TouchOSC 1.4.2 Released
The latest update for TouchOSC is now available in the iTunes Store. The change log includes:
- Fixed problem with some characters in label texts corrupting layout
- Added global option to enable/disable sending of ‘z’ messages
- Received label strings are now interpreted as UTF-8
I have been looking forward for the option to turn off sending of ‘z’ messages as I don’t have any use for them at the moment and I keep having to turn them off in OSCulator. Not too sure how interpreting of label strings as UTF-8 is going to help as I haven’t had much experience with labels but I’ll post an update once information is released. Note: this update has even appeared on the TouchOSC site yet.
Filed under: iPod | Leave a Comment
Tags: Open Sound Control, TouchOSC
Something is happening at MacHeist! Quick hurry over and don’t miss out a chance to win a copy of DaisyDisk for free! As of this post, you have 3 days and 10 hours left.
DaisyDisk is a disk virtualization tool that helps you find out what is creating the bulk in your hard drive. The program scans any mounted disks and displays it on the sunburst map, where segments mean files and folders, proportionally to their sizes. It is much easier to clean out your disks when you see how much space the folders are taking up. I have managed to clean up my thumb drives with DaisyDisk after realizing the amount of junk that have accumulated on them.
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Tags: DaisyDisk, Mac, MacHeist
TouchOSC: The Poor Man’s Lemur
I have always wanted a controller where I can easily map controls for my software and finally came across TouchOSC. TouchOSC is an iPhone/iPod Touch app which allows you to use the touch screen of the device as a controller. TouchOSC, as in the name, uses the Open Sound Control(OSC) protocol which transmits data over WiFi. This information can be used immediately if you have a software with OSC implementation or convert into a more popular format like MIDI with OSCulator.
It comes with 5 non-specific layouts for you to get started, or you can download the TouchOSC Editor from the website to create your own custom layouts which I highly recommend. The editor is very intuitive and easy to use. The only drawback with the editor is the lack of ability to reorder your pages. This means you have to plan your layout well before creating it as you can’t insert a page in between something you have created.
I have been using TouchOSC and OSCulator to trigger clips and control filters in Ableton Live. Working with a layout I have been creating myself, it makes Ableton Live a much better performance tool as I am able to perform multiple functions with one hand on the MacBookPro and the other on my iPod. The best tool in TouchOSC would be the XY pads and the labels. The XY pads allows you to have more creative sonic possibilities by changing two parameters with one control. Some might contest that you can map two parameters to one control but you would not be able to change the ratio between the two parameters without some inconvenience. Labels are great if you need to view visual feedback of control values. I found this out by accident when I mapped a MIDI CC output to my label and the label changed to reflect the current value of the controller. This could be useful to some who would like visual feedback of a particular set of value, with the editor this can be easily displayed on one screen.
With the ability to create a network with the MacBookPro, I can use TouchOSC where ever I choose to go without fear of not having a WiFi network to connect to. Connecting on a busy shared network could also pose problems with transfer rates although I have not attempt anything similar.
I highly recommend this amazing app to anyone who does music or video performances and has an iPhone/iPod Touch. You would definitely find some use for a customizable controller at such low price point. I understand that OSC has implementations outside of audio and video applications like controlling robotics and other interesting fields and this could also prove interesting for such applications.
TouchOSC in iTunes Store
Filed under: iPod | 5 Comments
Tags: Open Sound Control, TouchOSC
WordPress 2.0 for iPhone
Checking my tweeter feed was the first indication that WordPress 2.0 for iPhone was out. It’s a separate app from the previous WordPress app, its not very easy to notice and you’ll to download it again. Being a free app its a no brainer for those who are already using WordPress for iPhone.
The first thing you’ll notice is the cleaner interface, and more consistent controls with other apps. It feels faster than its previous incarnation and folder based navigation is replaced with the more common navigation button at the bottom of the screen. The refresh button is shifted from the bottom corner to the top of the page.
The huge ugly red delete button under the blog settings page is finally gone and replaced with the more popular method of sliding the entry to the left and the delete button appears.
Effort has definitely been spent in improving the moderation of comments as it’s probably what most people are using it for. Gravatars and author URLs now appear next to the comments. There is an option to filter just the pending comments to clean up your view. You still can’t edit comments, just approve or spam them.
The posts pages is quite the same, you still can’t view the status of the posts without opening them. I would appreciate if they split the posts according to their status like how they divide the Local Drafts and Online Posts. Writing posts doesn’t seem have changed from the previous version.
The Pages tab allows you to create or edit pages and its pretty much the same as WordPress 1.3 so no comments there.
Other points to note, the landscape option works much better now. It used to crash or glitch on me but it seems to be resolved now. The app opens in your previously viewed blog. Features highlighted on their blog are passwords are now stored in the keychain, autosave and restored of posts if network connection is lost, and fixes for connecting to self-hosted WordPress setups.
Couple more things to wish for, the ability to create new categories without being connected to the net. As most of you would know by now, I using an iPod Touch instead of an iPhone. I do my blogging, organizing my Things for iPhone, pretty much everything offline while on my bus ride home and sync everything once I get WiFi. The ability to work offline is a huge plus to every iPod Touch user. The ability to place photos in the middle of you post, it currently places them at the bottom of your post.
Filed under: iPod | Leave a Comment
Tags: Wordpress for iPhone
iPod Touch Stand
I found these instructions and layout for a paper iPhone and iPod stand and just had to get it done. The instructions recommends 240-270gsm paper but I first tried it with 200gsm paper as i happened to have a few pieces on hand but it ended up way too flimsy and rendered it unusable. However you reinforce the back by cutting out two more strips and sliding them into the back of the stand.
I went out hunting for paper with a higher grammage and chanced upon something close to 400gsm. I can’t remember the actual gsm. It worked beautifully and is now sitting proudly next to my MacBookPro.
However, it has since semi-retired due to one very disappointing flaw. As you would be able to notice from the picture below, it places alot of strain on the usb cable when attached to the iPod.
After a few weeks of consistent usage, the insulation of the cable began to tear apart due to the bending of the cable, exposing the internal wires. I stopped charging my iPod with stand fearing further damage to the cable. Now, my iPod Touch is usually placed on the stand in the horizontal position rather than the more popular upright position. But it still looks great.
Filed under: iPod | Leave a Comment
Tags: iPod
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