The digital gTar never needs tuning.

(Credit:
Incident Technologies)

At first glance, a digital guitar with the brains of a super-powered smartphone and illuminated fretboard seems like a product that could change everything about guitar instrumentation. The digital dynamo by Incident Technologies aims to work as “the first guitar that anybody can play,” as noted in description of the gTar on Kickstarter.

To start, one merely needs to plug an iPhone 4/4S in to the digital guitar. After selecting a song in the gTar app, illuminated frets await your fingertips to help you start playing along.

We admit this rocks, but still recommend you learn about music theory, tab reading, and so on. (Click to enlarge.)

(Credit:
Incident Technologies)

Selectable modes of difficulty make it easy to learn progressively. For example, budding musicians merely need to pluck the right strings in easy mode, while the medium setting requires the player to press down on the right notes. Both of… [Read more]

The iHome iP76, which pulses and strobes, ships in July for $199.99 (click to enlarge).

(Credit:
iHome)

This one’s for the kiddies, tweens, or anybody who wants to go clubbing at home.

Yes, iHome’s upcoming iP76 LED Color Changing Speaker Tower with Bluetooth has 16 multicolor LED clusters that do all kinds of fun stuff. That’s right, this pedestal-style iPhone /iPod speaker dock can be customized to feature your favorite color and includes such options as color fade, pulse to music, and strobe effect for the “ultimate light show.”

Time to fire up Pink Floyd. I mean Bieber.

Oh, and the tower also charges your iPod or iPhone and has a component video connection so you can output video from your device to your TV with the proper cable (no mention about that cable being included, however).

The iP76, which expands on iHome’s growing line of GlowTunes products, ships in July for $199.99.

[Read more]

(Credit:
Apple )

iPhone and iPad users unhappy with their speakerphones may be treated to better sound in future models.

Apple has invented a new speakerphone system for iOS devices, according to a patent published yesterday by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office. The patent application is filled with pages of the usual technical jargon.

But in a nutshell, Apple is redesigning and repositioning the traditional speaker and surrounding components to enhance the quality of the audio possible in a relatively small space. Though the patent doesn’t tout any specific benefits to consumers, “the new speaker positioning could provide iOS devices with generally superior sound, even when docked,” according to Patently Apple .

Speakers on mobile phones tend to offer weak sound due to their small size. Even laptops and tablets don’t have enough space for high-quality speakers, a factor acknowledged by Apple in its patent application.

There is a range of consumer electronics devices that are not dedicated or specialized audio playback devices, yet can benefit… [Read more]

NEW YORK — Social networking has finally come to the aid of drivers ceaselessly circling in hopes of finding a parking spot on Union Street or North Beach in San Francisco. Here at TechCrunch Disrupt, KurbKarma launched an iPhone app that could take the pain out of parking.

A user ready to vacate a parking spot publishes his or her spot to the app, which it locates on a map and then sends out the availability to the KurbKarma social network. Drivers circling the area can see the spots locally available, and send a request to take a spot. Drivers choose the lucky driver, and earn “KarmaKredits.” Those taking the spots pay with the same currency. KurbKarma takes a $1 fee for each parking transaction.

The business opportunity could be significant. According to company co-founder Neha Sampat, San Francisco has about 400,000 parking spots, of which 50,000 are in high demand. The high-demand spots result in about 130 million parking exchanges per year. If KurbKarma attains just a small fraction of the exchanges, it could have a healthy business. The company plans to extend its social network to 25 cities, and claims its could generate $30 million per year in revenue for alleviating parking pain. KurbKarma could also end up with an auction model as drivers compete for spaces as the social network grows in specific locations.

However, KurbKarma will need to mov… [Read more]

(Credit:
Josh Miller/CNET)

Sprint today is shouting its unlimited iPhone 4S data plan from the rooftops, hoping to attract Verizon customers who are hopping mad at losing their unlimited data.

Starting today, you can trade in your current non-Sprint iPhone for the carrier’s own model, and get at least $100 off when you sign a new two-year contract.

Related storiesShould angry Verizon subscribers ditch Big Red?Was the iPhone worth it for Sprint?Sprint confirms unlimited data plan for next iPhoneCould a 4G iPhone actually hurt Sprint?

Of course, the limited-time offer also gets you Sprint’s promise of capless data access for the device, and that’s what Sprint hopes will be the real draw for fed-up Verizon subscribers.

CNET has contacted V… [Read more]

(Credit:
Nielsen)

If those numbers sound staggering to you, consider where the mobile phone customer landscape was just one year ago. Nielsen reports that just 40 percent of mobile subscribers had smartphones and that apps per device were at 32.

The study, labeled the State of the Appnation, also found that Android and iOS users make up the bulk of smartphone owners, accounting for 88 percent of people that have downloaded an app in the last 30 days.

Related storiesTablets finding work as electronic babysittersiPhone 4S helps iOS close the gap on AndroidWhich Android apps are the most popular?

Nielsen also found that as people download more apps, they are also spending more time with them (10 percent more), as opposed to using mobile Web browsers like Apple ‘s Safari.

About the only stats that remain steady are the top apps in use and how often they are used. Facebook, YouTube, Android Market, Google Search, and Gmail round out the top 5 apps — used about 39 minutes per day on average.

And of course, privacy continues to be a maj… [Read more]

Is the next iPhone due for a 4-inch screen?

(Credit:
Apple )

Will the next iPhone actually sport a larger screen? A new report from the Wall Street Journal suggests it will.

Citing “people familiar with the situation,” the Journal said today that Apple has been tapping into its suppliers for screens larger than the ones used in the current iPhone . The new screens are at least 4 inches, compared with the 3.5-inch displays used on the phone since its debut in 2007.

Assuming the sources are on the money, production of the screens could rev up next month, the Journal added. The most recent reports say Apple will unveil the next iPhone in early fall — September or October. An October date would match up with the launch of the iPhone 4S last year.

A larger screen could be a sign that Apple is trying to play catch-up with its Android rivals, particularly Samsung. The Korean handset maker has enjoyed a huge surge in sales and market share over the past year, Most research reports now cite Samsung as the top smartphone and mobile phone maker around the world.

Apple is reportedly ordering screens from several manufacturers, say some of the Journal’s sources. Those include LG, Sharp, and Japan Display, a new outfit formed by the Japanese government and three companies.

Related stories… [Read more]

The Weather Channel 5.0 for iPhone .

(Credit:
Screenshot by Rick Broida/CNET)

On the short list of must-haves for every iPhone owner: a good weather app. And the one that’s bundled into iOS? Not so good.

If you ever checked out The Weather Channel for iOS and promptly turned your nose up at its cluttered, clunky interface, it’s time for another look. The Weather Channel 5.0 for iPhone features a gorgeous new UI and some fun new sharing options.

Sharing? TWC has added a photo button to its Home screen; you can take a snapshot of the skies (or anything else) and share it via e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, or TWC’s iWitness photo-sharing network. (Privacy buffs, take note: the app “may even share your weather photos on The Weather Channel or weather.com.”)

Of course, the new interface is the real star here. The lovely, elegant Home screen, adorned with wallpaper that matches the current conditions (blue skies, rain, snow, etc.), lets you swipe between locations, search for other cities, and toggle a drop-down box filled with details like wind, humidity, visibility, and the UV index.

One tap away: hourly, 36-hour, and 10-day forecasts. And using the newly simplified five-button toolbar, … [Read more]

The Fuze SE, which has an integrated screen cover, ships soon and is on sale till May 24 for $49.99.

(Credit:
iSkin)

Otterbox has built a booming business out of its ultraprotective iPhone cases but today has a lot more competition — and it’s only getting fiercer.

Case in point: iSkin’s just-announced Fuze case, which also comes in a special-edition model, the Fuze SE. What’s nice about these is that they offer full protection, including an integrated screen cover, in a relatively low-profile case.

The standard Fuze model comes in multiple colors.

(Credit:
iSkin)

While they don’t offer the same level of protection as the $80 Lifeproof case, which is waterproof, the overall concept and design is somewhat similar.

iSkin says the new Fuze cases took months to develop and are thin enough to be used with speaker docks and the Apple Universal Dock (with cradle adapters removed). The step-up SE model has a brushed aluminum front plate.

The new cases aren’t shipping quite yet but

(Credit:
Patently Apple )

Discovered by Patently Apple in a group of 21 patents issued to Apple by the Patent and Trademark Office, the in-vehicle remote-control patent describes a product designed for drivers wishing to control their iOS devices more easily.

Related StoriesApple doesn’t want jurors to see Samsung logo at trialGoogle patent app points to possible Nexus slider phoneLarry Ellison takes the stand in Android IP trial

Currently, drivers must fumble around with their iPhone , iPod , or iPad to change songs, get directions, or make calls if their car’s in-dash system doesn’t support iOS devices. This lack of integration can cause serious distractions for drivers.

Apple ‘s solution is a small device that would attach to any steering wheel, allowing users to connect to their iOS devices and control basic functions.

As pictured in the patent, the remote would resemble Apple ‘s iconic c… [Read more]