Gadget Quake » Media Players

T-Pain’s Auto-Tune iPhone app: You can do it all by yourse-el-el-el-elf

Alex — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 18:24:21 +0000

After months of anticipation, singing robot T-Pain has finally unleashed his secret weapon: an iPhone application that gives users the power to make their tone deaf voice sound…just as crappy. But digitized! The iPhone application is called I Am T-Pain, and it might be the end of music as we know it.

Even though T-Pain isn’t the first artist to use the Auto-Tuner, this is the easiest and cheapest way to obtain the popular vocoder software that disguises and corrects improper pitch by distorting the human voice.

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The $2.99 app is a portable version of the tool that includes an instrumental collection of T-Pain’s greatest hits in addition to a “Freestyle” mode to cover your own songs. You can also record yourself singing and easily upload the tracks to various social networks.

I installed the app on my iPhone and it works pretty well, but instead of “Buy you a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” I went for Cher’s timeless hit “I Believe” on today’s episode of The 404 Podcast. Check it out and let me know if I have a future in the recording industry.

Samsung Unveils Nvidia-Powered M1 Media Player

Alex — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 06:24:49 +0000

Samsung on Thursday unveiled the M1, a portable media player powered by the Nvidia Tegra processor.

The M1 will be available in late September. It features 720p high-definition video playback, active matrix OLED display, wireless mobile games in 2D and 3D, advanced audio functionality, and an intuitive, Flash-based 3D user interface.
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The Tegra processor includes eight individual processors on one chip, including those for video, graphics, audio, and two ARM cores, which Nvidia said would work to minimize power consumption.

“The Samsung M1 delivers hours of pure entertainment – anytime, anywhere,” Michael Rayfield, general manager of Nvidia’s mobile business, said in a statement. “We worked with Samsung to ensure consumers get incredible HD, a unique UI and excellent battery life.”

Walkman outsells iPod in Japan: survey

Alex — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 06:10:57 +0000

TOKYO (AFP) – The Walkman outsold the iPod in Japan last week for the first time in four years, handing Japanese electronics giant Sony a rare victory over arch-rival Apple, a survey showed.

Sony’s share of the Japanese market for portable music players stood at 43.0 percent in the week to August 30, ahead of Apple which had 42.1 percent, according to the Tokyo-based marketing research company BCN Inc.

Sony has had a tough time in recent years in the face of the huge popularity of the iPod and other rival products such as Nintendo’s Wii.

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BCN said Walkman sales were benefiting from an expanded product lineup and more affordable prices.

The iPod has also been a victim of Apple’s own success because some people are buying the iPhone — which doubles as a portable music player — instead. Sales of the iPhone are not included in the survey.

But Sony’s victory was bittersweet because overall sales of portable music players are on the decline in Japan, BCN said.

The launch of the Walkman three decades ago revolutionised the way people around the world listened to music and helped transform Sony into a global electronics powerhouse.

But in recent years it has failed to match the success of Apple, which sold 100 million iPods in less than six years after its 2001 launch, making it the fastest selling music player in history. Sales have since topped 200 million.

Sony, the maker of Bravia televisions and PlayStation game consoles, announced in May its first annual loss in 14 years and is on course to stay in the red for a second year for the first time in half a century.

Chief executive Howard Stringer is slashing 16,000 jobs and axing about 10 percent of the manufacturing plants in a bid to return to profit.

Alleged first Snow Leopard OS X 10.6.1 details revealed

Alex — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 05:53:16 +0000

Less than a week after Snow Leopard saw its official release, Apple has already supplied some developers with a beta of its first update, and supposed details are now beginning to come to light.

According to information provided to The Boy Genius Report, Mac OS X 10.6.1 includes a number of minor compatibility, security and stability fixes. No timetable for release is available, though it’s safe to assume it would likely be weeks rather than days. According to the tip, the current fixes, in documentation allegedly provided by Apple, include:

• Compatibility with some Sierra Wireless 3G modems
• An issue that might cause DVD playback to stop unexpectedly
• Some printer compatibility drivers not appearing properly in the add printer browser
• An issue that might make it difficult to remove an item from the Dock
• Instances where automatic account setup in Mail might not work
• an issue where pressing cmd-opt-t in Mail brings up the special characters menu instead of moving a message
• Motion 4 becoming unresponsive

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In addition, World of Apple has reported that the update is known as Build 10B503 and is a 71.5MB download.

Earlier Thursday, sources informed AppleInsider that the beta for Snow Leopard OS X 10.6.1 was provided to developers on Monday, Sept. 1, just four days after the software became publicly available. Those who received the betas earlier this week are part of a smaller, more exclusive group that traditionally operates on an invitation-only basis. That is unlike the Apple Developer Connection, which is open to all developers that pay the appropriate fees.

Apple releases Java update for Leopard

Alex — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:51:48 +0000

Apple on Thursday released an update to Java for Mac OS X Leopard. The update, number five, supersedes all previous updates and brings with it improved reliability, security, and compatibility for the cross-platform technology.

In particular, the update patches many Java-related security vulnerabilities, including some which allow untrusted Java applets to obtain elevated privileges via a Web page and potentially executearbitrary code. There’s also a patch for Java Web Start that prevents a buffer overflow from quitting an application or executing arbitrary code.
The security patches in question were released by Java-maker Sun Microsystems in early August, marking an improvement in turnaround time for Apple. In the past, the company has lagged at rolling out fixes for Java, such as this past June, when Apple finally issued an update for a bug that Sun had patched over six months prior. However, according to Computerworld, Thursday’s update does not fold in Sun’s most recent patch of August 11, which plugs further security holes.
Java version numbers on OS X are always a bit thorny, so here are the details. The 161.35MB update is only applicable to Mac OS XLeopard version 10.5.8 or later (not Snow Leopard). Java SE 6 is updated to version 1.6.0_15, J2SE 5.0 is updated to version 1.5.0_20, and J2SE 1.4.2 is updated to version 1.4.2_22. While J2SE 5.0 and J2SE 1.4.2 support all Intel and PowerPC-based Macs, Java SE 6 requires a 64-bit Intel-based Mac.

Apple iPod updates expected, Jobs show uncertain

Alex — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 03:13:17 +0000

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) -Apple Inc’s media extravaganza next week is being greeted with unusual calm, as it is uncertain if charismatic CEO Steve Jobs will appear and investors have nothing much to bet on apart from new iPods with cameras.
Apple’s stock has often swung wildly and rumors have swirled about game-changing products ahead of such events, but this time the stock has held steady in the two weeks leading up to the September 9 event.
Few expect any surprises, but the potential is always there, given the host’s track record.
Apple has traditionally held a September gathering where master showman Jobs showed off new iPods for the holiday season and trumpeted new content for iTunes.
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Revamped iPods are again on tap this year. But much of the focus has been on whether Jobs will make his first public appearance since taking medical leave in January, and what new partners or services Apple may bring into its booming online store.
Rumors also continue to rumble that the Beatles catalog may finally be coming to iTunes, but such speculation is not new and many are doubtful.
Some analysts think Jobs is unlikely to show up, as other members of Apple’s management team have become more visible in his absence.
“It would be great if he (Jobs) does appear, but I’m not expecting it,” said Kaufman Bros analyst Shaw Wu. “Most investors have moved beyond that.”
“It shouldn’t have a material impact on the stock if he doesn’t,” he said, noting that it could edge higher.
Apple’s stock, which is up more than 90 percent so far this year, has been relatively tame this week as expectations have been subdued. But analysts don’t foresee a bold new product announcement at the event, such as the long-rumored tablet device, that would immediately boost the stock.
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The iPod nano and touch models are widely expected to be updated with digital cameras, while the iTouch may also get a video camera.
“A non-event,” predicted Broadpoint Amtech analyst Brian Marshall. “We’re going to see the focus on iPods and iTunes and then leave it at that.”
Apple’s invitation for the event was typically cryptic, featuring a dancing figure, an iPod and the tagline, “It’s only rock and roll, but we like it.”
Apple has acknowledged that its dominant iPod business is changing as growth has slowed. IPods accounted for less than one-fifth of the company’s revenue last quarter.
“The key here is what Apple ultimately sets for pricing and storage capacity for these new iPods,” said Wu.
Apple has said it expects sales of its traditional iPods such as the shuffle, nano and classic to decline as they are cannibalized by the newer iPod touch and the iPhone.
Beyond iPods, many are still talking about Jobs, who joked openly about his health issues at last year’s event.
Jobs’ last appearance at an Apple event was in October of 2008. He returned from a 6-month medical leave in June, during which time he underwent a liver transplant.
In his absence, marketing Chief Phil Schiller, who has led other events this year, may again be master of ceremonies.
However, FTN Equity Capital analyst Bill Fearnley Jr. said it is “likely” that Jobs will make an appearance.
“There is no other fall event that we are aware of that would present a keynote-type address or presentation opportunity for Apple or its CEO,” he wrote in a note.
While an appearance by Jobs might dominate media coverage of the event, an announcement that songs from the Beatles — the most high-profile iTunes holdout — were headed to the online store would also be headline-grabbing.
However Tim Bajarin, president of consulting group Creative Strategies, called the Beatles chatter “wishful thinking.”
“This rumor does come around every year at this time and I am afraid that we will be disappointed again,” he said via email.

Google Mobile App for iPhone and iPod Touch

Gadget — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 21:45:33 +0000

The rush of Friday June 11th is well and truly over but people are still trying hard to get their hands on the new iPhone 3G, while all this is happening things are still all go with the new App Store.

Today we hear that Google has launched their new Mobile App for iPhone, this application makes it easy to search the web on the move and find your contacts even faster.

The Google Mobile App is currently only for Apple iPhone and iPod Touch users in the US, although other countries will also get this application soon on their App Stores.

When you search results will appear right away as your typing. The slick interface will learn what you do over time and will place your frequently clicked results on the first search page.

The main features of the Google Mobile App include search history, My Location and Google Suggest. Will you be using this new powerful application?

Source: Read

TrekStor brings affordable MP4 player to the UK market

Gadget — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:04:56 +0000

TrekStor, a leading manufacturer of MP3 players, external hard drives and USB sticks is adding a trendy new movie player to its existing range of MP3 players, with the launch of the i.Beat Move. The easy-to-use MP4 player is available in 1-8 GB allowing storage of up to 160 music albums or 30-50 hours of video content.

The MP4 player supports conventional MP3, WMA and WAV files and is WMA-DRM9 compatible for music purchased over the Internet. It also plays AVI format videos, displays JPEG photos and comes with integrated FM radio with memory for 25 radio stations and an automatic search function. A microSD memory card is also available for extra space allowing consumers to store additional videos and music tracks.

The MP4 player has a pin sharp 65,000 colour display. The player also comes with a high speed USB 2.0 connection, a set of stereo headphones, folder navigation and an integrated rechargeable lithium polymer battery.

Prices and availability – The i.Beat move is available from selected retailers including amazon.co.uk at prices ranging from £24 (2GB) to £59 (8GB).

The i.Beat Move is available in three sizes; small, medium and large. The small model measures 38.5mm x 74.5mm x 9.5mm (W x H x D) with a screen size of 3.8cm. The medium size has a display measuring 4.6cm and the large model has a display of 5.1cm and measures at 45.5mm x 78mm x 10mm.

Juice pack gives Apple iPod Touch more life

Gadget — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 23:49:44 +0000

Today, mStation gives more power to iPod Touch enthusiasts everywhere with the all new mophie juice pack battery booster. Just like the award-winning iPhone juice pack, this version comes ‘pre-charged’ and ready to go straight out of the package.

It houses a rechargeable lithium polymer battery within an ergonomic, comfort-grip case with a soft-touch, non-slip finish. The added “juice” gives consumers up to an additional 7 hours of video playback and 30 hours of audio playback.

The juice pack also integrates a 4 LED ‘charge status’ indicator along with its own mini USB connector, making it incredibly simple to both sync your iPod and recharge your juice pack.

“After the tremendous success of the iPhone version, a juice pack for the iPod Touch was a natural progression for us,” says Ross Howe, Sales and Product Development Director for mStation/mophie. “Now Touch and iPhone users alike can boost their Apple ‘juice’ without the need of a bulky, inconvenient attachment.”

The mophie juice pack for iPod Touch will be available at Apple Stores in August for an MSRP of $99.95. For more information on mStation or mophie, please visit mstation.com or mophie.com