Chris Herbert

730 posts on MacStories since September 2010

Vector & pixel trafficker for Seymour Midwest LLC, regular MacStories contributor, Hip-Hop junkie all day long; Apple addict circa 1976.

herbert@macstories.net

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Mophie Pulse for iPod Touch Will Add Stereo Sound and Haptic Vibration

Mophie, who makes great accessories for iOS devices such as the Juice Pack Air, has a new product in the pipeline for the iPod Touch 4G - the Mophie Pulse. The Pulse is a video game/app enhancer that turns your iPod Touch into the “ultimate gaming device with pulse-pounding stereo sound and bone-shaking game feedback.” It’s all built into a textured gaming grip. The Pulse gets its magical powers from ViviTouch Technology that converts game audio into a variety of different effects. ViviTouch doesn’t require an API to generate vibrations but the games will be better optimized if the developers use it.

There currently is not a release date but a “coming soon” sign-up form on the product page if you want informed when the product launches. The Pulse looks like a great addition to Apple’s favorite gaming device and as long as the price point is good, Mophie will have another hit on their hands. If the iPod Touch version is a success, could an iPhone version be next?

Video after the break.

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The Hit List 1.0 Now Available for iPhone

After a long wait, and a seemingly long approval process from Apple, Potion Factory’s The Hit List is now available for iPhone. It was only a little over a month ago that the Mac counterpart was released as well. The Mac version of The Hit List features Smart Folders, iCal Sync, Quick Entry, a built-in Timer, and AppleScript support among many other great features.

The app(s) features a $1.99 per month or $19.99 per year cloud sync service that syncs with all your Macs and iOS devices wherever The Hit List is installed. NOTE: MacHeist customers can receive 3 months of sync subscription by entering a license key here.

The iPhone counterpart is very much like the Mac version but made for a smaller screen. It features Lists, the Today and Upcoming List, Tags, Tasks and Subtasks, Smart Folders, Start and Due Dates and Cards. The Hit List for iPhone is available in the iTunes App Store for $9.99. We’ll have a full review in the coming weeks (now that the iPhone app is out).

Take Five for Mac Updated to Give You More Control

Back in March we covered Take Five for Mac from the Iconfactory crew. The app is simple and efficient and does one thing and does it very well – stopping and restarting your music so you don’t have to remember.

Today, Take Five has been updated to version 1.1 which may sound like a minor update but in actuality is very significant. Version 1.1 brings two new and requested features; one is the ability to pause music in the following apps/services: iTunes, Ecoute, Pulsar, Radium, Rdio and Spotify. The other is that Take Five can also now pause your music without a timer by holding down the option key while clicking the pause button. The update also addresses a bug where Take Five would stop responding when used with CoverSutra.

I am a heavy Ecoute user (and future Spotify user if it ever gets service in the US) and the additional control within the new Take Five is welcome. Spotify and Rdio users will also love the 1.1 update as well as users of the other services listed. Take Five is only $3.99 in the Mac App Store, or if you’re already a Take Five user, check for updates.