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UE Boom 2: One of the best wireless speakers gets even better
Ultimate Ears is at it again, updating the last straggler in its line of Bluetooth speakers to get them all on the same page in terms of build and software. A few months ago, the company revamped its entry level offering and today Ultimate Ears is announcing the UE Boom 2. This is the mid-level speaker in the UE lineup and although the changes may be hard to notice at first glance, they're significant enough to warrant a second look. It sports a fresh set of colors and a tighter fabric mesh that contributes to its new IPX7 waterproof rating. The internals have been reworked to improve Bluetooth range, sound quality and offer a few special features. The UE Boom 2 is available today on the Ultimate Ears website, with Apple's online store following close behind. You can pick one up for the same $199 price as the original UE Boom (it's £170 in the UK), but you'll be getting a good deal more under the hood.
Air Pick finally lets you ditch that dumb guitar
Every guitar player in history, no matter how cool he or she might be, has had one fatal flaw -- that goofy stringed instrument. Finally, one brave company is liberating rockstars from their leash-like attachment to the thing. Flair's Air Pick is an oversized guitar pick that features built-in jams like "Satisfaction," "Born to be Wild," "Smoke on the Water," and "Sweet Home Alabama" -- you know, the sort of songs you used to have to own a guitar or a funny-looking belt to play. The toys are set to hit stores in the next few weeks, so you may want to hold onto those real life guitars for a little bit longer.
Guitar Hero out on iPhone now
Wait, isn't Guitar Hero out for the iPhone already? I guess it wasn't (competitor Rock Band came out months ago), but as of the keynote yesterday morning, it is now. Activision has finally released a version of the very popular music game for Apple's device, and the early reviews are pretty good. Unlike most of the music games on the iPhone, you can actually use the multitouch screen to "strum," in a minimal imitation of the game's guitar controller. The game also offers up customizable rockers, and it's Facebook-connected as well. The soundtrack is pretty impressive, too, although the pickings are slim without in-app purchases. There are six songs to play right away, from Queen to Rolling Stones to Weezer, and then you can buy various 3-packs of songs from different bands like Protest the Hero and Vampire Weekend. The app itself is priced at just US$2.99, so it looks like Activision is aiming to compete with the $6.99 Rock Band by going cheap and making it up on the in-app purchases. Which is actually not a bad idea -- this way, you only have to pay for the songs that you want rather than a big song list that you're not interested in. Otherwise, the app seems like a respectable version of the console game on Apple's handheld. It's a little late, given that competitors have all released their own versions already, but it's priced and featured accordingly. If you've still got room for another music game on your iPhone, it's worth checking out.
Guitar Hero 5 getting rolled over by Stones
Are you ready to do your best Jagger? Activision certainly hopes so -- a recent press release has revealed the first DLC pack for Guitar Hero 5: A quintet of Rolling Stones tracks. Dropping September 3 (two days after the game hits store shelves), the pack includes live cuts of "Prodigal Son," "You Gotta Move," "Under My Thumb," "I'm Free," and "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." You can bring the whole British Invasion to your console of choice for just 720 ($9, 900 Wii Points) or get single songs from the pack for 160 ($2, 200 Wii Points).Seriously, though. Do your best Jagger. (Video NSFW!)
