Apple introduces new instruments and sounds in GarageBand to celebrate Chinese music

What can be seen as Apple trying to get into the good graces of the Chinese and its authorities is the latest update to GarageBand. The music creation software adds a variety of Chinese instruments to celebrate the “rich history of Chinese music.”  Apple has added instruments like the pipa, erhu, and Chinese percussion offerings that include drums, cymbals, gongs, and wood blocks. According to Apple, it has created 300 Chinese musical loops and these have been made from various instruments and styles ranging from the likes of guzheng, to dizi, to Peking Opera, to name a few. These instruments have different playing articulations as well such as rapid picking and note bend for the pipa and trill, grace note, and glissando for the erhu.

Apple has also added two new Chinese templates for Live Loops and sharing options for popular Chinese social networks like Youku and QQ. All the new instruments are available on iOS and Mac versions of GarageBand. These features are automatically enabled for users in Greater China. Mac outside of China also have these features automatically enabled, while iOS users outside of Greater China can enable this through the advanced settings menu. Chinese localization is also enhanced across the entire app, with all sounds, loops and instruments now translated to Simplified Chinese or Traditional Chinese. GarageBand 2.1.1 for iOS and GarageBand 10.1.2 for Mac updates are free for all existing users, and GarageBand is available for free with all new iOS and Mac devices. Customers with older, non-qualifying devices can purchase the app for US$4.99 (around CA$6) via the App Store and Mac App Store.

Source: Apple | Via: MacRumors

HP launches EliteBook 1030 premium business notebook

HP has launched a new EliteBook 1030 notebook aimed at businesses and enterprise. The device features a 12.5-inch CNC-machined aluminum body, and includes a 13.3-inch screen with an optional QHD+ (3200x1800) display. This gives you a thin and light notebook that’s designed to pass MIL-STD tests at only 15.7 mm thin and 2.55 lbs. Pricing in the US is $ 1,249.00.

The Apple Beat: Pressure mounts on Apple to make iPhone 7 truly great

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

“Skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been,” that’s a quote by the Great One, Wayne Gretzky, which Steve Jobs referenced during the momentous launch of the original iPhone in 2007.

Jobs continued by saying, “we try to understand as we develop our product road map, what’s going to be exciting in the future. And that’s one of the advantages we have over our competitors. Our competitors tend to put the cross hairs on where we are now, and by the time they come up with a product that tries to match where we are now, we’re beyond them. We’re one or two generations beyond, moving faster than they are.”

That was the spirit of innovation that powered the Apple engine and that’s what made the iPhone such an audacious, brave and, in hindsight, timely invention. But the world has changed and while Apple is still the most valuable company, the pressure is on to see if it is still the most innovative.

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WhatsApp now lets you share documents on web app

The web client for WhatsApp isn’t being left behind after the release of the desktop client. WhatsApp is bringing it up to par with mobile apps by letting users share documents. Before you could only share photos and videos as well as take photos using a webcam. To access the feature, simply head over to the attachment icon in the conversation window.

Source: Android Central