Roam and listen in safety with AIRbudz

There’s a new Kickstarter campaign ongoing brought to us courtesy of The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) for a very worthy idea: AIRbudz. AIRbudz isn’t a stand alone accessory, it’s a modification of something that iOS and other portable media device users rely on regularly- their earbuds. The creator of AIRbudz is an avid runner, but had two issues: she relies on listening to music while running to keep her energized and on pace, yet most earbuds block surrounding sound by design making running or biking more dangerous. AIRbudz works with your existing earbuds by replacing the removable cushions that fit in your ear canal. The new cushions have air channels regularly spaced allowing surrounding sounds to mix with the audio  you’re listening to via your device, providing perfect balance of enjoyment of your audio while being more aware of your surroundings. 

I’ve run afoul of exactly these sorts of problems while biking- my hometown’s streets aren’t the most cycle-friendly, but all of the high quality earbuds I own are designed to passively isolate you from outside sound. While this is perfect for home use, it’s a potential danger on the road. Speaking as someone who’s had more than one unwanted encounter with car fenders AIRbudz is a fantastic idea, and I hope you’ll join me in supporting it.

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Media for the Gigabyte Challenged, Part 2

I discussed in an earlier post some options for those that want access to audio content but don’t have much space left in their iOS device’s memory. To recap, when I purchased my first iPad the 16 gigs of memory seemed cavernous; I didn’t even entertain the idea that I’d be storage challenged as my media and app libraries grew. Now even my 32 gig model can be a bit cramped when I sync with iTunes, and accurately predicting what movie or album I’m going to be in the mood for at a later time can be a bit difficult. So once again, what’s an iOS aficionado to do? Never fear, the cloud comes to our rescue yet again. 

As with audio, video content has numerous streaming services to whet your appetite for movies and television. Even before I cut the cord my household had paid streaming video via Netflix, the reigning king of streaming media. Netflix has become so pervasive that you’d have a hard time finding a device that doesn’t interface with it’s streaming service. In my entertainment center alone the Mac Mini, TiVo, and Nintendo Wii all are capable of Netflix access; many new televisions will do so natively. The Netflix experience on iOS devices is easily as good as any other device; the interface is easy to navigate and responsive.

While Netflix is the first name that comes to mind when thinking of streaming video, they aren’t the only game in town. Hulu provides a great service for subscribers as well, with an equally clean and responsive iOS app. Sadly the free content you can access on your PC or Mac isn’t available on iOS; the app requires a paid Hulu Plus account. Fortunately Hulu Plus is very affordable at a paltry $7.99 per month- easily worth skipping a day’s cheeseburger value meal if your funds are constrained. While they do have some movies, their library is best know for it’s television content- many shows are available in their entirety, from first episode to ending show.

Two titans of online life, Facebook and YouTube, have gotten into the streaming movie business. YouTube hosts both free and paid content via their dedicated movies page. Facebook allows clients to rent movies via Facebook ‘credits’ or cash, and already has deals with some major movie studios to host content via a movie’s Facebook page. I haven’t sampled either provider, so reviews are pending. Upstart Vudu is another budding player in the movie rental game, boasting that they have the most HD content of any online provider (although they don’t currently have a dedicated iOS app; the website instructs renters to create a web app via Safari for content access).

Apple’s answer to media access, the iTunes store, can’t be overlooked either. Just as with the Mac version of iTunes you can rent or purchase from Apple’s vast library. I’ve been buying season passes to some TV shows not available elsewhere, and the combination of convenience and content quality is hard to beat.

If you have an account with select cable TV providers or premium channels like HBO you have additional options. Time Warner has a free iOS app that allows streaming TV access on your device, and the HBO Go app allows subscribers to follow favorites like Game of Thrones as well. The network ABC recently launched the ABC Family app providing free, add supported viewing of many of their shows. Newer models of TiVo allow for streaming content to iOS devices on your home network- not an option if you’re away from home, but having an extra virtual TV can be a boon when you’d like to watch your recordings when someone else has monopolized the TV. Check with your content provider to see what options they provide; there are just too many to cover in a single post.

Lastly, for those of you with a large library may want to consider setting up a home theater client like Plex to provide remote streaming access. I’ve mentioned Plex before, and my admiration for the free software has only grown over time. Setting up mobile access was very simple, and both the Mac client and iOS app are free. While Plex isn’t the only option for home theater PCs, it’s the only one I’ve felt confident in endorsing. Setup is very easy,  and I’ve watched numerous titles via my iPad and iPhone while away from home with no complaints.

No matter what you’re in the mood for, there’s a provider that can get you what you want no matter where you may be. iOS devices are titans of media consumption, and every content provider is looking for a way to get the attention of the ever-growing numbers of iOS device owners. Whether you prefer a monthly subscription for an all-you-want buffet of video or paying for only the titles you want when you want them, you’ve got a host of options to choose from. If I’ve overlooked one of your favorites let us know in the comments section!

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From DVD to iOS

While there are a wide range of sources for streaming or downloadable video content for iOS devices, from purchasing movies and TV from the iTunes media store to the vast libraries of Netflix and Hulu. What do you do if you already have a DVD of the movie you want to watch? 

For quite some time the answer was universal: Handbrake. Handbrake has been the Mac’s go-to app for transforming DVD video to MP4 files, whether you want to back up your DVD library or make files playable on both iTunes and your iOS device of choice. The free app isn’t difficult to use, and for those that need help there’s a wealth of instructions and advice out there. I’ve used it for as long as I’ve had a Mac; most of the titles on my Mac Mini‘s external hard drive are there thanks to it’s prowess.

Sadly, Handbrake has been in jeopardy of losing its crown as the go-to DVD ripping app. It doesn’t actually include all of the code necessary to decode the video content of discs; it relies on complementary software provided by VLC - another gem of free software. VLC is know by multimedia enthusiasts of all OS types as the best video client available- VLC can handle just about any type of video (and audio) file out there on the internet. After VLC’s recent upgrade to version 2.0.1 it ceased to play nice with Handbrake, crippling Handbrake’s ability to decode discs. I held off upgrading to the most recent version of VLC (not an easy task for an early adopter to do) but I’m still having issues with Handbrake.

For those times that Handbrake refuses to work I’ve switched to MacX DVD Ripper. The site strongly suggests using the Pro version costing $34.95, but so far I’ve stuck with the Free version and have had no issues with performance. The interface looks dated but the app works well, ripping high-quality MP4 files on my iMac in a relatively short time. The Pro version does offer some useful features the Free version lacks, such as ripping to multiple file types (MP4, H.264, MOV, FLV, MPEG, M4V, AVI, and QT(QuickTime). It also allows you to keep the 5.1 AC3/DTS audio if the disc has it rather than stripping it down to stereo or mono audio. Most importantly the paid version has the ability to bypass region restrictions and encryption like DVD CSS, allowing you to back up any disc you can get your hot little hands on.

Thanks to the Retina displays on both my iPhone and iPad no down conversion has been required for the files to be playable on their smaller screens; once added to iTunes all my rips transfer and play without issue. Those of you with non-Retina devices like the 3GS iPhone or earlier generation iPod Touch may have to do some additional formatting if upgrading your device isn’t an option. Ripping to MP4 files on high quality settings provides a very good video averaging slightly less than a gigabyte per typical length movie. A word of warning- once you start ripping DVDs titles tend to add up quickly; so you might want to invest in an external hard drive. I’ve used a Fantom GreenDrive connected via USB with good results, but currently have an Iomega MiniMax connected via Firewire that offers both a faster connection and higher capacity in an aesthetically pleasing case matching the Mac Mini perfectly.

Whether you’d like to back up your library to digital copies for archival, want to create the ultimate media center PC, or just want to watch your DVDs on the go with your iOS device ripping provides a great way to do so. Stay tuned for more advice on how to expand on your digital multimedia experience!

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Apple and ESPN may make the Apple TV a lot more enticing

Numerous sources reported today that Apple is allegedly in negotiation with ESPN to bring the streaming WatchESPN to Apple’s streaming TV appliance. For those of you that haven’t heard of it, WatchESPN (or ESPN3 in some circles) is ESPN’s streaming online portal, offering access to a variety of sporting events both live and recorded. ESPN currently has an iOS app, but it requires the user to have ESPN via certain affiliated content providers. While it is possible to view sporting events via this app on a TV it would require an iOS device with the app, the account information of someone who has ESPN via an approved TV service provider, and an Apple TV to play it on the bigger screen via AirPlay. A native app on the Apple TV would be a huge boon in two ways- it offers an elegant alternative to the cobbled-together existing method, and would give those of us who have cut all ties to paid TV providers an avenue for more sporting events.

I cut the cable over a year ago; my Mac Mini media center and TiVo have performed perfectly (and far less expensively) than either the cable or satellite providers in my hometown. I have access to ESPN3 via browser thanks to my ISP and have watched it many times both on my iMac and on television via Mac Mini, and was impressed with the overall quality of the image. While it didn’t have the clarity of a paid TV signal the feed was still enjoyable to watch. Access via Apple TV gives those that are considering cutting the cable a much less expensive (and much smaller) option than putting together a media center PC. The Apple TV already provides some sports access via the MLB, NBA, and NHL apps; ESPN3/WatchESPN would allow access to a much wider range of sporting events (including some NCAA football).

The only area of entertainment the Apple TV doesn’t completely cover is sports. While three of the big four are included, Apple won’t likely be able to negotiate their way into the realm of the most popular North American sports: the NFL and NCAA football. Football is king in the US and demands gigantic sums of money for broadcasting rights that the major networks would never allow to be shared willingly. Maybe instead of paying a dividend Apple should use a portion of that titanic pile of cash they’ve accumulated to just buy ESPN?

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The Most Regal Way to Keep Your Data Secret

Courtesy of Neatorama we have what must be one of the most retro yet imaginative ways of keeping your portable data confidential: the TopSecret USB. The Custom Made (yes, it’s their corporate name) USB thumb drive comes in three capacities: 2, 4, or 8 gigabytes. The drive looks vaguely similar to the original iPod Shuffle; pulling either end of the drive’s ceramic body opens it to reveal the USB port. What sets it apart from other thumb drives is it’s signet stamp- like royalty of old you can safeguard your drive with a wax seal bearing the imprint of your custom stamp. The wax seal doesn’t prevent the drive from being accessed, but it does provide physical evidence that it has or has not been accessed (the encryption of the data is up to you). The wax seal must be broken to access the USB port, showing you immediately if the confidentiality of the drive has been compromised.

The TopSecret USB comes in either white, gray, baby blue, or pink and arrives sealed with the company’s TS imprint on the wax seal. You can choose a variety of wax colors (suggestions are made as to what color suits which purpose) and they do offer the ability to custom design your signet stamp. The drive isn’t cheap; the Dutch-made device is listed at €34.99 (that’s just over $45 for those of us in the States). With the price of USB drives at an all time low, I couldn’t justify picking one of these gems up unless the buyer was particularly smitten with the novelty.

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What Independent Games Should Be About

I’ve been fortunate enough to review a large library of games in my time as an iOS blogger. I’ve seen quite a few offerings from small startups, often from an outfit comprised of just one or two developers trying to hit App Store gold with their idea. Some are good, some not so much, but often they lose the core appeal that sets independently developed games apart from some of the big boys like Rovio and Popcap.

Highway Rider by Battery Acid Games is a perfect example. The concept is a simple one- you play as a thrill-seeking motorcycle rider, craving speed and excitement. You score by buzzing other vehicles sharing the road, rewarded by both points and a quick burst of speed. As you rack up close encounters the highway becomes more crowded with other vehicles and roadwork, amping up the danger. If you collide with any of the obstacles or other vehicles you tumble ragdoll-like along the asphalt with the list of your injuries and pending hospital bill looming over your shattered body.

Highway Rider is what I like about indie games; the entire app experience focuses on the only thing that matters: FUN. It doesn’t offer the sharpest graphics, the interface isn’t slick and polished, but the gameplay is simple and enjoyable with just the right amount of humor. I grasped the concept immediately and mastered the controls after my first wreck. This is what made games like Doodle Jump so much fun- they don’t try to wow you with extraneous fluff, they latch on to a core idea and make it work. The clever concept and simplicity are the essence of what makes gaming on a small screen like the iPhone enjoyable. It’s a nice distraction for the few minutes a ride can take; perfect for when you have a moment to spare but not enough time for something more time consuming.

As mentioned, game play is dead simple- just tilt your iOS device to steer your bike. The game is playable both as an offline single player version or an online competitive mode, with personalization of both your bike and rider’s gear possible. Highway Rider is Game Center compatible, as well.

Battery Acid games have made Highway Rider free via the iTunes App Store, but only through the 13th of April; after that the price is still a reasonable 99 cents. If you’d like a simple but fun time waster fire up the App Store and download Highway Rider today.

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The Future of (green) Mobile Device Power

Engadget brings us news of an upcoming new accessory to keep your mobile device charged when you lack access to an AC outlet. The Brookstone USB charger generates electricity via a lighter fluid powered fuel cell. The fuel cell generates direct current electricity without burning the fuel, and is stated to be capable of providing 14 full charges for your iPhone or other smartphone before needing to be refilled.

The technology is exciting, and a welcome addition to the various means of charging what is rapidly becoming a must-have device. While it’s a step in the right direction, I hope that devices such as this are just a tease for what this technology can do. Fuel cells could someday power everything from your portable device to your vehicle or off-grid home.

In the meantime, if you want a greener source of recharging your iPhone you might want to consider the Pocket Socket, a hand crank powered generator touted to be able to recharge any iOS device, digital camera, or AA/AAA rechargeable batteries. The accessory can be used either right or left handed and sports a 10 watt/120 Volt generator. The site doesn’t discuss how much effort would be needed to recharge your portable device, but I’d wager you’d be in for some tired arms before your iPhone’s battery hit 100% capacity.

Want to have a green method of recharging your iPhone but feeling too lazy to use a crank generator? Then the Mobius Rechargable Battery Case might be just the thing you’ve been looking for. The case features a high-efficiency mono crystal solar panel as well as an external battery backup for your iPhone, as well as a USB connector for faster non-green recharging. The backup battery in the case is advertised to double the use time of your iPhone, while the solar panel offers an additional 25 minutes of talk time per hour of direct sunlight exposure. The case’s manufacturer Eton has an entire lineup of solar and crank generator powered devices listed on their website; if you’re an outdoors enthusiast or just someone who wants to be prepared for anything give them a look.

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Rumor: OSX Mountain Lion slated for a June Release

In a recent report from Apple Insider, a spike of hiring of new associates in the AppleCare division is an indicator that the release of the next version of OSX is imminent. The article references an unnamed source who claims that the new associates are  being brought in to provide customer support for users of the new operating system. 

There have been numerous developer previews released over the past few months, so it’s not unreasonable to expect Mountain Lion to be prowling soon. A quick pointer for those considering the upgrade- Mountain Lion will only be available via the Mac App Store, unlike Lion which was available as a USB flash drive installer for those that hadn’t embraced Apple’s vision of the future of software purchasing.

I’ve upgraded as soon as the last two OSX upgrades were available (Snow Leopard by disk and Lion via the App Store) and haven’t regretted the decision. Some pundits reported issues with both during their initial release, but my upgrade experience was smooth both times. I’m really looking forward to some of the features highlighted in press releases for Mountain Lion, so I will likely be an early adopter yet again.

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Portal 2 on Sale Via Steam

A quick update for the gamers out there: Steam, often called the gaming equivalent to iTunes, has placed the fantastic sequel to Portal on sale for a paltry $6.79.  Portal was a tremendous game; original, clever, and sporting one of the best theme songs ever in a game (the hidden “RE: Your Brains” in Left 4 Dead 2 is right up there with it). Portal 2 successfully built on it’s predecessor’s foundation, expanding on the gameplay and adding a two player co op mode.

This sale won’t last long, especially considering the quality of the game- take advantage of it before it’s gone!

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Media for the Gigabyte Challenged, Part 1

While I like to think of myself as an early adopter, I tend to be a touch pragmatic about it. When it came to buying my first iPod, I opted for a model that fit my needs (and budget) perfectly- a first gen iPod Nano 4 gig. At the time I needed a way to carry my music while biking and jogging, and didn’t have a huge library. My first iPad was a 16 gig because I couldn’t justify paying more for memory I just knew I’d never use.

Now, my 16 gig iPhone and 32 gig iPad routinely have little memory to spare. Hordes of apps and an avalanche of media of all types have feasted on what I once thought was a surplus of storage. Even older apps take up more space thanks to the higher resolution of the new iPad. What’s an iOS addict to do for media when their device is already close to capacity? The answer is easy, my friends- rely on the Cloud.

There are numerous resources to tap when you’d like to hear your favorite tunes but don’t have much space on your device to carry them. Some are free, some are subscription; the best choice depends entirely on your personal needs and tastes. Here are a few:

The answer Apple provides is iTunes Match. This $24.99 per year service isn’t a streaming provider per se; it checks your music library for music Apple currently has in the iTunes Music Store. Those that you have purchased from Apple or files that can be positively identified as tracks they have in the store will be available for re-download on any Apple device: Mac or handheld. Files that Apple can’t positively identified are uploaded to Apple for storage, available for re-download just as officially recognized tracks are. The advantages are twofold- first, no syncing your iOS device is needed for access to your music library- just download what you’d like (or delete from your device if you need the space) and you’re ready to go. Second, the files that are recognized by iTunes, whether purchased from Apple or not, will be high bit rate AAC files with no DRM (Digital Rights Management, the pesky software protection that puts limits on how many devices your music can be played on). The biggest disadvantages are also twofold; first, you still need some space on your device to hold tracks. Secondly, you’re limited to whatever music you have in your library.

Pandora, my current personal favorite, is an elegant and clever solution. It is essentially intelligent streaming radio- enter a song title, artist or band name, or genre and Pandra will use the power of the Music Genome Project to devise a personalized radio station reflecting music similar to your request. The service is uncannily good at selecting music with a similar ‘feel’ to what you’ve chosen, often linking artists or songs that you wouldn’t have thought were similar. Pandora offers some control over your music stream; you can skip over a currently playing song or give the track a thumbs up (allowing it to further hone what you’d like to hear) or thumbs down (removing the track from play). If you can’t live without a particular song links are available to purchase it, or you can save it as a favorite and/or create a new station out of it. Pandora is available free but ad-supported (and limited to 36 hours of listening per month) and an unlimited $36/yearly service without ads or limitations.

Spotify is another hugely popular streaming audio service for a variety of devices. Spotify offers access to a large library of several major music labels: Sony, EMI, Warner, and Universal. Music can be browsed for by artist, album, record label, genre, or title search. Just as with Pandora, a free but limited version is available, and a Facebook account is required to gain free but ad-supported access. After a six month introductory period you will be limited to ten hours a month. A paid Premium account provides unlimited access and offline listening to downloaded content. Spotify stresses the social aspect of music, allowing you to see what your Facebook friends are listening to and allowing you to share your favorites with others. The Premium account allowing for unlimited mobile access is $9.99 per month (a less expensive Unlimited account is available for $4.99 per month, but only allows access via a computer). Spotify is considerably more expensive that Pandora, but it provides control over what you hear where Pandora is more like traditional radio; you have some control but an outside party picks the tracks you hear.

Of course, you can always just listen to actual radio- the iTunes App Store has several streaming radio apps available. My current favorite is TuneIn Radio Pro, allowing access to a tremendous number of streaming stations around the globe. The app supports recording or pausing streams, timed recording, new station suggestions based on your likes, a wake/sleep timer, AirPlay compatibility, and the ability to run in the background while you do other tasks on your device. Searching for stations is simple and powerful; for instance I’ve been able to find streams of college football games not available in my area in a matter of seconds.

For more specific streaming needs just search the App Store. Several of the radio stations in my area have dedicated apps, as well as larger entities like NPR- they have dedicated apps for music and news.

Lastly, don’t overlook Apple’s primary competitor in the mobile device market, Google. They provide an under appreciated streaming service named Google Play, allowing you to upload up to 20,000 songs (along with a variety of other media) that Google will host for you. Just install an app like GoMusic or GMusic or use Google’s web access at music.google.com and you’re ready to stream your library.

These are just a sampling of what’s available to you. Don’t be afraid to have fun exploring- there are over half a million apps available and counting. I’ve focused on some solutions that work well for me, but they are tailored to my needs and your mileage may vary.

When the first iPad came out, a common complaint/condemnation from pundits was “Yeah, but what is it for? What does it do?” I hope my musings have led you to my conclusion- iOS devices do pretty much anything you need them to.

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