I didn't imagine there was much room for innovation in USB-recording interfaces, but at the 2009 NAMM show--the annual convention for buyers and sellers of professional music gear (read: music gearhead paradise)--a couple of companies introduced some new takes on this very prosaic, but necessary, piece of gear.
The StealthPedal from IK Multimedia is a USB interface and MIDI controller that looks like a wah-wah pedal.
(Credit: IK Multimedia)For the uninitiated: A recording interface is the bridge between your musical output and your computer. You attach it to the computer, then plug your instrument (or multiple instruments, or output of a mixing board) into it, and voila. There are countless types of interfaces at all levels of price and complexity, but for home musicians who just want a quick way to get their musical ideas down on their hard drives, an inexpensive USB interface is the way to go. M-Audio is probably the best-known brand at this level, although Tascam and Edirol (part of Roland) are somewhat common as well.
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Ever had one of those days where you're just not motivated to get any work done? You're sitting there with a ton of projects due, but you just can't pull yourself away from whatever game you're trying to run on your work computer.
Now, I could say that you should probably get your priorities straight and start taking your job more seriously, but screw that. No, you should own the half-assed effort you're putting into your career.
Just don't get caught. The best way to not get caught is to not screw off. The second best way is to use the USB Foot Pedal Security Button.
Disguised as an extension cord, the button sits under your foot while you YouTube to your heart's content. As soon as your boss or that nosy tattletale of a co-worker walks by, BAM, it instantly conceals your screen. I'm not sure how it conceals your screen just yet, though.
The button can be found for as little as $8. Just think of the amount of lost man-hours that buys you.
Nissan Motor Company on Monday announced a new system that calculates the most fuel efficient rate of acceleration and pushes the gas pedal back against the driver's lead foot, according to the Associated Press. This new system, dubbed "ECO Pedal," will be available next year and, according to Nissan, can help drivers improve fuel efficiency by 5 to 10 percent, according to AP story.
If you're thinking what we're thinking, that the ECO Pedal has potential to compromise safety in the name of fuel efficiency, you'll be glad to know that Nissan is giving the system an off switch, according to the AP story.
(Credit:
Rakuten)
Talk about serendipity. Just yesterday Crave posted items on workstation fitness equipment and manually cranked chargers, and now there's a product that combines both concepts.
This pedal-charging device from Japan is like the under-desk "Power Stepper" but does it one better: Not only will it fulfill the forced laborer's daily fitness quota, but Gizmodo says it will also produce enough electricity to power mobile phones, media players, or any number of other gadgets. Just don't let your taskmaster boss find out about it, or he may make battery levels part of your performance review.
(Credit:
SlashGear)
There have been many times in recent months that we thought this whole mania over Guitar Hero was getting out of hand--or, in this case, foot.
SlashGear says there's now an accessory that "actually gives you the opportunity to use your foot for star power and your whammy bar." The pedals work only with PlayStation 2 systems but, at the rate things are going, it probably won't be long before they're expanded to meet demand.
For now, they'll go perfectly with Spotswood's drum computers.
I've seen plenty of offbeat gaming peripherals, and these are some of the strangest. The Fragpedal Deluxe, sold at ThinkGeek, finally lets you put your feet into gaming. The Fragpedal Deluxe is a set of two hard panels, each with two buttons. You set them on the floor under your desk and bind the buttons to different commands. Tap your left foot to throw a grenade, stomp your right foot to taunt an enemy, et cetera. Few of us are nimble and dainty enough to handle keyboards and mice with our toes, but stepping on a set of buttons mapped to frequently used commands should be much easier. Of course, this is all nice in theory, but let's see how well the pedals work and how long they'll last under my stompy, twitchy size 12's.
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