uno
Latest
Uno Synth Pro X offers high-end sound design in a portable package
IK Multimedia is back with a refresh for its well-regarded Uno Synth Pro flagship keyboard, the Uno Synth Pro X. Just like the original, this is a three-oscillator paraphonic instrument with plenty of bells and whistles, but with some new features to set it apart. The Pro X features an entirely new layout and a refreshed sound engine. It also ships with some new effects, including true analog overdrive.
Uno Drum is a $250 drum machine loaded with features
IK Multimedia surprised many last year expanding beyond its normal niche of portable MIDI controllers and iPhone recording interfaces by launching an actual synthesizer. And, not only that, it turned out to be quite a capable competitor to the Volca's of the world. Now the company is expanding its line of standalone instruments with the Uno Drum.
IK Multimedia’s Uno synth packs big sound on a small budget
The affordable-synth trend of the past few years has been outstanding for anyone wanting to dip their toe into soundscapes and dance music. IK Multimedia, known mostly for instrument accessories for iOS, seems to have noticed there's money to be made in the expanding market. Two things could have happened: The company could have done a money grab and released a low-cost digital synth that beeps, boops and whirs just enough to appease new musicians. Or it could have built a solid inexpensive analog synthesizer that's not only portable but also powerful. Lucky for us, it did the latter.
Mattel's free 'Uno' mobile game is now available worldwide
While third-party Uno apps have been around for some time, Mattel released its own mobile version of the classic card game in certain countries and on Facebook Instant Games last year. Now, the toymaker and NetEase, through their Mattel163 studio, are rolling out the game worldwide on iOS and Android.
The $200 Uno synth crams a ton of features into a small package
IK Multimedia is known for its wide variety of music gear, including MIDI controllers, mixers and instrument interfaces. Now the company has just launched its first analog synth, a compact little machine named Uno. The company's own Erik Norlander (one of the designers behind Alesis' Andromeda synth) collaborated with Italian boutique synthesizer maker Soundmachines to create the Uno. The device has a small footprint, though it packs a ton of manual controls for easy programming. It's made to serve both newbies and veterans: Uno has a two octave touch-sensitive keyboard and 100 different presets, along with selectable scales and an arpeggiator to make getting up and running easy.
Uno's speed-reading wristband feels like a work in progress
Wearing the Uno Noteband makes me feel as if I'm in an '80s spy movie. Whenever I receive a message on my smartphone, the device on my wrist vibrates. One swipe later and words are being flashed at my eyes, eight per second, 505 per minute. Perhaps it's a coded, subliminal message that'll activate the dormant part of my brain that was conditioned by that rogue Soviet general. It's not, of course; it's my friend Sarah telling me that she busted her ankle at the gym. Perhaps it's better if some things remain in the fantasy world, where the dour practicalities of life can't tarnish them.
Synrgic Uno debuts as one of the last TI OMAP-powered Android phones (updated with video)
Taiwan might have an HTC One and an HTC First, but starting today, Singapore has a Synrgic Uno to join the banter (get it?). The name Synrgic might not immediately ring a bell, but if you dig a little deeper, you'll see a mention of its earlier phone plus three tablets from a while back. Alas, said phone was eventually canned as the quality didn't meet expectations, so consider this Uno a new attempt by the same Singaporean startup. Announced in its home city just now, this device is positioned as a mid-tier Android phone with some modest specs, namely a 4.7-inch, 720p IPS display with Gorilla Glass and, more interestingly, a dual-core 1.5GHz Texas Instruments OMAP 4470 SoC (with 1GB DDR2 RAM and SGX 544 graphics chip). With the upcoming TI OMAP 5 series shifting towards automotive systems, chances are the Uno will be one of the last OMAP-powered smartphones before TI waves goodbye to the mobile world. More after the break. Update: We've added a hands-on video after the break. In short: smooth software and solid hardware build, with some room for improvement on the coating at the top and bottom sides. %Gallery-187126% %Gallery-187130%
Ten Gameloft games available at Xperia Play launch
We've heard plenty of numbers regarding Sony's Xperia Play launch games, but few details about what each of its 20 supporting publishers have planned. Gameloft has cleared the air and filled 10 of the potential 50 launch game spots. Beyond Asphalt 6: Adrenaline and Star Battalion, you'll see Assassin's Creed, UNO, Let's Golf! 2, Spider-Man: Total Mayhem, Modern Combat: Black Pegasus, Real Football 2011, Brothers in Arms 2 and Splinter Cell: Conviction at launch on March 29. Trailers for the two packed-in games, Asphalt and Star Battalion can be found after the break, both of which were briefly shown during Sony's (leaked) Superbowl commercial. None of the games have been priced yet.
TUAW's Daily App: UNO
Everybody knows UNO, the classic card game where you have to match cards going around a table and try to clear out your hand before someone else clears out theirs. Gameloft produced the iPhone version, and it's a respectable recreation of the card game that's available in single or multiplayer. The game even has some extra rule sets, so if you're tired of the core game, you can try some others. Unfortunately, there's no Game Center integration, but the app was updated for Retina Display recently. In celebration of the game's 40th anniversary, it's on sale at 99 cents for a limited time, so head to the App Store and grab it while it's cheap. There's also a free version to try if a dollar is somehow too much, and there's an iPad HD version as well, though it's still at its normal US$4.99 price.
Best of CES 2011
Maybe, just maybe, you've noticed that Engadget relocated this past week to the City of Sin for CES 2011. Oh yes, we set up camp in a double-wide trailer, liveblogged our hearts out, combed the show floor, and worked our rear ends off to bring you more gadget news than you ever thought possible. It's true, we've written over 720 posts (40 or so about tablets alone!), shot more than 180 videos, and brought you over 350 photo galleries in the last seven days. That's a ton of technology news and products, but naturally, only certain ones have been able to rise above the rest and stick out in our scary collective hive-mind. With that said, we've complied our annual best of list for you, so hit the break and feast your eyes on what are bound to be some of the best products of the new year.
Uno for uno dollar on iThings this Tuesday
If you've been looking for a (legitimate) excuse to scream "UNO!" in public, Mattel has got a deal for you: To celebrate Uno's 40th anniversary, the iPhone and iPad versions of the card game will be available for $1 on the App Store tomorrow, January 11 -- 1/11/11, geddit?
A look at BPG Motors amazing, transforming, self-balancing Uno (video)
One thing we're learning at CES is that the future of transportation is, apparently, pretty weird looking. The EN-V or YikeBike not odd enough? Check out the Uno from BPG Motors, a tricycle that transforms into a self-balancing, two-wheeled... thing. It's gained a wheel since the last time we saw it, a front fork that folds in between the rear wheels and the whole thing starts balancing when you need to go through some tight spaces and then, when it's time to go faster (up to around 30 or 35mph) that wheel pivots out, the whole thing lowers, and away it goes. Unfortunately we weren't allowed to pivot the thing at the show, but we have a video of the transformation after the break along with a little walk-around of the thing. Trust us: you'll want to watch them both. %Gallery-113484%
European PSN releases for April 22
There's a whole gang of playable content to get excited about in this week's European PSN update, such as Lead and Gold, After Burner Climax, the Lost Planet 2 multiplayer demo and UNO on the PSP. However, we'd make a strong case that the highlight of this most recent batch of additions isn't playable at all. We're speaking, of course, of the Sonic The Hedgehog comic from Archie Comics. Think we're joking? Look, right there, on the cover: "The World's Most Way Past Cool Comic!" How can you say no to that? Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
Gameloft bringing downloadable UNO to PSP on April 22
There are only two ways we could think to improve the UNO experience we currently have access to on the PS3 and 360: Make it available on a handheld console, in order to emulate the joy of holding tiny cards in our hands. Remove all camera functionality, in order to lessen the frequency with which we're exposed to strangers' bathing suit areas. Fortunately, Gameloft is coming through for us in both respects with a downloadable PSP version of UNO, which is set to hit the U.S. and European PlayStation Stores on April 22. The game's video announcement (posted after the jump) mentions it will support local and online multiplayer matches, but doesn't say anything about a price. We've contacted Gameloft to discern this ever-important (yet, surprisingly, often excluded!) detail.
PSN leaderboards point to top game downloads for January
Gamasutra wasn't able to get its hands on year-to-date PSN sales data directly from Sony, but it has come up with some interesting conclusions based on an unscientific look at ... leaderboard stats. The site broke down January's new releases, as well as a few other games that sold well last month, and the big debut of the month appears to be Hustle Kings, which added over 39,000 players to its ranks. Assault Heroes only picked up 754 new players, but given that it's a game that actually came out in 2006 on the Xbox, that's not a big surprise. PSN also offered up its "10 for '10" sale in January, and Uno came away from that event with a whopping 87,000 new players on its leaderboards. Braid and Critter Crunch also did well, adding 20,000 and 17,000 new players to their leaderboards, respectively. Keep in mind that these numbers are far from official, and not complete anyway -- Vandal Hearts: Flames of Judgment, Thexder Neo and Matt Hazard were released on PSN last month, and none of those games are included in this analysis, due to unreliable or nonexistent leaderboards. But it is probably fair to say that PSN had a pretty good month in January, especially with the games featured in its "10 for '10" sale. More of that, please.
NintendoWare Weekly: Aha! I found Uno in my Ghoul Patrol
You know, when Zombies Ate My Neighbors showed up on the Virtual Console, we were plum surprised. Save for a whisper here and there years earlier, we had no idea to expect the classic (and beloved) SNES title. Today, Nintendo has unleashed that game's sequel on the Virtual Console, accompanied by a bunch of other titles -- including Gameloft's WiiWare release, Uno, and Nintendo's feng-shui board game, Number Battle.
PSN Thursday: It's so tiny
[Image credit: David Gunter] Today's PSN update reminds us about the vastness of space. Like, space is really, really huge. Certainly in comparison to this week's update, which is so very, very small. Almost microscopic when placed next to each other. It's the smallest update we've seen in a long, long time. We're not going to say that it's been as long as space has existed, but it's been a long time. There's some Vampire Weekend DLC for Guitar Hero and an UNO demo, if you're interested. There's also more PSP comics. Check out the PSN update after the break. Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
European PSN releases for January 14
Unless you're like, a huge UNO fan, or a staunch supporter of speedy restaurant waiters, there's not a huge glut of exciting stuff in this week's European PSN releases. Still, there's a bunch of games on sale, Rock Band got a metric ton of new tracks, and Guitar Hero 5 saw the rhythm game debut of Vampire Weekend. Click past the jump for the full release list! Choose your platform to view the corresponding release list: (Note: Continue past the break to view both release lists.)
Today's Xbox Live deal: Uno Rush for $5
We'll make this one quick: Today's Xbox Live deal has cut the cost of Live Arcade's recommended skip-reverse-plus-4 sim, Uno Rush. Microsoft has taken 50% off the top, leaving a mere 400 MS Points behind. That's $5! Also, did you see what we did there at the beginning? "We'll make this one quick." Uno Rush. Pretty amazing stuff. Maybe you should give the $5 to us for our fabulous wordplay. Add Uno Rush to your Xbox 360 download queue
NintendoWare Weekly: Super Smash Bros., Ninja Gaiden, Dragon's Lair
Nintendo announced its 500th downloadable Wii game today, reserving the honor for Super Smash Bros. Or, we suppose, for any of the other Virtual Console or WiiWare games released today. But Nintendo says it's Super Smash Bros., and that certainly seems like a more special way to celebrate a milestone than, say, the arcade version of Ninja Gaiden. See all the WiiWare, Virtual Console, and DSiWare releases after the break.
