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Zivix PUC gets MIDI instruments talking wirelessly to iOS and PCs (video)
Zivix promised wireless freedom to iOS-loving guitarists when it unveiled the JamStik; today, it's extending that liberty to a much wider range of musicians. Its just-announced PUC peripheral connects most any MIDI instrument to iOS devices, Macs and Windows PCs through a direct WiFi link. The device works with many CoreMIDI-capable apps, and it takes power through either a micro-USB source or a pair of AA batteries. Zivix plans to sell the PUC for $129 in December, although you'll get a price break if you reserve early -- the company is running a crowdfunding campaign that lets early adopters pay between $69 to $99 for a regular model.
Standout iOS apps from TechCrunch Disrupt
TechCrunch Disrupt is all about startups, and one of the hottest areas of innovation is mobile apps. Not surprisingly, there were quite a few companies showcasing new and exciting titles on the conference floor. Thanks to the footwork of our own Mike Rose and Doc Rock at Disrupt, we were able to hand-pick several standout iOS apps that were on display. Keep an eye on these companies below -- they may be small now, but they could be the next Instapaper. Mapp2link Mapp2link combines location awareness with messaging to help you connect with nearby LinkedIn contacts. It's similar to Sonar, but focused exclusively on professional connections and simplicity. The app uses push notifications so you'll always know when a contact is in your vicinity. Mapp2link is available for free in the iOS App Store. Yopine Yopine is a group-mind polling app that lets you ask for opinions and get input from friends before you make an important (or trivial) decision. For example, rather than getting into a long email thread about where to eat or which ski resort to visit, Yopine lets you gather all the "votes" in one place and let everyone know what the final plan is. You can check out the free Yopine app in the iOS App Store. Quoter Quoter is the Instagram for your platitudes. The app places your favorite quotes into striking templates and allows you to share them with your friends and family. Quoter is available for free in the iOS App Store. Tweekaboo Tweekaboo is a private social network that lets you create a digital family scrapbook and share those precious moments with your close family members. The company plans to roll out a book printing option in the next few weeks. Tweekaboo is available for free from the iOS App Store. SaveTheMom Save The Mom takes all your family's communications and compiles them into one app so everyone (in the family) can see your lists, appointments, photos and more. Save The Mom is available for free from the iOS App Store. Purchext Purchext is an expense reporting tool for a child's allowance. It helps parents track their children's spending by requiring them to submit a receipt and get approval for a purchase. Money for the purchase is pulled from funds placed on a securely borrowed credit card. You can learn more about the service on Purchext's website and from this TechCrunch Disrupt article. Park Tag Park Tag wants to make parking easier by connecting a person who is vacating a parking spot with someone who is in the same vicinity looking for a space to park their car. It's an ambitious use of social networking. The Park Tag app is available for free from the iOS App Store. We'll have more coverage of some of our favorite featured products from TC Disrupt (including Crowdfynd and Skit!) in the next couple of days.
Chef Sleeve's Smart Food Scale sends nutritional info to your iOS device
Seeing as how Chef Sleeve is best know for its combo cutting board / iPad stand, the company's latest product isn't a huge leap. Sadly, the it didn't actually have a prototype of its Smart Food Scale at its booth here at TechCrunch Disrupt, but we did get a chance to chat a bit about the product, which just had its Kickstarter page open up. The device is a food scale that communicates via Bluetooth with your iOS device. Put the food on, input what it is and it will send that information to your iPhone and iPad. The app offers up USDA nutritional information, letting you keep track of calories, fat, vitamins, minerals and other information. The company's also looking to expand the functionality of the software, to open things up to chefs and other folks who might appreciate such info. The Kickstarter page still has 29 days left to hit its $30,000 goal, and pledge of $79 or more will get you access to the scale. When it hits retail, it'll run closer to $99.
FitBark monitors your dog's 'BarkScore,' we go eyes-on (video)
Granted, dogs tend to be a bit more vocal than, say, hydroponic plants, but sometimes it's tough for busy owners to know precisely when their furry best friend is getting enough activity. FitBark, yet another Kickstarter candidate showing its goods on the floor of TechCrunch Disrupt's Hardware Alley, is a bone-shaped wearable computer than hooks onto your dog's collar. The device communicates with either a home base (shaped, naturally, like a doghouse) or your smartphone. The company's got an iOS app (with Android on the way) that monitors your dog's activity, awarding the pup a "BarkScore" out of 100. That's an, um, "quantified woof," according to the company. FitBark still has 29 days left to hit its lofty $100,000 goal, and a pledge of $99 or more will get you in on the first batch of devices. Check out a video pitch of the device after the break.%Gallery-187333%
Bitponics personal gardening assistant eyes-on (video)
Plants need TLC just like any other living thing, but sadly, they're not really great at telling you what they want. Bitponics is looking to take a bit of that guess work out of hydroponic and aquaponic gardens with a WiFi base station that monitors your plant life and connects to automated accessories that help you care for them. The device ships with monitors for pH, water temperature, air temperature, humidity and light, connecting to the company's Bitponics Cloud system, so you can monitor things remotely via web browser. The system's not cheap -- it's set to run $499 when it ships, fittingly, this spring. Check out a video walkthrough of the setup just after the break.%Gallery-187330%
Eyes-on with Ninja Blocks 'home automation for hackers' (video)
Yet another Kickstarter success story is here on the Hardware Alley Floor at TechCrunch Disrupt. Ninja Blocks look a fair bit different than they used to, however -- the 3D-printed case has been traded up for something that looks a lot more like a final, saleable product. In fact, it looks a little like a router or an external hard drive, albeit one with color-changing ninja eyes. The company was also talking up the home automation possibilities of its platform a bit more than the straightforward sensor pitch. In a buzz phrase, the company is calling this "home automation for hackers." Using the Ninja Rules app, you can turn lights and appliances on and off, get alerts for things like your wash and monitor your home, without writing code -- of course, knowing how helps. The whole platform is extremely open to users, and inside the case, you'll find a Beagle Bone and Arduino board, both accessible by pulling at the handy "Hack Me" tag that hangs on its side. The base system will run you $199. More information can be found in a video after the break.%Gallery-187329%
Siva Cycle Atom bike-powered battery charger eyes-on (video)
It was just about a week ago that we first told you about Siva Cycle's Atom, a pedal-powered battery charger that's currently taking Kickstarter by storm, healthily surpassing its $85,000 goal, with 21 days to spare. Lo and behold, the kinetic peripheral popped up on the Hardware Alley floor at TechCrunch Disrupt, here in NYC. Actually trying the thing out is a bit much to ask in the crowded Manhattan Center, but the company was nice enough to demo the device with a little good old-fashioned hand power. The system is pretty minimally invasive, from the looks of it. The removable battery pack sits next to the rear wheel axle, and there's also a USB port just below the seat for charging devices more directly. Get in early, and you'll be able to pick the system up for $85. Not convinced? Check out the company's plea in a video just after the break.%Gallery-187326%
Gyft for iOS now compatible with Passbook, adds gift cards from more than 200 retailers
With Apple having recently introduced its novel Passbook feature in the latest version of iOS, it's only natural for app makers to try and take advantage of such miscellaneous hub. With that in mind, Gyft -- a 2012 TechCrunch Disrupt finalist -- has made its application fully compatible with Cupertino's newfangled iOS 6, adding support for the iPhone 5's 4-inch screen and, most importantly, the ability to add gift cards from many retailers to Passbook; some of which include Amazon, Target, Lowe's, GAP, American Eagle and Starbucks. You can grab the Gyft (v1.2) application now directly from your iDevice, or there's always the link below if that makes it slightly easier for you.
Disrupt panel discusses iPhone 5 launch
The best of the best in the Apple world took to the stage last week during TechCrunch Disrupt to talk about the iPhone 5. Hosted by TechCrunch's Darrell Etherington, the round table of Apple experts include Jim Dalrymple of The Loop, John Gruber of Daring Fireball, Tim Stevens of Engadget, Jason Snell of Macworld and TechCrunch columnist MG Siegler. If you haven't already, you should definitely take the time to listen to their conversation, which is available on TechCrunch's website. It's filled with insight about the iPhone 5 and Apple's position in the smartphone marketplace.
Zuckerberg: betting on HTML 5 for Facebook mobile app was a 'mistake,' native Android version on the way
Remember the days before Facebook's iOS app ditched HTML 5 and sped things up with some native code? It turns out that there's some regret in Menlo Park about relying on the web markup language. Betting on HTML 5 for the app is "one of the biggest mistakes if not the biggest strategic mistakes we've ever made," Mark Zuckerberg said in an interview at TechCrunch Disrupt today. The firm's CEO also mentioned that new features will be making their way to the app and a snappier Android version is coming down the pike "when it's done."
ZBoard electric skateboard sneakers-on (video)
We spotted the dudes behind the ZBoard at TechCrunch Disrupt earlier this week, but we weren't content to just ride the electric skateboard up and down the halls of Pier 94. We asked them to take a walk with us to Washington Square Park so we could take the board for a spin in a more realistic setting -- also, any excuse to skip out of work a bit earlier to go skating in the park on a sunny Friday afternoon is hard to turn down. We initially asked them to meet us at one of New York City's many skate parks, but they balked at the suggestion -- after all, it's more of a commuting board than anything else. It's big and fairly heavy, so attempting to go vert with the thing is pretty much out -- grinding and kickflips are likely off the table, too. Co-creator Geoff Larson told us he managed to get the thing up on two wheels, but that's about the limit of trickery at the moment -- we're sure that'll change pretty quickly, as soon as more boards make their way into the hands of the public. In the meantime, the ZBoard is all about getting around, giving you about 10 miles on a single charge. Larson added that one skater said he planned to use his ZBoard to make the long trip to the skatepark and back, carrying his manual board along for the ride. Join us after the break for some sneakers-on impressions.%Gallery-156205%
Playsurface touchscreen computing table hands-on (video)
Let's be honest -- the first time we saw the Microsoft Surface in action, we all dreamt of getting our grubby fingers on our very own unit. Five years later, we're no closer to the dream of a touchscreen coffee tablet in every living room. Templeman Automation, thankfully, shares that dream. Earlier this month, we caught word of the company's Playsurface, a Kickstarter project aimed at bringing low cost touchscreen computing to the tabletops of eager early adopters who just can't quite justify the $8,000 price tag on Microsoft's similarly named product. We were excited at the prospect of finally getting to play with the product when TechCrunch opened up the gates to the hardware portion of its Disrupt conference. Unfortunately, as we quickly found out, things wouldn't be quite so easy -- the show was held at Pier 94, a space with overabundant natural light courtesy of rows and rows of skylights. As it turns out, the sun doesn't play too well with the infrared light that helps power Playsurface's touchscreen functionality. The table's creators were nice enough to pop by our offices to let us take the living room gadget for a test drive.
Social Bicycles announces availability by end of summer, we go hands-on (video)
When last saw the Social Bicycles (SoBi), there wasn't a heck of a lot to report on. The whole thing was little more than a concept, a Kickstarter page and an early prototype. Flash forward just under a year later, and it's beginning to look a lot like a real, consumer-facing product. The New York startup showed off its bike and a couple of apps today at TechCrunch Disrupt. The concept here is not too dissimilar from a Zipcar -- you locate a bike using the Android or iOS app, find it on the street, enter your PIN, pull out the lock and you're good to go. If you're feeling particularly enterprising, you can can pick up bikes to rent up for $1,300 a piece, if you order less than 50 or $1,100 per, if you go for more. The wireless data, meanwhile, runs $15 per bike, per month. The company has both consumer and business-facing apps. On the administrative side of things, you can track the bikes and set boundaries for return. Incentive programs are set up, giving customers credits, should they do something like get a bike from outside a designated hub and return it to one.
gTar iPhone guitar hands-on
When we first caught word of the gTar, it was a bit of a mystery, with an online presence amounting to little more than a low-res press shot, an enigmatic YouTube teaser and assorted specs coming out of South By Southwest and various investor sites. This week, however, brings TechCrunch Disrupt to town -- and Incident Technologies has braved some unseasonable New York City storms to come along for the ride. We managed to snag some time with the iPhone-docking instrument ahead of its debut on stage this afternoon. Details are still a little scarce -- but here's what we know: the company is looking for a summer release for the educational instrument. In the meantime, Incident has thrown up a Kickstarter page, so you can get in on the action. A limited number of investors can get their hands on a unit for the low, low donation price of $350, once it goes into production. That's $100 off the estimated $450 retail price point -- not cheap, sure, but there are a couple of things to note here. First, we played with the gTar for a bit and we can say, definitively, that this isn't just some cheap, plasticky toy -- this feels like a real, amateur-level electric guitar. Also, for whatever it's worth, that price also includes a backpack carrying case -- so that's something, right? Follow along after the break to get some fingers-on impressions.
Bizness Apps makes simple mobile apps for your small business
I'm here at TechCrunch Disrupt checking out the startups and have stumbled upon a few interesting companies. Bizness Apps has been around for a short while (they didn't launch here, as some companies have) that aims to provide a simple, web-based app building system for small businesses. It's not exactly a template system; Bizness Apps provides a series of functional components which you can plug in to an app and deploy using HTML5, or put on the App Store or Android Market. I was pretty skeptical about Bizness Apps, as it harkened to the days of website templates, when anyone could charge a law firm thousands of dollars to do about 30 minutes of data entry and blorp out a website. Bizness Apps, on the other hand, works much better if you have design skills and can put together something attractive. Better yet, if you happen to be heavy on design and light on code, Bizness Apps offers a white label solution so you can essentially resell their product to clients. Or, if your restaurant was dumb enough to pay someone to build you an all-Flash site that can't be accessed by the majority of smartphones out there, Bizness Apps can fix that quickly (but doesn't "port" your Flash site). There are, in fact, templates at work here, but they are only a starting point. Bizness Apps knows its market and has created templates for small businesses who typically need a simple feature set: restaurants, bars/clubs, law firms, realtors, gyms and radio stations (plus a longer list inside the web tool). Of course, you can take those and morph them. The features you will add will vary, but the list of what's available is impressive and useful, and includes things like push notifications, GPS coupons, counters, galleries and CRM tools. Plus, they are adding e-commerce solutions from Volusion, Magento and Shopify. If you're looking to add purchases to your app, these are pretty good solutions. That said, this feature list is far from comprehensive. How much does all this cost? To get started, it's $39 a month for an iPhone app. If you want to make that app for Android, iPad or in HTML5, you're looking at an additional $10 per month for each deployment target. So, if you're a restaurant wanting to deploy to iPhone, iPad, Android and HTML5 you're looking at $69 per month. Not bad, but the value should be weighed against how much it would cost to build a HTML5 site to begin with and deploying it using a basic web host. Yes, there's something to be said about having a native app, but is it worth the additional cost to your business to have this app? The advantage of Bizness Apps is the ease-of-use and targeted features. Still, I spoke to a developer who initially lost business to them only to have some clients come back when they discovered they wanted more custom features. Luckily you can try Bizness Apps for free and see if it's right for your business.
Ford / Bug Labs partnership makes SYNC look like old news
It's a big day for the forward-thinking folks at Ford. Over in Frankfurt, the American auto giant showcased electric bike and cloud car concepts, and several timezones away at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco, the company talked up its new partnership with Bug Labs. The result is OpenXC, a platform that promises to deliver increased integration for third-party software and hardware, like new audio interfaces, safety products and environmental sensors, plugged into Bugs' hardware and software modules. According to Ford, OpenXC makes developing for Ford vehicles far simpler than before, while lowering the cost and installation difficulty for car owners interested in adding on to their vehicles. More info in the press release after the break.
Switched On: Devices designed to disrupt
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. Industry conferences that include competitions among scores of startups generally don't look too kindly upon companies producing hardware. Nonetheless, there were quite a few physical products shown off this week at TechCrunch Disrupt in New York. These were either the main offering of companies or complements to their service offering, and judging by their demo platform of choice, the iPhone appears to be a leading agent of disruption -- the companies introducing hardware used Apple's handset to do everything from avoiding stress to measuring its biological impact. Switched On will introduce four such products after the break.
HP's Bradley: HP isn't trying to be Apple, will sell 15 million webOS printers next year
It's no secret that HP's Todd Bradley is one of the leading candidates to succeed ousted CEO Mark Hurd, and it doesn't look like he was doing much to dissuade that notion at the now happening TechCrunch Disrupt conference. In addition to addressing a question about whether it's ethically wrong to charge so much for ink by responding "ask me next year, if I take the [CEO] position," Bradley also sounded more than a little like a CEO throughout, and made a fair bit of news in the process. That includes a confirmation that HP won't be licensing webOS to other companies, and the attention-grabber of a statement that "emulating Apple is not part of our strategy." As if that wasn't enough, Bradley also made the rather bold promise that HP will sell 15 million webOS-based printers next year alone, and he predicted that tablets will become a $40 billion market within the next few years -- a market that HP plans to enter in a "big way." Head on past the break for a video of the interview.
