DLO offers TransDock Direct for iPods

Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO) on Friday announced it’s shipping the TransDock Direct, a new dock and charging system for the iPod. It costs $59.99.

The TransDock Direct designed to work in vehicles equipped with a stereo that has an auxiliary input. It includes a support arm and detachable 12-volt power socket. It can also be used with a separately available cassette adapter.

The dock rotates to enable you to position your iPod horizontally, navigating the iPod touch using Cover Flow, for example. And the power socket lets you simultaneously charge your iPod and another device, such as a cell phone or GPS unit.

by Peter Cohen

Cloud Girls Now Available For iPhone & iPod Touch

Cocoa Touch Games recently announced the release of its newest arcade family game on the iPhone App Store, Cloud Girls

The player’s goal in the game is to protect the world for as long as possible by rotating a vibrant, spinning, finger-controlled, multi-coloured shield to gather falling stars. As the game progresses the stars increase in speed and frequency, making it increasingly hard to spin the shield around fast enough to protect the world. Bonus stars provide extra score or replenish your lives fall among the other stars—make sure to let them through the shield to gain the bonuses they provide.

Players begin the game by selecting one of the five distinctly different Cloud Girls to play—Jenna, Anya, Mirabel, Keiko or Bjork—before leaping into space with their multi-coloured shield.

Your score in Cloud Girls is determined by how long you survive the onslaught of tumbling stars with extra points provided by one of the two types of bonus marbles. At the end of game your score is saved locally, but can also be submitted to the Cloud Girls online server (WiFi or cellular connection required) where your score will be added to the ranks of other players around the world. You can review your own scores and those of the top 100 players around the world with the click of a button.

The game features delightful art, perfect 80s pop music, power-ups, online high scores and superb transition and graphic effects. Join the ranks of the Cloud Girls and save the world today!

The producer and creative director for Cloud Girls was Cocoa Touch Games founder David Janik-Jones. The game was programmed by Ricardo Quesada, author of the highly recommended cocos2d-iphone framework for building 2D iPhone games, demos, and other graphical/interactive applications. The beautiful Cloud Girls were created, and generously made available to game designers, by Daniel Cook of lostgarden.com.

Cord Kruse

Apple vs. Mario: The handheld gaming battle begins

When Forbes.com suggested in June that Apple might be preparing to attack the handheld gaming market, bloggers freaked out. CrunchGear called the notion that Apple will challenge the Nintendo DS “wild speculation.” CNET blogger Don Reisinger began an 800-word harangue with the words “Has Brian Caulfield of Forbes totally lost it?” and GameDaily asked “What Is Forbes Smoking?”

For the record, Forbes Media LLC is a drug-free workplace. But if talking to software developers counts as a mind-altering experience, we’re there. Back in June, Apple was preparing to launch the App Store for the iPhone and iPod Touch, and our checks with developers showed the App Store’s pipeline was stuffed full with games.

Since its launch in July, the App Store has turned into a monster, with Apple announcing in August it was selling $1 million US worth of software a day — and climbing. And 928, (26 per cent) of the 3,528 applications offered at the store are games. “Who knows, maybe [the App Store] will be a $1 billion marketplace at some point in time,” Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs told The Wall Street Journal.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has speculated that the rapidly growing App Store for the iPhone could become, “a $1 billion marketplace at some point in time.” (Paul Sakuma/Associated Press) And that was just the start. Jobs did everything short of holler “Run Miyamoto, run” while brandishing a shotgun earlier this month to get a simple point across: Yes, Apple is going after the handheld gaming market.

After debunking rumors of his impending demise, Jobs slashed the price of the cheapest iPod Touch to a gamer-friendly $229 (from $299) and previewed an advertisement pushing the iPod Touch as a gaming gadget.

“Now you could make the argument that it’s the best portable device for playing games — and a whole class of new games,” Jobs told an audience at the San Francisco Yuerba Buena Center For The Arts.

Whoops. Of course, if you believed everything you read on the Internet, you’d never think Apple could dream of taking on mighty Nintendo. Unless, say, you were to start checking the math.

One blogger actually wrote that he doesn’t “see how Apple has a chance,” citing Apple’s “lofty goal” of selling 10 million iPhones this year and the fact that Nintendo clocked DS sales of 414,800 in the month of April.

Huh? Last time we checked, 12 times 414,800 was 5 million (rounding up, anyway). As for Apple’s “lofty goal” of 10 million iPhones, as any stock analyst can tell you, that was a cheap set-up. Apple always lowers expectations so it can crush its targets. People who pay attention to stuff like this figure Apple will build more like 17 million iPhones this year. That bests a three-to-one advantage — before counting the sale of a single iPod Touch.

Certainly the $130 DS Lite has an enormous “installed base.” Then again, the Atari 2600 has a hefty installed base, too — in landfills.

But forget the numbers showing Apple is going to sell a ridiculous number of game-friendly gizmos over the next few years. Frankly, the Nintendo DS is looking a little weary. Introduced in 2004, the Nintendo DS got skinny in 2006, transforming into the DS Lite. In other words, it’s getting old. Not only does the thing rely on cartridges, it uses a stylus — kind of like, say, the Palm Pilot (another gizmo with a big installed base).

If you want to see the future of Nintendo’s handheld gaming devices, pick up an iPhone or iPod Touch. The gadget’s interface combines a touch-sensitive screen with the motion-sensing attributes of the Nintendo Wii. And who needs buttons when you can use software to paint the controls you need on the screen?

Critics seem to like the combo: “The iPhone and iPod touch are now formidable handheld gaming platforms, to be taken as seriously as Sony’s PSP and Nintendo’s DS,” Tom Rose wrote for the Boston Herald last week.

Even better, the App Store allows gamers to buy a game with the touch of a button, turning shopping for the latest game into an exercise in instant gratification. Rather than trekking to the store to shell out $35 for a game cartridge, Apple can lure in gamers with the promise of hundreds of free games and hundreds more for less than $10. It all adds up to a very serious offering. End of argument.

As for commenters such as “Rucksack” who have contended on blogs like Destructoid that I’m a “non-gamer,” I have two words: Thank you. With your help, I may yet manage to convince friends and family that my XBox, XBox 360, Nintendo Wii, collection of PC games, Game Boy, iPod Touch, Coleco Head-to-Head Football hand held, and yard-wide game controller complete with a gear shift, eject button, two joysticks and three foot pedals are not a sign of any kind of videogame “addiction” and that, in fact, I do not play videogames at all.

By Brian Caulfield

An iPod Buyer’s Guide

There are lots of different breeds of iPods, and deciding which one to pick up either for oneself or as a gift is sort of like deciding between a Great Dane, a Chihuahua, or something in between. Reviewer Chris Maxcer compares the assets and liabilities of each type of iPod, from the tiny shuffle to the massive classic.

Let’s get one thing straight: You can’t go wrong by buying an iPod. Any iPod. But that’s not to say the decisions between which iPod to buy aren’t hard. In fact, it can be downright tough. The tiny iPod shuffle is awesome for working out, but it lacks a screen. The iPod nano has a screen but lacks applications. The iPod touch has applications but might be too bulky for working out and may lack storage space. The iPod classic has mega storage but no touchscreen joy.

For the casual buyer, the choices are enough to drive a person batty. What if the iPod in question is a gift? The four models are different enough that making the wrong choice could easily result in a forced smile, and let’s face it: These little bundles of media joy aren’t exactly cheap. This quick and easy guide should help you get it right.

The iPod Shuffle

At US$49, the 1 GB iPod shuffle is Apple’s (Nasdaq: AAPL) least expensive media player — and by media, it means songs and podcasts, up to about 240 of them. With its handy built-in clip, Apple positions it as “the world’s most wearable music player.” It comes in five vibrant colors, and it’s so small and light it can clip anywhere — even in an owner’s hair. The 2 GB model holds up to about 500 songs in Apple’s 128-Kbps AAC format, though it also plays MP3, Audible, WAV, and AIFF files. Playtime is up to 12 hours. Users can create a playlist in a particular order via iTunes running on a connected PC or Mac, and a shuffle mode will play songs randomly.

• Pros: Super small, super light, cheap yet rugged. 

   

• Cons: No screen, no video, no sleep mode for late-night listening. 

   

• Bottom Line: The iPod shuffle is great for exercising, and it’s durable enough that you don’t have to worry about dropping it and breaking it. It’s a great entry player for kids, but think twice before giving it to a spoiled teenager.

The iPod Nano

The newly redesigned iPod nano has returned to its rectangular roots. The previous generation was a fat-looking, (yet quite thin, in fact) square, and some of these older iPod nanos are still available at retail. Avoid them and go for the upgraded, newer versions, which include an accelerometer that recognizes landscape and vertical positions. The accelerometer is also the magic that lets you give the nano a little shake to shuffle your playlist.

The small screen is surprisingly sharp, so much so that it’s possible to watch TV shows and movies to good effect. It comes in nine bright colors, in two sizes: the 8 GB model holds about 2,000 songs and costs $149, while the 16 GB model holds up to about 4,000 songs and costs $199. Navigation is done through an intuitive touch-sensitive scroll wheel that’s easy to use in one hand. Most importantly, while the nano is surprisingly small and light, it’s big on functionality. You can create playlists on the go or even let it create playlists for you with Apple’s new built-in Genius feature, which is also part of iTunes. Genius lets you select a song and then generates a playlist of similar, complimentary songs. Oh, and photos — it’ll hold pics, too.

• Pros: Thin and light, tiny screen is sharp and usable, navigation is easy with a single hand, includes Apple’s Genius, comes with some games, can play video, can be used to record audio with an add-on mic. 

   

• Cons: Few games, few applications, no WiFi, no Web browsing, no e-mail , no SMS , no Google (Nasdaq: GOOG) maps, etc. 

   

• Bottom Line: Packed with features, the nano is a good compromise for active users who want something great for working out, small enough to slide into a pocket, and yet still capable of playing video now and then. It’s primarily a music and video player in a tight package.

The iPod Touch

The new iPod touch is much like the previous generation, except it feels thinner, comes with more storage, newer software, Genius, a speaker, built-in Nike (NYSE: NKE) + iPod support for runners, and integrated volume controls.

The iPod touch is like an iPhone without the phone part — its gorgeous, big screen boasts Apple’s innovative multi-touch navigation. It plays music, displays videos, and shows off photos to glorious effect; it runs thousands of third-party applications and games; it has a built-in browser, e-mail access, WiFi, Google Maps, YouTube access, an accelerometer, and more. With direct online access to Apple’s App Store, adding games and applications is just a matter of tapping the screen. An 8 GB version retails for $229, a 16 GB for $299, and a 32 GB for $399.

 

 

• Pros: Wonderful screen, lots of built-in applications, thousands of third-party applications available, its operating system is upgradable, future may bring WiFi-based VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) calls, touchscreen makes it easy to use with home audio and speaker docking systems, it can be used as a remote for an Apple TV, and basically it’s an all-around joy to use. 

   

• Cons: No built-in camera, no GPS , storage seems paltry for such a great form factor and interface. 

   

• Bottom Line: Because the iPod touch does so many things so well — easy music navigation, videos are a joy to watch, and games are ready for it — Apple calls it “the funnest iPod ever.” While most won’t want to risk taking it to the gym, the touch is surprisingly thin and light. With the right case, it’s a viable workout companion. For traveling, the big screen is amazing, and the thousands of applications and games will give this iPod a life extension for many years to come. Can’t go wrong. Seriously. Tell your friends: iPod touch.

The iPod Classic

On the surface, the iPod classic is the least compelling of all the iPods. It’s bigger, has a mid-size screen, and the touch-sensitive scroll wheel that seems perfect on the nano seems old-school on the classic. Still, the iPod classic comes with 120 GB of storage — that’s about 30,000 songs or 150 hours of video. And it’ll play those songs for 36 hours. Few iPod owners have enough media to fill this thing up.

• Pros: Capacity. 

   

• Cons: Lacks much of application functionality of the iPod touch. 

   

• Bottom Line: This big puppy is perfect for those who are avid music listeners and who must have their entire music library with them at all times. Same goes for TV, movies, and video. If having the media available at a moment’s touch is key, the classic is a win. Not surprisingly, the iPod classic has been the go-to tool for DJs for years.

Overall, the nano and the touch are the most versatile models. The nano gets the edge for super-active, on-the-go users while the touch will wow most everyone else.

By Chris Maxcer

Listen to your iPod in your car

Fring available on iPhone and iPod

fring has been approved by Apple, and is now available for iPhone and iPod devices, from the App Store.

Fring will allow iPhone and iPod users to enjoy live, mobile instant messaging with friends, no matter what device their contacts are using, and benefit from cheaper calls over WiFi.

Service users, called ‘fringsters’, can chat with contacts on their favourite online community, including Skype, MSN, Google Talk, ICQ, Twitter, Yahoo! and AIM, no matter where they are.

Fring released a preview version of its iPhone application in April, which was the first ever mobile VoIP app to appear on the iPhone.

An outstanding response to the application was received and fring has used feedback to develop the new version now launched on the Apple App Store, which features a new dialer screen and fring Add-ons menu.

Fring is free to download and use without any subscription fees.

by Jan Harris

Apple Won’t Unplug iTunes

The digital music scene could have gotten hairy, if not for yesterday’s move by the Copyright Royalty Board to freeze mechanical royalties. If the rates payable to publishers and songwriters got bumped higher than the current $0.091 a track, Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) even threatened to close down its iTunes Music Store.

Would Apple really have shuttered its store if it had to pay music makers just a few pennies more?

I don’t believe it, and you shouldn’t, either.

I understand the urgency of maintaining that $0.99-a-track price point. The iTunes Store works on razor-thin margins, with bandwidth and transaction fees nibbling at the scraps that record companies leave behind. If Apple had to pass on additional royalty costs to consumers, $1.05 a track — or $10.50 for a digital CD — just wouldn’t have the same kind of pricing zing.

But Apple obviously doesn’t have to make monster profits through iTunes. The store is there to protect its iPod empire. If Apple were to ridiculously shut down its store in protest, it would send its avid base of music fans to rival sellers like Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN) and Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT), which have switched to MP3 music that works on all portable music players. Apple would never let that happen.

In short, Apple was just calling the music industry’s bluff. It worked. I guess the fact that pirates have also frozen their mechanical royalties on peer-to-peer downloads — at $0.000 a track — was an effective deterrent. The industry has chosen to keep the leader in legal digital music distribution happy, and rightfully so. Can you imagine the mess that the music industry would be in if Apple hadn’t made it hip to actually pay for online music files?

Downloading isn’t the only game in town, of course. Labels and service providers will naturally trade barbs over the many other ways that music is consumed on the Web. Music subscription services like Napster (Nasdaq: NAPS) and RealNetworks‘ (Nasdaq: RNWK) Rhapsody abide by a different set of standards, since they simply serve up temporary streams through their all-you-can-listen-to buffet models. Internet radio, consisting mostly of fiery independents — and a few big guns like Time Warner’s (NYSE: TWX) AOL Music and CBS‘ (NYSE: CBS) Last.fm — has also had its royalty run-ins.

Apple would never really leave. Then again, neither will MP3-swapping piracy.

By Rick Aristotle Munarriz

iPod case roundup: Give your old iPod touch a new case

Apple may have ushered in a new era for the iPod touch () recently, but there are plenty of owners of the original iPod touch out there—plus, you can get a pretty good deal on a refurbished 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB original iPod touch at the Apple Store’s refurbished section online.

If you have an original iPod touch, you still want to protect your investment. This week, I take a look at three cases for the original iPod touch. These cases will not fit the new iPod touch, which has a different body shape and new volume buttons that won’t fit these cases.

Core Cases iPod touch Aluminum Slider Case

The iPod touch Aluminum Slider Case comes in two parts that slide together to protect the iPod touch. The case has an EVA lining so it doesn’t scratch the iPod touch. I didn’t experience any problems of the Slide Case slipping apart during the couple of weeks I used it.

If you just chowed down at your favorite greasy spoon, be sure to wash your hands before you handle a black Slider Case, because the anodized brushed black aluminum will show your greasy fingerprints; it’s akin to the fingerprint problems of the black MacBook (which actually has a plastic case.) But if you do get fingerprints and smudges on the black Slider Case, all you have to do it wipe it off with a cloth. Preferably a clean one. (The Slider Case is also available in anodized brushed silver aluminum.)

The case has openings so you can access the iPod’s buttons easily, and it also has an opening for the WiFi antenna. The edges of the case’s screen opening don’t get in the way of touching on-screen buttons along the sides. Speaking of the screen, Core Cases doesn’t include a clear screen protector, but you can use a third-party protector and still be able to fit the iPod touch in the Slider Case. The Slider Case provides a nice hard shell that doesn’t add a lot of bulk, ideal for everyday use.

OtterBox for iPod touch Defender

If you’re the type who puts your gadgets through a lot of abuse, the OtterBox for iPod touch Defender is the case for you. It offers two layers of protection, with a hard plastic shell covered by a silicone skin. With an iPod touch inside, the Defender is almost twice as thick as the iPod touch, but it’s very well protected.

A semi-clear polycarbonate sheet provides protection for the iPod touch screen, but it hampers the light finger taps you would normally use on an uncovered iPod touch. Because the sheet isn’t completely flush with the screen, you have to apply a bit more pressure to your finger taps than usual. It doesn’t detract from the overall usability of the iPod touch interface, but the sheet does make the screen look a little hazy.

The case provides cover for the dock-connector port and headphone jack when they’re not in use. You can still easily press the Sleep/Wake button and Home button. The case comes up to the very edge of the iPod touch screen, making it difficult to press on-screen buttons along the edge of the screen (for example, the Q key on the on-screen keyboard).

The Defender is a good case for when you want to use your iPod touch during a rigorous activity, and you don’t plan on using the interface much—you simply want to have some tunes on while you’re, say, scaling a rock. It’s not waterproof or water resistant so don’t use it in the pool. But it will take a beating.

Speck TechStyle Classic for iPod touch

The TechStyle Classic for iPod touch uses soft black leather with white stitching. The leather feels nice and of quality, not cheap. The stitching is strong and holds up under everyday use, but to me, the stitching gives the case an unappealing Frankenstein, patched-together look.

You just slip your iPod touch inside and snap the case closed. There are openings for easy access to the dock-connector port, headphone jack, and Sleep/Wake button. The edges of the screen opening don’t get in the way of your fingers, but Speck doesn’t include a clear screen protector. You can go with a third-party screen protector and still be able to fit the iPod touch in the case.

The TechStyle Classic has a removable belt clip that securely holds on to whatever it’s clipped. The clip is positioned only in the vertical position; you can’t pivot it for horizontal use. And unlike some other cases with clips, the clip on the TechStyle Classic does not do double duty as a stand.

In all, the TechStyle Classic is a basic leather case at an attractive price.

by Roman Loyola

Apple releases Apple TV Software 2.2

Apple has released Apple TV Software 2.2, the latest update to the company’s set-top box. New in software 2.2 is the ability to create Genius and on-the-go playlists, and the ability to purchase and download HD TV shows directly from the Apple TV. As with iPods and as noted in our screenshots, the Apple TV must be synced with a Genius-enabled iTunes library before the feature will work from the Apple TV. The update also brings other modest UI changes. Continue reading for a small screenshot gallery of the new software. Apple TV Software 2.2 is available now through the update feature in the General settings menu.

By Charles Starrett

Apple Releases iTunes 8.0.1 Update

Late Wednesday, Apple released iTunes 8.0.1, the latest version of its multimedia/jukebox application for Mac OS X. The new version, a 56 megabyte download, offers the following fixes, changes and new features: