60beat GamePad connects to iOS devices

iOS devices certainly aren't lacking for gaming accessories, but we're always willing to welcome a new contender. 60beat believes it's got the ideal solution in the shape of this familiar-looking controller. It connects to an iPhone, iPad or iPod through the headphone jack and offers up some familiar gaming options in the shape of dual-analog sticks and digital inputs. Unfortunately, the controller's been saddled with a $50 price tag and is only fully enabled with two games. More games are promised for next year, and here's hoping they'll include some big hitters. Anyone rolling in cash money can check out 60beat's hard sell -- and some unusual spa relaxation music -- in its promo vid right after the break.

                   
FULL GIUDE HERE

Apple Allows Tethering Application into App Store

Apple has (mistakenly?) allowed an unlimited USB tethering application into the App Store. iTether is $14.99, but the daring geeks at 9to5Mac have assured readers that it does work. Grab it while you can! We expect it to be gone very soon.

Tether is an application that allows your Mac and PC to take advantage of your smartphone’s data plan, providing you access to the Internet on your laptop anywhere there is cellular coverage from your smartphone.

Update: We can confirm that it does, in fact, work quite well. Have fun! The iTethered servers are getting hammered, which may cause problems with authentication. Hold tight.

[iTunes]

iOS 5 By the Pixels

Apple made a number of obvious user interface tweaks to iOS 5, but some of the most important changes are done pixel by pixel. Jobs always paid maniacal attention to detail, and that same perfectionism is ingrained down to Apple’s core. For example, the Home Screen icons in iOS 4 were slightly asymmetrical, but in iOS 5, the spacing has been altered ever so slightly to center them.

Check out the source for more examples of Apple’s teenager-like sense of self-consciousness.

[Design Archive]

iPhone 4S is Now Available in the US – Who’s Buying?

 

The grand day has come and Apple’s iPhone 4S is available for all – providing that you make it to a store before they’re out. The new phone can be found at Apple, AT&T, Best Buy, Sprint, and Verizon stores at opening time. Hopefully all these stores will have enough stock to last the day, but it’s not likely. Lines are getting bigger and bigger as you read this – so get out there!

Now if you don’t want to brave the launch day crowds then you can still order online, but all carriers and retailers aren’t shipping for at least two weeks from now, so you’ll most likely have better luck in a store.

In the light of all this, are you going to buy an iPhone 4S today? Let us know in the comments and good luck!

Update: 9to5Mac has received reports that several Apple stores have a much larger stock of iPhone 4S models than expected. It seems like they prepared ahead of time.

LaCie Releases “Little Big Disk” Thunderbolt-Capable External Drive

 On Tuesday, LaCie finally made the Little Big Disk with Thunderbolt hard drive available to the public through the Apple Retail Store and the Apple Online Store. The LaCie drive was originally announced in February.

Ever since Thunderbolt made its debut in the MacBook Pro seven months ago, there have been a few Thunderbolt-based peripherals released. Most of the devices are targeted at professional video editors—video capture boxes such as the Aja Io XT or the Blackmagic Intensity Extreme, or high-end RAID arrays like the Promise Pegasus R4 and R6. While the Little Big Disk is designed to provide the speed video editors and photographers desire, its small size, simple form, and portability makes it appealing to the general consumer who has a Thunderbolt Mac.

The Little Big Disk features a pair of 2.5-inch hard drives, preconfigured for the Mac as a RAID 0. You can reconfigure the array to a RAID 1 or JBOD. The 1TB Little Big Disk has a pair of 7200-rpm drives, while the 2TB version has two 5400-rpm drives. LaCie claims that the drive is capable of read speeds of 190MBps (Thunderbolt is rated at 10Gbps throughput).

The 1TB Little Big Disk is $399. The 2TB Little Big Disk is $499. At the time of this article, the Apple Online Store said that the drives ship in one to two weeks.


LaCie does not include a Thunderbolt cable with the drive. You must purchase a $49 Thunderbolt cable separately from Apple, which is currently the only provider of the cable.

LaCie also has a version of the Little Big Disk with solid-state drives (SSDs) that the company says will ship in October.

From September 20 until October 13, 2011, LaCie is giving away a Little Big Disk. Contest details are available on LaCie’s Facebook page.

Belkin is Holding a 50% Off Everything Sale Through Sep 30

  If you’re looking for a good deal on iPad, iPhone, and iPod accessories, you might want to check out Belkin’s half-off everything sale on their website. The only problem is that the accessory maker’s site continues to experience prolonged periods of downtime due to increased traffic. That’s probably because there are 100,000 more visitors to the website than usual because of Gizmodo’s erroneous report that the deal was only running today.

There is no minimum purchase required to take advantage of the 50% off sale, which in fact runs through Sep 30, and you must remember to type in the code “FB50″ at checkout to take advantage of the deal. Belkin also sells wireless routers, cables, and accessories for laptops and Android devices. Shipping is extra.

Hints at iPhone 5 Design with New Cases

 Considering the amount of attention that iPhone 5 rumors have been getting lately, this could just be a genius marketing ploy. But, we’ll share it anyways. Case-Mate has confidently posted images of their upcoming iPhone 5 cases, which reveal a metal backing and tapered MacBook-like edges. The front of the device is not shown, and while it’s unlikely that Case-Mate is privy to any insider information, case makers have been known to be surprisingly clairvoyant when it comes to mockups.






The next-gen iPhone is rumored to be thinner than the current design, but whether it will retain the current look or adopt something more durable is still unknown. The iPhone 5 is expected to be announced on October 15th.

iPad 2 Compared Side-By-Side With Windows 8 Slate

 WinRumors has posted a lengthy eleven minute video that compares the iPad 2, running iOS 5, with an unreleased Windows 8 slate. There are quite a few similarities and differences between the two tablets, and the side-by-side rundown of each tablet’s features is quite interesting to watch. If you’re a fan of the Windows tablet, unfortunately, you’ll have to wait at least a year to get your hands on one of them.