September 30, 2011
∞ App Cubby ∞
I’d like to thank App Cubby for sponsoring this week’s RSS feed on The Loop.
Keep an eye on App Cubby, the best is yet to come.
∞ Reader Questions: Avid's Eleven Rack
I posted my review of Avid’s Eleven Rack guitar amp and effects processor back in August, giving users an overview of my thoughts. Since then readers have been writing, asking all kinds of questions.
I’ve taken the most asked questions and my answers below.
Would you trade in your amp for the Eleven Rack?
No. But you need to understand, I don’t get rid of any piece of gear. I’ve still got pedals from the 80s, and I fire them up once in a while too. For me, gear is like a treasure and I just can’t bring myself to get rid of any of it.
Currently I have 15 guitars, 8 amps, half a dozen pedals, and countless USB and FireWire interfaces. Depending on my mood and the type of music I’m playing, I could break out any combination of those and be perfectly happy.
Is it easy to see in low light?
It’s great in low light situations. The screen is lit, but even better — and in my opinion, more important — the knobs are well lit. This means you can see what level the settings are on from a good distance from the unit. If you need to make a quick adjustment to your amp tone, you can just shuffle over and turn the knob.
Like amp knobs, the Eleven Rack comes with large knobs that are well spaced, so your fingers can grab it and make the adjustment.
What it’s like with different guitars?
I tried the Eleven Rack with a number of guitars. Mostly, a Les Paul with EMG 81/85, Fender Strat, Jackson, and a Taylor SolidBody. Obviously, lots of different types of music in there.
What impressed me the most is that they all sounded like they were supposed to sound. The Eleven Rack didn’t try to make the guitar something it’s not, but rather just let it be what it is.
How accurate is the amp modeling?
I’m impressed with the modeling for sure. There are little nuances that you get to know about your amps and how it reacts to different things. Even running your hands over the strings gives you a certain feel on a real amp.
Not every amp is the same, so it would be impossible for the modeling to capture my exact Marshall JCM 800, but I do get that feel from the Eleven Rack. I know when I turn on a preset and it has an 800 amp. That’s pretty impressive.
How about the effects?
When I’m in my studio, I tend to put most of the effects on after I record. However, for live situations, I did use the effects on the Eleven Rack and they easily met my expectations.
Avid included some of the classic models of delays and distortion, so you’ll know right away what you’re putting on your tone.
To be honest, the more years that I play, the more I like to find the right amp for the tone instead of piling on effects.
Do you use Eleven Rack with an amp or by itself?
I did everything with it. I had the Eleven Rack plugged into my JCM 800’s front input, I had it going through the effects loop of my 5150, and I had it going straight into my Mackie 1640 and out through the PA speakers.
What was really fun was running the stereo outs to the board and then running one of the Eleven Rack’s amp outs to the 800 or 5150. Now that just lights up your tone.
It takes a little tweaking to get a setup like that sounding just right though. It all depends on your personal tastes, but I liked having the amp drive most of the tone with the PA bringing up some of the undertones.
Do you need a computer to make changes?
Not at all. You can use the Eleven Rack interface included in Pro Tools, but you can also do everything you need to on the hardware unit itself. Whatever changes you make on one is reflected in the other.
∞ Tap! The magazine for iPad ∞
Text can be resized, selected, bookmarked and shared with social media, and even read aloud by the iPad. Flick through the images in the easy to follow How to section and the steps change automatically and, if you need more help getting started with your iPad, a series of friendly video guides will turn you into an expert in no time.
This is the best implementation of a magazine I’ve seen on the iPad yet.
∞ Click-wheel games quietly disappear from App Store ∞
AppleInsider:
Users used to be able to access a link to “iPod Click Wheel Games” by clicking the drop-down menu on the App Store link in iTunes. But now, that option has disappeared from the menu.
Rumors suggest that Apple is discontinuing the click-wheel iPod Classic. It seems obvious that an iPod touch with similar storage capacity (128GB) will ultimately replace it, though such a device hasn’t shown up in the store yet.
No new software has appeared for the iPod Classic in some time, but I don’t understand why Apple would remove existing apps from the App Store – what harm is there in keeping it on? I still have an iPod Classic that gets use on long road trips – it’s the only thing big enough to support my entire iTunes library. I’ve spoken with other users who still depend on theirs too, so I know they’re in use.
∞ Zakk Wylde interviews Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax about beards
It’s beards, you know it’s going to be funny.
∞ Amazon interested in buying Palm ∞
VentureBeat:
A well-placed source tells us that HP is currently looking to rid itself of Palm as soon as possible, and that Amazon is the closest to finalizing the deal, among a handful of contenders.
If true, it means that HP’s new CEO is also ready to give up on any kind of mobile strategy for the company. I still think webOS is a great mobile operating system and in the right hands, it could help pull a company into second place in the tablet market.
∞ Samsung offers Apple a deal ∞
David Fickling and Ross Kelly reporting for the Wall Street Journal in Australia:
It wasn’t clear what benefit Apple would gain from any agreement, as details of the proposed deal were not discussed in full in front of the court. But Apple’s attorney, Stephen Burley, conceded there was some potential benefit from an agreement on the matter. “(Samsung’s) inconvenience would be diminished and we would be comforted” by such a deal, he said.
∞ The Monty Hall problem ∞
Chris Martucci:
I came across the Monty Hall Problem while reading last night, and initially, I thought the author must have been mistaken. Of course, he made no mistake. He did, however, succeed in proving the common failures of human reasoning.
It’s a brain twister.
∞ Elements 2 for iPhone updated ∞
Elements is a beautiful, versatile text editor for iOS. Elements allows you to view, edit and share plain text documents on your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch. All of your data is stored in a folder on your personal Dropbox account so that it’s accessible from any device you have.
I’ve used this since it was first released. Great app.
∞ Head of developer relations latest to bail on RIM ∞
Reuters reports that Tyler Lessard, RIM’s senior vice-president for global alliances and developer relations, left the company. He’s just the latest in a long line of people that are abandoning RIM.
Mike Kirkup, a director of developer relations, resigned in August. RIM’s head of marketing, Keith Pardy, left in March, just ahead of the PlayBook launch, and two of his staff later exited for jobs with Samsung, a fierce rival whose phones and tablets use Google’s Android.
∞ Google Analytics launches real-time stats
Google announced to users that it is implementing real-time stats as part of its free analytics offering for web site owners.
Real-time stats i something that many publishers use on a daily, hourly or even by the minute to track how stories are doing on the site. It can tell you instantly what’s working and what’s not and can even alert you when traffic may be getting too large for your server.
According to Google, real-time stats are only available in the new version of Analytics. For now, you can find them in the Dashboard tab, although they will be moving to the home tab next week.
The reports aren’t active for everyone yet, but Google is turning them on over the coming weeks. You can also request early access from the Google Blog.
∞ Foo Fighters to headline BlizzCon 2011 ∞
1UP:
This year’s BlizzCon will again close out with a concert. Two years ago it was Ozzy Osbourne, last year was Tenacious D, and in 2011 attendees will get to rock out to the music of the Foo Fighters.BlizzCon is taking place at the Anaheim Convention Center once again on October 21 and 22. Even with the prices being increased, tickets are already sold out. Those who desperately want to see things for themselves will be able to fork over some cash to watch live coverage on DirecTV or with the web-based BlizzCon Virtual Ticket for $39.99.
In the space of a few short years, BlizzCon has become an absolutely must-attend event for computer gaming enthusiasts. Blizzard certainly knows how to throw a good party, and I’m sure Foo Fighters are going to tear the roof off the place.
∞ Google sees responsibility to make news media better ∞
Claire Cain Miller reports for the New York Times that Ted Koppel commented that too much news drivel and said it wouldn’t be a bad idea for Google to deliver people the news they need, rather than the news they want. Google CEO Larry Page responded:
“I see this as our responsibility to some extent, trying to improve media,” Mr. Page said. “If you ask anyone about how that information’s going to be propagated, what you’re going to focus on, I think it could work a lot better than it does now.”
Slippery slope folks.
∞ RIM calls Playbook discontinuation rumor 'pure fiction' ∞
CNBC:
Says talk that its Playbook tablet is being discontinued is “pure fiction” * Says remains highly committed to tablet market and to its QNX operating system.
The message is short but sweet; RIM is trying to counter rumors that surfaced earlier today that the company is walking away from Playbook sales. What is apparent, though, is that the market hasn’t responded very well at all to the device – RIM is sitting on a huge stockpile of unsold Playbooks and is scrambling to figure out how to make customers buy them.
∞ Conversation techniques for designers ∞
Smashing Magazine:
Due to the growing popularity of iterative product development, the spoken word has become an integral part of the design process. The shift in focus from documentation to collaboration has put greater emphasis on communication. Now more than ever, there is a need to articulate a design “voice” during the early stages of conversation about a product, and to maintain it throughout the process
Some good tips.
∞ 20 games to watch this holiday shopping season ∞
These are the most anticipated games of 2011, put together by market research firm Nielsen.
∞ iPhone 5 to support HSPA+ '4G' ∞
Mac Rumors:
Japanese blog Macotakara reports (via MacPost) that a China Unicom executive apparently confirmed during a presentation at this week’s Macworld Asia that the “iPhone 5” set to be announced next week will indeed support HSPA+ sometimes-called “4G” technology, offering a maximum theoretical data speed of 21 Mbps (up from 7.2Mbps). A slide showing the information was photographed by Japanese site PC Watch.
That’s quite a slide for China Unicom to show a week before Apple’s launch.
∞ RIM reportedly shutdown production of PlayBook ∞
BGR.com:
Research In Motion has reportedly stopped production of its BlackBerry PlayBook tablet and is considering exiting the space altogether. Collins Stewart analyst John Vinh made the claims in a note to investors Thursday morning, citing anonymous sources at RIM’s manufacturing partner Quanta.
RIM only shipped 500,000 PlayBooks in the first quarter of availability and 200,000 in the second quarter. It’s been a disaster for RIM.
∞ Nokia lays off 3,500 ∞
Nokia says it part of its plan to “align its workforce and operations.”
∞ Android tablet makers under pressure to cut prices ∞
Reuters:
With their me-too type of products priced almost at the same level as the iPad’s starting price of $499, none of them have however been able to gain any significant market share from Apple.
Like I said yesterday, the Android tablets can’t compete at the high-end with the iPad and now they have fierce competition on low end from Amazon. They are in trouble.
September 28, 2011
∞ The Dead Sea Scrolls online ∞
Google:
Now, anyone around the world can view, read and interact with five digitized Dead Sea Scrolls. The high resolution photographs, taken by Ardon Bar-Hama, are up to 1,200 megapixels, almost 200 times more than the average consumer camera, so viewers can see even the most minute details in the parchment. For example, zoom in on the Temple Scroll to get a feel for the animal skin it’s written on—only one-tenth of a millimeter thick.
∞ Guns N' Roses, Heart nominated for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ∞
Plenty of good nominees this year, but Heart and Guns N’ Roses certainly deserve to be there.
∞ Justice halts Google/Motorola deal, wants more info ∞
paidcontent.org:
Google (NSDQ: GOOG) will renew some old acquaintances at the U.S. Department of Justice before its Motorola (NYSE: MMI) deal is allowed to pass. The company announced Wednesday that the government has asked for “more information” about certain aspects of the $12.5 million [sic, billion] deal, which would bring one of the leading Android smartphone vendors under Google’s wing.
This isn’t a deal killer, but it certainly throws up a roadblock in the way of Google acquiring Motorola Mobility. Anyone expecting a quick resolution is probably going to be waiting a bit.
∞ This is just all kinds of stupid ∞
Molly Wood for CNET:
Amazon, not Apple, just mainstreamed the tablet market.
And
I’d argue that it’s an iPad killer all the same.
Remember how I said earlier today that product launches drive some writers to the brink of stupidity. Shawn King sent me this one that completely fell over the cliff.
∞ Wampler SLO Distortion guitar pedal ∞
A friend of mine turned me on to this today. From what I’ve read and watched in the movie on the site, I’m really impressed. I have to get my hands on one of these.
∞ Kindle Fire will be successful, but it's not an iPad killer
New product launches are exciting affairs, but it drives some writers to the brink of stupidity. Amazon’s tablet announcement this morning is no different.
I have no doubt in my mind that the Kindle Fire will be a successful product for Amazon. In fact, I think it could easily grab the second spot in the tablet market behind Apple.
However, it’s not an iPad killer and I don’t think Amazon is positioning it that way. The press may be, but Amazon isn’t.
Here’s what I said last week about the Kindle Fire:
Amazon has a solid name among consumers. Millions of people shop there and they are trusted. As soon as Amazon comes out with a tablet, people will start buying.Even though it will be based on Android, consumers will only see as far as the Amazon name. People will look at the device as an expanded Kindle rather than a tablet and buy it for that reason.There is a whole subset of users that would be happy to have a tablet to read books, surf the Web and get email. That’s all they want, and all they need. Amazon’s tablet will be perfect for them.
At $199 people are going to view the Kindle Fire as a device for reading books, shopping at Amazon or surfing the Web and getting email. It’s not going to touch the high-end of the market where the iPad lives. Those people are still going to get an iPad, although they may buy a Kindle Fire for their kids or spouse.
The companies that have to worry about the Kindle Fire are other Android-based tablet-makers. They are in real trouble at this point because they’ve already shown they can’t compete on the high-end with the iPad and now I don’t think they’ll be able to compete on the low-end with the Kindle Fire.
∞ Shadowgun shooter released for iOS
MadFinger Games has announced the release of Shadowgun, a third-person tactical shooter-style action game for iOS devices. It costs $7.99.
Shadowgun puts players in the role of a professional bounty hunter in the 24th century. John Slade, a “shadowgun,” has been hired to hunt down Dr. Edgar Simon, a geneticist who has created a personal army of mutants, cyborgs and genetically enhanced humanoids. Slade must infiltrate Simon’s mountain fortress through 10 levels.
Shadowgun is remarkable for its console-quality graphics; it was developed using the Unity development platform, which originated on the Mac and is now used to create games for many platforms, including console, the Web, iOS and Android.
The game supports both first and second-generation iPads, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 and fourth-generation iPod touch.
∞ Lion tip: disable auto-correct ∞
52 Tiger:
Mac OS X Lion features automatic spell correction out of the box. The way it works is similar to autocorrect in iOS. As you type, Lion notices a misspelled word and offers a correction. To accept it, just keep typing.It sounds great, but in my experience it causes more errors that it prevents.
Dave is right, and I’ve seen enough people complain about this very feature to merit noting this helpful hint here. Visit 52 Tiger for details on how to shut it off.
∞ Amazon Fire does email, already beats RIM ∞
Stay in touch using our built-in email app that gets your webmail (Gmail, Yahoo!, Hotmail, AOL etc.) into a single inbox. Import your messages and contact lists from other email accounts. Additional email apps are available in our Amazon Appstore for Android.
HAHAHAHAHA!!!