Turn Your iPhone Into A Wind Instrument With 'Ocarina'
iPod Hacks — ... , several days ago, iPhone developer Smule released a rather unique musical application called Ocarina [ App Store ]. Since its release, Ocarina has jumped to the 3rd most popular iPhone application in the App Store. Ocarina basically turns the iPhone into a wind instrument. In addition to simply making music, location-based Ocarina includes an Earth browser that allows you to see (and hear) Ocarina tunes being played, in real time, all across the globe. See Ocarina in action in this ...

News: Mix: CastCatcher, Ferrari + iPod, Cook as CEO, Ocarina
iLounge | All Things iPod, iPhone, iTunes and beyond — Apple has rejected the latest version of iPhone developer return7’s CastCatcher Internet Radio application for using too much cellular bandwidth, according to a post on the developer’s blog. “CastCatcher Internet Radio cannot be posted to the App Store because it is transferring excessive volumes of data over the cellular network, which as outlined in the iPhone SDK Agreement section 3.3.15, is prohibited,” Apple said in its rejection correspondence. The developer notes that basically every competing Internet radio app also works over cellular connections, and that Apple has approved three prior versions of the CastCatcher application. In celebration of its ...

Smule's iPhone App Turns iPhone into an Ocarina
iPhone Hacks — Before I get into the details of Ocarina, the iPhone app, let me give you some background about Ocarina, the instrument. A description of Ocarina, the instrument from Wikipedia : "The ocarina is an ancient flute-like wind instrument. While several variations exist, an ocarina is typified by an oval-shaped enclosed space with four to twelve finger holes and a mouth tube projecting out from the body. It is often ceramic, but many other materials, such as plastic, wood, glass, and metal, may also be used. The ocarina is a very old family of instruments, believed to date back some 12,000 years." Ocarina - The Instrument A description of Ocarina, the iPhone app: The ...

First Look: Ocarina for iPhone
The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) — Filed under: iPhone, App StoreIf you're a Zelda nerd like most of us on the blog (not to mention any names), then you will most likely run out and buy the app we're about to discuss. Ocarina [iTunes link] is a new musical entry to the iTunes App Store that allows anyone to be just like Link in the Ocarina of Time (probably one of the best N64 games next to Super Mario 64... just sayin'). When you launch Ocarina.app, you are presented with four buttons that control the pitch. You make sounds with the Ocarina by blowing into the microphone on the iPhone. You control the pitch of the sound by pressing one, two, or ...

Zamfir 2.0: The Enigmatic Appeal of Ocarina
ReadWriteWeb — ... is. But hindsight is 20-20. Did the developers actually foresee this success or did it just seem like an interesting creative pursuit? An even better question: does it matter? One thing's for sure, Ocarina is a runaway hit driving some very real revenue for Smule - and it has the potential to become one of those "must-have" iPhone apps for every user. Here's hoping it's not a one-hit wonder for the folks at Smule. To purchase the application for the iPhone, visit the Ocarina page in the App Store. Discuss ...

Ocarina for iPhone/iPod Touch
PalmAddicts — ... Smule has developed an interesting app for iPhone/iPod Touch (v2.0 software or above required), called Ocarina. The name "ocarina" itself means as an ancient family of instrument (believed to date some 12,000 years), and one of the easiest instruments to learn. The app makes your iPhone/iPod Touch to become like a flute, by blowing into the phone/instrument. Or control pitch with different fingerings; it's because Ocarina is sensitive to your breath, touch and movements. Users can also share music, videos and performance tips at Ocarina ...

Appiphilia: Review of iPhone apps for shopping, whistling, flute-playing and hamster-rolling
L.A. Times Tech Blog — If a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it still make a sound?  How about if you let out an ear-splitting wolf whistle and no ears are around to split? What if a deal lands in cyberspace and no one knows -- is it still a deal? Several iPhone apps help us to avoid such brain teasers. Fresh ...

The App Store millionaire club
The Apple Core — December 15th, 2008 The App Store millionaire club Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 10:22 pm Categories: Software , iPhone , App Store , iPod touch Tags: Apple iPhone , Developer , App , Ocarina , Jason D. O'Grady The App Store millionaire club Despite the recent comments by some iPhone developers on the harsh economics of the App Store, other developers are making a killing by cranking out inexpensive but popular apps. Newsweek’s Dan Lyons profiles Ge Wang and Jeff Smith the brain trust behind Smule , creators of four $1 and $2 apps including a virtual lighter ( ...

20 Great Apps For Your New iPhone Or iPod Touch (AAPL)
Silicon Alley Insider — ... in to the Pandora Web site. Voice recorder, $1: Record a conversation, take verbal notes for later, or eavesdrop on the table next to you. Scribble, free: Make simple drawings, scribble on photographs, save and email them. Koi Pond, $1: Watch beautiful fish swim around your screen, and scare them away with a touch. Great for your kids or if you've had too much egg nog. Ocarina, $1: Neat, bizarre musical instrument. Also see/hear what others are playing ...

Ocarina maker Smule back with a holiday iPhone app, Zephyr
VentureBeat — Nearly everyone agrees that Ocarina was one of the coolest iPhone applications to come out this year. The Menlo Park, Calif.-based startup Smule created that app to turn your iPhone into a musical instrument and share that music with others around the world. And today they’ve launched another app along those lines, but with more of a holiday theme: Zephyr [iTunes Link]. While Zephyr isn’t quite as cool as Ocarina [iTunes] — there’s no blowing into iPhone’s microphone to create music — it adds another element: Messages. You see, you create music on Zephyr by touching the screen. While you could ...

Smule's Zephyr sends snowy messages around the world
The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) — Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Odds and ends, Internet, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch As much as I hate to do it, I'm always willing to admit when I'm wrong, and I was wrong about Ocarina. Not about the app itself, per se -- I still think it's one of the silliest, most pointless apps I've see on the App Store. But it has been nothing but popular since its release, so apparently lots of people out there are into it. That's fine -- I'm willing to accept that there are best-selling apps out there that I think are dumb. And maybe ...

10 Most Awesome iPhone Apps of 2008
Wired Top Stories — The iPhone alone is an amazing device. But it's the phenomenal App Store that's made the iPhone truly revolutionary, by giving thousands of independent developers the ability extend and transform the device with their creativity. Not even half a year old, the store has surpassed a milestone of 10,000 pieces of software available. Since the beginning, Wired.com has paid close attention to the gems that shine among the dross. We've plucked out a list of 10 apps — from mapping software to musical instruments to games — that deserve applause for their quality, innovation and breakthrough achievements. Here they are — Jay Leno style ...

10 Best iPhone Apps of 2008
dailywireless.org — Wired reviews 10 Most Awesome iPhone Apps of 2008: 10. Stanza A book reader that grabs free titles from public domains, making the iPhone a worthy competitor to Amazon’s Kindle. Download Stanza (Free) 9. ...

2008 Best iPhone App Ever winners announced
The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) — Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Software, Freeware, iTunes, iPhone, iPod touchThe voting only went underway a while ago, but they've just announced the winners for the 2008 Best App Ever awards, celebrating (according to 148apps.com and the people they got to nominate and vote in their contest) the best iPhone apps of last year. As I said for the voting, you can probably take most of this with a grain of salt, but there's no question that there are some awesome apps in here, and probably at least one or two you'll be interested in checking out if you haven't yet. Shazam won big in ...

What’s on my iPhone
The Apple Core — January 17th, 2009 What’s on my iPhone Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 6:19 pm Categories: Games , iPhone , App Store , iPod touch Tags: Apple iPhone , Apple iTunes , Digital Music , Digital Media , Personal Technology , Consumer Electronics , Jason D. O'Grady What’s on my iPhone A common pastime at Macworld Expo was comparing iPhone apps with friends. You could see people everywhere huddled around  their iPhones sharing tips on their latest and greatest app discoveries. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m anything but a gamer, but I loaded up on a few extra games than I’d normally ...

Weekly App Store Roundup: Jan. 31, 2009 [TheAppleBlog]
GigaOM Network — Good Saturday and a Happy Weekend to one and all, it’s time to sit down, relax and wrap your big eyes round this week’s App Store Roundup. This week on TheAppleBlog, we got in there super fast with an in-depth look at iMovie ‘09, iPhoto ‘09 and iWeb ‘09. Of particular note was our very own Liam ...

If MacGyver Only Had an iPhone / VANITY FAIR
MacBytes.com — ... laughter and tumble to the ground in uncontrolled fits of hilarity. With his two hardened foes temporarily incapacitated, MacGyver runs into the lair and finds a remote detonator. MacGyver toggles to iHandy Level Free and places his iPhone on the detonator. There is no need for this, but MacGyver loves that app. Breaking from his trance, MacGyver switches to iPaperClipBombDefuser , an app he just invented, and saves the day. He saunters out of the cave, playing his ocarina . MACGYVER!!!

Apple: Almost 1 Billion iPhone Apps Served, and counting…
IntoMobile - Cell Phone News, Information, and Analysis — If you had any doubts about the iPhone AppStore’s furious success over the past year, you should know that Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) is well on its way to its 1 billionth iPhone application download. Apple is making a big deal, as it should, about its 1 billion iPhone app downloads. In fact, Apple will be celebrating its 1 billionth app download by giving the lucky downloader a prize pack that includes a $10,000 iTunes Gift Card, an iPod touch, a Time Capsule and a MacBook Pro! The iPhone maker has posted a downloads-counter that has only picked up speed since Apple announced its promotion. The iTunes App Store is apparently being hammered by ...

Mobile Music: Band Geeks Play iPhones, Not Instruments
Wired Top Stories —

App Review: Leaf Trombone: World Stage — Like American Idol But With Leaves [TheAppleBlog]
GigaOM Network — App Quick Stats Leaf Trombone $0.99 iTunes Link Learn to play the leaf trombone, perform your repertoire before a global audience, and prepare to be judged. Since the App Store’s launch last year, Smule has been steadily building an ...

News: Apple posts iPhone developer video profiles
iLounge | All Things iPod, iPhone, iTunes and beyond — image On the official website for its upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference 2009 event, Apple has posted four new video profiles of various iPhone developers, explaining how the iPhone OS and SDK altered their views on what was possible on a mobile platform, and how it has affected their development processes. Included in the profiles are Dr. Ge Wang of Smule, developer of Ocarina , Werner Jainek of Cultured Code, developer of Things , Steve Demeter of Demiforce, developer of Trism , and Christina Wick of AOL, which has a variety of apps on the store, including AIM . Apple’s WWDC 2009 conference is scheduled for June 8-12 at ...

Found Footage: iPhone Developer Profiles
The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) — Filed under: WWDC, Found Footage, iPhone, App Store, SDK, iPod touchIn anticipation of the Apple Worldwide Developer Conference coming up June 8 - 12 in San Francisco, Apple has posted four videos highlighting developers who are creating apps with the iPhone SDK. Each video shows how the developer is creating a unique app with the iPhone SDK, using the tools and frameworks, and then selling the app through the App Store. The videos highlight: Dr. Ge Wang of Smule, the developers of Ocarina and Leaf Trombone: World Stage (clicks open ...

Weekly App Store Picks: April 18, 2009 [TheAppleBlog]
GigaOM Network — Put your iPhone in the air and shake it like you just don’t care, because it’s time for my pick from the week’s freshest apps. Before you start waving your iPhone with a blatant disregard for those around you due to the sheer excitement you feel from reading about the latest apps, I’ve got a brief rundown of the ...

Apple Hits 1 Billion App Store Downloads!
IntoMobile - Cell Phone News, Information, and Analysis — Apple (NSDQ: AAPL) was expected to serve up their 1 Billionth (with a capital B) App Store download today, and lo and behold, Apple has announced that they’ve officially seen 1 billion iPhone/iPod Touch applications downloaded from their iTunes App Store! In less than a full year of existence, Apple and the iPhone have managed to make mobile applications as commonplace as an iTunes music purchase, and the App Store’s popularity continues to grow. The total tally of iPhone applications in the iPhone AppStore was estimated to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 25,000 in March 2009. And, ...

Why The iPhone Is Revolutionary: Leaf Trombone Edition
Silicon Alley Insider — We're blown away every day by new uses and milestones for Apple's (AAPL) iPhone and its App Store. Today's is courtesy Smule, the company that makes goofy iPhone music apps like Ocarina, the no. 14 most-purchased iPhone app of all time. Smule's newest game, Leaf Trombone World Stage, is a hit, too. The company says "Leaf Trombonists" have already played more than 100,000 times on the "World Stage," getting judged by other app owners. (The app launched two weeks ago.) Smule adds: "In addition to performing, users of Leaf Trombone have already created more than 1,442 compositions using Smule's new online Leaf ...

Apple Celebrates First Anniversary of App Store
MacRumors : Mac News and Rumors — ... ] highlighting their favorite applications and games. While the App Store officially launched on July 11th 2008, many MacRumors readers were able to access the App Store early after the 2.0 firmware was inadvertently leaked by Apple. The special page lists several of Apple's favorite apps, though the lists seem to vary by country. Some of the favorites in the U.S. listings include (links to iTunes): - MLB at Bat ($9.99) - Brushes ($4.99) - Ocarina ($0.99) - Things ($9.99) - Real Racing ($9.99) - Toki Tori ...

17 Best iPhone Apps for Musicians
iSmashPhone - Turn your Phone into your MyPhone — ... 17. Ocarina by Smule iTunes $0.99 Practice makes perfect and you too can play beautiful music with the Ocarina iPhone and iPod touch app.  In the most recent update, Smule developers have included a touch mode which allows iPod touch users to play strictly with their hands.  iPhone users blow into the mic, then press the holes to change the pitch. So whether you are a musician or simply an enthusiast of music, you can enhance your performance (or just have some fun) with any of ...