∞ Congrats on four years of StevieSnacks

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My friend Anthony Stauffer is celebrating his fourth anniversary of running his blues-based guitar Web site, StevieSnacks.com. Stauffer is one of the best blues guitar teachers I’ve come across on the Internet. He delves into the legends like B.B. King, … Continued

∞ Steve Jobs on Apple's HDTV

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Walter Isaacson recounting a conversation with Steve Jobs about an Apple HDTV

“‘I’d like to create an integrated television set that is completely easy to use,’ he told me. ‘It would be seamlessly synced with all of your devices and with iCloud.’ No longer would users have to fiddle with complex remotes for DVD players and cable channels. ‘It will have the simplest user interface you could imagine. I finally cracked it.’”

∞ SoundCloud integrated into Pro Tools 10

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With SoundCloud baked into Pro Tools 10, audio producers from all fields can share their sounds privately with collaborators for feedback or share polished works to the world. Throughout the creative process, Pro Tools and SoundCloud make audio production and promotion easier.

This is a great move for both companies.

∞ iOS 5 Newsstand's impact is significant

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Jeff Sonderman for Poynter:

Since Apple launched it last week in the latest version of its iOS operating system, its impact has been immediate and significant. Many Newsstand apps now rank among the top free apps overall, and magazine and newspaper apps are benefiting from a surge of downloads and subscribers.

And some people said the App Store wouldn’t impact magazine and newspaper subscriptions at all.

∞ Pro Tools 10: Clip-based gain tutorial

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MacProVideo:

The Clip-Based Gain feature in Pro Tools 10 provides a much quicker and visually appealing solution. Using the clip gain line you’re able to adjust the gain for individual clips and match their relative levels. You’ll notice right away how the waveform view updates in real-time to reflect the clip gain changes. Very impressive!

There are some great looking features in Pro Tools 10 — this is just one of them.

∞ PDFpen

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I’d like to thank Smile and PDFpen for sponsoring this week’s RSS feed on The Loop. PDFpen is a great application for editing your PDFs. You can add signatures to PDFs and email them back, instead of resorting to printing … Continued

∞ Steve Jobs called Android a 'stolen product'

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An excerpt from Walter Isaacson’s book looking at a meeting between Steve Jobs and Eric Schmidt:

“I will spend my last dying breath if I need to, and I will spend every penny of Apple’s $40 billion in the bank, to right this wrong,” Jobs said.

∞ Avid releases Pro Tools 10

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Avid on Thursday unveiled the next major version of its digital audio workstation, Pro Tools.

The company updated its Web site tonight with all of the information on Pro Tools 10, and there certainly looks like there’s a lot to be excited about.

∞ Apps should seem almost magical

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I’m asked to test quite a bit of software and give feedback to the developers. Sometimes that goes well, others times, not so well.

To me, making an app simple to use — whether on the iPhone, iPad or Mac — doesn’t mean stripping out all of the features. All that does is make the app less useful for the user.

∞ Blizzard Of Ozz and Diary Of A Madman on vinyl

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2011 marks the 30th anniversary of Blizzard Of Ozz (U.S. release) and Diary Of A Madman. Both landmark albums took metal in a new direction in the early 1980’s, inspiring new generations of rock bands and fans. Both of these Hard Rock Masterpieces showcase Ozzy’s musical collaborations with late guitar hero Randy Rhoads. These Limited Edition Picture Disc LPs have been restored and remastered from the original source tapes and feature the original cover artwork printed on the LP itself.

Two classic albums with Randy Rhoads on guitar.

∞ MobileMount for iPhone 4S

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The MobileMount is a universal mount/kickstand for virtually any hand held device with a flat surface, like smartphones and tablets. Comprised of two twist-to-lock suction cups and one ball joint, this device’s unique design allows for superior suction and durability. The “Patent Pending” Twist-to-Lock suction cups can hold devices for weeks at a time rather than simply a few hours like other competing mounts. Additionally, the universal design allows for users to mount their phone without removing the case.

This is the best looking idea for a mount I’ve seen. Support the project if you can.

∞ Web site usability and user experience testing tools

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Usability and user experience testing is vital to creating a successful website, and only more so if it’s an e-commerce website, a complex app or another website for which there’s a definite ROI. And running your own user tests to find out how users are interacting with your website and where problems might arise is completely possible.

Great list of tools. I didn’t know about most of the services and tools on the list.

∞ TechStars, Lies & Videotape

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In just the three episodes that have aired thus far, it has become clear that Bloomberg had a character in mind for each of us – and edited footage according to the story they choose. I happened to get it the worst in Episode 3, but I’m sure another victim will emerge in future episodes.

And that’s reality TV.

∞ Ozone 5 and Ozone 5 Advanced mastering suite

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iZotope has greatly expanded Ozone 5’s modules with a focus on pristine sound, enhanced DSP, optimized workflow, and an updated interface. Ozone 5 Advanced builds on the product line’s reputation for superior sound quality with extended features and controls, including new innovations in visual feedback.

I know a lot of people that use Ozone and like it a lot.

∞ Whole Lotta Love

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Many of you will remember Michael Winslow from movies like Police Academy. Amazing voice and sounds.

∞ 'My boss is calling'

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Masayoshi Son, CEO of Softbank:

Son said, “I visited Apple for the announcement of the iPhone 4S [at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California]. When I was having a meeting with Tim Cook, he said, ‘Oh Masa, sorry I have to quit our meeting.’ I said, ‘Where are you going?’ He said, ‘My boss is calling me.’ That was the day of the announcement of the iPhone 4S. He said that Steve is calling me because he wants to talk about their next product. And the next day, he died.”

Steve was involved until the end.

∞ Justin Bieber could go to prison

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freebieber.org:

A new bill in Congress makes posting a video containing any copyrighted work a felony — with up to 5 years in prison.But wait… didn’t Justin Bieber get famous by posting YouTube videos of himself singing copyrighted R&B songs? Yep. If this bill passes, he could get 5 years in jail.

Um…

∞ Specific words

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Shadoe Huard: I thought it would be interesting to compare Android and iOS not by a checklist of features, but rather by a checklist of the words their developers choose to use on their presentation slides. From that alone so … Continued

∞ iOS 5 Weather app includes hourly forecast

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I’ve been using iOS 5 for a few months and I never noticed a change to Apple’s built-in Weather app. A friend sent me an iMessage this morning and asked if the hourly was new. Sure enough, there it is. … Continued