Apps: Music
Been a while since I posted up on Album Flow, but wanted to get word out there has been a release of a free version. You need to pay for premium features to customize or use playlists, appearance, etc. but the main cover flow feature that makes it mucho cool for iPad users is fully functional in the free version. Also a great alternative player for iPhone, so go grab it here...
With all the chatter in the blogosphere, about new products soon to be released, and patent battles being fought on all fronts in the courts of law, I think it's important to keep in mind the old expression: "You ain't seen nuthin' yet!" Truly, hasn't this week been a great example of that. With the court cases bringing out details Apple would just as likely have preferred to keep private, we have been granted a rare insight into the evolution of products in the Apple iDevice chain, as well as having been given glimpses into what Apple had in mind, in prototype form, two years ago. That said, can you imagine what Cupertino has in store for us in say, 5 years? That's not that long. Think about it. Within 5 years, devices and functions that are now, only in prototype/patent form, may very well be seeing the light of day. It's not for nothing that Johny Ive says that the products Apple is working on now, are some of the best, most exciting products Apple has ever invented!
You don't have to settle for plastic or even metal accessories thanks to Altaz. I had a chance to use their latest Micro-Fi miniature speakers and they represent such a pleasant juxtaposition of today's technology and real wood speakers. The Altaz Micro-Fi is highly reminiscent of the bookshelf speakers I had in college, back when people cared about how things were made.
I never had a piano lesson, even though we had a piano in the house, growing up. That piano collected dust and was more useful as a piece of furniture to display picture frames on. I always wished I had more initiative and learned to play.
But today, thanks to the magic that is the Piano Apprentice from ION Audio, I actually learned how to play the melody from The Entertainer! And it just took about 30 minutes! The Piano Apprentice is a creative combination of a physical piano keyboard, and a free app with several lessons included, and tight integration between the software and hardware.
Making music has been a part-time practice for me for decades now and I've dabbled in everything from guitar and piano to drums and didgeridoo. One thing that I've particularly enjoyed over the past several years is the way programs like Garage Band have made composing and recording great original tracks easy for everyone from amateurs like myself, to professionals like Trent Reznor, composer of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo soundtrack and Nine Inch Nails frontman. And if Garage Band made things convenient before iOS, then since the arrival of Garage Band on iOS, recording whatever we are inspired to compose has truly become a graceful, portable and trouble-free affair. So I was excited when I got the opportunity to try out the new Carbon 49 keyboard by Samson. The Carbon 49 is an economical and portable solution to MIDI music performance and it boasts a number of unique and valuable features to make the process of playing and capturing music an intuitive one, with high quality results. I got to spend hours jamming on this little instrument this week and here are some of my findings and feedback.
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