Hasta La Gadget!

It’s a heavy day at CES, and it’s also a big day for the folks at Pure. Not only have they provided an updated release time table for the Sensia (“later in 2011” for an unknown amount) and Sirocco 550 (March for $499), but it’s also branching out with a few unexpected launches. In order to get even more tunes to the outfit’s blossoming line of WiFi radios, Pure has revealed its FlowSongs cloud-based music service — put simply, it enables consumers to buy music directly from their radio and Pure’s Lounge iPhone app. Users are instructed to ‘Like’ songs on FM or internet radio, and then within the same interface, they’re able to click ‘Buy’ while simultaneously scratching that Instant Gratification itch. Customers can download high-quality versions of the MP3 onto their Mac and PC, and it’ll work on any Flow radio. Currently, the service is expected to launch as a public beta in North America this spring, with individual tracks priced between $0.99 and $1.49 depending on the publisher. Unfortunately, there’s a $5.99 yearly subscription to actually use FlowSongs, which all but guarantees failure in a world where $1.49 tracks feel too pricey on their own.

Moving on, the company is also dishing out a few hardware announcements. Up first is the Contour (shown above), an iPod / iPhone-friendly WiFi radio that touts a black crescent shape (not too unlike Meridian’s M80), touch-sensitive controls and a trio of video outputs (composite, component and S-Video). The One Flow ($149) is about as basic as it gets, rocking a truly retro motif, a 3.5mm auxiliary input and a pair of alarms. Wrapping things up, there’s the i-20, which is hailed as the only digital iPod dock available that supports component, S-Video and composite outputs. In a nutshell, it’s a video output stand for your iPod or iPhone, which may or may not be worth the $99 asking price. Head on past the break for specifics on availability, and tap that source link once your credit card is ready.

Continue reading Pure launches Contour, One Flow and i-20, also debuts FlowSongs cloud-based music service

Pure launches Contour, One Flow and i-20, also debuts FlowSongs cloud-based music service originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 05 Jan 2011 08:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With iTunes overrun with apps that do little more than find creative ways to promote products or otherwise suck time, it’s nice to see mobile technology doing something that’s, well, not so trivial. VerbalVictor, a $10 program, which should be available in the App Store next week, uses iPhone and iPad touch screens to allow people with disabilities to communicate with the outside world. Paul Pauca — whose son suffers from Pitt Hopkins Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that causes delays in cognitive development, motor skills, and verbal communication — developed the app as an affordable alternative to non-verbal communication devices. It touts functionality similar to the device used by Steven Hawking, but is far more accessible than the professor’s $8,200 setup. VerbalVictor allows parents and caregivers to take pictures and record accompanying audio; the entries are then turned into buttons, which the user presses when they want to communicate — sort of like a very advanced and customizable See N’ Say. The device can be used for simple expressions, like an image of a dog that speaks “dog” when pressed, or for recording commonly used phrases and complete sentences. It may never reach the popularity of, say iFart, but it’s sure to win some dedicated users.

VerbalVictor app gives voice to disabled originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 07:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Buckled early and sprung for TomTom’s iPhone GPS app, did you? If so, that very app just got a lot better today, as version 1.6 has brought TomTom’s Map Share — a crowdsourcing aspect that’ll keep your maps more up-to-date than you ever thought possible. Map Share enables iPhone users to make changes instantly to their own maps and to benefit from free map updates made by the TomTom community and verified by the company itself. That means that users will now be able to edit street names, set driving directions and block / unblock streets directly on their maps, and if you’re kind enough, you can share those updates with the rest of the TomTom community. Furthermore, the app will automatically check for new verified updates (including turn restrictions, speed limit changes and crossing changes), so the previously tried-and-true “my maps were old!” excuse will sadly no longer work. Give and take, as they say.

Continue reading TomTom’s Map Share update brings crowdsourced navigation to iPhone GPS app

TomTom’s Map Share update brings crowdsourced navigation to iPhone GPS app originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 02:12:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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So, how exactly does a voice app work on devices without any cellular ties? Glad you asked! Google has just updated the iOS Google Voice app to include support for the iPod touch and iPad, but neither of them can make cellular calls directly. Instead, you can use the app to initiate GVoice calls with a nearby phone. The process is known as Click2Call — users simply click any ‘Call’ button within the app and then choose which of their phones they want to ring. It’s probably more time consuming than just grabbing your phone from the start, but hey, there it is. In other news, the app now disables text forwarding when you enable Push Notifications (to avoid double alerts), and there’s a new Do Not Disturb option in the Settings tab for those who’d prefer to disconnect. Hit the iTunes link below to get your download on, and let us know how things shake out in comments.

Google Voice app now supports iPad and iPod touch, brings Click2Call originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 14 Dec 2010 15:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ah, the games that grown-ups play. It’s a situation that’s beginning to feel an awful lot like the Google Voice fiasco that made the rounds in mid-2009, but if it ends in a similar fashion, you won’t find us kvetching about the teases. As the story goes, a bona fine Google Latitude app made its appearance in Japan’s App Store hours ago, only to be yanked before it could sashay over to any other nation. TechCrunch reckons that it was El Goog doing the pulling — it’s quite possible that the folks in Mountain View weren’t quite ready to publicly reveal it, and with all that Chrome action going down yesterday, it’s not hard to imagine how an impending launch was overlooked. At any rate, the description of the app as well as most of the screenshots were in English, so we’re cautiously optimistic that it’ll resurface in the near future once a few Is are dotted and Ts crossed. With iOS 4 supporting background location, there’s hardly a reason to wait any longer, right?

Google Latitude makes brief appearance in App Store, gets yanked post-haste originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 08 Dec 2010 09:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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