Hasta La Gadget!

Earlier at CES, we got our hands on the Rode iXY 30-pin stereo microphone iPhone add-on that left our Lightning users a bit sad. Cheer up! The folks over at Zoom got us over to their booth to take a peek at the company’s new iQ5 professional stereo microphone. The iQ5 is a different beast than its aforementioned competition in that it works in conjunction with native iOS applications. What this means is that you can use it while recording video on your iOS device. The microphone itself rotates for this specific purpose, allowing for both horizontal and vertical audio recording in raw, 90- and 120-degree field positions. The recording resolution is capped at a respectable 16-bit/44.1kHz — though slightly less than we were hoping.

We didn’t get a chance to actually hear an audio sample from the iQ5, but we’re pretty confident it’ll sound better than the standard mic equipped on any of the supported devices. The Zoom iQ5 lacks a bit in customization department as well as build quality — we’re generally not fans of the cheap plastic construction, which is unlike most other Zoom products. The spec sheet certainly leaves us wanting, but it’s a start in the right direction for current-gen iOS devices. The iQ5 will set you back $100 and will start shipping Q2 of this year — until then check out the gallery to hold you over.

Filed under: Peripherals

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Just because Felix Baumgartner set records by jumping from 128,000 feet doesn’t mean he has a lock on stratospheric freefall stunts: see G-Form’s latest video (after the break) as proof. In keeping with the tradition of launching a case line and then subjecting it to abuse on camera, the company dropped a new Xtreme iPhone 5 case from a balloon that reached 100,000 feet before it and its payload — which actually happened to be a 5th gen iPod touch — fell to the Nevada desert. Not surprisingly, that we’re hearing about the story means the drop went as planned — apart from needing some time to warm up after a plunge through -60F skies, the MP3 player emerged in fine shape. Is the freefall a publicity play that won’t affect how anyone uses an Xtreme in real life? You bet. Still, it’s one of the more dramatic drop tests we’ll witness, and evidence the case can take some exceptional abuse; after all, it’s not every day that our mobile devices reach terminal velocity.

Continue reading G-Form drops an iPod touch in a case from 100,000 feet, rivals Felix’s antics (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Apple

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Source: G-Form

Most of us would call the Dropbox mobile app very utilitarian, built for browsing files and not much else. It’s becoming more of a media viewer in its own right with its just-arrived Dropbox 2.0 for iOS users. The cloud storage service gains a dedicated Photos tab that takes advantage of all those automatic uploads from the past few months: the panel organizes photos by the time taken and offers an unintrusive full-screen mode for reliving memories. Hitting the major milestone has also given Dropbox an incentive to rework the interface as a whole, simplifying uploads to specific folders alongside removing the visual clutter. The developer hasn’t yet given Android the same treatment, although the company’s tendency to keep its major apps on an equal footing suggests it won’t be too long before everyone gets a clearer view of their images in the cloud.

Filed under: Storage, Internet, Mobile

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Via: Dropbox

Source: App Store

While it’s possible to translate the hours and hours spent building worlds in Minecraft to real objects, we wouldn’t say the results always match the initial vision — they’re more likely to involve either a miniature 3D printout or the time and money spent on a whole lot of Lego. Mojang and 13th Lab have developed what’s arguably a smarter solution with their new Minecraft Reality for iOS. After scanning the environment, the app can insert anyone’s uploaded cuboid masterpiece into a perspective-correct augmented reality for viewing from any angle. Interaction is mostly limited to resizing objects, but the title will display the handiwork of anyone nearby and take a shareable screenshot for posterity. There’s no word of an Android version just yet; if that’s no obstacle to making dreams a (virtual) reality, however, the $2 to pay for Minecraft Reality is a much cheaper and faster alternative to a mountain of plastic bricks.

Continue reading Minecraft Reality for iOS finds a home for our blocky dreams in the real world (video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Gaming, Tablets, Apple

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Via: The Next Web

Source: App Store, Minecraft Reality

It’s been a few months since UK TV operator Sky added remote control features to its iPad app, and now there’s a similar refresh for the iPhone and iPod touch. The v4.2 update gives users brings remote control with support for gestures, DVR scheduling and management, a new guide as well as revamped navigation and search on the smaller screens, as long as they’re connected to the same WiFi network as the box. The Android app is still without the new features, however they’re promised to arrive there “in the coming months.” As usual the update app is available at no charge via iTunes, hit the link below to check it out, or check out the press after the break for more details along with a demo video of the iPad version.

Continue reading Sky+ app update brings remote control features to iPhone, iPod touch

Filed under: HD, Mobile

Sky+ app update brings remote control features to iPhone, iPod touch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 13 Nov 2012 04:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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