∞ RIM responds to employees open letter

June 30, 2011

∞ RIM responds to employees open letter

RIM has responded to an open letter from one of its high level executives published earlier today on BGR. (more…)

∞ 7 things RIM must do to survive

RIM is past the point of being in hard shape as a company — they are in dire need of change and it has to be done now. (more…)

∞ RIM employee writes a passionate plea to senior management

You know things are getting bad at your company when your senior managers publish pleas in the press to get you to change. That’s what happened today at RIM. (more…)

∞ Video: Using an Audio-Technica USB mic with an iPad

As many of you already know, I have a nice collection of AKG mics that I use to record my guitar amps, drums and vocals in my studio. However, I also have one of these Audio-Technica USB mics that sounds great doing voice recordings. It’s an interesting video to watch if you want to record into your iPad. (more…)

∞ Apple up, Android flat in smartphone growth

A new study released by market research firm Nielsen on Thursday shows that more people are buying smartphones and Apple is seeing growth in the market. (more…)

June 29, 2011

∞ Jason Snell's review of the HP TouchPad

I have to admit, I’m kind of rooting for HP, the TouchPad, and the webOS. Apple needs strong competitors in the tablet market to help push things forward, and I think companies with control of both hardware and software are more likely to produce high-quality products. For years I’ve wondered why nobody was trying to replicate some of Apple’s product-creation success, and that’s exactly what HP is doing with its webOS strategy.

I always thought that only RIM and HP had a chance to give Apple any real competition. Clearly RIM screwed things up, so now it’s up to HP. WebOS is a very nice looking operating system that has a lot of potential. The devil is in the developers and whether HP can convince them to make apps.

Hands on with the HP TouchPad | Macworld

∞ Thunderbolt RAID beats pants off FW 800

When connected to the iMac, the R6’s AJA System Test read scores came in at 566MBps—6.8 times faster than the DS4600 using FireWire 800. Even more impressive was the R6’s 644MBps AJA System Test write score, which is 11.5 times faster than the FireWire 800 scores of the DS4600.

There was little question that Thunderbolt would handily beat FireWire 800, but now you can see just how wide the gap is.

∞ Enough with the *gates already

Big or little, significant or silly, real or faux – doesn’t matter. It gets gated.This has been an annoying practice for years. It’s knee-jerk. It’s easy. It’s boring.Worst of all, it suggests a false equivalency.Watergate was serious business. It involved a pernicious and far-reaching abuse of power by the president of the United States and his minions.

Witness recent Apple-related issues, like “antennagate” or “glassgate” to see just how far this has gotten out of hand. Rem Reider is absolutely right. It should stop. But it won’t. Because many journalists are lazy, many of their readers are lazy and now we’re all conditioned to expect “gate” to be attached to every little trivial pissant thing that happens. This has been happening for a long time.

∞ Interview: Adobe discusses Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro

Adobe made a very smart move on Wednesday offering disgruntled Final Cut Pro users an easy way to switch to Premiere Pro for their video editing needs. I sat down with Premiere’s product manager to discuss the market and what’s happening with Premiere Pro and what effect Final Cut Pro X has had on its business. (more…)

∞ Apple posts Final Cut Pro X FAQ

Apple has posted a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list for Final Cut Pro X, its recently released pro video editing software. The FAQ seeks to answer some questions that users transitioning to the new software have asked. (more…)

∞ Blizzard makes World of Warcraft free, up to level 20

Blizzard has announced World of Warcraft “Starter Edition,” a new version of the game that is free to play – up to a point. Gamers who download the software will be able to play as much as they want, but their characters are capped at level 20 until they purchase the full game. (more…)

June 28, 2011

∞ Vox ships the Night Train 50 tube amplifier

The Night Train 50 features an EL34 based, Class AB amplifier design delivering 50 Watts of power through 2 channels. The preamp stage is equipped with four 12AX7 vacuum tubes. The Night Train 50 is a two-channel design. The BRIGHT channel borrows its design from the Night Train NT15H, while the GIRTH channel utilizes an extra pre-amp tube for added crunch. Each channel offers Bass, Middle, Treble and Gain controls. The BRIGHT channel provides a foot-switchable THICK mode that bypasses the EQ to boost the gain. The Master section includes the traditional Master Volume and the VOX Tone Cut control, plus a new TIGHT switch, for use with either channel. The TIGHT mode attenuates the low-frequency range, adding more focus to the low end, providing even more sonic possibilities.

Vox just has such a classic sound. Love it.

Vox Night Train 50 tube amplifier

∞ Adobe welcomes Final Cut Pro users with open arms

Apple has been dealing with some complaints from Final Cut Pro X users who feel the new application is not up to the professional level they’ve come to expect from the app. Not surprisingly, Adobe is stepping up to welcome those dissatisfied users to Premiere Pro. (more…)

∞ Twelve South intros new BookArc for MacBook Pro

One of my favorite Apple peripheral makers, Twelve South, on Tuesday introduced a newly redesigned BookArc made especially for Apple’s most recent refresh to its line of MacBook Pro laptops. The new BookArc costs $49.99. (more…)

∞ Google Swiffy converts Flash files to HTML5

Swiffy converts Flash SWF files to HTML5, allowing you to reuse Flash content on devices without a Flash player (such as iPhones and iPads). Swiffy currently supports a subset of SWF 8 and ActionScript 2.0, and the output works in all Webkit browsers such as Chrome and Mobile Safari. If possible, exporting your Flash animation as a SWF 5 file might give better results.

Good to see Google doing this.

Google Swiffy

∞ LoNero releases its latest 'Guitarcore' album to iTunes

I met Bill Lonero a number of years ago and have been an avid fan of his music ever since. His latest album, J.F.L., is the best I’ve heard from the band to date. (more…)

∞ Review: Yamaha DTX-950 Digital Drums

It may be difficult to get over being skeptical about digital drum kits — and it was — until a friend, and well-known performer, recommended (and, in fact, insisted) investigating the Yamaha DTX-950. His point was simply that they are not like anything else on the market and that playing them would remove any skepticism. As a drummer, audio engineer, and a technology writer, the mission was to be impressed. (more…)

∞ Sony adds Thunderbolt support

So far Thunderbolt – the high-speed I/O interface developed by Intel – has been used on one computer, the Mac. Now Sony is joining the fray with its redesigned VAIO Z laptop. (more…)

June 27, 2011

∞ David Barnard makes a case for a $49 Apple TV

But the bigger question remains—why would Apple sell a device on such a thin margin? I think the answer is two-fold. First, a $49 Apple TV would be an incredible, no-brainer accessory to devices running iOS 5. And though margins would be thin on the device itself I think it would help drive sales of iOS devices and propagate iOS platform lock-in. Second, I think the low price would give Apple momentum in the living room.

Nobody really knows what Apple has planned for Apple TV. A television set? Cheaper Apple TV? The same Apple TV we have now?

One thing is clear — Apple thinks the TV is a hobby, but it keeps dabbling in it. That must mean that it sees a future in there somewhere.

The Case for a $49 Apple TV | David Barnard

∞ Apple posts WWDC 2011 videos for developers

Couldn’t make it to Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) this year? Neither could most Apple developers. Not only is it a long way (and an expensive trip) for many people to go to, but WWDC tickets sold out in two hours, so the vast majority of iOS and Mac OS X developers weren’t able to make it to this year’s event. (more…)

∞ Trooper: Now that's the way a concert should be

I spent last weekend hanging out with the guys from Trooper, a legendary Canadian rock band. After watching two shows from backstage where I could see the crowd, it occurred to me that they have one of the best stage presences I’ve ever seen. (more…)

∞ TomTom lowers financial guidance again

As more consumers use free or cheap navigation software on their smartphones and turn increasingly to newer gadgets including tablet computers, TomTom has seen its sales hit. It had already lowered its full-year revenue guidance in April.

I tried TomTom when it came out for the iPhone and it was terrible. I’ve used Navigon since it came out and have no interest in switching.

TomTom guides lower again as consumers flee | Reuters

∞ Apple is now the top mobile company in Australia

Apple is making waves in the mobile market all over the world. A new report released on Monday shows that the iPhone is the top mobile device vendor in Australia. (more…)

∞ Supreme Court says video games are protected speech

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday overturned a California law that would have fined retailers for selling violent video games to minors, and in the process said video games have the same protections under the First Amendment as books, movies and other forms of entertainment. (more…)

∞ Duke Nukem Forever headed to the Mac in August

Aspyr Media on Monday announced that they’re bringing Duke Nukem Forever to the Mac in August. The controversial game was released in June for consoles and PC. (more…)

∞ Great video on programming drums from Groove3

There are a lot of great drum samplers out there these days, but making the drum hits sound good with your song is not the easiest thing in the world to do. If you are having trouble with this, you should get the new tutorial released by Groove 3 on how to program drums in Pro Tools. The foundation of the lessons will work with any drum sampler and every DAW.

Programming Rock Drums in Pro Tools | Groove3