Mobile
Apple iPad, no thanks!
Jan 27th
From looking on Gizmodo, Engadget and other sites, mostly Twit Live, I came to the final conclusion. You let me down Apple. You have fun with that device. Thats just gonna be another thing I will never own unless you can impress me with the developed apps that are coming, but honestly. I don’t want this at all, let me count the ways!
- Big, Ugly Bezel
Have you seen the bezel on this thing?! It’s huge! I know you don’t want to accidentally input a command when your thumb is holding it, but come on.
- No Multitasking
This is a backbreaker. If this is supposed to be a replacement for netbooks, how can it possibly not have multitasking? Are you saying I can’t listen to Pandora while writing a document? I can’t have my Twitter app open at the same time as my browser? I can’t have AIM open at the same time as my email? Are you kidding me? This alone guarantees that I will not buy this product.
- No Cameras
No front facing camera is one thing. But no back facing camera either? Why the hell not? I can’t imagine what the downside was for including at least one camera. Could this thing not handle video iChat?
- Touch Keyboard
So much for Apple revolutionizing tablet inputs; this is the same big, ugly touchscreen keyboard we’ve seen on other tablets, and unless you’re lying on the couch with your knees propping it up, it’ll be awkward to use.
- No HDMI/HD Video Out
Want to watch those nice HD videos you downloaded from iTunes on your TV? Too damned bad! If you were truly loyal, you’d just buy an AppleTV already.
- The Name iPad
Get ready for Maxi pad jokes, and lots of ‘em!
- No Flash
No Flash is annoying but not a dealbreaker on the iPhone and iPod Touch. On something that’s supposed to be closer to a netbook or laptop? It will leave huge, gaping holes in websites. I hope you don’t care about streaming video! God knows not many casual internet users do. Oh wait, nevermind, they all do.
- Adapters, Adapters, Adapters
So much for those smooth lines. If you want to plug anything into this, such as a digital camera, you need all sorts of ugly adapters. You need an adapter for USB for god’s sake.
Dopplerpad, music remixing on the iPhone
Jul 25th
We knew you could make great music on the iPhone. With instrument apps such as Smule’s Ocarina and Leaf Trombone. Still, while they’re cool and surprisingly rich mobile instruments, they’re not all that practical for creating, sampling, and recording musical compositions on the fly.
DopplerPad [iTunes Link] is a turntable-like instrument iPhone app built by one of the two creators of FourTrack [iTunes Link]. Unlike some other apps, this one doesn’t feature just one instrument – it has 37. It doesn’t just play notes; it lets you sample them, no matter where you are. And most of all, you can record and combine the beats to create your own electronic remix.
Want to make a techno beat?
DopplerPad takes some getting used to, but once you get the hang of its interface, there’s actually a lot you can do. It uses touch-based responses in order to create an instrumental piece. The 37 instruments we mentioned earlier are almost all techno or electronic-based beats: FM Bass, Cymbals, and even “Space Oddity†are available. You can fine tune the tone of the instruments as well.
Once you’re ready, the key to it is picking a beat count, a tempo, and recording your music. You’re only allowed up to 16 beats, which is a little disappointing but more than enough to get the job done (and considering you can record more pieces, you can just combine them all later).
Each time you touch the screen while recording, DopplerPad remembers it and plays it back the next time around. This allows you to add instrument after instrument. The DopplarPad video above gives you a good idea, although we want to note that it will take a lot of work before you can make music like they do on the video.
At $9.99 though, this app may be a bit too expensive for most people’s tastes. And because it focuses specifically on electronica beats, the music it can create may not be for everyone. If you’re just a guy who likes to make funky sounds, DopplerPad works, but you really get the full benefit if you use it to create actual music and remixes. The app is strong enough to make a good dance club beat, but it’ll take a bit of practice before you knock the socks of your friends at your next party.
iPhone, closer to Photoshop now!
Jul 21st
The very talented Ben Gotow has just released a brand new iPhone app called Layers, his third now after Mathomatic and NetSketch (iTunes links). Layers, not to be confused with the innovative screen capture application on the Mac desktop, is a natural media painting app for the iPhone. Stating the obvious, it incorporates Photoshop-like layers, as well as a variety of brush and color selection options, panning, zooming and the ability to export your masterpieces as JPG or Photoshop PSD files (layers included).
I gave it a run-through and am extremely impressed with the implementation. I am no painter, a fact hinted at by my not posting any screenshots of my own work. However, I’m adept enough with digital art to recognize that this is a very intuitive interface. Manipulating layers is done in a side view with layer previews, allowing a tap-and-drag re-ordering and one-tap addition and subtraction of layers. I especially appreciate the 30 levels of undo history, making it simple to backtrack errant swipes. The application allows for sophisticated artistic expression beyond mere “finger painting,” and, with a little practice, you can create some complex imagery. The layering functionality even allows for photo compositing, using multiple layers with photos and the eraser tool to remove portions of the top layers. This is more in line with my personal skill set, so I had some fun with this. Tight erasing can be a little tricky when you have big fingers which are hard to see around, but the undo functionality and some dedication make it perfectly feasible.
The tools are accessible through a menu bar that disappears automatically and returns with a slight shake (a tilt, really) of the device. The most important tools are easily accessed through various gestures, including a press-and-hold to bring up the color picker. The color picker puts a large ring around the point of contact showing the color being selected, which is a great implementation of the tool.
A gallery of your work is stored in the application, and exporting (JPEG or PSD) is done via in-app email. If you have an artistic streak in you, whether it’s a knack for doodling or a full-on talent for painting, check out Layers. You’ll find it in the App Store for $4.99US. If you grab it and make something you want to show the world, feel free to post a link in the comments (or tag it ‘tuaw’ on Flickr), we’d love to see it!
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