GadgetReview

Today, EA announced the follow up to their exercise sports title, SPORTS Active 2.0.  The newest version of the already hyper popular workout game will now include an innovative wireless control system, powered by new leg and arm straps with motion sensors, a heart rate monitor to capture intensity, and a new online hub to track and share workout data.  EA has also expanded the games availability from the Wii to the PS3, iPod Touch and iPhone, although I don’t think the latter two will include the same sensor system.

The new heart rate monitor helps users keep track of their workout intensity and will provide an always onscreen readout of their beats per minutes, calories burned and more.  The online hub, which is more of a social network meets logging system, provides the user with a centralized location of their workout data, progress and the ability to interact with other EA ACTIVE Sports users and share workouts.

The game itself will include a three-phase, nine-week program that is said to provide a fitness roadmap that keeps gamers motivated and on track to their fitness goals.  You can also expect additional workouts for download in the future, for a nominal cost of course.

There’s no word on a price or a specific launch date, but EA says to expect SPORTS Active 2.0 this fall. …Continue reading: EA SPORTS Active 2.0 Announced, Arriving This Fall With More Sensors And On The PS3

I really didn’t expect to see something this cool today.  The PRS Guitar Bud is an absolutely innovative product that is a must “check out” for any musician that owns an iPhone or 2nd Gen iPod Touch.  The PRS Guitar Bud is a 6 foot long cable that has a microphone attachment cord via 3.5mm jack as well as a 1/4″ jack and a headphone input.

Capable of transmitting a signal from guitars, keyboards, and samplers to just about any app that accepts a microphone input, the PRS Guitar Bud is a great way to share riffs, practice scales, and much more.  PRS also has a compatible app associated with the PRS Guitar Bud called the PRS JamAmp which serves as an amp simulator and practice aide.

The Guitar Bud sells for $30 and the PRS App is at $10 and is available now.  Other compatible apps are:  Voice Memos™, StompVox™, Riff Raters™, GigDaddy™, iStrobosoft™, Rectools Pr™o, Guitar FX Deluxe.  From reading the reviews in the App Store, it seems people aren’t too happy with the way this product and App doesn’t work.  This might be asking too much of an iPhone.  I’m gonna see if I can snag one for review.

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Street Fighter IV for the iPhone and iPod Touch will hit the app store next month for $9.99.  The price and launch date is no surprise, but what about the game play?  The question on everyone’s mind is ‘will it be stupid impossible to control your character’?   Based on the below video it doesn’t look too shabby.  Thoughts? …Continue reading: Street Fighter 4 For The iPhone Gameplay Revealed Along With It Price And Launch Date (video)

I have a hard enough time playing first person shooters on the iPhone, so I’m a bit shocked to see a fighting game get ported to the handheld.  There no word on a release date or price, but Capcom will port Street Fighter IV to the iTunes app store presumably sometime this year – I guess they wanna cash in on the series as much as possible.

A set of on screen controls, joystick included, will control your character of choice and will includes a few different layouts to accommodate your fighting style.  There will no doubt be a multiplayer mode as wel as a confirmed Dojo mode where you can practice your skills before laying the smack down.

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For those of you that just love iPhone dock news, iLuv had its new App Station on display at CES and it was mildly refreshing amongst the sea of competitors.  The App Station works directly with the iLuv compatible app that turns the display into a giant alarm clock.  The device itself rotates so you can view media either horizontally or vertically and was relatively lightweight.

The App Station also charges your iPhone and runs off either AC power or 6 AA batteries.  All in all, I like the form factor and it would look pretty nice bedside.  I don’t know about the $130 price tag, but the App Station is slated for release in February. …Continue reading: CES 2010: iLuv App Station iMM190

Last month Red Eye burst onto the scene promising to turn any iPhone into a universal remote control.   One problem, it costs $188.   Now the L5 remote promises the same versatility as the Red Eye but at less than 1/3 of the cost; $50 to be exact.   Portability and ease of use is also part of their pitch as the L5 plugs into the bottom of the iPhone and uses the device’s battery to send out infrared signals.  The L5 Remote will ship sometime in February, while the application should be free to download.

Right now I’ve got my hands on the Red Eye and let’s just say the experience hasn’t been a smooth one.

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IK Multimedia has long been known for their music software.  I have used their Amplitube plug-in for countless recordings and I even have their new Amplitube Metal plug-in for Pro Tools.

The GrooveMaker from IK Multimedia is a simple yet intuitive groove based music arrangement application for your iPhone or iPod Touch.  There’s actually whole series of these music applications, each based off of a corresponding genre or sub-genre of music.  From trance, to drum and bass and hip-hop, each app is set up the same way with different samples thrown in to match the genre. …Continue reading: IK MultiMedia’s GrooveMaker Hip-Hop For The iPhone/Touch Review

Finally iPhone and iPod Touch users can control their AV gear with their handset.  Magic? No, but damn close – I guess it just seems that whimsical and wonderful to me.

Called the RedEye, it’s a dock that receives commands from your iPhone via WiFi and relays them over infrared to your TV, Blu-ray player, home theater receiver or just about any A/V gear that you can think of.  Since it operates over WiFi (an RF signal that passes through walls) you can have multiple RedEyes scattered around your home enabling you to control the stereo from any where you sit.  And because the software is free and customizable, there is virtually no limit to what and how you can control your gear.

The RedEye costs $188 and includes one infrred base and some adapters for the iPod Touch and iPhone.  Check their quick product videos after the ‘leap’ …Continue reading: The RedEye Turns Any iPhone Or iPod Touch Into A Universal Remote Control

The HypnosEye Projector is a completely wireless projector and is a cheap and easy way for you to display visual media from your iPhone.  It actually works with any phone that has an adjustable brightness as it uses a special mirror with a reflection agent at the top of the glass instead of the bottom making for a more clear image. …Continue reading: HypnosEye Projector For Your iPhone

Doubling as a hacky-sack, the MovieWedge is a convenient way to view media horizontally on your iPhone or iPod touch.  The MovieWedge is lightweight and portable beanbag-esque cushion that supports your iPhone for prime viewing.

Embracing a brutally simple design aesthetic, the MovieWedge can effectively adapt to most any surrounding.  Capable of changing shape to a small degree, the MovieWedge can easily fit in where ever you need it.  From a stiff but moving airplane tray table, to your bed or your grassy backyard, the MovieWedge is unlike any iPhone stand you have used before. …Continue reading: MovieWedge Review