America’s Presidents for iPad Unites US History and Portrait Art – iPad App Review

Happy Presidents Day! Can’t make a visit to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Portrait Gallery to celebrate? Not to worry, there’s a new way to enjoy these historic works of art without leaving home.

The newly released America’s Presidents for iPad offers users a virtual tour of the National Portrait Gallery’s American Presidential Collection, enhanced for the iPad. While there are a number of activities within the app, the Gallery, is its heart and soul. The user may watch the evolution of the American Presidency through its portraits.

The formality of the first two hundred years of the office gives way to noticeably more relaxed representations of the two most recent US Presidents. While George HW Bush’s portrait resembles a photograph, Barack Obama’s actually is one. Perhaps President Obama’s photograph will be replaced with a seated portrait after the completion of his second term, but the app doesn’t give the reader any indication that this is the case.

After entering the gallery, the user may tap the discover button to learn more about each of the 44 men who have held this office. Here the user will discover portraits or photos of nearly every First Lady, along with quotes that exemplify the President. These range from serious to light hearted. Two favorites: “I’m so overexposed, I’m making Paris Hilton look like a recluse.” — Barack Obama and “Always be sincere, even if you don’t mean it.” — Harry Truman.

The app also includes a number of minigames to help reinforce what the user has learned in the gallery, a slide show of fascinating facts about the US Presidency, and the opportunity to vote for your favorite portrait.

Download America’s Presidents for iPad from the App Store for the introductory price of $4.99.

What I liked: As a fan of fine art, I enjoyed seeing the the Presidential Portraits in a group.

What I didn't like: America’s Presidents is large, taking up 696 MB of iPad space, so make sure you have room on your device to download it before purchasing the app. While I loved the idea of including images of important documents and other ephemera associated with each President, it was often difficult to read them.

To buy or not to buy: Anyone who wants to learn more about the American Presidency and the tradition of portrait painting will enjoy America’s Presidents for iPad.

• App Name: America’s Presidents for iPad
• Version Reviewed: 1.0
• Category: Reference
• Developer: Smithsonian Institution
• Price: $4.99
• Score:

Help Early Bird and Friends Get the Worm – iPad Game Review

Early Bird and Friends is a bright and colorful kid-friendly game where the goal is to help Birdie and his friends soar through level after level, snapping up fireflies and other tasty treats as they make their way to the worm hole at the end of each stage.

This game is a sequel to the original Early Bird game, which turned out to be a huge success thanks to its cartoonish graphics and its simple puzzle gameplay. Early Birds and Friends offers up more of the same gameplay that was present in the first game, so if you loved Early Bird, you will enjoy the follow up as well.

Early Bird and Friends is divided into a series of levels. The idea is to help the birds find their way to the bullseye wormholes at the end of the level, using swipes to launch them into the air.

The swiping gestures are similar to those in other games like Angry Birds, but the goal is a bit different. You're aiming to get to an end point, rather than destroy structures and take out pigs. Swipe up to get into the air and then swipe again to stay up for as long as you can, aiming for the wormholes. You have a limited number of birds to work with, and each landing will use up a bird.

Early Bird and Friends will start out easily enough, incorporating just simple swipe gestures, but soon, there will be obstacles to overcome and items to utilize, like dandelions, which will send the birds soaring over ledges. Snap up fireflies as you play to unlock future stages.

Finishing levels using as few birds as possible with the majority of the fireflies is the way to earn three stars and a better score. Each bird has a different ability, which keeps the gameplay dynamic. For example, Quincy the Quail rolls rather than flies, which means you have to adapt for a different style of gameplay.

In addition to regular puzzle levels, there are also bonus levels that incorporate additional gameplay mechanics. One bonus level was similar to Peggle, which was a lot of fun, though these levels do take in-game currency to unlock. You earn this via playing the game, but you can also purchase it in the app.

Early Bird and Friends has 80 levels to complete, along with bonus levels. There are no Game Center achievements, however, which was a disappointment, and a slight emphasis on ads detracted from the gameplay at times. For the most part, though, Early Bird and Friends is a fun free game that the whole family can enjoy.

What I liked: Early Bird and Friends has impressive cartoon graphics and easy gameplay that is suitable for kids.

What I didn't like: The swipe controls can be frustrating to use, especially in mid-air. The birds don't go far at all, it's hard to aim, and at times, the controls just feel clunky. There are also quite a few ads in this game as it is free, encouraging players to watch videos to earn an extra credit.

To buy or not to buy: Early Bird and Friends is a free download, and it is worth trying out. It may not be for everyone, but kids are sure to like this one for its bright graphics.

• App Name: Early Bird and Friends
• Version Reviewed: 1.0.0
• Category: Games
• Developer: Booyah
• Price: Free
• Score:

Iterations: How Founders Can Fight Through The Great Fragmentation Of Talent

Editor’s Note: Semil Shah is a contributor to TechCrunch. You can follow him on Twitter at @semil.

The #1 request I hear when talking to founders in San Francisco is: “We are hiring engineers. Know any?” We all know this is a big issue that’s only getting worse, and so do most of the investors. But, I’m now starting to hear this so often, I’m beginning to worry that all the conventional tactics simply won’t work. Early-stage startups that don’t start experimenting with new ideas to source, recruit, and close engineers and other technical hires may end up running out of money or never achieving the product traction they need to get to the next level. I don’t have data to support this, but my intuition is that technical talent is so fragmented right now, all options need to be reexamined and placed on the table.

In that spirit of investigating all available options, here are 10 tactics your startup may consider given today’s conditions. And, while we often read high-level posts about how to hire people, the on-the-ground reality is that so many early-stage companies are being funded every day that when the founders close that first round, they often turn into (near) full-time recruiters, and many of them don’t succeed at it because they either don’t understand the weight of the issue before them and/or because they aren’t willing to consider these kind of options below, some of which require a serious change in thinking:

1. Hire Remote Employees: Conventional wisdom says that your team should all be together, in person. Unfortunately, there are many great potential hires who are not located in NYC or SF and, for a host of reasons, cannot move.
2. Hire Contractors (onsite or remote): Conventional wisdom says that this can backfire and cause more work because of incongruous development, but some great people may not be in the mood to commit to something so early and may want to work on other side projects for a host of reasons.
3. Hire Qualified Candidates And Help Them Relocate: Early-stage companies don’t like to get into the game of relocation expenses, but if that’s the only thing stopping the close of a great potential hire who doesn’t live around here, it may be worth considering breaking that rule.
4. Referral Systems: I’m sure most startups do some form of this, whether through gifts or cash incentives. But, maybe they need to be more robust and creative.
5. Pay More Money and Share More Equity: If it’s that hard to land good technical talent, maybe a startup cannot afford the market price, or maybe the conventional wisdom around 15-20% option pools and current salary bands are not in line with this reality.
6. Acqui-hire Teams That Can’t Survive: The Series A Crunch is real and might be just beginning. For companies that have raised more growth capital and/or those who are making enough money to warrant reinvestment into their core business, there are lots of teams out there who can be slimmed down and gobbled up, usually for a salaried offer, some equity, and a modest bonus.
7. Open A Second Office: To get around the fear of remote and/or contract workers, there could be situations where a small group of qualified candidates reside close to each other but far away from your HQ. If this core group is open to setting up a new office and could hire more people through their own networks, it may not be a bad approach for a startup that has enough cash runway to handle it.
8. Publicize Your Infrastructure And Stack: Talented folks want to see what your company has under the hood, so one approach is to invest the time and resources into a real engineering blog and sharing what goes on behind the scenes. This kind of openness attracts others who may be like-minded and could send a strong signal about how differentiated your approach is.
9. Hire Less-Developed Candidates And Train Them: What if a founding team found raw talent and made the decision to hire these folks and train them? Without reducing the bar on quality, these teams may be able to hire folks like this and devote time and resources to developing them into full team players.
10. Everyday Improvements: It’s obvious, but any list like this would have to include options like making your office the best place to work, by spending more time on recruiting, or actually hiring an accomplished recruiter who can demonstrably earn the respect of good candidates, or organize more tech talks, or more hackathons, or more competitions. [And, continually learn from experts like Dan Portillo, who captures all of his knowledge and tricks in this great slide deck.]

Naval Ravikant tweeted a great line last year: “It’s never been easier to start a company, but it’s never been harder to build one.” This fragmentation of talent is the other side of the coin in this bubble we are in — and yes, it is a bubble, but the bubble isn’t where you may think it is. Today, the asset that is overvalued is the amount of funds and shares of equity that founders are in control of and chose to hold on to — to recruit the right people, founders now have to work extra harder or be even more creative and daring to fill in their open slots. Put another way, in order to win in today’s game, many founders are going to have to make uncomfortable decisions, especially with respect to money for salaries and equity as incentives.

I am not an expert on all of this. And, I know it’s not cool to suggest these tactics because everyone says it’s all about “team” and because you want to protect your culture and because you don’t want to manage people remotely or hire contractors or spend time training a diamond in the rough, but for many early-stage companies in a flooded market like San Francisco, the harsh truth of 2013 is that everyone and their mom has a tech startup now, and everyone and their dad has a new seed fund, and you, as a founder, are caught right in the middle, forced to make suboptimal tradeoffs between quality and speed. It’s not a pretty choice, but in order to survive or succeed in this environment, I simply don’t see another way.

Google May Open A String Of Retail Stores, But What Does It Hope To Gain?

Microsoft and Apple already have their own physical retail stores, but thus far Google has managed to resist that particular temptation

If a recent report from 9to5Google is to be believed though, that may not be the case much longer. According to a single "extremely reliable source," Google will erect its own standalone stores by the holidays in an effort to more effectively push its hardware to consumers.

These stores will reportedly carry Google’s Nexus devices as well as Chromebooks, but the curious report goes on to note that Google conceived the project as a way to get its ambitious Glass project in front of more people. But is this all really necessary?

Let's just say that these rumors are true - the value of something like Glass can be hard to discern without seeing what it brings to the table first-hand, but the more practical thing to do would be to leverage its existing partnerships. Google has a fair number of Chrome Zone experience areas already installed in existing retailers like Best Buy and PC World in the U.K., and those stores already get plenty of foot traffic (if perhaps less than in recent years). Even if Google had to pay for some more experienced folks to demo Glass, it could still be less expensive and potentially more impactful than going it alone in the retail space.

Sure, there's something to be said for Google controlling that experience end-to-end the way Apple does, but that approach isn't without its potential pitfalls. Putting Glass aside for a moment, Google may have a hard time turning a profit off these stores thanks to some of its other products - devices like the Nexus 4 smartphone and the Nexus 7 and 10 tablets are sold at or around cost, meaning that Google hardly makes any money on them. Google's hardware then is something of a Trojan horse (and not all that different from what Amazon offers): it's generally cheap and powerful enough to make it worth a purchase, and Google has been aiming to make up that money in Play Store revenue down the line.

That's all well and good, but running a physical store takes a decent chunk of money. Rent is a pain, as are utilities, training and staffing costs, paying for interior design and fixtures; there's a considerable amount of overhead that goes into a venture like that. Sure, Google could still make some money in the long run but it doesn't seem like much of a sure thing unless Google manages to perform very, very well in terms of sales volume. If we're looking at this whole situation purely in terms of dollars and cents, a big retail push seems like a very dicey decision.

Of course, that's not to say this whole thing is completely impossible - Google may be going after more than just money. A move like this may serve to solidify Google as a real consumer brand instead of just that thing you use when you want to scour the Internet for, well, everything. That sort of shift in public perception could only help when it comes to pushing hardware products in the future, especially if Google really does end up creating ambitious new devices on its own. Rumors of a hi-res Chromebook Pixel have more or less petered out (thanks in large part to the incredibly sketchy way that its supposed existence was revealed), but the furor it caused shows rather nicely that there's interest for that sort of high-end Chrome computing experience.

And to return the whole issue of Google Glass, the notion of carving out small retail locations to highlight new and novel Google-powered experiences isn't without precedent. Consider Google's Fiber Space in Kansas City - while it's set up to provide in-person customer support for Google Fiber's growing number of users, it's also meant to showcase what the Fiber service is capable of. It's a very pretty little area that Google has put together and it already plays home to at least a few Chromebooks, so it's not inconceivable that Google would take that concept, tweak it a little, and transplant it into some "major metropolitan areas."

Still, if true, this retail crusade would be a pretty drastic little about-face for Google. Google Shopping’s Sameer Samat told AllThingsD just this past December that the company doesn't "view being a retailer right now as the right decision," so either this is all bunk, or Google's having to adjust to the sea change more rapidly than it expected.

iBlacklist, Rich Text For Mail, IconRotator Updated With Support For iOS 6.0/6.1, iPhone 5

Cydia developers continue to update their jailbreak apps and tweaks with support for iOS 6.x and iPhone 5.

Here are some of the popular jailbreaks apps and tweaks that have been updated recently.

iBlacklist ($12):

While Apple added some cool call management features in iOS 6, we still can’t do some basic things such as block voice and FaceTime calls etc.

With iBlacklist, you can create a list of numbers that are blocked from calling you. A call from the blacklisted number can either be sent to the voicemail or can be rejected. You can also configure it to answer the call and immediately hang up or you can give set it to give them a permanently busy tone.

It also allows you to create a whitelist of numbers, which will only allow calls from the whitelisted numbers. Calls from any other number can be diverted or rejected.

iBlacklist allows you to block voice calls, FaceTime calls and even text messages. It also offers a scheduling option, so you can activate the blacklist or whitelist only during certain hours of the day or week.

iBlacklist v6.1 is now compatible with iOS 6.1 and iPhone 5.

Rich Text For Mail ($4.99):

As the name suggests, the jailbreak tweak by Ryan Petrich brings rich text editing features to the Mail and Notes app. It allows you to compose and reply to emails in custom fonts, colors and styles and adds format, bold, italic, strike-through, underline and image items to Action Menu, which is not available in the native Mail app and Notes app.

Rich Text for Mail v1.2.4 is now compatible with iOS 6.x.

IconRotator (Free):

While the accelerometer kicks in when you rotate your iPhone in landscape or portrait mode so that whatever you're watching, reading, or seeing adjusts to fit the display, it doesn't work with icons on iPhone's home screen.

As the name suggests, IconRotator makes use of the built-in accelerometer and also rotates the app icons on your iPhone's home screen when you rotate it in landscape mode or portrait mode. It's pretty cool.

Icon Rotator v1.0.1 is now compatible with iOS 6.x and iPhone 5.

WinterBoard and MobileSubstrate Updates:

Saurik has also pushed out updates for Winterboard and MobileSubstrate for full UISounds theme support for iOS 6.1/6.0, so don’t forget to grab them.

Any of your favorite jailbreak apps or tweaks has been updated with iOS 6.1 and iPhone 5 support recently? Let me know in the comments.

Leaked Screenshots Reveal Samsung Also Working on a Smartwatch

As rumors of an Apple smartwatch continue to surface, Samsung too appears to be making a product to address the very nascent smartwatch market. Screenshots of an alleged Samsung Galaxy Altius smartwatch were posted on a Korean forum, showing glimpses of the device’s OS and also revealing a few specs.

The screenshots measure 500 x 500 pixels, which could very well be the screen resolution of the watch, and has 235 MB of internal storage. Based on the images, the watch would feature apps for music, mail/messages, a clock and what appears to be a maps icon. These icons are laid out in the form of tiles in a horizontal grid. The device is connected to Korean carrier SKTelecom’s cellular network, and is also on a Wi-Fi network, as seen in the status bar.

It’s not clear if the watch is running Android or one of Samsung’s in-house OS, nor is it known if the device will be positioned as a standalone smartwatch or would rely on a smartphone for its “smartness.” Samsung’s Galaxy brand of smartphones have been pretty successful in the market, and the company could easily piggyback on the popularity of this brand to sell the Altius smartwatch.

While neither Apple nor Samsung have officially made any announcements about their smartwatch efforts, both companies are positioned to fight it out in this space, and it appears that Samsung will be the first one to release a product in the market.

Via: Slashgear, Ruliweb

30 top apps for making music on your mobile device

It seems every year’s projected to be “The year of (…),” but if 2012′s any indication, ’13 will lead a new mobile movement. M-commerce Black Friday sales surpassed $1 billion for the first time last year, while 1.2 billion apps were downloaded during the 2012 Christmas week. With tablet sales projected to reach 450 million in three years, the move towards digital means even the tech savvy music world will see a mobile makeover.

Here, we suggest 30 apps for Android, iPhone and iPad to get your fingers moving.

Android

Audiotool Sketch

From drum machines to bass lines, this sound sequencing app emulates three various devices. Tempo changes and pattern switches aid the multi-touch ability to control each device’s output signal. And since Audiotool Sketch is built around the same audio engine as Audiotool, full power audio’s a given. ($3.99)

AutoRap

Does your inner Hova need a hug? AutoRap corrects bad rapping by matching spoken syllables to any beat, using Smule’s “rappification” technology to let you create your own original raps or AutoRap from a Premium Songs Catalogue including Tupac and the Beastie Boys. Visualizations match the beat of your raps, and sharing capabilities via email, Facebook and Twitter let you share your glory with the world. (Free)

Beat Maker App Download

A programmable, customized drum machine, ability to create beats while playing with songs live and pattern based music composition let you set drum instrumentals to a rap, rock or hip hop beat. ($3.99)

Electric Drum Machine/Sampler

Real time playback and editing features erase the need to wait for sound prior to editing. Ability to save and load custom drumkits also makes this beat composer ideal for live performances or solo samplers. ($3.99)

Magic Piano

A catalogue of ivory ticklers-updated daily-guides you through the notes, rhythm and tempo of each piece while giving you ultimate control by touching beams of light. Sharing capabilities on platforms including Facebook and Google+ mean your personal rendition of “Ave Maria” or “Call me Maybe” could soon be the world’s to hear. (Free)

Music Matrix

Inspired by Yamaha Tenori On, this integrated cloud-based sharing system offers 8 pages of 16 16 music sequencer matrix. Various lead instruments and flexible Scale & Key alterations let you merge notes with various instruments and percussions to design your very own music and ringtones. And if you want to sell the app with your name and company logo included, give them a ring! ($1.26)

Poweramp Music Player

This comprehensive music player supports files including MP3, WAV, WMA and more, while key features such as crossfade, lyrics/files support and mono mixing make it THE Android music player.

Better yet, there are skins, frequent updates and a list of features that you’re not going to find on any other app. Just take a look:

• stereo eXpansion, mono mixing, balance
• crossfade
• gapless
• replay gain
• plays songs from folders and from own library
• dynamic queue
• lyrics support, including lyrics search via musiXmatch plugin
• embed and standalone .cue files support
• support for m3u, m3u8, pls, wpl playlists
• OpenGL based cover art animation
• downloads missing album art
• 4 configurable widget types
• configurable lock screen with optional Direct Unlock
• headset support, automatic Resume on headset and/or BT connection (can be disabled in settings)
• scrobbling
• tag editor
• visual themes, including support for external/3rd party skins
• fast library scan

($3.99)

Ringtone Maker

“Drag-n-drop” editing controls, fine-tuning options and support by audio formats such as MP3 allow anyone to create a custom ringtone up to 40 seconds long. An upgrade to Ringtone Maker Pro costs $0.99 cents and removes adverts.

Facing facts, there are loads of these ringtone creation apps on Google Play. But Ringtone Maker is one of the old stalwarts on the block and it’s been tearing up the charts for ages. It has already crossed the 40 million install mark. Reviews say that it’s still one of the best out there, though a recent update appears to have removed the ability to fade out the end of a track.

(Free)

Songify

Life is like a song — at least with Songify.

Simply speaking into the app currently downloaded by 9 million worldwide users enables Smule-invented technology that turns speech into music. This official app of famed auto tuners the Gregory Brothers (known for auto-tuning already viral videos into such musical art as “Backin Up Song (feat. Diana)” and “Bed Intruder Song”) allows you to make your own kind of music-even if nobody else sings along. (Free)

Ultimate Guitar Tabs

With a collection of 400,000 tabs to choose from-the world’s largest database-you can learn and practice your favorite songs on the go. Adding tabs to your Favorites makes them available for offline browsing, while various Top 100 Tabs lists help you organize by bass, chords and more. In-app bonus: Tab Note, an add-on, offers access to more than 150,000 interactive tabs. ($2.99; Tab Pro available in-app for $3.99)

iPhone

BeatMaker 2

If 128 trigger pads aren’t enough, the chop lab, “live” modes and mixer console may pique your interest. Version 2.4.2 includes added iTunes file sharing and has fixed the note repeat feature. ($19.99)

FingerPiano

No score? No worries. Scrolling guides across the screen offer 88 pieces of famous music to try, with songs designated for play either with one or both hands. ($1.99)

GarageBand

GarageBand turns iOS collections into full recording studios, whether you’re a pro or have never played a note. The multi-touch keyboard, acoustic and electronic drum kits and instrument creation from the sounds made on your keyboard all let you play your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch like a literal instrument. A stroke of the finger on Smart Strings lets you conduct a string orchestra, and you can use your iOS device to play or record music live with up to three friends. ($1.29)

Gigbaby!

Even rehearsal’s gone digital. Whether karaoke or remixes fit your taste, Gigbaby! uses network sharing to exchange audio tracks with anyone-even if the tracks are incomplete. Each group member can record their own tracks, then swap them to compose a whole song.

It’s a bit of a play along how producers have shared partial tracks with each other for years. Whether they use something like AOL Instant Messenger, Skype or even Soundcloud, the collaboration methods have led to some of the greatest tracks in history.

($0.99)

MusiXmatch Lyrics

Missing a lyric? This database of lyrics for more than six million songs will keep you up to speed. You can also browse UK/US hits and watch their videos on YouTube. Bonus for Windows 8 lovers: MusiXmatch is offered on this system, as well as on Android. (Free)

NanoStudio

Virtual analogue synthesizer? Sample trigger pads? When musical genius strikes, these features and more make NanoStudio a gem to have on the go. Compose and arrange your music in real time, then share it on SoundCloud on or away from your desktop. A “16 Instrument” in-app purchase enhances the experience for newer devices, while highly optimized chorus and bitcrusher effects let you run several at once. ($14.99)

Figure by Propellerhead

The morning commute livens when you can play drums with your fingers. Those drums, (powered by Reason’s Kong drum machine), plus bass and lead parts that use Reason’s Thor synthesizer, make music with ease on the iPhone4 or higher.

Propellerhead is a long-time name in the music industry. The included drum samples are second to none, and the ability to record your samples then mix them with other tracks when you get back home is a great selling point.

($0.99)

TableDrum

Augmented reality will be big in years to come. In the world of music apps, TableDrum leads the way now. Syncing the sound of any object offers a real time response of drum sounds, which then link to your choice of high quality drum sounds. For a bridge between digital/physical worlds, this one’s a winner. ($0.99)

Voice Jam

Many musical apps are renowned for instrumentals; this one makes your voice the instrument. A powerful audio looper records sounds while playing them back in a repeating loop. And since VoiceJam was designed as a live performance tool, you can harmonize, add rhythms with your voice and perform/record a whole song from scratch. ($6.99)

Yamaha TNR-i

An app that combines rhythm melody on the grid, Yamaha TNR-1 musically and visually “places” sounds based on intuition. Users can also play 16 tones simultaneously, and six different performance modes per layer (including Push Mode to change tones while performing and Draw Mode to play songs in response to your fingers) leave options open.

TNR-i is based off of an older instrument from Yamaha called the TENORI-ON. But with a new, multi-screen interface, you can do much more with the digital version than the hardware would ever have allowed.

($19.99)

iPad

bleep!BOX

Samples? Not on this app. A custom iPad interface generates every sound in realtime, and offers 50+ synthesizers, eight waveforms and live performance modes. Also available on iPhone, you can load patterns made on your mobile and upload them to desktop via bleep!BOX Plugin. ($5.99)

FL Studio Mobile HD

A virtual piano, 99 track sequencer and simultaneous 8 channel recording make this app ideal for creating and saving multi-track projects. Added bonus: ability to load FL Studio Mobile projects into the (sold separately) FL Studio Desktop PC version. ($19.99)

Glitchamaphone

Feeling animated? Glitchamaphone lets you create and edit your own compositions using up to five animated characters playing various fun instruments. Various features, including animations and environmental effects, change in response to your musical style, while three varied settings/environments each offer their own sound. ($1.99, normally $2.99)

IK Multimedia DJ Rig for iPad

Music Radar’s Si Truss calls it one of the best iOS DJ apps out there. For professionals, this can’t be beat; multiple deck modes and controls, three crossfader curves and professional pitch control for BPM adjustments make this one a must. ($19.99).

KORG iMS-20

A complete music production app, Korg MS-20 analog synth with patching capability works alongside a 16-step analog sequencer based on Korg’s SQ-10. iMS-20 offers dual Kaoss Pads that create music with one stroke, while a seven channel mixer creates 14 different master effects. ($29.99)

Morphwiz

The second app from Jordan Rudess has earned accolades from Keyboard Magazine and the Billboard Music App Awards-and it’s not hard to see why. Users can assign audio waveforms, round note pitches and control octave shifts, amongst other features. And its basis on the Haken Continuum Fingerboard will satisfy experienced users on platforms from iOS to Windows 8. ($9.99)

ReBirth for iPad

The Roland TB-303 bass synth, Roland TR-808 and 909 drum machines all in one app? Three key devices in the dance and rap music spheres use FX sequences, fully featured pattern sequencers, a Tempo-synced digital delay and more to create tracks so good, the built in sharing features will be a must. ($9.99)

Scape

Bloom Creators Brian Eno and Peter Chilvers use Scape to make various sounds, processes and compositional rules react to one another, creating new music. 15 original scapes can be saved to a gallery, added to a playlist or shared by email. Call it the thinking man’s music maker. ($5.99)

Studio Track

This app does for en route musicians what DJ Rid does for on-the-go DJs. WiFi synching, file import/export capabilities via email, stereo output meters and more make song recording away from your desktop a dream. ($19.99 for a limited time)

touchABLE

Thinking about buying a controller for Live? Consider this app, where your finger navigates a live set and automaps tracks as well as parameters. No midi-mappings needed-toucABLE uses LiveOSC to communicate with the LiveAPI. And Dual-User-Mode lets you tweak the same set with two iPads. ($24.99)

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Searchpath lets you quickly embed an elegant, ‘popover’ search box on your site

Search is an essential tool for nearly every site on the Web, and yet somehow it’s still a frustrating utility to implement. In our own experience, even the search capabilities that ship with WordPress are lacking, requiring plugins or third-party solutions. Google’s offerings haven’t proved too impressive, either.

To bring some usefulness to this space, Riverfold Software founder Manton Reece created Searchpath, a basic search tool for sites and blogs, featuring what Reece calls “an innovative ‘popover’ UI.”

That popover UI means there isn’t even a search page to set up - the results pop up and pages open on click. The tool will set you back $8 per month, but there’s a free version available which limits the number of results.

As you can see below, Searchpath’s design is focused on content and clarity. The tool pulls existing CSS styles from your own site, but can be easily customized via the "searchpath_link" and "searchpath_summary” classes.

All it takes is a simple JavaScript tag, which will look something like this:

Aside from CSS, you can customize the search box’s placeholder text by passing a “placeholder” parameter to the script. There’s currently no easy way to customize the search box, but there’s a workaround: Reece tells us “you can create your own simple search form and then have Searchpath attach itself to it by passing the “id” of the search field.”

For now, the tool is still in its early stages and Reece details that he’s planning to add more customization options down the road. Check it out via the link below.

Searchpath (free - $8/month)

Calendar: The ultimate guide

Everything you need to know about settings up and using calendars on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad

Calendars help you keep track of what you're doing and when, which is why it's always been one of the core apps on mobile devices from the earliest PDA (personal digital assistants), to the latest iPhones and iPads. That why, when iOS launched in 2007, it included a Calendar app. Whether you simply use Calendar by itself, or whether you sync it via iCloud, Google Calendar, Microsoft, or something else, it's the default way to add and find appointments and events.

Bookmark this page and check back often, because we'll be updating it regularly. And f you already know everything there is to know about calendar on iOS, then forward it on to friends and family who need it. We'll do the heavy support lifting for you!

• How to set up Apple iCloud calendar accounts on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad
• How to setup Google Calendar accounts on your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad
• How to set up Hotmail, Live Mail, or Outlook.com calendar accounts on your iPhone or iPad
• How to setup CalDAV accounts and Calendar subscriptions on your iPhone and iPad
• How to add and delete calendars on your iPhone and iPad
• How to set default calendars, alert times, sync, and more on iPhone or iPad
• How to share or make an iCloud calendar public using your iPhone or iPad
• How to create, view, update, and cancel calendar events using Siri
• How to manually create, edit, and delete Calendar events on your iPhone or iPad
• How to send calendar event invitations using the iPhone or iPad
• How to switch Calendar views on your iPhone or iPad
• Alternative calendar apps for iPhone and iPad

How to set up Apple iCloud calendar accounts on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad

The free iCloud account that comes with your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad includes equally free push calendar. That means whenever you update an event or appointment on one device, iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Windows, it's immediately updated on all your devices. Typically you set up iCloud calendars, and other services, when you first setup your device. If you didn't, however, you can still set it up at any time via the iOS Settings app, and access the service via the iOS Calendars app. You can also access your iCloud.com calendars via the website from any desktop browser, or through popular mail, calendar, and contacts apps on your Mac or Windows PC.

• How to set up iCloud Mail, Contacts, and Calendars
• How to enable or disable individual iCloud services
• How to access iCloud Mail, Contacts, and Calendars via the Web
• How to access iCloud Mail, Contacts, and Calendars, and more via Windows PC
• How to access iCloud Mail, Contacts, Calendars, and more via Mac

How to setup Google Calendar accounts on your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad

As of January 30, 2013, Google will no longer allow new iPhones, iPod touches, iPads, or other devices to be setup using Google Sync (their implementation of Microsoft's excellent ActiveSync protocol). While existing Google Sync setups will keep working, the next time you want to add Google Calendar to a device, you'll have to use something else -- namely Google's CalDAV service, which works with Apple's Calendar app.

• How to setup Google Calendar in Apple's Calendar app
• How to set up Gmail's 2-step verification with Mail on your iPhone, iPad, and Mac

How to set up Microsoft Exchange, Hotmail, Live Mail, or Outlook.com calendar accounts on your iPhone or iPad

Microsoft originally bought Hotmail (n e HoTMaiL, after HTML) and turned it into their web-based email service, a complement to their corporate Exchange service, which came to use ActiveSync. Eventually Hotmail kinda-sorta became Live Mail. More recently, Microsoft has released Outlook.com, what they consider to be the next-generation of email. And much to their credit, Microsoft have gone above and beyond to make sure you can access all their mail services not only on the web, but from any and all of your devices, including the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad.

• How to set up Hotmail, Live Mail, or Outlook.com email on your iPhone or iPad
• How to set up Exchange ActiveSync on your iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad

How to setup CalDAV accounts and Calendar subscriptions on your iPhone and iPad

While iOS makes it easy to add popular calendar accounts to your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, you can also manually add any calendar that supports the open CalDAV standard, and subscribe to any calendar that provides a compatible URL. As long as you have the login information for the CalDAV account, or the link for the subscription, you're good to go.

• How to add calendar subscriptions to your iPhone or iPad
• How to add a CalDAV account to your iPhone or iPad

How to add and delete calendars using your iPhone or iPad

The built-in iOS Calendars app can keep track of all your events and appointments, all in one place. But it doesn't have to keep them all in the same actual calendar. If you prefer to keep your work life and personal life separate, or to have a specific calendar for kids activities, or a special vacation, or for anything else, it's easy to setup. Since each calendar gets its own color, and you have the ability to hide or show individual calendars, it's a great way to stay organized and stay sane at the same time.

• How to add calendars on your iPhone and iPad
• How to delete calendars on your iPhone and iPad

How to set default calendars, alert times, sync, and more on iPhone or iPad

iOS allows you to set not only your default calendar, but the default alert time and sync period as well. Having good defaults can make it much faster to add new events and appointments, especially if you often add events to the same calendar, and with the same alert requirements. You can also set how far back your iPhone and iPad will sync those appointments and events, so you can keep handy just your most recent entries, or entries going back for months. You can toggle automatic time zone shifting, and even turn off alerts if you need a little less notification in your life.

• How to disable new invitation alerts on your iPhone and iPad
• How to change the time zone for calendar alerts on your iPhone and iPad
• How to change event sync period for calendar entries on iPhone or iPad
• How to change default alert times for calendar events on iPhone or iPad
• How to set the default calendar on your iPhone or iPad

How to share or make an iCloud calendar public using your iPhone or iPad

If you use Apple's free iCloud service, and you've added calendars to better organize your events, you may want to make one public or share it completely. For example, if you manage a club or league, and want other members to be able to view it as well, but not edit it like they could a shared calendar, a public calendar is the way to go. If you're planning a trip or maintaining a work schedule, and want other people to be able to not only view, but add and edit events, then a shared calendar is the way to go.

• How to make an iCloud calendar public on your iPhone or iPad
• How to share an iCloud calendar on your iPhone or iPad
• How to accept a shared iCloud calendar invitation on your iPhone or iPad

How to create, view, update, and cancel calendar events using Siri

Since Siri is meant to be your personal assistant, it only makes sense to have it schedule and manage your meetings and events on your iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPod touch 5, iPad 4, iPad 3, or iPad mini. Asking Siri to create a Calendar event only takes a few seconds and is much faster than creating them manually and entering all the data yourself. Whether you need Siri to schedule a meeting, tell you what's on the agenda for the day, or move an existing meeting to another time to make room for a conference call or a power nap, Siri will help make sure your schedule is set.

• How to create a calendar event with Siri
• How to update a calendar event with Siri
• How to cancel a calendar event with Siri
• How to view and check your Calendar with Siri

How to create, edit, and delete Calendar events on your iPhone or iPad

The built-in iOS Calendar app on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch provides a great way to keep track of all your appointments and events. While it's faster to use Siri to create basic events, if you need more precise control, or if you want to edit existing event details, you can also do it the old fashioned way -- by tapping your way through the Calendar app's multitouch interface!

• How to create, edit, and delete Calendar events on your iPhone or iPad

How to send calendar event invitations using the iPhone or iPad

When you're creating an event or appointment in the built-in Calendar app for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, you might want to add other people to it, and alert them about it. That's where invitations come in. If you're using a calendar service that supports it, like Apple's iCloud or Microsoft's Exchange, all you need are the email addresses you want to invite, and a few simple screen taps.

• How to share an event on your iPhone and iPad
• How to accept an event invitation on your iPhone and iPad

How to switch Calendar views on your iPhone or iPad

The built-in Calendar app on the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch offers several different ways to view your events and appointments. The default view is Month, but you can also switch to List and Day view, and on the iPad, Year view. This lets you easily see everything at a glance, or drill down to one specific hour.

• How to switch Calendar views on your iPhone
• How to switch Calendar views on your iPad

Alternative Calendar apps for iPhone and iPad

If the built-in iOS Calendar app just doesn't suit your tastes or workflow, there are a variety of third-party calendar apps you can try instead. Many of them are excellent, yet each excels in a different way.

• Fantastical for iPhone
• Agenda for iPhone and iPad

How to get more help with calendars on iPhone and iPad

Did we forget anything? If you have corrections or additions, let us know in the comments! And if you need extra help, or have questions you'd like answered, head on over to the iMore forums and we'll help you out!

Skala View and Skala Preview updated for better, faster on-device app design previewing

Bjango's Skala View for iOS and its companion app, Skala Preview for Mac, have been updated to version 1.5. New Skala View features include the ability to choose which computer to connect to, faster and better networking, tap to refresh, and a variety of other design and functionality tweaks. New Skala Preview features include only the design and performance tweaks, but both pieces of software, both at version 1.5, are required for them to work their magic.

If you already own Skala View for iOS and Skala Preview for Mac, go grab the updates. If you don't get own Skala, but you've been looking for a way to quickly, easily push your app designs from your Mac to test out on an actual iOS device, check it out.

• $4.99 - Skala Preview for Mac - Download now
• Free - Skala View for iOS - Download now

Meteorite explosion over Russia injures hundreds

Around 400 people reported injured by glass from explosion as meteorite flared in the sky and broke up over Ural mountains

A meteorite has flared spectacularly in the sky and exploded over the
Russian region of Chelyabinsk, reportedly injuring around 400 people.

Fragments of the meteor fell in a thinly populated area of the region, the emergencies ministry said in a statement.

Interior ministry spokesman Vadim Kolesnikov said 102 people had
called for medical assistance following the incident, mostly for
treatment of injuries from glass broken by the explosions.

Kolesnikov also said about 600 sq metres (6,500 sq ft) of a roof at a zinc factory had collapsed.

Reports conflicted on what exactly happened in the clear skies. Emergencies ministry spokeswoman Irina Rossius told Associated Press that there was a meteor shower, but another ministry spokeswoman, Elena Smirnikh, was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying it was a single meteorite.

"It was definitely not a plane," an emergency official told Reuters. "We are gathering the bits of information and have no data on the casualties so far."

A witness in Chelyabinsk reported hearing a huge blast early in the morning and feeling a shockwave in a 19-storey building in the town centre.

The sounds of car alarms and breaking windows could be heard in the area, the witness said, and mobile phones were working intermittently. "Preliminary indications are that it was a meteorite rain," an emergency official told RIA-Novosti. "We have information about a blast at 10,000-metre altitude. It is being verified."

"I was driving to work, it was quite dark, but it suddenly became as
bright as if it was day," said Viktor Prokofiev, a 36-year-old resident of
Yekaterinburg in the Urals mountains.

"I felt like I was blinded by headlights," he told Reuters.

No deaths were reported but President Vladimir Putin, who was due
to host finance ministry officials from the G20 nations in Moscow, and Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev were quickly informed.

Amateur video broadcast on Russian television showed an object
speeding across the sky (video) about 9:20 am local time (0320 GMT), leaving a thick white contrail and an intense flash.

The emergencies ministry described Friday's events as a "meteor shower
in the form of fireballs" and said background radiation levels were
normal. It urged residents not to panic.

Chelyabinsk city authorities urged people to stay indoors unless they
needed to pick up their children from schools and kindergartens. They
said a blast had been heard at an altitude of 10,000 metres (32,800
feet), apparently signalling it occurred when the meteorite entered
Earth's atmosphere.

In 1908 a meteorite is thought to have devastated an area of more than
2,000sq km (1,250 miles) in Siberia in what became known as the
Tunguska event.

Media campaign against windfarms funded by anonymous conservatives

Secretive funding network channelled millions to stop state governments moving towards renewable energy

Conservatives used a pair of secretive trusts to fund a media campaign against windfarms and solar projects, and to block state agencies from planning for future sea-level rise, the Guardian has learned.

The trusts, Donors Trust and Donors Capital Fund, served as the bankers of the conservative movement over the past decade. Promising anonymity to their conservative billionaire patrons, the trusts between them channelled nearly $120m to contrarian thinktanks and activists, wrecking the chances of getting Congress to act on climate change.

Now the Guardian can reveal the latest project of the secretive funding network: a campaign to stop state governments moving towards renewable energy.

The campaign against wind and solar power was led by a relatively new entity, the Franklin Centre for Government and Public Integrity. The Franklin Centre did not exist before 2009, but it has quickly become a protege of Donors Trust.

The Franklin Centre, headquarters barely one-tenth of a mile away from the nondescript Alexandria, Virginia town home of its funders, received $6.3m from the two funds in 2011. It was the second largest disbursement to any entity by the Donors that year, according to tax records.

The largesse to the Franklin Centre signals a shift in priorities for the conservative billionaires who are funding the anti-climate cause towards local and state-level organising.

The backers of the anti-climate cause have eased off in their support of DC-centric thinktanks, said Whitney Ball, the chief executive and president of Donors Trust. "They are not as prominent any more."

Instead, it appears the donors are banking on an aggressive anti-climate media strategy, led by the Franklin Centre, to push back against climate action.

In 2011, Donors Trust helped the Franklin Centre expand its media operations to Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Ohio and Virginia, the Centre for Public Integrity reported in an investigation on conservative funding networks.

The Franklin Centre purports to be a hub for a network of "citizen journalists" and "watchdog" groups reporting from state capitals. It claims on its website to provide 10% of all daily reporting from state capitals across the country. It says it is on a mission to uphold a media culture of "transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility at the grassroots level".

But the Pew Research Centre's Project for Excellence in Journalism has ranked Franklin's watchdog.org affiliates as "highly ideological". Many of the media organisations listed on Franklin's website as affiliates are ultra-conservative groups.

Among them are several that have been active in the past year or two to stop the expansion of solar power and windfarms.

In North Carolina, the two Franklin affiliates, the John Locke Foundation and the John W Pope Civitas Institute, also led effort for a ban on the term "sea-level rise". The state legislature eventually voted in June last year to bar state agencies from taking into account future sea-level rise in development planning.

The groups have also led opposition to offshore wind development in North Carolina, organising workshops against windfarms.

Another Franklin affiliate, the New Jersey Watchdog, pushed for the state to drop out of a regional emissions cutting programme.

Other Watchdog affiliates have cast doubt on the link between extreme weather and climate change.

CPI found multiple ties between the Franklin Centre and groups such as Americans for Prosperity, which has been funded by Donors Trust as well as the conservative oil billionaire Koch brothers. Some of the Franklin Centre's blogs have received funds from AFP. There was also cross-over of board members in the two groups.

Nvidia Project Shield Demos Dead On Arrival 2 (video)

Earlier this week Nvidia demonstrated their new Nvidia Project Shield paired with a GeForce GTX 680-enabled PC, running Need for Speed : Most Wanted.

Following on from that video demonstration, the Nvidia Project Shield gaming console has now been shown running the Android Dead On Arrival 2 game from Exor Studios.