Tech Archives - Page 5 of 16 - Serious Startups

New York Startup: Padcaster Turns Your iPad Into A Production Studio

While to most the iPad is a truly magical device, what makes the iPad even more magical is the amount of accessories available for it. The iPhone has equally as many (if not more currently) cool accessories as well.

You can turn your iPad into an arcade machine, amplifier, guitar teaching tool, midi throughput device, turntables and now an on the go video and photo production studio.

Josh Apter, founder and president of Union Square based Padcaster, created the Padcaster out of necessity.

The Padcaster is an invention born out of my own needs as a filmmaker. I was shooting interviews with an iPad 2 about a year ago and was frustrated that there was no way to mount it onto a tripod. That’s when I decided to build something myself,” said Josh Apter, founder and president, The Padcaster, LLC. “Now, just about a year later, we have the Padcaster. I’ve been testing the prototype and I have to say, I’m quite pleased with the results. Not only can I record high-quality footage right from the iPad, but I can also cut, add effects, and upload it to our Twitter, Facebook, Vimeo and blog feeds simultaneously – all from the same device, almost instantly.”

The Padcaster is house in an aluminum frame that allows itself to be mounted to after market lenses, microphones, and other accessories needed for great photographs and great videos. It also has a tripod mount on the bottom which means you can mount the secure Padcaster to any tripod, monopod or other device with a tripod mount.

Apter created an accessory called the Lenscaster that is sold separately from the Padcaster and allows the ability to hook the Padcaster up to cinema style lenses and other lenses that connect via a 35mm lens adapter (not included)

Both the Padcaster and the Lenscaster help move the iPad from consumer device to a more professional on the go photo and video studio.

Linkage:

Find out more about Padcaster here

Here’s a product tour of the Padcaster

Nibletz is the voice of startups “everywhere else” here are more stories from “everywhere else”

T-Mobile Announces $4 Billion Deal To Bring LTE-Advanced In The Next 2 Years

T-Mobile is now the only major US carrier that isn’t offering any LTE devices right now. They’re also the smallest major US carrier, and they’re the only one that still doesn’t have the beloved iPhone (which turned out to be less of a carrier-gold-mine than expected after all). However, they have great prices, so customers keep their contracts and are happy to use T-Mobile. However, T-Mobile still has room to improve in their service reliability and availability, and one of the ways they can do this is by finally adding LTE into the mix.

Today, the Senior Vice President of Technology for the company announced that T-Mobile is, in fact, working on LTE–and it’s LTE-Advanced at that. Nokia Siemens and Ericson have worked a deal out with T-Mobile that will allow them to fuel their network improvement over the next two years with a 4 billion dollar investment. This investment will help T-Mobile add HSPA+ to 400 more networks, bring 37,000 of them up to date, and push their LTE-Advanced equipment into usage. T-Mobile fans rejoice. There is no word on exactly when LTE will hit T-Mobile, but this 2-year timeframe is a start. We’ll be sure to keep you updated on T-Mobile’s steady improvements and upgrade to LTE.

a-Jays One+ EarBuds Ridiculous Sound, Even More Ridiculous Packaging

This would be the review that you’ve been looking for. If you’ve met me or seen me in the last six months, since CES 2012 in Las vegas I’ve probably told you about the most amazing pair of earbuds I’ve ever heard, the a-Jays One+ ear buds.

The earbuds are great and I am NOT an earbuds guy. I am a Sony MDR-7506 lover and I also have a pair of over the ear headphones that I love from House of Marley. However one pair of earbuds were going to change me into an earbud believer. Those earbuds would be the a-Jays One+ EarBuds.

Boy was I happy when I received an overnight from the office at the hotel I am staying at with the a-Jays One+ earbuds in them.

Here’s why you’re not seeing that review though. It’s the worst ever consumer packaging in the world. In over 10 years of having some sort of position involving researching or reviewing consumer electronic products and accessories I’ve never seen packaging as bad as this. Heck the boys who used to rip off Sam Goody in my High School to get cassettes had better luck cracking open the theft deterrent system.

At first I followed the instructions explicitly pushing the button that was behind the little round sticker.

To no avail.

I then borrowed a pair of scissors from the front desk. Nope didn’t work out

Next I tried a flat head screw driver. Still nothing

Then I tried I gigantic steak knife trying to both pry the packaging open and then slicing through it, still no avail.

The last thing I tried was to light the mother f*cking packaging on fire… Still to no avail. I guess they had their packaging made by the same people who make Otter Boxes and Griffin Survivor series cases.. I can’t imagine the frustration that actual customers will experience with this crazy packaging.

One things for sure Im going to get these B*tches open to do the review at some point because they are indeed the best sounding earbuds I’ve ever heard, and then, I’m going to store my iPhone in the packaging.. move over Otterbox.

Normally we only let Brent set things on fire.

Silicon Beach Fest What To Look Forward To On The 21st

Over the past weekend both Kyle and I were at startup events, and if you think with all the events so far this month the two of us have been covering is enough you’d be wrong. Later this month I’ll be covering Silicon Beach Fest in Santa Monica California from June 21-23rd. Organizes by Kevin Winston formally of MySpace, and current CEO of Digital LA. Jason Crilly, CEO and Founder of Pagewoo and Efren Toscano. Founder of TechZulu an independent news organization delivering an insightful story of the technology industry by showcasing the very people creating it. Brought together he top Startup Incubators in the Los Angeles area such as Start Engine, io/LA, Idealab, Amplify and others. For this start studded event. When Kevin Winston was questioned about what brought him to creating Silicon Beach Fest, he mentioned to me.

Exclusive Interview With Travis Chen Winner Of Hollywood Hack A Day

This weekend, we covered Hollywood Hack Day and now we have an exclusive interview with Travis Chen, created or Typing Karaoke. While not picking up a single Sponsors award, Travis won over both the crowd and judges. Who would think that something that could be education could be so fun. Watch the video below for not only the interview, but also how the crowd reacts when someone tries it during his pitch. They go Crazy…

Apple Unveils iOS 6, Brings 200 New Features & Officially Kicks Google Out With New Maps App

The last thing that Apple brought to WWDC 2012 was the unveiling of iOS 6. The new iteration of iOS will have over 200 new features, and a few of them are outlined below. iOS 6 will be coming to iPhone models from the 3GS and later, the 4th generation iPod Touch, and the 2nd and 3rd iPads generations. They have announced a new notification center with not only Twitter integration, but Facebook is coming along for the ride this time. You can now like everything from photos to apps in the App Store, and you can post things to Facebook in the same way that you could with Twitter in iOS 5.

They have also updated Siri to be able to do even more things and provide even more information. Siri can now launch apps, and Apple showed off a lot of new questions that Siri can answer such as sports statistics and turn-by-turn navigation right from Siri itself. Apple has also added a new app called Passbook that virtually transforms your iPhone into a gift card and event ticket wallet. You can now receive notifications of when you are near a store at which you have money to spend or when a boarding pass at an airport gets updated. Apple even released a template for third-party developers to implement their own services into Passbook. They have added a “Do Not Disturb” function to iPhone as well that allows you to shut off notifications and specify exactly what comes through and when. You can set a VIP list for email so you receive specific notifications from senders right to the lock screen. Facetime also be available over a cellular connection, which will revolutionize how much people use the service when they are out and about.

Apple has also kicked Google out their maps equation by launching their own maps complete with turn-by-turn navigation. This maps service will be crowd-sourced, and with the huge number of iOS users out there, this could definitely take the place of Google Maps without a problem. 3D maps are also available and looks extremely fluid and well-designed.

Apple is bringing a lot of new features to the table, and iOS 6 will hit iOS devices worldwide this Fall, likely with the launch of the next iPhone. We will be sure to keep you updated with any developer previews and information we receive.

Apple Announces New MacBook Pro Model With Retina Display

Apple’s WWDC 2012 conference is here, and they have exceeded all expectations with their new MacBook lineup. They started things off by updating all of their current models with brand new specs, and announcing the new MacBook Air line. The MacBook Air now has a 1.7 GHz Intel Core i5 processor, an Intel HD 4000 graphics processor, and either 64gb or 128GB of flash storage. These models are shipping today in 11 inch and 13 inch models.

However, they didn’t stop there. They announced a new MacBook Pro that stole the show from any other model. This new model is as thin as the MacBook Air at only 0.71 inches thick and weighs only 4.46 lbs. Not only is this new notebook thin, but it comes with the rumored Retina Display that is the highest resolution notebook display in the world at 2880×1800 on a 15-inch screen. This screen has 3 million more pixels than a 1080p HD TV, and has a smaller margin between the screen and the edge of the body than any MacBook yet. This MacBook still gets 7 hours of battery life however, and still maintains 31 days of standby time. This, my friends, is quite a breakthrough. It has dual mics, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 3, and a backlit keyboard. It has no shortage of ports either, with an SD slot, an HDMI port (finally), two USB 2/3 ports, and two Thunderbolt ports. It has a 2.3 GHz dual-core i7 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of flash storage.

The new MacBook Pro starts at $2199 and starts shipping today. Apple is very proud of this new notebook, and they have reason to be.

Photo Credit: Gizmodo

Day 2 Has Started At Hollywood Hack Day At io/LA

We are here at Hollywood Hack Day, on a gloomy Sunday in Hollywood California covering what has turned into 70+ programmers from all over So Cal into one place. The idea behind Hollywood Hack Day was to bring Media and Tech together into one. With sponsors like Rovi, ToxBox, Mashery, Rdio, Spotify just to name a few, the programmers here have been coding all throughout the night.

We’ll be covering all the goings on today as well as later tonight and tomorrow have full videos on all the pitches and the winners as the night goes on.

Exclusive: Hands On With Nyko PlayPad Pro

Nyko, the brand known for its third party controller for consols such as the XBox360, Play Station 3 and Wii is coming to Android with its PlayPad Pro which we got a hands on with at e3. From someone who doesn’t game any more, The PlayPad Pro won me over as a must have accessory to play games on my Android tablet. The controller, looks to be based upon the Xbox360 one pairs to your Android tablet running 3.0 and newer via Bluetooth.

We’ll Be Live At io/LA Covering Hollywood Hack Day

This weekend, while Kyle will be on the East Coast at another Startup event. I’ll be at a Hackathon on the West Coast covering the Hollywood Hackathon. The event, which has moved to io/LA’s venue near the famed Hollywood and Highland intersection in the middle of Hollywood. Will be filled with those trying to make it into the entertainment field by way of Tech.

Microsoft Unveils SmartGlass, Internet Explorer For Xbox, And 35 New Service Providers For Xbox

While they didn’t bring a next-gen console to E3 this year, Microsoft really pushed the limit on what the Xbox 360, their current-gen console, can do. Xbox has recently been given access to an “app store” where users can download and purchase things, and download service providers and apps such as Netflix and YouTube. These were obviously a huge hit, and Microsoft is planning to expand their providers by adding 35 new companies to the mix. Machinima, Nickelodeon, and Paramount can all give users a taste of what they can view with their cable providers, and do it all from one console. Microsoft has also announced they will be adding NBA Gametime and WatchESPN apps to the market so users can finally catch live sporting events via their Xbox. Clearly, this is bad news for cable companies.

Microsoft has also announced a new application called SmartGlass that will enable users to use their tablets as “remotes” for any Windows 8 devices, and of course, the Xbox to play different media types. Think AirPlay. Users will be able to start streaming content on one device, and pick up on another anywhere at any time. They also are enabling a “second screen” with tablets and phones that can be integrated into the Xbox’s experience, which is likely their shot at Nintendo’s new Wii U Gamepad. This app will also come to iOS and Android, though, meaning Microsoft is looking past just Windows Phone for their newest technology.

Microsoft is also pushing for more Kinect integration by adding easier ways to search with voice and gestures, and Internet Explorer will be added to Xbox by the end of the year. Xbox Music was something we have been hearing about for quite some time now, and today it became official that it was coming, and that it would work with Windows 8 devices. This means the Xbox can literally be the media center of a home for the first time. Sports, surfing the web, gaming, television–all of these can now be accessed by Microsoft’s home console. It’s no wonder the Xbox has become the best selling console worldwide.

Nintendo Announces Official Wii U Gamepad And Pro Controllers

Nintendo’s Wii U has been no secret for a while now, as they gave us a demo last year at E3, however, they have made the infamous Gamepad controller official today during a live-stream. The Nintendo Wii U Gamepad is something completely different from any gaming controller that we have seen in the past, and if you didn’t know any better, you might even think it’s a mobile gaming device due to the on-board touch screen. The controller features a touch screen in the center, with an analog sticks on either side (which is a change from last year’s demo), a d-pad on the left, and the standard four-button layout on the right. The idea behind the new controller is that the touch screen will revolutionize the way that we play video games, and sort of combines handheld gaming and console gaming, two things Nintendo is very successful at.

The Gamepad isn’t just a handheld controller though, it also features motion control, NFC capabilities, and a front-facing camera to top things off. This new controller will likely be the centerpiece of Nintendo’s next-gen gaming efforts. The only problem with that is it may be a little expensive for multiple players at one time, depending on how necessary it is to play. The Gamepad and Wii U will come in black and white iterations, both launching at the same time. Nintendo also announced their Pro controller which is much more similar to traditional gaming controllers, and actually looks similar to the prototype controller originally shown for the Playstation 3. It has two analog sticks, two bumpers and two triggers, a d-pad, and four buttons–pretty standard stuff here, folks. This will also most likely be a little less pricey, and is also probably going to be Nintendo’s way of attracting “hardcore gamers”, who usually would be in favor of a Playstation or Xbox over a Nintendo console. Both of these will be available at launch with the Wii U.

Google-Asus Nexus Tablet Shows Up On Benchmark Result Site

A lot of evidence points to Google working with Asus to bring us the first Nexus tablet. We first heard the idea a few months back, with news that it would be a 7-inch tablet that would finally put the Kindle Fire to bed. Asus has done a stellar job with Android tablets in the past, so it makes sense for Google to choose them as the official hardware manufacturer for the first Nexus tablet. With a 7-inch screen, the Nexus tablet would not be in direct competition with the iPad, which is clearly dominating the tablet market as of right now, so it is smart for Google to put a slightly different spin on things.

The Nexus tablet was rumored to come withe the next version of Android, JellyBean (or whatever Google actually calls it), and RightWare’s Benchmark site has given us even more insight on things. A device called the Google Asus Nexus 7 showed up with results on the site, leading us to believe that this was Google and Asus’s 7-inch Nexus tablet. The device is running JRN51B, which could very well be JellyBean right before our eyes. This falls right in line with Ice Cream Sandwich’s versions, and it would make sense that we start seeing more of this device because of the proposed July release date. Is this sure evidence of a 7-inch Nexus tablet? Not completely, but it’s definitely a step in the right direction.

Source: Android Central

New iPhone Parts Leak, Show That Many Rumors Appear To Be Accurate Including Larger Screen

Rumors of the next iPhone (possibly the “iPhone 5) have really been taking off because, well, it’s the iPhone. Not to mention Apple has officially set the schedule and date for their keynote at WWDC, and while the next iPhone probably won’t be released until the fall, we never know for sure with Apple. This is because Apple has a notoriously tight lid kept on all of their developments, and when something goes amuck, like an iPhone 4 getting lose months before launch, you might just have an Apple CEO knocking on your door.

As far as rumors go, a larger screen, a smaller dock connecter, a new aspect ratio, and LTE have all been rumored to be on board in the next iteration of the iPhone. And it would be hard to believe that Apple would skip out on most of these like a larger screen or LTE. Our guess is that they won’t, and now we have some beautiful photos thanks to our friends at 9to5Mac that show what Apple may be planning.

As you can see in the images above, Apple is definitely going with a larger screen for the next iPhone, and the camera is actually placed on top of the earpiece as opposed to next to it. The dock connector is also smaller, and there is plenty of room inside for what we hope will be an LTE radio. In the image below, you can see that a metal plating has been used to give this iPhone what looks like a unibody shell, although we have no details as to what this is actually made of. The frame is as wide as the current iPhones (4 and 4S models of course), but is longer which goes right along with the runors we have been hearing. Sources say that the screen resolution will be 1136 x 640 and that the iPhone will have specially designed software (iOS 6?) to take advantage of all that extra room.

Source: 9to5Mac