Say “hello” to Piezo!

Whether you want to record a Skype conversation, save a streaming radio program, or just record a quick voice memo, Piezo can do it. It runs on Mac OS X 10.6 and 10.7 and it can capture audio from any application (yup, even sandboxed App Store apps).

Download Piezo free, then buy it in the App Store or directly through our store.

Matt Gemmell takes an in-depth look at the device.

Amit Runchal:

The difference between DRM in eBooks and DRM in music is now DRM’s main purpose isn’t to combat piracy but to ensure competitive lock-in.

Some interesting thoughts.

A graphic of heavy metal bands per 100,000 people. I don’t know if it’s accurate, but it shows where the beard should travel.

Ben Brooks:

I like what Readability has tried to do with the service, and the apps are gorgeous, but I have a big problem with the approaches being taken by them. For one I can’t figure out if they want to be a great place to save articles for reading later, or do they want to be a middleman that helps make money for independent publishers and large publishers alike, or… I don’t know. The motives matter to me and I can’t figure out Readability’s.

I’m a long time user of Instapaper. I pay Marco for the service and have no plans to stop.

CBS Boston:

Medway-Ashland’s girls high school hockey team lost their appeal of their playoff loss Friday, after a parent was tossed from the game for aiming a laser pointer into the eyes of their goalie.

You have be a real piece of shit to pull this at any sort of sporting event, but especially at your kid’s hockey game.

(via CNet)

The ability to import and edit layered graphics files was introduced in Final Cut Pro X 10.0.3. Layered graphics files, such as Adobe Photoshop (PSD) files, can be edited so that each layer appears as a connected clip in the Timeline.

Apple posted this article on their support Web site.

Reverb is perhaps the most misunderstood/misused effect in the mixer’s toolbox today. In this timeless series, DAW superman Eli Krantzberg reveals everything you need to know about this mysterious effect and how to apply it to the most popular instruments in your productions.

Great video from Groove3.

Some very cool designs, but some seem a bit too much for me.

Reuters:

NASA said hackers stole employee credentials and gained access to mission-critical projects last year in 13 major network breaches that could compromise U.S. national security.

I wonder what the protocol is when a government agency gets hacked.

Apple’s App Store has been open for almost four years and Apple announced late on Friday that the 25 billionth app had been downloaded.

No contest winner has been announced but they will receive a $10,000 gift certificate in iTunes or Mac App Store.

ThisIsWhyImBroke:

A site run by a few geeky ladies and gentlemen who partake in way too much internet window shopping. As such, our staff has a wide array of cool, fun, useful, and unique products that we showcase on our website.

This web site has way too many things that make you go, “Oh! I’d love to have one of those!” Check out the transparent Pool Table! Thanks to @Chiron1 for the heads up.

I bought this last night and have been playing around with it. Lots of great features like drag and drop video and images and support for lots of blogging platforms, including WordPress, Movable Type, Joomla, Drupal, Posterous, Blogger and TypePad.

Still lots of exploring to do, but so far I’m impressed.

Wired:

When it comes to computer security, Jeremiah Grossman, Chief Technology Officer at security consultancy White Hat Security, is paranoid — and for good reason. He’s seen what the bad guys can do. But when he met with Wired at the RSA Conference in San Francisco this week, he said something surprising: He doesn’t use antivirus software.As it turns out, many of his security-minded peers don’t use it either. The reason: If someone is going to try and attack them, they’re likely to use a new technique, one that most antivirus products will miss. “If you asked the average security expert whether they use antivirus or not,” Grossman says “a significant proportion of them do not.”

Integrated a new mastering-quality audio slowing engine that significantly improves the clarity of slowed down music; fixed a bug that affected chord entries when a tranposing capo was set up in the note settings.

The new audio engine is amazing. If you play guitar and haven’t tried Capo, you’re missing out.

Mat Honan for Gizmodo:

The Windows 8 consumer preview is utterly delightful. But I have a huge suspicion that by the time it ships, it could completely suck. And that’s because the people who make the machines on which it is installed will fuck it right up with a bunch of crap.

Honan is, of course, worried about all the shovelware that PC makers include with new computers. It’s because of this that PC makers are able to sell their computers so inexpensively, but there’s no question that it devastates the user experience – and it’s something that separates Apple products. Not just Macs, mind you, but iPhones too, because Android phones are suffering the same problems too.

PC World:

Politics could tip the scales in Apple’s favor for a high-stakes legal battle that will decide ownership of the iPad trademark in mainland China. But some legal experts remain divided on whether it will be enough to help the U.S. tech giant avoid a ban of its iconic tablet in the country.Stan Abrams, an intellectual property lawyer and professor at Beijing’s Central University of Finance and Economics says, “The political argument in itself does favor Apple.” But Zhao Zhanling, a legal expert on China’s information technology law said Apple’s arguments were unconvincing. “I think there is little hope Apple will win,” he said.

Throughout our history, Apple has created entirely new products — and entirely new industries — by focusing on innovation. As a result, we’ve created or supported more than 500,000 jobs for U.S. workers: from the engineer who helped invent the iPad to the delivery person who brings it to your door.

Robert Scoble:

Windows still relevant? Of course it is. Earlier this week I said that even if Windows 8 is a total failure it would still sell hundreds of millions of units (which means expectations on Microsoft are still to sell many hundreds of millions of units if this is a success). That’s a long way from not being relevant.

I get what Robert’s talking about and agree that they will sell millions whether it sucks or not. Still, it’s a sad statement that it’s sales, not its abilities that make it relevant.

Eric Pfeiffer:

Orangutans across the world may soon join the ranks of millions of humans as proud owners of new iPads. As strange as that may sound, a conservation group is testing its “Apps for Apes” program, allowing orangutans to communicate with each other remotely via the iPad’s video chat technology.

Very cool.

Matthew Handrahan for Gamesindustry.biz:

Electronic Arts has no plans to relaunch its troubled iOS game Battlefield 3: Aftershock on the App Store.Aftershock was a released last month as a free download due to a sponsorship deal with the film Act Of Valor. However, it was removed from the store on February 22 after users complained of a range of difficulties, including connection problems and control issues.

EA has issued a statement indicating that it’s suspending development and support of Battlefield 3: Aftershock for iOS; the servers will be shut down at the end of the month.

Mac Rumors:

The U.S. Air Force has awarded a $9.36 million contract to purchase as many as 18,000 iPad 2s, according to Bloomberg. The plan is to replace bulky and heavy flight bags full of navigational charts and other materials with iPads in order to reduce the weight of pilots’ bags and save fuel on flights.

Late last month the Air Force canceled an order for 2,800 iPads.

Chris Buffa for Industrygamers.com:

“The biggest mistake a developer can make when starting iOS development is to expect he or she will reach a hundred thousand users just because there are millions of iPhone users. Reaching the 100k milestone is hard as hell.”

There is a lot in this feature worth reading – developers talk about the problems they face with third-party publishers, issues with overambitious game design, and some of the problems associated with PR, such as dealing with shady sites that charge for reviews.

Steve Wildstrom for TechPinions:

But even without knowing the details of the new iPad–which I will call the iPad 3 even though Apple may not–it’s possible to assess some of its impact on the industry.

Steve goes through the tablet market, Android model, personal cloud and carriers.

I was looking through Bobby Solomon’s Desktop Wallpaper Project last night and there is something for everyone here. You can even download versions for the iPhone and iPad.

Dave Caolo goes over a few of the functions the iPad home button does besides take you to the home screen.

New York Post:

Apple is pitching the idea of offering channels as apps for its devices, including its Apple TV set-top box. It’s unclear whether it would group the apps together and charge a fee — similar to a cable-TV subscription — or offer the channels on an a la carte basis.

I would definitely buy these channel apps.

Fortune:

To say it was another big year for Apple would be a gross understatement. With the passing of Steve Jobs, questions swirled around the company’s future. But under new CEO Tim Cook’s guidance, Apple continues to prosper.The company’s annual revenues climbed to $108 billion, led by an 81% increase in iPhone sales — a jump that doesn’t factor in the runaway success of the iPhone 4S — and a 334% spike in iPad sales, due in no small part to the revamped iPad 2. Increased sales across the board explain why shares soared 75% during the company’s fiscal year to $495.