Hasta La Gadget!

MIDI might be a little long in the tooth as protocols go, but it’s been the prevailing standard for getting music hardware and software to play nice pretty much since its inception. As such, the MIDI controller is a fairly established staple in professional and bedroom studios alike. The problem is they’re generic by nature. They come in all shapes and sizes, but to be profitable, they need to appeal to a broad range of applications. Ableton clearly didn’t think this arrangement was up to snuff, though, so it created Push — a software controller built entirely for its popular Live production software. While there have been Live-specific controllers before — some even officially endorsed by Ableton — Push is a whole new beast. It’s one that hopes to unite hardware and software in a way that an all-purpose controller never could.

Ableton also has lofty musical ambitions for Push: it claims it designed the hardware as an instrument in and of itself; something that lets you close the lid of the laptop and use to make music with, while not looking like you are checking your email. And, given that Ableton makes the software that it’s building Push for, integration is understandably expected to be airtight. But how well does it work? Is it an instrument? Will it replace all your other controllers? Do you want one? Is it worth the $599 pre-order price? Will it blend? We’ve pushed ourselves to explore the device fully in an effort to find out (apart from that last question, of course).

Filed under: Misc, Peripherals

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Forget pulling a wagon filled with kids. If you really want to enjoy a day at the beach you’ll hit the sand with this speaker-packed wagon in tow. A pair of 12-volt batteries power the Blastmaster XL’s 2,000 watt sound system for up to 40 hours of non-stop partying, and yes, it comes with cup holders. More »

Playing a violin requires far more finesse than just dragging a bow across its strings. There are subtle nuances in motion, pressure, and speed required that take years to master. Or, you can wait for Dylan Menzies to perfect his easy-to-play optical O-Bow and just skip all the practice and rehearsals. More »

Apple hasn’t given a lot of attention to its Podcasts app recently. Of course, it hasn’t been very popular amongst the podcast-listening crowd, especially when there are great options like Downcast competing against it. However, Apple has updated its Podcasts app with several new features, including custom stations, playlists, and iCloud integration.

The app now has more of an internet radio feel, similar to Pandora or Spotify, only it’s catered toward podcasts. The app now comes with the ability to create custom stations where you can add your favorite podcasts, and the stations will update automatically when a new podcast is available.

You can also create playlists consisting of multiple episodes from different podcast series, and with the iCloud integration, your playlists and custom stations will stay synced and up-to-date on all of your Apple devices. Even playlists synced from iTunes will now appear in the Podcasts app, making it way more convenient to listen to all your podcasts.

The app also got a slight redesign, including the Playing Now screen, where the control buttons are easier to use and the scrubber is a lot more responsive thanks to the new look. On top of all these new features, Apple also included the usual bugfixes and some general performance enhancements. Podcasts is a free download, and the update is available now in the iTunes App Store.

Apple Podcasts app updated with iCloud, custom stations, and playlists is written by Craig Lloyd & originally posted on SlashGear.
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You know how some studies on the same topic seem to contradict one another from time to time? Is it good to have a glass of wine each day, or a cup of coffee? Well, here is one for the ages – a new study which was published by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre discovered something that illegal music downloaders have been saying all this while – it does not hurt the music industry. After checking out the browsing habits of over 16,000 Europeans, the research concluded on the contrary, that a positive link existed between online piracy and visits to legal music stores. The bottomline is, music sales will actually benefit from piracy. Sounds strange, doesn’t it?

In the words of the researchers themselves, “It seems that the majority of the music that is consumed illegally by the individuals in our sample would not have been purchased if illegal downloading websites were not available to them.” Not only that, the study also mentioned that music streaming websites like Pandora (P) and Spotify do not cannibalize music purchases, but rather complements it. This is one topic that divides down the middle, and folks can argue till the cows come home. What do you think?

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Spotify Gradually Rolling Out New Social Network Features, Billboard Incorporates YouTube Viewership,