Universal Audio releases the Chandler Limited GAV19T Amplifier Plug-In

Available exclusively for UAD-2 DSP Accelerators and Apollo-equipped workstations, the Chandler Limited GAV19T Amplifier Plug-In is an exacting emulation of the dual EL84-powered boutique guitar amp. Inspired by British classics such as Vox and Marshall — and lesser-known gems from Watkins and Selmer — the Chandler Limited GAV19T Amplifier plug-in offers features not found on the original hardware, such as an FX Rack with an onboard noise gate, host-syncable lo-fi delay, Power Soak, and pre/post switchable EQ filter controls.

Can’t wait to try this out.

Heineken asks 40 legendary individuals to craft posters with epic stories

heineken has teamed up with over 40 legendary individuals from the worlds of sport, entertainment and art to create a series of bespoke posters in support of reporters without borders, a global non-profit which which protects journalists and ensures freedom of information.

I need a drink.

CocoaConf Fall dates announced

To help meet the growing demand, we are adding two new cities. This fall, we will be returning to Columbus, Boston, and Atlanta, and making our first stops in Seattle and Las Vegas! It is going to be one exciting fall conference season!

I’ve always heard great things about CocoaConf.

Samsung Galaxy S5′s fingerprint scanner already hacked and my reaction

The news:

When it comes to Samsung’s fingerprint scanner technology embedded in the home button on the new Galaxy S5, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that we have spent plenty of time testing it, and we’ve found that it works very well. The bad news, however, is that it has apparently already been hacked, leaving Galaxy S5 owners’ devices and their PayPal accounts at risk.

My reaction:

Office 365 Personal allows iPad editing

Today we’re announcing that it’s available for purchase–$69.99 USD/year or $6.99 USD/month (ERP)1–online at Office365.com, at Microsoft Stores and through online and retail partners.

An Office 365 Personal subscription allows for one PC or Mac, and one tablet (including iPad) to be connected to the service, and is the best option for individuals interested in using Office 365.

Microsoft is trying, I’ll give them that. It’s a good move on their part.

Pioneer owners can upgrade to Apple CarPlay

Pioneer Corporation today announced one of the first aftermarket in-dash car multimedia systems to provide Apple CarPlay, allowing consumers the ability to upgrade the vehicle they already own to the smarter, safer and more fun way to use iPhone® in the car. CarPlay compatibility will be available in early summer 2014 via a firmware update to the five 2014 NEX in-dash multimedia receivers.

CarPlay is gaining momentum.

Samsung designer denies Apple was an influence

Did Samsung steal its slide-to-unlock feature from Apple’s smartphone software?

“Absolutely not,” said Samsung senior UI designer Youngmi Kim, who has worked on user experience strategy on the Samsung design team since 2004.

Bullshit.

The Lexus Design Award

The Lexus Design Award provides an opportunity for young innovators to showcase their works while receiving feedback from world renowned professionals in the area of design. Through this initiative, Lexus hopes to nurture and support world-enriching creators. 1,157 submissions were received during the application period from August 1 to October 15, 2013. After careful consideration by six judges, 12 winners have been selected. Read on for more information on the designers and their winning entries. The designers of two winning entries will create prototypes of their designs in close collaboration with mentors Arthur Huang or Robin Hunicke.

Backblaze: Backup your data online for $5 a month [Sponsor]

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BlackBerry seeks to halt sales of Typo keyboards

BlackBerry said in a filing last Friday that the injunction is needed now. “Typo has contradicted its prior sworn statements and has significantly changed the way it does business in an attempt to flood the market with infringing keyboards before entry of the injunction,” BlackBerry said in a filing with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

They should be banned from selling the keyboards. BlackBerry is right on this one.

Lying Google bastards

Remember last week when Android engineering VP, Hiroshi Lockheimer, testified in the Apple vs. Samsung trial and lied his ass off saying, “Google did not look to copy the iPhone when it designed Android.” Lies.

Android.before.iPhone

Betterment: Elegant, straightforward online investing from the “Apple of finance” [Sponsor]

Many thanks to Betterment for sponsoring this week’s RSS feed on The Loop. Imagine if poring over your finances were as easy as using your favorite app, or smartphone. – “The Apple of finance,” Quartz.

Now it is, with Betterment.

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Ready to invest? We’re excited to offer readers of the Loop three months of Betterment investment management for free.

420screenshot

A big pile of Google bullshit

A top Android executive testified on Friday that Google did not look to copy the iPhone when it designed Android.

“We like to have our own identity,” Android engineering VP Hiroshi Lockheimer said, testifying in an Apple-Samsung lawsuit currently before a jury in San Jose, Calif.

So before the iPhone, Android looked like the BlackBerry. After the iPhone, Android looked like iOS. Total fucking accident.

Amazon’s smartphone

The company has recently been demonstrating versions of the handset to developers in San Francisco and Seattle. It intends to announce the device in June and ship to stores around the end of September, the newspaper cited the unidentified sources as saying.

This will throw a wrench into the smartphone market. There’s a lot of things we don’t know, like the hardware and which version of Android (I assume) it will use. I have a feeling it will be a low-priced phone, which will put more pressure on other Android handset makers than it will Apple.

Reeder 2 for Mac public beta

I love this app. I’ve been using the beta for maybe a week and it’s solid, although features are still being added.

Samsung caught lying about tablet sales

This week we learned, thanks to a February 2012 internal Samsung document marked “top secret” and unearthed by Apple as part of its ongoing patent infringement proceedings, that we were right and those more credulous news outlets were wrong.

When Strategy Analytics was telling the world that Samsung sold 2 million Galaxy Tabs in six weeks, the truth was that it took Samsung all of 2011 to sell half that many.

Lying, cheating, bastards.

OS X facelift

An interesting article by Peter Cohen on whether OS X should get more of a flat design. It makes sense to me.