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Apple introduces iPhoto for iPad, updates Garage Band, iMovie and iWork
Apple's busy introducing a whole bunch of new apps to go along with its shiny new iPad, and iPhoto is near the top of the list. The "reinvention" of the iconic photo software will be available today for $4.99, and offers a plethora of features, such as bezel gestures, effects, multi-touch editing and direct beaming. You can also easily tweak white balance, exposure and saturation, and you can add geotags, notes and captions. Another highlight of the new iPhoto is the Journal, which allows you to pick and choose certain images to push to iCloud for web viewing. Interestingly, the announcement comes right on the heels of Adobe's competitive offering. To complete the circle of iLife at today's event, Apple announced significant updates to iWork, iMovie and Garage Band. iWork's refresh utilizes the new iPad's Retina display and offers 3D charts, and each individual app -- Keynote 1.6, Numbers 1.6 and Pages 1.6 -- will be ready for purchase today for $9.99 (or free, if you already have the apps). Next up is iMovie, available for $4.99, which now offers the ability to turn your HD movies into trailers and adds a few more advanced editing tools. Finally, Garage Band introduces a new feature called Jam Session, which lets you and three of your friends connect iOS devices together wirelessly and play together in real-time. Just as before, newbies can get the updated app for $4.99. For more coverage of Apple's iPad event, visit our hub!
Switched On: Metro and the Mac
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about consumer technology. With the release of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, more consumers can more easily experience Metro, along with Metro-style apps. With this new approach, Microsoft is making the most radical shift in user interface it's ever attempted -- a change so drastic it will supplant the desktop as the default user experience.
Griffin announces StudioConnect Audio/MIDI interface for iPad
Musicians have another audio and MIDI interface to choose from when they're looking for a way to connect a guitar, bass or MIDI instrument to an iPad. The new StudioConnect Audio/MIDI interface for iPad (US$149.99) was announced by Griffin Technology today, and it adds a sleek looking dock to the current options available. StudioConnect can be used with the optional GuitarConnect Pro analog to digital interface ($79.99), Griffin's Guitar Cables ($19.99), and the DJ Cable ($19.99) and a host of music applications on the iPad platform. The video below shows the StudioConnect being used with Garage Band by musicians TJ Daly, Jaren Johnston and Katie Herzig. Several other videos are available here, showing Griffin employees demonstrating the StudioConnect with guitar, bass, and MIDI keyboard. It looks like a pretty cool accessory for the musically-inclined, and we'll try to get a unit to our resident musicians for a followup review soon.
Considering Aperture for iOS
Gabe Glick over at Macstories has a proposal: Aperture for iOS. On the surface, it sounds like a pretty silly idea -- Apple's high end camera app is really made for a desktop environment, and with the hassle required to get high quality photos onto iOS devices, there really isn't a point bringing Aperture over to a platform like the iPad. But Glick, though he agrees with the naysayers to a certain extent, is willing to take the opposite position. He says that he thinks Aperture is coming to the iPad with the announcement (expected sometime this year) of the iPad 3. So we'll let him make his case. He says the Retina Display is a big benefit, for photographers who really want to see their pictures close up and in full color. Of course, the iPad 2 doesn't have a Retina Display, but if the iPad 3 gets the same kind of high definition screen that the iPhone 4 already has, Aperture would be more likely. iCloud's photo stream would make it easy to get pictures on the mobile device, a better A6 processor would make editing RAW photos and other high end resolutions easier as well, and finally, Glick says that a "professional workhorse" app like Aperture shouldn't be automatically dismissed from the iPad. Most people would have said the same thing about iMovie and GarageBand on the iPad, and both of those have done quite well. When you put it like that, well, sure. Obviously this is all just speculation -- we won't know that Apple is releasing an app like this until it's actually announced on stage. But I will say as well that I've been trying to make noise lately for a sort of "iCamera" -- a more professional DSLR camera made and produced by Apple -- and I've been answered most of the time with the suggestion that Apple is betting on the cameras in its mobile devices rather than a separate dedicated device. If that is true, then sure, why wouldn't we want to see better official tools to deal with photos than the current Camera app offers?
Guitar apprentice hands-on (video)
You know the whole "why don't you learn to play a real guitar" backlash that comes with the release of every Guitar Hero title? Multiply that by a hundred, and you're about ready to get down with Guitar Apprentice. The iPad add-on from the folks who brought you the similarly named Piano Apprentice turns your Apple tablet into something roughly the shape of a Gibson SG. From afar, it does look like a guitar. It's a fair bit lighter though, the wood swapped out for plastic, which feels pretty hollow. The iPad sits in the body of the Guitar Apprentice. Right now, it just works with Garage Band, though the company tells us that its working on a proprietary app, so don't let the fact that the neck doesn't line up right now throw you too much. The neck is covered with small buttons, which light up and play as notes from their corresponding placement on the fretboard through a small speaker on the bottom of the guitar's body -- hold multiple down simultaneously and you'll get chord. The speaker on the thing is pretty quiet -- that can be adjusted with the single volume knob, though that, like a lot about the Guitar Apprentice, isn't quite ready. The company tells us that the device is still a ways off, which means that, at present, you still can't strum the thing. Still, it's actually kind of neat, if totally ridiculous. This could be a solid educational devices for parents who aren't quite ready to plunk down the cash for a guitar and amp. When it's released, the Guitar Apprentice will run around $100 -- plus the price of an iPad, naturally.
Griffin Studio Connect, Midi Connect hands-on (video)
Griffin really loves Garageband music makers, so much in fact that it's releasing two new devices to help budding Mantovanis do all their composing on their iPads. The Midi Connect has an Apple dock connector on one end and a MIDI-in and MIDI-out interface on the other. The Studio Connect is a more muscular iPad dock that'll let you control any instrument that runs MIDI or a quarter-inch lead. There's a physical gain control rocker, blue-glowing volume switch and you can either push out sound to its stereo AV output or a 3.5mm headphone jack. Both devices will arrive in "Spring:" the Midi Connect going for $80, the Studio Connect setting you back $150.Dana Murph contributed to this report.
Garage Band: TUAW Best of 2011 for iPad music apps
It's been a long haul, but we've finally come to the end of the TUAW Best of 2011. The last category in which readers nominated their favorites and then voted for the top five finishers was iPad music apps. This was a huge category -- music apps cover the landscape from applications that turn the tablet into a musical instrument to apps that make it easier to organize and listen to your music. The winner was Apple's Garage Band (US$4.99), grabbing 44.1 percent of reader votes. Garage Band, of course, started life as a Mac music app. But it has really come into its own as an inexpensive iOS app, allowing musicians and would-be musicians of all ages to create and record their own music. Smart Instruments and pre-recorded loops make it possible for anyone with an iPad to generate professional-sounding music. What was the runner-up? Tango Remote Control Media Player HD ($4.99), an amazing app that can "wirelessly control music and video between iPads, iPhones and iPod touches." With one device connected to a stereo or TV, you can use another as a powerful remote with multiple playlist support, audio and video scrubbing, and more. Congratulations to Apple's software team for winning the TUAW Best of 2011 award for the best iPad music app of the year.
Homemade electronic drum kit uses plastic bowls, serves battery-powered battery
Drums and parents go together like cheese and gravel, but if the little ones want to learn, the smart buy is a headphone friendly electric kit. Proud / sneaky parent Ian Cole, on the other hand, decided that a portable set of digital drums would be the ideal way to share his son's "talent" with the grand-folk. Using an ATmega168-based "Drum Kit - Kit Ai" from SpikenzieLabs, some piezos to register hits -- wired up via plastic plumbing tubes -- and a bit of imagination (ok, actually MIDI and Garage Band), he knocked up a fully whackable six-piece kit so Junior can get his Bonham on during those precious weekend visits. There's no word on whether pops will make a wearable version for added family fun, but if you want to see it in action check the video after the break.
TUAW Best of 2011: Vote for your favorite iPad music app
The nominations are in, and the poll is ready to go! The TUAW Best of 2011 awards are all about you -- the readers -- and what you think is the cream of the crop of Apple or third-party products and software. To vote, select one entry from the top nominations made by readers. We'll be announcing the winner in just a few days. Vote early and often! At last, we've come to the final category for TUAW Best of 2011 voting. We'd like your votes for the best iPad music app of 2011. There were a lot of nominees in this TUAW Best of 2011 category, but the finalists were: Party Playlist HD (US$3.99) -- referred to as the "Ultimate Djay on iPad" Groove for iPad ($3.99) -- creates mixes by studying your listening habits Animoog ($9.99 introductory price) -- From Moog Music, the company that defines electronic music GarageBand ($4.99) -- Apple's easy-to-use music making and recording app Tango Remote HD ($4.99) -- wirelessly control music and video between iPads, iPhones, and iPod touches You have a couple of days to vote, and the winners will be announced on January 6, 2012. Let the voting begin! %Poll-72479%
Nominate your favorite iPhone music app for TUAW's Best of 2011
During December and January, The Unofficial Apple Weblog is soliciting your nominations and votes for the best products for Mac, iPhone/iPod touch, and iPad. We'll start with nominations in a category, and then tally your votes for the top-nominated products a few days later. The winner in each category receives the highly-coveted title of TUAW Best of 2011. Today's category for nominations in the TUAW Best of 2011 awards is iPhone music apps. This is a huge area in the App Store, with apps that not only play music, but let you create music as well. This is also the last category for iPhone nominations. Apple's GarageBand (US$4.99) made it to the iPhone this year, turning your favorite phone (or iPod touch) into a music-making maniac. Smule's Magic Guitar (free) and Magic Piano (free) can make you a pocket musician in no time. Listening to music on Pandora (free) or Spotify (free) is easier than ever now, and Clear Channel's iHeartRadio (free) lets you listen to over 800 real radio stations from your iPhone. TUAW wants to hear from you -- what's your favorite iPhone music app? Leave your nomination in the comments below. Voting will start soon! Nominations close at 11:59 PM ET on December 23, 2011.
Beat Box table turns RFID tagging into beautiful music
RFID -- it's not just for creepy tracking anymore. Don't believe us? Check out this sweet table that turns RFID-tagged discs into music when dropped into one of four bowls. The discs are made from vinyl records, and each bowl has an RFID reader connected to an Arduino. Dropping a disc into a bowl triggers a drum, synth, guitar or bass loop. There's also an LED by each of the bowls to indicate which loop you'll be hearing. Video of the table in action, after the break.
The iPad rocks this 'It Girl' remix
We've heard some really good music come out of an iPad before, but to me it's all basically sounded like yeah, it came from a tablet. This remix of Jason Derulo's "It Girl," however, which you can watch below, sounds like the real thing to me. Yes, there's a lot of R&B sampling in there, and some of the sythesizers do sound like, well, synths, but on the whole it sounds really amazing. Professional music, made completely with an iPad! Plus, the video, by a group called East Midwest Music, is probably the most well-produced iPad music video ever, clearly documenting not only which apps were used for which instruments, but also how they were recorded and put together. Trust me, as a blogger who often has to go hunting around for screenshots to label apps in music videos, I really appreciate that. Definitely give this one a watch below. [via TechCrunch]
GarageBand app goes universal, now ready for iPhone
Apple has updated GarageBand for iOS. It's now universal with support for the iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation) and iPod touch (4th generation). There are several new features, too, like custom chords for smart instruments, support for additional time signatures (3/4 time and 6/8) and new audio export quality settings. GarageBand for iOS was introduced earlier this year as a marquee app for the iPad 2 (here's our review). Apple notes that this version, 1.1, offers "numerous enhancements," including adjustable velocity settings for the touch instruments, new transposition options (semitones or full octaves) and support for recording in straight eighth notes, swinging eighths and triplets. Of course, the big news is that its now available to devices other than the iPad. This is a free update to existing users and sells for US$4.99. Show full PR text GarageBand Now Available for iPhone and iPod touch Users CUPERTINO, California-November 1, 2011-Apple® today announced that GarageBand®, its breakthrough music creation app, is now available for iPhone® and iPod touch® users. Introduced earlier this year on iPad®, GarageBand uses Apple's revolutionary Multi-Touch™ interface to make it easy for anyone to create and record their own songs, even if they've never played an instrument before. "GarageBand on iPad has been a big hit and we think customers will love using it on their iPhone or iPod touch," said Philip Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. "The innovative Multi-Touch interface combined with Smart Instruments makes it easy to create great sounding music, even if you've never studied music or played an instrument before." GarageBand features a collection of fun Touch Instruments that sound great and make it easy for beginners or experienced musicians to play and record keyboards, guitars, drums and basses in a wide variety of styles. Smart Instruments now allow you to choose from an extensive new library of custom chords so you can play and strum along with your favorite songs. You can plug your electric guitar into iPad, iPhone or iPod touch to play and record through classic amps and stompbox effects, or record your voice or any acoustic sound using the built-in microphone. GarageBand allows you to record and mix up to eight tracks and then share your finished song with friends or send it to your Mac® to keep working on it in GarageBand or Logic® Pro. Pricing & Availability GarageBand 1.1 for iPad, iPhone and iPod touch is available on the App Store™ for $4.99 (US) to new users, or as a free update for existing GarageBand for iPad customers. GarageBand is a universal app that runs on iPad, iPad 2, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPod touch (3rd & 4th generation). Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced iPad 2 which is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices.
Apple brings GarageBand to iPod touch and iPhone users, because rocking out shouldn't require a tablet
Lookie here -- an iPad app just got miniaturized. It's not too often we see the progress work in reverse, but one of Apple's flagship iPad programs has just been converted for use on the iPhone and iPod touch. It doesn't seem as if too much is changing -- outside of the shrunken display options, of course. You can still plug your electric guitar into either of Apple's more bantam iOS devices in order to record through classic amps and stompbox effects, or record your voice or any acoustic sound using the built-in microphone. The app enables users to record and mix up to eight tracks and then share the finished product with friends or send it to your Mac to keep working on it in GarageBand (the "real one") or Logic Pro. It'll run new users $4.99, but if you already purchased the iPad build, it's a free update to get the new ports. Oh, and if you're curious, the app now runs on iPad, iPad 2, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPod touch (third and fourth generation). Tap the iTunes link below to snag your own copy.
Apogee Jam guitar adapter review
Musicians have long needed ways to catalog ideas and capture rough recordings of new material without the anchor that is a full-fledged recording setup. Apogee offers just that with its Jam guitar adapter for the iPad, iPhone and Mac, which allows you to strum your way to a record deal via an iOS device. Whether you're on the road or in your living room, the ability to connect a Les Paul to a mobile device and crank out the demo for your next hit is super helpful. But, is it worth the $100 investment to have recording-on-the-go at your fingertips? Read on to see what we discovered. %Gallery-137053%
Line 6 Mobile In app turns your iPad or iPhone into a multi-effect amp -- party on, Wayne
No word yet on if the volume peaks at 11, but what Line 6's new Mobile In offerings will do is turn your iPad or iPhone into a pro modeling amp, with a sick range of amplifiers, guitar cabinets, stompboxes, tones and rack effects. The setup comes in two separate parts: the free mobile Pod app and the Mobile In adaptor, which lets aspiring metalheads (or Fleeting Foxes) connect their guitars to an iOS device using the 30-pin connector. Line 6 says this connection blows similar jack-based apps out of the water, and it's throwing in 24-bit/48kHz digital sound for good measure. Although you'll get a killer 110dB of dynamic range for guitar, you can still achieve 98dBs when you plug in another mono or stereo-line level -- that old keytar, perhaps? With that kind of combo you'll be thankful to know that it records and works with other CoreAudio apps like GarageBand -- perfect for jamming out with your keyboard toutin' buddies without the back-breaking work of carrying a heavy amp. Have your lighters ready for when the $79.99 adaptor ships this fall, but until then, check out the video and full PR after the break.
MIDI Mobilizer II stores your musical stylings, plays nice with CoreMIDI apps
Much music making progress has been made since we first saw Line 6's MIDI Mobilizer -- namely, Apple put MIDI APIs in iOS and iPads started slinging super funky synthesized songs on the regular. In order to embrace the Cupertino-curated CoreMIDI standard, Line 6 has unveiled the MIDI Mobilizer II dongle. It looks like the original and uses the same MIDI Memo Recorder app to store and dispense your sonic musings, but this $70 piece of kit only works with the 3rd and 4th gen iPod touch, the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, and the iPad and iPad 2. Most importantly, the MIDI Mobilizer is compatible with GarageBand and all the latest CoreMIDI apps the kids are crazy about. Still not sold on the device's ability to help you make a dope digital ditty? Peep the PR and video after the break to learn more.
GarageBand and iMovie for iPad updated
The iPad versions of GarageBand and iMovie have been updated today. GarageBand for iPad has been updated to version 1.0.1 and contains the following new features and fixes: Support for audio output over AirPlay, Bluetooth devices and HDMI with the Apple Digital AV Adapter Import of AIFF, WAV, CAF audio files and Apple Loops (16 bit, 44.1 kHz) Allows copy and paste of audio from supported apps into GarageBand Addresses occurrences of GarageBand freezing while playing Smart Instruments Improves overall stability and addresses a number of minor issues A support document for GarageBand 1.0.1 notes now the new audio copy/paste function works: "You can paste an audio file from an app that supports copying audio to the clipboard. GarageBand for iPad supports uncompressed audio files with a sample rate of 44.1 kHz and 16-bit depth (the standard for audio CDs). Audio files copied from another app can be pasted to Audio Recorder or Guitar amp tracks." iMovie for iPad/iPhone has been updated to version 1.2.1 and includes: Audio plays from your HDTV when using the Apple Digital AV Adapter Video plays full screen from Marquee to your HDTV when using the Apple Digital AV Adapter Resolves some cases of missing media in projects Provides more accurate clip grouping by date in Video browser Fixes an issue where a project's background music would not fade in or out Additional performance and reliability improvements Both updates are free to existing users and available now on the App Store. Note that these updates may not show up for you if you search for them from the Apps tab in your iTunes sidebar -- Apple's two App Stores appear to be having flaky issues with updates today -- but the updated versions do show up on each app's page, and you can download the updates for free from there.
Guitar solo on iPad shreds
At first I kind of made fun of GarageBand on the iPad because I never thought anyone could make truly compelling music on a touch device. That's all changed after I saw Cult of Mac point out George Lambro's guitar solo on the iPad. I'll let the music speak for itself, but I will say this is how the iPad becomes "magical," as Apple likes to put it. It's not so much what the device can do, but what people can do with the device. See the video on the next page.
Drum sticks, guitar picks for GarageBand for iPad needs support
Aspiring musicians with a gentle touch should check out this project from the Australian group behind the Wallee mount for the iPad. The designers are developing rubberized accessories, branded Pix & Stix, to be used with GarageBand on the iPad 2. The project includes a pair of drum sticks and a guitar pick that lets you use the iPad like a real instrument. Both the sticks and the guitar pick include electro-conductive rubber tips compatible with the iPad's capacitive touchscreen display. The group is selling a set of two sticks and one pick for US$14.95 in a project that is funded similar to Kickstarter. The group is now accepting pre-orders and production will begin when the project reaches its funding goal. If not enough people jump on the Pix & Stix bandwagon, then your money will be refunded after 30 days. Besides this $15 price tag, iPad musicians may want to figure in the cost of a rider policy that covers cracked screens resulting from an overenthusiastic drum solo. [Via Gizmodo and MacStories]
