Kingston Wi-Drive for iOS hits stores today, lets you create your own portable music server for $130


Services like Spotify, which had an anything but subtle launch last week, help solve the evergreen issue of limited local storage by streaming millions of tracks to your devices. But streaming services require cell reception to operate (unless you’ve elected to store music locally), and often carry monthly fees. We’ve spent a fair amount of time testing Kingston’s Wi-Drive, which lets you access music, videos, and other files from a handful of devices simultaneously over WiFi — assuming you’ve loaded that content to the portable media server’s 16GB ($130) or 32GB ($175) of built-in storage. The device worked well during our review process earlier this month, and now you can pick up one of your own at sites like Amazon and Newegg, or at Fry’s and J&R US retail outlets. The server is likely to be a better fit for families than individuals simply looking to boost their iOS device storage, due to both price and capacity limitations, but if you need to stream media to several devices at once during your next road trip, for example, then the Wi-Drive may be worth the investment.

Kingston Wi-Drive for iOS hits stores today, lets you create your own portable music server for $130 originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:29:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Best Tablet Display: iPad 2 Just Got Dethroned

Dr. Raymond Soneira of DisplayMate Technologies separates the best smartphone, tablet, HDTV, and multimedia displays from the worst with his Display Technology Shoot-Out series. And his newly crowned tablet champion might just surprise you: More »

Aviiq Charging Station Is As Portable As the Gadgets it Powers

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Simple can sometimes be best. At least that’s how Aviiq will probably pitch its $80 USB hub. In a case

Aviiq’s Portable Charging Station is little more than a powered USB hub in a pouch, but that simplicity is also its strength. Look at it this way: when you leave for a trip, you don’t have to remember any chargers. You just grab this little powered USB hub. In its own pouch.

The design makes it a little handier than I might have suggested. Once unzipped and splayed out flat, you’ll see the charging unit with four USB sockets, along with several layered pockets through which you can route cables. Thus, it is always tidy. Just hook up your phone, iPad (it’ll put out the 10 watts required by Apple’s tablet) and any other USB-charged device and plug the other end into an outlet.

There is also a USB port which can be hooked up to a computer, letting you sync your gadgets as they feed.

Like anything else from Aviiq, the Portable Charging Station is expensive — in this case $80. That’s a lot for a powered USB hub in pouch, but if it means you never forget a charger or cable, it could be worth it.

Available now.

Portable Charging Station [Aviiq. Thanks, Pedro!]

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MIDI Mobilizer II stores your musical stylings, plays nice with CoreMIDI apps

Much music making progress has been made since we first saw Line 6’s MIDI Mobilizer — namely, Apple put MIDI APIs in iOS and iPads started slinging super funky synthesized songs on the regular. In order to embrace the Cupertino-curated CoreMIDI standard, Line 6 has unveiled the MIDI Mobilizer II dongle. It looks like the original and uses the same MIDI Memo Recorder app to store and dispense your sonic musings, but this $70 piece of kit only works with the 3rd and 4th gen iPod touch, the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, and the iPad and iPad 2. Most importantly, the MIDI Mobilizer is compatible with GarageBand and all the latest CoreMIDI apps the kids are crazy about. Still not sold on the device’s ability to help you make a dope digital ditty? Peep the PR and video after the break to learn more.

Continue reading MIDI Mobilizer II stores your musical stylings, plays nice with CoreMIDI apps

MIDI Mobilizer II stores your musical stylings, plays nice with CoreMIDI apps originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 26 Jul 2011 07:45:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple releases iOS 4.3.5, inches towards iOS 5

Less than ten days after iOS 4.3.4 parachuted in to fix that nasty PDF exploit, Apple’s gone and dropped another. So what’ll Cupertino’s latest fix today? Build 8L1 — or 8E600 on 4.2.10 if you’re rocking CDMA — apparently nixes a vulnerability with “certificate validation,” or you know, Apple’s just really fond of keeping all you hackers on your toes. Either way, time to fire up iTunes, unless of course, you’re already living in the future.

Update: Turns out you can still (tether) jailbreak with redSn0w. Peep the more coverage link below.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Apple releases iOS 4.3.5, inches towards iOS 5 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink MacRumors  |  sourceApple (4.3.5), (4.2.10)  | Email this | Comments

Google Books, Kobo, more get iOS App Store shakedown (update: Kindle too)

Heat waves aside, this last weekend has proven to be a fairly rough one for e-book sellers. In spite of backing off a bit from its initial demands, there have apparently been some major changes afoot in the iOS App Store, with a number of apps scaling back access to their online e-book markets or being pulled from the store altogether. Kobo, one of the former, told The Wall Street Journal (which also reported on its own iOS woes) it was informed on Saturday that it needs to stop selling books through its app. The Google Books app, meanwhile, has been removed altogether, though Google has yet to comment on the matter, possibly revamping the app to comply with the stricter rules. While the adjustments will certainly be a nuisance for the companies involved, selling books through Apple devices will not be an impossibility, so long as customers can still access the markets through Safari.

Update: You can now add Amazon to the list as well. The latest version of the Kindle app removes the Kindle Store button that previously allowed you to purchase e-books on your iOS device.

Google Books, Kobo, more get iOS App Store shakedown (update: Kindle too) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 10:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink ZDNET  |  sourceThe Digital Reader, The Wall Street Journal  | Email this | Comments

Facebook’s iPad App Is Buried In Its iPhone App

Like an iPhone 4 hidden inside an iPhone 3GS case, Facebook’s iPad app has been found in its iPhone app code. Calling it “spectacular,” TechCrunch tells that the app can also be activated now. More »

Facebook just released a dedicated iPad app, except it didn’t

Mark Zuckerberg ruffled some feathers when he said the iPad “isn’t mobile” enough to deserve a dedicated Facebook app. But now it’s U-turn time. TechCrunch just revealed that not only has Facebook created a fully-fledged iPad app, they’ve even released it — albeit in secret. The code lies buried in yesterday’s update to the iPhone app and it’s entirely executable on jailbroken tablets. What’s the software like? Well, TechCrunch reckons the left-sided navigation system and use of overlay menus is “great,” as is the ability to chat with buddies while simultaneously doing other Facebook tasks in landscape mode. There’s also a ton of screen grabs at the source link which tell much of the story. However, it surely won’t be long before we can make our own minds up.

Facebook just released a dedicated iPad app, except it didn’t originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 06:35:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Apple expands iOS and Mac App Store into 33 new territories, Tuvalu strangely absent

Brought that shiny new unlocked iPhone 4 home to Tanzania, only have your first App Store experience end in tears? We certainly sympathize, and apparently Apple’s heard your plea. Interested developers can now head on over to the iTunes Connect portal, where they’ll tick some new checkboxes and soon be on their way, peddling their wares to an additional 33 locales — but not the home of .tv, unfortunately. Curious if your nation made the cut? Hop on past the break and see if Cupertino thinks you’re worthy.

Continue reading Apple expands iOS and Mac App Store into 33 new territories, Tuvalu strangely absent

Apple expands iOS and Mac App Store into 33 new territories, Tuvalu strangely absent originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jul 2011 20:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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T-Mobile hawks Micro SIMs for ‘free’, hopes your iPhone likes EDGE data

Been wanting to stick it to Ma Bell, but have found yourself shackled by those pesky micro SIMs and your inexplicable fear of all things pointy? If you’re wielding an unlocked device with a diminutive slot, T-Mobile’s giving away the pint-sized cards gratis — provided you’re also willing to sign your precious life away on contract. It’s a shameless play for Cupertino’s sweetheart, sure, and this isn’t the first time we’ve seen the carrier try to ship us some teensy SIMs. Making the plunge? Enjoy your rebellious ways while they last — we hear Little Magenta’s assimilation by the borg isn’t too far off.

T-Mobile hawks Micro SIMs for ‘free’, hopes your iPhone likes EDGE data originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 22 Jul 2011 14:58:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Phone Scoop  |  sourceT-Mobile  | Email this | Comments