iRig

Guitar – check
iPhone – check
Amps and pedals – ahhh crap!

As a hobbyist muso it can be a real pain to lug around the gear for an impromptu jam session. Sure if I have my laptop and DI input with me I can get my groove on but often I’ve found myself with my guitar in the car and nothing else.
This is where the iRig can be a godsend.

The iRig from IK Multimedia is an adaptor for your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad that is inserted into the headphone jack and allows you to plug in a guitar cable and headphones and turn your device into a guitar or bass rig. IK Media also has created it’s own amp simulation apps that allow you to model some very cool and familiar amp and pedal combos in the form of Amplitube and Amplitube Fender (bringing that sweet Fender sound). These apps come in a few versions to accommodate all needs and budgets (free, lite and full) and also contain in app purchases to customize your experience fully.
Whilst not advertised the iRig adapter will work with other amp apps and does work reasonably well with GarageBand for iPad, be mindful of feedback on heavily overdriven setups.
Whilst not a powerful as a DI and laptop the portability is second to none. The adapter is rather compact and given I am never without my iPhone I can’t think of a better way to get my ideas down on the run.

Overall all the sounds are rather good and comparable to a lot of PC/Mac packages with my only issue being a bit of feedback with heavily overdriven rigs. This can be countered with noise filters from within the software but I have found these to be a little harsh.

Currently retailing for around $60 Australian from most music stores the iRig is a great addition to any musician, hobbyist or beginners kit!

-Caustic Reality

BOOM-SHAKA-LAKA – NBA Jam for iPhone & iPod Touch

NBA Jam, for me, sparked a love affair with the NBA itself and found me buying countless basketball cards, following the sport and even installing a basketball ring in my back yard.

When I first heard that the franchise was getting a reboot I was filled with both excitement and fond memories of pumping countless dollars into the arcade machine.  Soon after its release into the console world it had received a number of negative reviews based around there not being enough content to justify a full price game and should have been released as a downloadable title.

Enter NBA Jam for iPhone…

For those of you that have been hiding under a rock, NBA Jam is a 2 on 2 basketball game with little to no rules.  The high flying stunt like jams will have you feeling like you are a basketball god!

NBA Jam for iPhone is currently $5.99 and worth every cent.

Upon starting the game you are greeted with an easy to navigate Menu.  This is made up of 2 play modes, Challenges and the Jam store. The play modes are “Play Now” and “Classic Campaign”. Play now will quickly launch you in to the game, select one of 30 available teams, select the players you would like to use and away you go.  In Classic Campaign you will play as one team for a season and save your progress as you go.
Something that is missing in this game is multiplayer, but with the number of challenges and unlockable content there is enough to keep you coming back time and time again.  Challenges will show you what challenges you have completed and what you are yet to achieve.  Completing a challenge will grant rewards such as Big Head Mode, One Shot Fire and many unlockable classic players such as Patrick Ewing, Shaq, Scottie Pippen and even the Beastie Boys.
The Jam store is where you can purchase DLC for the game such as Unlockable player packs.  Each pack has around 7 players and a mascot.  These packs are currently $1.19 each

The game play is outstanding. The control scheme in NBA Jam is comprised of a virtual joystick and 3 buttons. Unlike many games on iPhone these controls work and are very responsive. The game runs very smoothly on the iPhone 4 (although I have heard rumours of it heating up the 3Gs) and has a steady frame rate. The graphics are some of the best I have seen on the platform and are comparable to its console counterparts.
My one gripe with the graphics is that the players heads look like they are photos stuck on top of the character model, like something you would see in an episode of South Park. This is only a small complaint and does not take away from the experience at all. Another thing I should mention is the sound. The game has a great sound track and commentary reminiscent of the original game.

Whether you’re a nostalgic gamer missing the titles of old or simply looking for an awesome game to pass the time on your iPhone, NBA Jam is not to be missed.

Score:  9.5 / 10 Freaking awesome

Written by: empire69

Images sourced from: http://www.theiloop.com

What Type of iPhone User Are You?

Greetings all,

In the spirit of all things iPhone I just should I would share this little gem that I came across and I am sure that all of you who use an iPhone can identify with.

 

If there was one for the Android, I would most definitely be the “The Overuser” but for my current iPhone I believe I sit comfortably in the “The Desk Job” at this point in time.

Which catergory do you fit in?

Written by: Stoic Taco
“I’ll have mine with ketchup and sour cream”