Jan 08
Apogee has rolled out an update to its MiC professional microphone, a mobile-centric device for those who needed professional-level audio recording on their tablet or smartphone. The MiC 96k is … Continue reading
Jan 08
The first two iOS 7-compliant controllers extended the battery of your iPhone or iPod Touch. But they needed to connect to your device to work and were flat out incompatible with iPads. Enter SteelSeries with what seems to be the best iOS 7 controller yet, the Stratus Wireless Gaming Controller.
The Stratus connects to compatible iOS devices via Bluetooth 2.1. It lasts up to 10 hours per charge and has all the inputs you’d find on a console controller, including two analog sticks and four shoulder buttons.
The face buttons and shoulder buttons are even pressure-sensitive. That feature’s actual usefulness is up to game developers though. The controller does have a few drawbacks. First off, it’s tiny. That will be a good thing for some people, but if you have large hands the Stratus is going to be uncomfortable to use.
The image below shows the Stratus in the hands of Kotaku’s Mike Fahey. For the record, he says it “works quite well”, even though the shoulder buttons were too small for his taste.
Mike also mentioned that the controller cannot be used while it’s charging, which he claims can take up to 2 hours. Then there’s its somewhat limited compatibility. The Stratus will work only with the iPhone 5, iPhone 5S, iPhone 5C, 4th generation iPad, iPad Air and the 5th generation iPod Touch running iOS 7.
But perhaps the worst aspect of the controller is its price. SteelSeries has priced the Stratus at a whopping $100 (USD) for US customers and €100 for those in Europe. I guess I’ll just stare at Bastion’s icon for now.
[SteelSeries via Kotaku]
Dec 17
iTunes and App Store Best of 2013
Posted in: Today's ChiliWith the end of 2013 closing in, Apple’s annual App Store and iTunes numbers are in, and among them we find an eclectic mix of apps, albums, movies, books, and other varied content categories. Not surprisingly, “Candy Crush” topped the free iPhone apps chart, beating out Google’s YouTube app and similar, while Macklemore makes a […]
Dec 12
BeLuvv Guardian bracelet lets iOS users setup perimeter, keep track of children
Posted in: Today's ChiliChildren are like ninjas — there one moment, and somehow ten feet away in that second you glanced elsewhere. Taking your kid to a crowded amusement park or other event, especially if more than one child is involved, presents its own stresses, and BeLuvv hopes to ease those worries. The Guardian bracelet is a cute […]
Dec 06
The iPhone and iPod touch do come with above average camera sensors where a smartphone or smart mobile device is concerned, and we have seen some pretty stunning image compositions captured in the hands of a skilled photographer. The thing is, what would happen if you had additional tools to help you out so that you can increase the quality of your shots even further? This is where the olloclip Macro 3-in-1 photo lens solution comes in handy, where you can now shoot great looking close up shots with the iPhone 5s as well as 5th generation iPod touch, all for $69.99 a pop.
There will be a trio of different macro lenses available – 21x, 14x, and 7x macro magnification, so that you will end up with the right kind of detail level that you have always wanted. After all, looking at things from a different perspective will more often than not open up your mind to something new and fresh. With the olloclip Marco, you will be able to examine small objects such as coins, stamps, rocks, relics, insects, plants, gems, circuit boards, and even your own skin, looking at those with a renewed sense of wonder. It is also tiny enough to be stashed into your pocket or palm of your hand, and will play nice with a host of popular apps where among them include Instagram, Facebook and iPhone’s Camera, iPhoto and iMovie built-in apps.
The trio of high-powered macro lenses found in the olloclip Macro happen to be engineered with a grand total of half a dozen elements, allowing it to deliver additional edge-to-edge clarity, greater depth of field, nicely diffused light on the image, less pincushion distortion and a higher degree of bokeh, which is also better described as aesthetic blur in out-of-focus areas. The extremely high magnification will be able to let you focus in on details and textures which are not seen with the naked eye easily. Any takers?
Product Page via Press Release
[ Olloclip 3-in-1 photo lens for your iPhone 5s and iPod touch copyright by Coolest Gadgets ]
Dec 03
A hearty collection of BMW and MINI Cooper vehicles have just joined the cloud music universe with a boost to Amazon Cloud Player starting this month. This addition of Amazon Cloud Player app goodness will allow BMW Apps and MINI Connected equipped vehicles from model year 2011 and forward to partake, just so long as […]
Dec 02
This weekend Apple recognized World AIDS Day in bright red lights and red innards across the world. With their red Apple logos up front of stores turned red with red plastic filters and their (PRODUCT)RED merchandise rolling through the store, Apple made certain they were seen as one of the world’s largest supporters of the […]
Nov 28
Nintendo is in trouble this holiday season. There. I said it. After all, someone had to, right? With the gaming industry abuzz over the launch of not one, but two consoles in the course of a week, Nintendo has been trying to get at least some attention from the media. Like the person in the […]
Nov 21
Like the MOGA Ace Power, Logitech’s PowerShell is part of the first generation of gaming controllers that make use of iOS 7′s controller API. While both controllers only work with a handful of games for now, their Apple’s long overdue API for third-party contorllers means the list of compatible games should easily grow in the future.
Seeing as the Ace Power and the PowerShell are the only horses in this race at the moment, early adopters can decide between the two based on a few factors. First off are the controls. The Ace Power has more input options than the PowerShell. In addition to the d-pad, four face buttons and two shoulder buttons that are also on the PowerShell, the Ace Power also has two analog sticks and two more shoulder buttons.
The second factor is portability. The Ace Power collapses into a smaller form, while the PowerShell is stuck in its elongated form. Third are their built-in batteries, which can also be used to charge the iOS device that’s docked into it. The Ace Power has an 1800 mAh battery while the PowerShell has a slightly smaller 1500 mAh battery.
So far it looks like the PowerShell is the inferior option, but one thing that’s sketchy about MOGA’s controller is it’s questionable build quality. Watch the hands-on videos of Kotaku and CNET and you’ll see what I mean. Granted, we’ve yet to see a similar test with Logitech’s offering, so I suggest you wait until multiple reviews are out there before choosing either one. Then there’s the fact that these controllers will only work with the iPhone 5, 5S, 5C and the fifth-generation iPod Touch.
I’ll wait for an iOS 7-compatible wireless controller so I can use it on my iPad. But if you really can’t wait, you can already place a pre-order for both the Logitech PowerShell and the MOGA Power ACE on the Apple Store. Both devices cost $100 (USD). The PowerShell is also available from Amazon and Best Buy.
Nov 20
The iPhone has already propelled casual gaming into one of the biggest app segments in the industry: now, with iOS 7 and the Logitech PowerShell gamepad, those apps are getting the controller they’ve been crying out for. Building on the new MFI (“Made For iPhone”) controller profile that’s part of iOS 7, the $99.99 pad […]
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