Edit: There are now screenshots of the app in action; not exactly pretty, perhaps, but great functionality!
We’ve been following the development of Marian’s discrete iPod Touch microphone accessory for a while now, crossing our fingers that as the hardware becomes available so will a VoIP client to make the most of it, and the latest is that a port of the Nintendo DS app SvSIP has been suitably fettled for the Apple PMP. So far there’s no screenshot or compilation, but both are supposed to be on their way from coder eok who is responsible for the port.
Read the rest of this entry »
Although it must be difficult thinking of a unique selling-point for a gadget case (unless you’re Otterbox, in which case you just invite reviewers to pretty much batter your product), it’s conversely the very simple concepts that can make or break a product. Maximising the use of every aspect is one such way, and it’s that which PRIE have done with their new TouchStand case for the iPod Touch. What’s clever is that while the big clip on the rear of the case is ideal for hooking it onto your waistband or bag, it also has a clever flip-up bar that instantly turns the whole thing into a desk stand.
Read the rest of this entry »
While we’ve covered games for the iPod Touch before, they generally require that you’ve Jailbroken your PMP first; it’s a hassle many won’t consider, especially when you factor in the potential effect on your warranty and Apple’s firmware updates being generally unfriendly to hacks. Yet so far Apple has been slow to introduce gaming to either the iPod Touch or the iPhone, despite titles being available for other iPods in the company’s range. A patent published this week could cast some light on that, however; it might be that, rather than being lazy, Apple in fact has been putting their time to good use by developing MultiTouch-compatible games that, rather than comprising simple button-bashing, demand a more naturalistic interface.
Read the rest of this entry »
Looking somewhat more refined than the earlier proof-of-concept, Marian’s microphone and preamp for the iPod Touch - which plugs straight into the PMP via a hacked dock connector - is now available to buy for a mere $45 (or €30). Development on the project continues apace, with the latest focus on the communication between the Touch and the microphone widget to try to get the gain boosted automatically. With that achieved, Erica’s VNotes application (as shown complete with microphone attachment in the video after the cut) should be even more useful.
Read the rest of this entry »
Hang onto your Jailbreak, CNet France are reporting that this Saturday will see Apple release the latest firmware upgrade for the iPod Touch and iPhone. Expected to be v1.1.3, a weekend release would make it around a month since the last update (that added international keyboard languages, among other things, to the iPhone just prior to its European launch), a reasonable length of time for what are suspected to be well-requested feature additions. The consensus appears to be that voice recording software and the facility to use the iPod Touch (and iPhone) in disk mode as a portable hard-drive are the two significant functions in 1.1.3.
Read the rest of this entry »
If you’ve got a big enough music collection to fill your iPod Touch and still have plenty of tracks left over then predicting what songs you’ll want to hear can be a chore. The alternative is to ditch the Touch and pick up an iPod classic (blasphemy!), dramatically narrow down your musical tastes or look at some sort of audio streaming software. So far there are two sorts: the first, such as SeeqPod, is a sort of online music search engine; the second, requiring a little more preparation but potentially preferable results, is to stream music from your home computer straight to your PMP. That’s what’s on offer with the alpha release of Simplify Media for iPod Touch and iPhone.
Check out the video demo of the app, after the cut
Read the rest of this entry »
Better than expected iPod Touch sales have pushed Apple’s mid-quarter channel checks into “wildly bullish” status; that’s the borderline nonsensical message from American Technology Research analyst Shaw Wu, who has been eyeing up the Cupertino company’s performance and contrasting it with what now are looking to be conservative consensus expectations.
Read the rest of this entry »
You may be top of the class with your iPod Touch, lording it over all the no-name alternatives out there, but if the battery dies then you’re left with a slender slab of Apple-branded uselessness. So if you’ve a habit of pushing things as far as recharging goes, you may be pleased to hear that Mophie are bringing out a combination iPod Touch case and external battery called the Juice Pack in January 2008.
Read the rest of this entry »
Jaguar have embraced the iPod Touch and iPhone with a version of their online brochure for new model the XF specially tailored for the finger-friendly devices. Navigation is simple and, despite the buttons appearing small on-screen, the tap-regions are actually relatively large.
Read the rest of this entry »
Earlier in the month we looked at hacking together a basic microphone input for the iPod Touch; now, arch modder Marian has gone one stage further and crafted a microphone pre-amp for the PMP that fits inside a standard iPod dock connector. Right now he’s bypassed surface-mount or printed circuit boards and merely soldered components directly to each other, but the hope is that a small SMD board could be developed leaving space to move the microphone inside the casing.
Read the rest of this entry »
