∞ Line 6 founder: We want to 'enable musician's creativity'

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When it comes to amp and effects modeling, most people think of Line 6 first. And with good reason — the company has been on the forefront of modeling technology for many years.

I recently sat down with Line 6 CEO Marcus Ryle to talk about the company’s achievements and how Line 6 continues to evolve its technology under ever-increasing competition.

“We’re all about finding ways to harness technologies to enable musician’s creativity,” Ryle told The Loop. “Modeling is one of those ways.”

I visited the Line 6 headquarters a couple of years ago and saw the amp room. This is where the engineers model real tube amp circuitry and transform it into amps we can buy as part of Line 6’s Pod Farm 2 software. To say the collection of vintage amps is impressive would be an understatement.

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∞ Guitarists get the most for their money with Line 6

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I’ve been playing guitar for about 20 years and have a nice collection of analog gear, but I also use a lot of amp and modeling software too. One of the questions I often get is “what hardware and software should I get?”

The answer to that question differs depending on the needs of the person asking, but more often than not, it’s simple: Line 6. I have a lot of Line 6 gear — a Pod X3 Live, Pod XT Live, HD 147, Vetta 3, UX8, a couple of TonePorts, and the latest Pod Farm 2 software (I have more, but you get the idea).

One of the things I like most about the Line 6 hardware, software combination is that it’s easy to use. Literally, you plug it in, install the software and you’re done. It’s hard to beat that when all you want to do is sit down and play.

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∞ Mac sales up 27 percent in second quarter

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Apple’s Mac sales are showing an incredible surge for the second fiscal quarter, according to a new report on Monday.

In a note to clients on Monday, financial analyst Gene Munster said U.S. Mac sales are up 27 percent over last year’s second quarter. Munster based his analysis on data provided by market research firm, NPD.

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∞ Review: AmpliTube 3.5 Custom Shop

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It’s always exciting when new guitar software comes out, but that’s usually about once a year. However, IK Multimedia released the AmpliTube Custom Shop as part of AmpliTube 3.5, allowing you to purchase new amps and effects anytime you want.

When you enter the Custom Shop, you are immediately reminded of Apple’s Mac App Store. That’s a good thing for IK. As far as I know, IK is the first company to take the Mac Store concept and apply it to its own products.

You have a few options when you open the app. You can add credits to your account (credits are used to purchase products), look at the gear you already purchase, and manage your account.Everything you need to do can be done from within the application — very smart move.

When you are ready to browse the available gear, the side menu gives you several options to find exactly what you’re looking. You can browse by Brand, Stomp, Amp, Cab, Mic and Rack. Each category is broken down further to narrow your search.

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∞ Microsoft's Datacenter GM goes to Apple

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Any doubts that Apple is getting serious about its datacenters can be put to rest. The company has apparently lured Microsoft’s General Manager of Datacenter Services away from his job in Redmond. His position at Apple hasn’t been announced, but AllThingsD’s John Paczkowski has it on good authority that it’s a done deal.

Timmons left Microsoft this week and the company has confirmed his departure, though it declined to say why he left or where he was headed. But sources in position to know confirm he’s hired on with Apple.

Apple Poaches Microsoft’s Datacenter GM [AllThingsD]

∞ RIM CEO defends PlayBook, says email 'really isn't a core element'

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RIM is on an all out blitz to defend its PlayBook tablet after negative reviews began hitting the Web on Wednesday.

Among the major criticisms from reviewers was the lack of a native email client for the PlayBook — a strange omission from the company that made its name on secure email.

RIM co-CEO Jim Balsillie said that people are “overplaying one aspect that really isn’t a core element that we’ve seen from our enterprise customers or webmail people.”

Did RIM’s CEO just say that email isn’t a core element of the BlackBerry PlayBook.

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∞ AmpliTube 3 Custom Shop for Mac available

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IK Multimedia on Thursday released AmpliTube 3 Custom Shop, the newest version of the company’s amp modeling and effects software for the Mac.

According to IK, the “Custom Shop is an entirely new tone shopping experience that is like visiting a real guitar store, but one that is open 24/7 right in the comfort of your own studio.”

IK is offering a basic version of the software available free to download and it includes the plug-in and standalone version. The software gives you 24 gear models consisting of 9 stomp boxes, 4 amplifiers, 5 cabinets, 3 microphones, 2 rack effects and a digital tuner.

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∞ iDygest brings tech news to iPhone users

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I’ve been using the free iDygest app on my iPhone for some time, and have enjoyed the way it culls the news for me.

iDygest is not like a typical RSS reader. With an RSS reader, you enter in the sites you want to see stories from and it updates regularly. The problem is that many sites cover the same stories, which means you have duplicate content.

iDygest culls through hundreds of Web sites looking for the most popular stories and then brings them together in the app. You still have the option to read the story from your favorite site, but you don’t have to endlessly click through links of the same story.

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∞ Apple updates Safari, releases Mac OS X security update

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In addition to releasing iOS 4.3.2, Apple on Thursday also released an update for its Safari Web browser and a security update.

There are a number of security updates available, depending on the operating system you use. There are updates for Leopard client and server and one security update for Snow Leopard.

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∞ Apple releases iOS 4.3.2

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Apple on Thursday released iOS 4.3.2, the latest update for its mobile operating system.

According to notes provided with the update, iOS 4.3.2 fixes an issue that occasionally caused blank or frozen video during a FaceTime call. It also fixes an issue that prevented some internatinoal users from connecting to 3G networks on iPad Wi-Fi + 3G.

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∞ Can webOS succeed where RIM failed?

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RIM had a chance to take back the market, but it appears the company will not be successful. Now we look to other competitors to take up the battle against Apple.

The most likely candidate now is webOS. Originally developed by Palm, under the leadership of ex-Apple executive Jon Jon Rubinstein, webOS features a very user-friendly graphical user interface. In a lot of ways, the operating system is the most Apple-like on the market.

webOS is also complimented on its multitasking capabilities, so there is more to it than just a pretty face.

The strength of webOS was one of the leading factors in HP purchasing Palm in April 2010.

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∞ An email to RIM

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I sat last night reading reviews of the RIM PlayBook and wondered what the hell the company was thinking releasing this product. I’d email the company, but they wouldn’t get it, since the PlayBook doesn’t have an email client.

Yes, you read that right. The mobile company that built its name on being the email company doesn’t have an email client on its tablet. That is one of the most asinine decisions I’ve seen of any tech company in a long time.

The only thing that could be worse is if they left their users with no way to do calendaring and contacts too. Yes, you guessed it — you can’t do calendaring and contacts either.

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∞ PlayBook reviews hit: It's not good news

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RIM’s PlayBook is due to hit stores next week and the first reviews from the big gadgets sites are in. It doesn’t look good for RIM, so far.

Before we take a look at the reviews, let’s take a quick look at how RIM views the PlayBook.

“The BlackBerry PlayBook is an amazing tablet. The power that we have embedded creates one of the most compelling app experiences available in a mobile computing device today,” said Mike Lazaridis, President and Co-CEO at Research In Motion.

Okay, there is our starting place. RIM thinks it’s amazing. Now let’s see what the reviewers say. I’ll take a few quotes from the reviews, so I recommend you go to each site and read the full review. Both reviewers had a few positive things to say too.

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∞ iPad blamed for decline in worldwide PC shipments

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Apple’s iPad isn’t just affecting the tablet market, it’s having an effect on the overall PC market too.

According to market research firm Gartner, worldwide PC shipments were 84.3 million units in the first quarter of 2011, a 1.1 percent decline from the first quarter of 2010. The reason, or at least a big part of it, is Apple’s iPad.

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∞ Apple's Mac market share grows 18.9% in first quarter

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Overall PC shipments fell in the first quarter of 2011 in the United States, but Apple gained.

In fact, Apple’s market share gains were the highest among the top companies, according to a new report from market research firm, Gartner.

Apple shipped 1.25 million Macs in the first quarter of 2010 and 1.49 million in the first quarter of 2011. The company’s market share grew from 7.3 percent in 2010 to 9.3 percent in 2011.

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∞ RIM CEO has another interview meltdown

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RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis wasn’t impressed with the way an interview was going with the BBC and terminated the interview.

As soon as the interviewer started asking Lazaridis about security issues with the governments in India and countries in the Middle East, the interview started to fall apart.

“That’s just not fair,” said Lazaridis. First of all, we have no security problems.

Lazaridis went on to explain why he feels people are focused on RIM.

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∞ Apple unveils 64-bit Final Cut Pro X

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Apple on Wednesday unveiled the next major version of its professional video application, Final Cut Pro.

Apple demoed the new software during the SuperMeet at NAB on Wednesday night. According to Macgasm, who has been following several Twitter people attending the event, Final Cut Pro X features full color management via ColorSync.

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∞ Get The Loop on Pulse for iPad

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Until recently the RSS feed at the Loop offered readers the ability to see a summary of a story, but we’ve been working hard to change that.

As many of you already noticed, the RSS feed has been expanded in more ways than one. Not only do we include more of the story, and in some cases all of the story in the RSS feed, we are also including images in the RSS now.

We worked with the folks at Pulse, who make the Pulse News Reader for iPad, to make The Loop’s RSS feed look better in its app. If you use Pulse, give The Loop’s new feed a try and see what you think.

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∞ Windows App Store screenshots leaked

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It’s hard to keep secrets these days. The design of Microsoft’s new Windows App Store is the latest project to be leaked on the Web.

TechCrunch posted supposed screenshots of the company’s Windows App Store that leaked onto the Web. The screenshots are not verified, but if they are real, it certainly shows some more copying of Apple.

It may also explain why Microsoft is fighting Apple so hard to make sure the term “App Store” remains generic.

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∞ Microsoft releases Office for Mac 2011 SP1

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Microsoft on Tuesday released Office for Mac 2011 Service Pack 1, fixing a number of issues and improving security.

According to Microsoft, the update includes fixes for vulnerabilities that an attacker can use to overwrite the contents of your computer’s memory with malicious code.

As outlined when The Loop spoke with Microsoft last week, the biggest new features of SP1 come in Outlook.

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∞ RIM's co-CEOs: 'Whine' and 'Denial'

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RIM shareholders were probably sitting back with their mouths hanging open yesterday as the interview with the company’s co-CEOs hit the Internet.

RIM is one week away from the release of the PlayBook, a product that could make or break the company, and instead of remaining quiet, the CEOs give an interview. Mistake.

I suppose giving an interview isn’t a bad idea if you are a masterful speaker like Steve Jobs, but if your name is Lazaridis or Balsillie, you should avoid interviews like the plague. In a moment of trying to be helpful, I actually recommended this to RIM a couple of weeks ago, but they didn’t listen.

So, what brilliance did we get from RIM? One week away from the PlayBook introduction, what wisdom did the co-CEOs impart on us? Let’s take a look at what Mike “Whine” Lazaridis had to say.

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∞ RIM CEO bitter towards Apple in interview

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The pressure of not being prepared for the tablet revolution may be catching up with RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis, as his bitterness shines in a recent interview.

“Why is it that people don’t appreciate our profits? Why is it that people don’t appreciate our growth? Why is it that people don’t appreciate the fact that we spent the last four years going global? Why is it that people don’t appreciate that we have 500 carriers in 170 countries with products in almost 30 languages?,” Lazaridis said in a New York Times interview.

That’s quite a bit of non-appreciation from consumers and market in general, but Lazaridis isn’t that concerned.

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∞ Report: iOS 4.3.2 will fix Verizon iPad 2 issues

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An upcoming update for Apple’s mobile operating system could fix an ongoing issues with the iPad 2 and Verizon.

BGR.com on Monday got its hands on the latest unreleased update, iOS 4.3.2, which it says fixes the Verizon issues. Apple said last week that it was “aware that a small number of iPad 2 customers have experienced connectivity issues with the Verizon 3G network and we are investigating it.”

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∞ Adobe releases Audition CS 5.5 for audio and video pros

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As part of its Creative Suite 5.5 announcements today, Adobe released Audition, its professional audio application.

Part of the Production Premium suite, Audition is a native Mac app that allows users to manipulate, mix and restore audio files. Adobe says Audition is a good tool for video editors, audio engineers, and interactive designers.

With a completely rebuilt audio engine, Audition multiple multitrack sessions and single file edits simultaneously. You can even open and import files in the background — even files that need sample rate conversion — while you continue to work on open projects, according to Adobe.

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∞ Adobe: We have 'no bias between HTML5 and Flash'

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Adobe and Apple’s public battles over HTML5 and Flash have quieted down recently, as Adobe rolls out new tools to work with Apple’s iPhone and iPad.

In announcing Creative Suite 5.5, and more specifically the new HTML5 features found in Dreamweaver, Adobe made it clear that it was all about the content.

Adobe said the new HTML5 tools were implemented “to help customers meet Adobe’s commitment to content. Adobe has no bias between HTML 5 and Flash,” Dave Burkett, Vice President and General Manager, Adobe Creative Suite Design and Web Segments, told The Loop.

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∞ Adobe launches subscription-based pricing for Creative Suite

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Adobe unveiled Creative Suite 5.5 today with lots of new features, but the company also launched new pricing plans.

Calling the new subscription-based pricing plans “affordable and flexible,” Adobe said the new pricing plans will be a good option for users that want to stay current on the new releases.

The new pricing plans will also be good for users that have specific needs for a new project and don’t want to purchase a full suite. Of course, there are many users that may want to try a full Adobe suite for the first time and this will give them that access.

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∞ Adobe announces Photoshop Touch Software Development Kit

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In addition to announcing Creative Suite 5.5, Adobe also unveiled a new Photoshop Touch software development kit (SDK).

According to Adobe, the new SDK allows developers to create mobile and tablet applications that interact directly with Adobe Photoshop CS5 and Photoshop CS5 Extended on the desktop.

Using its own SDK, Adobe developed three new apps for Apple’s iOS: Adobe Color Lava, Adobe Eazel and Adobe Nav. The apps will give developers an idea of what can be done using the SDK to link the tablet and desktop environments.

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