‘Kraftwerk Who?’ Pioneering ’50s Synthesizer unearthed in French Barn

So there Dr. Mick Grierson was, wandering around a French barn, minding his own business when all of a sudden he happened upon an antique: one of the earliest modern synthesizers. Grierson, a professor at Goldsmiths University in London did what any expert in the field of electronic music would do, and whisked it back to the motherland for restoration. The Oram “Oramics” Synthesiser (sic) was built by Daphne Oram in 1957, a year before she co-founded the BBC Radiophonic Workshop to research and develop electronic music. Political wrangling within the corporation forced her to leave in 1959, and she retreated to a farm in nearby Kent to tinker with her invention. After her departure, the Workshop shot to fame for creating the original electronic theme to Doctor Who. In order to create music on the Oram, a composer painted waveforms directly onto 35mm film strips which were fed into the machine. Inside, photo-electronic cells read the light pattern and interpreted it as sound. Check out the video to see the arrival of the machinery back into England where it’ll be on display all the way through December 2012. If you’re really interested you can tap Dr Grierson’s homebrewed Oramics iPhone app (linked below for your downloading pleasure) to create your own futuristic theme songs, ’57-style.

Continue reading ‘Kraftwerk Who?’ Pioneering ’50s Synthesizer unearthed in French Barn

‘Kraftwerk Who?’ Pioneering ’50s Synthesizer unearthed in French Barn originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 13 Aug 2011 03:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink New Scientist  |  sourceBoing Boing, Oramics (iTunes App Store)  | Email this | Comments

Scosche myTrek sends workout vitals to your iPhone, starts shipping now for $130 (video)


With a variety of portable power accessories, most Scosche products are designed to keep gadgets up and running, not to get our own blood flowing. The company’s new Bluetooth myTrek pulse monitor pairs with an iPhone or iPod touch to motivate you to keep going and going, however, pumping “inspiring” audio alerts through your headphones during a workout, while also tracking pulse, distance, speed, pace, and calories burned. The arm-strap uses a pair of LEDs, along with a photo sensor and accelerometer to capture vitals as it rests strapped to your forearm, providing five hours of continuous feedback before needing its own boost using the included USB cable. You’ll need to have your iOS device within 33 feet of the device to record your workout, so the myTrek may be better suited for trips to the gym than, say, a run through the park in the rain. It’s also rather pricey, at $130, but if you’re already dropping a grand or two for your gym membership each year, a gadget that lets you elegantly track your progress may be within reach.

Continue reading Scosche myTrek sends workout vitals to your iPhone, starts shipping now for $130 (video)

Scosche myTrek sends workout vitals to your iPhone, starts shipping now for $130 (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 09 Aug 2011 21:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceScosche myTrek  | Email this | Comments

FBI’s Child ID app helps iPhone users find their missing children

The FBI has just released its very first mobile app, aimed at helping parents deal with their worst nightmare — a missing child. Known as Child ID, the application allows users to store their kid’s photos and identifying information directly on their handsets, making it easier to provide authorities with vital data whenever the little one disappears. Parents can also use the tool to dial 911 or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children with the tap of a button, and can instantly e-mail their child’s details to law enforcement officials, thanks to a dedicated tab. Of course, some may feel uncomfortable with keeping such personal information stored on a smartphone, but the Bureau insists that none of the data will be collected or shared without authorization — and they’re pretty good at keeping secrets. For now, Child ID is available only for iPhone, though the FBI plans to expand it to other mobile devices in the near future. Interested iOS users can download it for themselves, at the iTunes link below.

FBI’s Child ID app helps iPhone users find their missing children originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 08 Aug 2011 05:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TUAW  |  sourceFBI  | Email this | Comments

iPhone app makes learning to read music even less appealing (video)

From Paul McCartney to Irving Berlin, the list of songwriters who famously never learned to read music before hitting it big is a long one indeed. Why? Because it’s hard, mostly. Of course, they’ve managed to have successful careers as songwriters, even without the aid of an iPhone app that could read music for them. Surely they could have found some use for the new app from Kawai, which scans music notes from sheet paper and plays them back in real-time or with a delay, should you so choose. The app is available in the Japanese App Store ¥350 ($4.50). Japanese language video of the app in action after the break.

Continue reading iPhone app makes learning to read music even less appealing (video)

iPhone app makes learning to read music even less appealing (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 02 Aug 2011 13:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink TechCrunch  |  sourceiTunes (Translated)  | Email this | Comments

Griffin’s StompBox available to order, virtual guitar shredding now a go

Remember that Griffin-made StompBox we showed you back in January? Well, it’s finally hit the market, so you can free up those virtuoso hands and get to pedal-pounding wicked sound effects. The four button foot controller works with Frontier Design’s iShred LIVE app for iOS, connecting your instrument via an included GuitarConnect cable to a 1/4-inch jack. The device is “designed to work with… a guitar, bass guitar, electric violin and keyboard,” so your virtual jam band session is all but guaranteed. This musical f/x dongle is available to order now for $99.99 online, or you can just head to one of Apple’s boutiques to snag it. Sadly, the effects switcher doesn’t come bundled with a copycat of Slash’s hat, but that shouldn’t stop your credit card from indulging in this latest bout of Gear Acquisition Syndrome.

Continue reading Griffin’s StompBox available to order, virtual guitar shredding now a go

Griffin’s StompBox available to order, virtual guitar shredding now a go originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 00:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceGriffin, Apple  | Email this | Comments

Did Google’s Photovine sprout from Piictu?


“Plant a photo, watch it grow.” Photovine’s tagline is just as catchy as the concept behind its launch — a mobile app-based picture sharing service that groups images together using common photo-driven themes. These groupings, called vines, let you connect with strangers while sharing photos of everyday items that you wouldn’t otherwise have any interest in photographing. You can have a vine focused on Swingline staplers, or magazine covers, or bottle caps. But as clever as this concept may seem, it’s difficult to ignore Piictu, which budded several months before the Google app. It’s certainly not uncommon for duplicate services to sprout, all based on the same underlying concept. But Photovine doesn’t stop there — the app’s design is also remarkably similar to Piictu, down to page layouts and even main category tabs. For Piictu’s “Following” tab, Photovine has “Watching.” Piictu’s “Latest” section is matched with “Fresh,” and Photovine didn’t even bother searching for a synonym for “Popular,” which you’ll find in both apps. Jump past the break for a deeper look, along with statements from the makers of both apps.

Continue reading Did Google’s Photovine sprout from Piictu?

Did Google’s Photovine sprout from Piictu? originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jul 2011 15:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourcePiictu (App Store), Photovine (App Store)  | Email this | Comments

Google+ app for iPhone now available

Google promised that iPhone users would soon be getting a Google+ app of their own, and it’s now here. Not surprisingly, it looks a lot like the Android app, including views of your main stream and nearby users, sharing via Circles, and support for the Huddle group messaging feature. It’s not a universal app, though, so iPad users are still left out for the time being, as are those with an iPod touch, for yet reasons unknown.

Update: Google’s Punit Soni notes that there was a small issue that initially caused a test version of the app to to be served from the App Store. If you grabbed the app as soon as it was available (within the first hour and 40 minutes, specifically), you’ll likely have to re-download it to get the current version (1.0.1.1809).

Google+ app for iPhone now available originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 19 Jul 2011 11:59:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink +Vic Gundotra (Google+)  |  sourceiTunes  | Email this | Comments

Google’s Photovine sprouts official teaser, begins rollout later this month (video)

Were you all jazzed up and ready to plant your first Photovine, only to have those gardening dreams crushed by a barren three page teaser? El Goog’s Slide team isn’t quite ready for you to grab that spade, but it is willing to transcribe your digits for the service’s soft launch later this month. Judging by the brief demo, vines begin like a game of photo-sharing telephone: what starts as an innocent photograph of a “warm and fuzzy” pup, can easily transcend into friends sharing an equally snug and furry man. Sound like a party? See for yourself beyond the fold, and don’t forget to hit the source link to join the queue.

Continue reading Google’s Photovine sprouts official teaser, begins rollout later this month (video)

Google’s Photovine sprouts official teaser, begins rollout later this month (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 01:17:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Mashable  |  sourcePhotovine  | Email this | Comments

Google teases Photovine, slides back into image sharing


Remember when Google acquired Slide way back in 2010? A year after coasting smoothly down the chute into Mountain View, the social gaming company has finally begun to make a splash, launching Prizes (beta) last week, and now teasing Photovine, a social networking app that lets you connect with people through photo-driven themes. You could participate in a vine about your crazy weekend at the lake, join other users in a thread of kitten shots, or share unboxing pics of a new gadget while comparing regional discrepancies with users from around the world. For now, Photovine is little more than an amateurish three-page website with a brief FAQ and a somewhat-hidden reference to Slide and Google, but the service’s objective seems to be on-point, and it has potential to attract a diverse group of users. We look forward to watching the vine bud and grow after its yet-to-be-announced public launch, but head over to the source link for a more detailed look in the meantime.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Google teases Photovine, slides back into image sharing originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 12 Jul 2011 11:46:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink It’s All Tech  |  sourcePhotovine  | Email this | Comments

GMC showroom app tells you where to pick up your dream SUV, doesn’t help with down payment

Ever felt the need to customize vehicles and search dealer inventory, right from the comfort of your smartphone? Us neither, but here’s the General with another app to whet our appetites. While certainly not the first of its kind, the GMC showroom app for iOS (coming soon to Android), allows you to specify drive-type, trim, and both exterior / interior colors. Once content with your selections, you’re shown nearby dealers carrying exact replicas of your magnificent taste. Unfortunately for us, the app makes no mention of the closest EN-V. If SUVs are your thing, however, have a peep at the free app at the source link below.

Continue reading GMC showroom app tells you where to pick up your dream SUV, doesn’t help with down payment

GMC showroom app tells you where to pick up your dream SUV, doesn’t help with down payment originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jul 2011 00:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink   |  sourceGMC Showroom (App Store)  | Email this | Comments