One such application is Audiotool Sketch, a lighter version of the Audiotool web app. It offers one melodic synth and 2 drum machines that emulate analog sounds. The major plus point for this music-making app is that the output does not sound like it’s been produced by a mobile device. Android tablets really let the app shine in its glory, with the extra screen real estate helping a lot. Currently the app is only available for devices running android 3.0 and above; so the only mobile phone which can run it is the Samsung Galaxy Nexus. The interface of the app is very simple and intuitive. It is not at all complex and any amateur will easily find his/her way around the app in minutes. After the length of the melodic segment is set, the notes are picked in the melodic sequencer. Accents and slides can then be set to each note and filters & waveform editors applied to get the precise sound desired by you. Once a specific pattern is programmed, it can be copy/pasted to the banks where it can be edited and variations added or it can be randomized altogether to get an entire different melody. The two drum machines work in a similar manner but with different sounds and methods of editing the parameters. They provide a variety of rhythmic options. The melodic sequencer can be used to set the duration of the drum sequences, so as to fit the groove. An overview window looks over the mixing and matching of all these elements and maintains the consistency of the groove. The volume can be adjusted in this window. Left/right panning for each of the virtual devices is made possible from the overview window. Pattern switching is supported in the app and can be done from the overview window itself, which means this app can be used in a live performance scenario. The BPM can be adjusted from this window using a simple slider or by simply tapping.

Available for 1$ through the android market, this simple yet really powerful tool is a must have for all amateur musicians. The major plus point, as already mentioned, is the fact that the music generated does NOT sound like a mobile device made it. The no-nonsense interface and fluidity of the app make it a winner. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

About the author: Bethany is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on technology and luxury. She recently read an article about How to unlock iPhone and it worked for her iPhone. Beside this she recycled her iMac by these creative ideas- Apple iMac.

If you are the kind of person who has a 27-inch iMac at home/office and a MacBook Pro for portable use, you may sometimes want to use your 27-inch iMac as a display to benefit from the size of the screen. Some people will buy an external display ($300) or a Thunderbolt Display ($1000), but if you have a 27-inch iMac and a MacBook Pro, there’s a cheaper way to do it.

Both the iMac and the MacBook Pro are equipped with a MiniDisplayPort or Thunderbolt port for the newer generations. To be able to use your iMac as an external display you will need a MiniDisplay Port to MiniDisplay Port cable or ThunderBolt cable. You can find them at Monoprice.com, it costs about $5 for a 6ft cable and the quality is great.

Once you receive your cable, turn on your iMac, plug one end of the cable into your MacBook Pro and the other to your iMac. Your MacBook Pro should now auto-detect the iMac as an external display and you’ll be ready to work on a bigger screen! If your laptop doesn’t detect your iMac, go to Apple Menu –> System Preferences… –> Displays –> Click on Detect Displays.

This trick should work on all 2009, 2010 and 2011 27-inch iMac’s and MacBook Pro’s.

If you found this article useful, please consider sharing it with your friends!

Since Usenet is over 30 years old there are also a several Newsreaders released in the last couple of years, but finding the right Newsreader is like finding the perfect pair of shoes for your girlfriend. Once you found a Newsreader you might like, you will hear about a better one. So you think about trying it and while you are looking for this particular Newsreader, you will find out there are 10 other Newsreader who could be perfect for you. So you collect some and try them but in the end you will find out that its nearly impossible to find the perfect Newsreader for you.

And to be honest, we really can’t help you to find the best Newsreader, but we could give a quick overview about popular Newsreaders for Mac OS. The most popular Newsreader is in my opinion Unison developed by Panic.

• Unison

Unison is not one of the newest Newsreaders out there but one of those Newsreader who get updated every 2-3 months. And its very important for a Newsreader to be up-to-date. Since Usenet is a little older its not common that many publisher update their Newsreader.

But Unison has nearly everything you can dream of. It has a beautiful interface (very important for mac users ), fast and easy to use. Three very important aspects for the new Usenet Generation out there. With Unison you can manage all your favorite Newsgroups, you can post in the Usenet and you can download files. The last point, downloading files, is one of the greatest functions you get with this Newsreader. Unison is not only allowing you to download them, you can also unRAR Folders or watch a preview if you want to download a video file.

Bottom line you can say that Unison is great for everybody who never tried Usenet but also for those who are experts and want to try something new. The next Newsreader is a bit older and not as nice as Unison but still pretty cool.

• SABnzbd

SABnzbd is another very popular Newsreader for Mac OS. It’s one of the only open-source Newsreader who has a big community with a lot of coding fans. And that is the key feature of SABnzbd. The big variety of functions, like different themes, many languages (for example German, French, Spanish etc.), cool Addons for your web browser and all the default functions a good Newsreader should have like posting in Usenet and downloading files. You can also use NZB to find the downloads you are looking for.

SABnzbd is good for everybody who enjoy “messing” around and try new things. You will find a big community with a lot of users who will help you if you have problems.

• Tangysoft

The Tangysoft Newsreader from UseNeXT is not equal to Unison or SABnzbd or other Newsreaders. It’s more like a special Usenet Client for UseNeXT Users with a lot of cool features. To Use Tangysoft you will need a UseNeXT Account to access Usenet. If you have this account you can download Tangysoft for free. Tangysoft has a lot of very unique functions. For example a build-in community who is rating download files and helping you with problems. The program also detect viruses or other programs that can harm your computer. With Tangysoft you can also use the Unlimited-Download-Function from UseNeXT where you can download stuff without paying anything.

Tangysoft is a easy-to-use Newsreader for UseNeXT users with a lot of awesome features, but you will need to buy a UseNeXT account to be able to use it.

How to proceed?

1. Open Disk Utility (can be found by searching in spotlight or in Applications folder -> Utilities)
2. Go to file -> New -> Disk image from Folder -> Choose a folder to protect
3. Change the encryption to 128-bit AES and click Save (It will create a .DMG file)
4. Then it will ask for a password, you can either choose one yourself or a more secure one from Password Assistant if you click on the key image behind the “Password:” field at the right.
5. Click OK. You can now double-click your encrypted .dmg file and Voila!

You have successfuly protected a folder using a high end encryption system. This is the best and more secure way to protect a file or folder on your Mac.

MAKE SURE TO REMEMBER THE PASSWORD CHOSEN, A LOST PASSWORD CANNOT BE RETRIEVED.

In partnership with Digiarty Software, we are offering a limited number of license codes for WinX Blu-Ray Decrypter.

WinX Blu-Ray Decrypter is a professional tool (for windows) to decrypt and backup blu-ray discs to M2TS video file or Blu-ray folder (compatible with Win7 Media Player) to your computer. This software is also able to remove and decrypt encryption (AACS MKB v25), BD+ copy protection, etc. It provides speed and quality. Protect your discs from scratch or loss

If you’re interested, you can download the software and get more details here. The software is actually $39,95 but you have a chance to get it for free.

How to get a license code?

1. To be eligible for this giveaway, you must share this page with your friends (like or Tweet) and like our Facebook fan page if you haven’t already.

2. Contact us from our contact page using a valid email address with the subject “WinX Blu-Ray Decrypter”, saying that you want a license code.

As I said, we only have a few license codes to offer, the first people to contact us will get the license. Make sure to activate it as soon as possible. The license codes will expire on November 15.

Steve Jobs may have created the most powerful tech company in the world, but if you are a longtime Mac user, it is likely your Usenet experience has been less than satisfying.

A Quick Background of Usenet

Usenet is a 32 year old technology started by 2 Duke University students as class project.

It was originally a text based discussion network where users could post messages in various categories, or newsgroups.

Essentially, Usenet was the first social network, allowing individuals to share ideas and content globally.

In the late 90’s it was offered by most ISPs and Universities as a free service. The cost of servers and maintenance eventually forced them to stop offering free Usenet.

Access to Usenet is now offered by premium providers and it remains the premier source for finding anything you can imagine.

Here are three things Mac users should know about Usenet.

1. Apple has a long history on Usenet

Apple’s influence on the tech world is undeniable. Every time they launch a new product or update its breaking news, the focus of most modern tech blogs.

While you may be familiar with Apple’s history you are probably unaware of its past on Usenet.

Dating back to the beginnings of Usenet, people were discussing Macs in the newsgroups. The “Lisa”, which was the first personal computer developed by Apple, was a popular topic on early Usenet.

The newsgroup comp.sys.mac.misc became a meeting place for Mac users and developers to discuss topics like bugs and software updates. It was a quality source for information on all things Mac.

2. Usenet is the most efficient way to download.

The modern Usenet is provided by premium providers which have made access better than ever before.  There are several advantages to Usenet that you may not be aware of.

• Usenet is FAST

Usenet is hosted on a large decentralized network of commercial grade server farms. You form a direct connection to the servers, allowing you to transfer content at high-speed rates.  There are no shared connections or need for you to upload anything, so you are able to download as fast your bandwidth will allow.

• Usenet is HUGE

The large server farms have enabled the premium Usenet providers are able to store content for incredible lengths of time. Most have over 1000 days of retention of their files which mean you have access to an enormous amount of information.

3. Usenet Access is available for Mac Users

If you are a Mac user you have likely been left in the dark for a long time when it comes to Usenet. But this is no longer the case.

A handful of premium providers have created all-in-one software solutions for easy access to Usenet. These include solutions for Mac OS X clients.

Now more than ever, Mac users can access Usenet with simple solutions designed to meet their system requirements.

Usenet has evolved over its 30+ year history to meet the needs of a changing world. When it began no one could imagine the impact it would have on the tech world.

From tons of user generated content to the latest builds of open source software, Usenet has it all.

Since the transformation of Usenet access being offered by premium providers, Mac users are now able to experience everything Usenet has to offer.

Jared Scott is a Usenet enthusiast and manager of public outreach for Binverse.com.  You can almost always find him online.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Today, we have very sad news to announce. As Apple officially released, Steve Jobs has passed away after naming Tim Cook as his successor a few weeks ago. Steve has changed the entire industry in the past years with innovations that no one would ever think of before.

Here’s the statement on Apple’s website:

Apple has lost a visionary and creative genius, and the world has lost an amazing human being. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to know and work with Steve have lost a dear friend and an inspiring mentor. Steve leaves behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.

Sorry, the Giveaway has ended.

The process of installing the server software on your computer is trouble-free and needs less than a minute to complete. Then, you will be able to watch your favourite movies on the go. The app gives you the option to change the bitrate of the video and audio quality. Of course, this does affect the picture and sound quality but it is preferable to decrease the bitrate if you don’t have a good data plan on your iPhone or if you have a low bandwidth limit. Air Playit also offers offline conversion to convert videos for offline Playback.

The application allows you to download any video file on the server directly to your device so you don’t have to stream it every time you want to watch it. Air Playit is fully compatible with the Apple VGA and AV adapter so you can stream your favourite movie and enjoy it on your big screen TV. Unlike other streaming apps, Air Playit streams everything smoothly. There’s no lag at all.

Air Playit support both regular and HD formats such as all 1080P/1080i HD videos, MKV, M2TS, AVCHD, TP, MPEG-TS, AVC, MOD, MPEG1/2, WMV, ASF, AVI, MOV, RM/RMBV, FLV, MP4, H.264, M4V, WTV and WebM.

Languages supported: English, Chinese, Czech, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Russian, Spanish.

The user interface can be better but the overall app offers plenty of features and options. So what are you waiting for? Air Playit is completely free! Download the server software for your computer here and the client app for your iPhone here.