Gearfuse

Just in case you missed today’s Apple “It’s Only Rock and Roll” special event, here’s what was announced:

-Steve Jobs back on the keynote scene, appears on stage
-iPhone 3.1 including Genius in App Store, released today for free
-Genius improvements
-iTunes 9, download today
-home sharing and improved syncing , share library with up to 5 home computers
-manage apps from iTunes
-redesigned iTunes Store
-share iTunes on Twitter and Facebook
-iTunes LP: new in-depth interactive album browsing with lyrics and photos
-iTunes Extra: like LP, but for movies, includes DVD-like features, chapter selection
-32 GB and 64 GB iPod Touch
-OpenGL ES 2.0 added to touch devices
-160 GB iPod Classic
-new colorful iPod Shuffle, $59 for 2 GB
-…one more thing. Brand new iPod Nan0 with video and mic built-in, 2.2 in. screen, one click YouTube upload, also FM Radio, VoiceOver and Voice Recorder, available in 8 GB and 16 GB, tons of beautiful colors, available today

The classic iPod design has been standard for so long that even Apple calls the original iPod the iPod Classic. The iPod Slide concept updates the iPod Classic design while keeping all of the device’s classic elements intact.

It just makes the classic design a little more… compact. Allowing the iPod to slide sort of like those slide phones that were popular for about six months a year or so ago.

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Don’t you hate when you buy a brand-new gadget, take it out of the package, power that sucker on, only to discover that you have about 30 seconds of battery life to play with before the thing is tapped out. Apple, always thinking ahead, has submitted a patent which would allow their iPhone and iPod Touch gadgets to be charged while still in their packaging.

This “active packaging” would allow “power, data, or both power and data to one or more electronic media devices housed within the packaging.” Data too, huh? Does that mean a constant data feed to each device? That would keep all of their devices updated constantly.

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Anyone not excited about a new Doom title is really just a sour puss. Since the original, three-episode shooter, any sequel or update has made me jump for joy. This time is no exception.

Doom Resurrection is an iPhone game that debuts next week from id Software. It’ll feature lots of downsampled graphics from Doom 3, great controls and a few other surprises. John Carmack says he “loves the iPhone” and calls it a “real game platform.” Good to know, Johnny. Resurrection sports eight-levels of fury and an improved aiming system, ensuring that the game runs at a smooth 30 fps the entire time. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some Cacodemons to attend to.

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Capcom, maker of Metal Gear Solid and Street Fighter, loves the iPhone. So much, in fact, that in the next year, Capcom will release 10 new titles for the device on the Apple App Store. No details are available on whether or not current titles will be ported to the iPhone/iPod Touch, but keep your eyes peeled for titles relating to Resident Evil as I think we could see a touch-version of the original drop sometime this year. Or at least, one can hope, right?

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Back in 1994, I played a game that utilized Apple Quicktime to the fullest extent. It was hard as shit, looked beautiful and was called Myst. While I never got into the sequels, the original is the one that really brought the first-person puzzle genre to light. Now, if you’ve got an iPhone that’s hopefully 16GB, you can buy Myst on the App Store for a mere $5.99. It’s the original game, complete with movies and all. The caveat?

It’s a whopping 730MB download. Yes, 730MB. And to install it you have to have 1.5GB of space free for some reason. Wild. Be prepared to delete a Beatles album or five from your iPhone, should you purchase it.

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I realize that Steve Jobs is really psyched about turning the iPhone and iPod Touch into fully-fledged gaming platforms. That’s great. There are tons of fantastic games for these devices, produced by powerhouse studios and publishers like Electronic Arts. Unfortunately, the classic NES title Mega Man II is not fantastic. Look at this retarded control scheme Capcom set up. It looks like somebody whipped those graphics up in five minutes using Macromedia Flash 4.

Of course, you’re going to play it for a few minutes and become incredibly frustrated. According to reviews ’round the ‘net, the game is nearly impossible to play, especially with so many tough jumps and enemies. Thought the original was easy? Now is the chance to really hone your skills. It’s now available on the App Store for a mere $4.99.

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So yesterday, I did a small write up of a little app called SmartRSS 2. You can find it on the iTunes App Store for $1.99 but today and today only, you can get a free copy of SmartRSS 2 for free. How? By emailing me at vince@gearfuse.com and requesting one. That’s it. You email me, I’ll send you a code you can enter in iTunes for a free download. Excellent. Everybody wins!

So hurry up. The contest ends 24 hours from now and I only have 5 of these promo codes available. First come, first serve!

UPDATE: That was quick! Enjoy SmartRSS 2, dear readers, as we are out of codes!

The best things in life are free, no question about it. But even if it wasn’t free, I’d most likely buy iTouchMidi, a program for both OS X and Windows that will receive MIDI signals from your iPhone or iPod Touch via WiFi. Pretty insane right? Check out what this guy did with two iPod Touches and iTouchMidi software. He uses the touchscreens mounted to his guitar to control Ableton Live and pull off some Brian Eno-type shit. I’d keep writing but I’ve simply got to try this out for myself. I’ll report back with my findings, Cap’n!

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Today’s New York Times reports that many colleges are giving away free iPhones or the iPod Touch to their students. Apple hopes to hook new customers with the program and the schools involved hope to improve communications, test educational applications, and allow online research in class. Many professors are concerned that the devices will be a distraction.

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