You don’t need to step into an expensive studio with expensive equipment to bust out some beats. The iconic MPC (Music Production Controller) has entered the modern era with the introduction of the MPC Fly for the iPad 2. Coming by way of Akai Pro, the MPC Fly has been made especially for Apple’s tablet.

You may have known MPC once as the MIDI Production Center or the Music Production Center. The MPC Fly for iPad 2 takes that to a new portable level and it consists of two parts. The MPC Fly hardware is a hinged device that comes with 16 genuine backlit MPC pads, complete with MPC Note Repeat and MPC Swing. The beats you create on the go can then be easily transferred to your Mac or PC for further refinement. And yes, you still have regular iPad 2 access and functionality; in fact, the MPC Fly will charge your iPad when it’s plugged into wall power. It even acts as a protective case.

The second half of the equation comes by way of the MPC Fly iPad App. While you could use the hardware with nearly any Core MIDI app, this app is specially designed for this purpose. You get four simultaneous tracks (complete with mixer), a built-in library of samples and drum kits, 16-levels mode, note variation slider, built-in effects, and support for WIST from Korg.

No word on pricing or availability, but all the digital music artists will likely want to get on board. Pump it up!

[ source ]

The post Making Music With Akai Pro MPC Fly for iPad 2 appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

Ugh, wires. They can get so messy and tangled, completely taking away from the otherwise clean experience you get with iProducts. Well, you can at least ditch the charging cable, because the iPort LaunchPort inductive charger for the iPad 2 has been announced and it’s looking simplistically sweet.

Like other inductive charging solutions, you don’t need a physical cable to connect to your iPad in order to top up its battery. Instead, you simply place it on the charging base and it will magnetically align, juicing up that battery with no wires attached. The iPort LaunchPort system consists of three parts.

The first is the PowerShuttle hard case for the iPad. You’ll need this to replace whatever other case you may already be using, but it might be able to fit over an InvisibleShield. The case has a somewhat unsightly circular bump on the back, but that’s the part that magnetically attaches to the BaseStation tabletop mounting and charging dock, as well as the WallStation wall-mounting and charging dock.

This looks pretty convenient, especially the wall mount idea. Peep the intro video below and then hang tight until Q4 for the iPort LaunchPort to hit store shelves.

The post Apple iPad 2 gets inductive charging with iPort LaunchPort appeared first on Mobile Magazine.

If you were to believe the team in Cupertino, the iPad 2 is the greatest thing since sliced bread. And what better place to enjoy this newfangled sliced bread than in the dash of your car? Well, it didn’t take very long for someone to come up with that idea.

To be fair, custom fitting the new iPad 2 into the dash of a car (or a Ford F-150 pickup in this case) really isn’t all that different from custom fitting the first iPad. The main difference would just be a slight change in the dimensions, given the slimmer profile, as well as a small hole for the FaceTime camera.

It’s almost pretty clever how they fashioned together a side slot for you to slide in the Apple tablet and how this connects right into the Scosche charging and AV cable kit that’s hidden in the dash itself. That way, you stay charged while you stream Pandora and navigate with Google Maps. But please, for the sake of everyone else on the road, don’t play Angry Birds while driving. There’s enough anger on the streets already.

Is this how you’d iPimp your iRide?

[9to5 Mac via Soundman Car Audio]

The post Modders Custom Install iPad 2 in Car Dash appeared first on Mobile Magazine.