone a step further and announced that they will have not one, but two developer phones to ship next month with the new FirefoxOS. The Mozilla Project announced the Keon and the Peak, both to ship next month, and they will be made by an up and coming company called Geeksphone.  Both phones are very similar in design with the Keon being the lower end of the two phones with a 3.5 inch…


Quirky Ham Radio Gadgets from Yesteryear: The Wouff Hong and the Rettysnitch

Well, the Wouff-Hong is not so much a gadget, but it has been a part of Ham Radio lore since 1930’s.  What is a Wouff Hong?  According to 1930 edition of The Radio Amateur’s Handbook: The Wouff-Hong is amateur radio’s most sacred symbol and stands for the enforcement of law and order in amateur operation. The story goes that T.O.M. ( The Old Man) wrote stories in the American Radio Relay League’s magazine, QST,  titled Rotten Radio.  It excoriated bad operating practices using caustic humor and satire.  It was in one of these stories that the Wouff-Hong was born.  It wasn’t…


The Good and Bad of HDMI Switching

This holiday season was the season my family finally made the jump to HD TV.  I absolutely love HD TV, and I am really looking forward to watching NASCAR and actually being able to read the tickers!  As result of getting the TV, I ended up receiving or giving products that needed an HDMI connection to the TV.  We got an Xbox 360 for Luke and I, plus I was given a Roku 2 XS and a Blu-ray player for Christmas.  One of the things on my Amazon list was a Kinivo HDMI switch as I knew right away I…



World’s First iOS Guitar/Bass Multi-FX System with Wireless Foot Switch Hardware

Last year from NAMM we got the iRig Stomp, which was able to control AmpliTube effects chains from a robust ‘stomp box’. It was clear that we would soon be getting a full effects board worth of controls, though I wouldn’t have expected the first one to be wireless! JamUp Pro XT and AirTurn have teamed up to power the first BlueTooth wireless multi-effects pedal system for iOS. Check out the demo video: I have not used JamUp’s app yet, but this looks intriguing – I will keep an eye on NAMM reports to get more hands-on details for this…