SYNAPSE CIRCUIT WEB DESIGN FOR CHRISTMAS 2014

Above: Incomedia WebSite X5 Evolution 11. Build your ecommerce enabled shop over the Winter Holidays! Get your band website online within a few clicks! I stated "clicks" not "clucks"! What are you? Chicken? C'mon, Synapse Circuit Readers! It's EZ as 1,2 & 3!

 SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
WEB DESIGN FOR CHRISTMAS 2014

Goodhour, Synapse Circuit Readers! Season’s Greetings! I hope that all is well; you’ve managed to avoid catching a cold or flu! Have you done your Christmas shopping! But is there something missing?!

Yes! You have a G+, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and other account but what you don’t have your own website! Isn’t it about time you had your own web page for whatever it is that you are passionate about? Perhaps you know someone who is gifted at crafts and could do with an online shop? Read on...

#SynapseCircuitTopWebDesignSoftware #WebAnimator #IncomediaWebSiteX5Evolution11 #WebSiteX5Evolution11Professional

WHY YOU?
Today, there is no excuse for not having your own website! It may be hard in the real world to own property but in Cyberspace you can have your very own real estate! Look, the way the economy is going around the world it seems that technology is taking over... So, why not have your own ecommerce enable shop? You could be selling anything from personalized, hand crafted greetings cards to vehicles! Anything you like – providing it’s legal! Let’s take a look at the very best of web design software out there...

1. INCOMEDIA WEBSITE X5
EVOLUTION 11
The trouble with a majority of web design software is that it is assumed that the recipient has enough computing experience to be able to create a website from scratch! When I used to teach beginners on how to use Adobe Dreamweaver a majority of the class never even used a photo editing / manipulation program such as Photoshop. But one thing was for sure is that all the pupils had grand ambitions beyond their scope for their websites.

Enter Incomedia Website X5 Evolution 11 (gosh, what a mouthful)! In a nutshell WebSite X5 Evolution 11 takes you step by step through the web design process. You don’t have to worry about your computing skills or lack thereof. Just follow the steps below:-



1. Start the program... Click on the “START” button; or before pressing the “START” button take some time to check out the special offers, etc.


2. Create a new project and name it.


3. Write a description of your website.


4. Choose a template for your site. Above I left it as default!


5. Observe the “Template Structure” – feel free to change stuff just for the purpose of learning. Don’t worry if you feel that you’re not up to it. Notice that you can change the graphic that is presented to you!


6. Tweak the style of the text. Where it says, “Menu: Footer Menu” be sure to go through that list of options to change the text.


7. Customize the template with the options as shown. Again, if you don't feel up to it just observe and click "Next".


8.  Observe the quad-division on the left meant for the contents that you select on the right. Drag any content from the right i.e. “Text” onto one of the four spaces (on the left).


9. This is what it looks like after dragging and dropping content onto the four spaces (that can be divided up further if need be). You have to double click on the objects within the four squares in order to create content.


Above: You should be left with a site map of your pages; a few pages have been added for you in advance.

It’s that easy! You didn’t need any skills to do all that, did you? Cool! This is just the basics as there are better tutorials with more details! But I thought I’d show you just how easy it is to make a website with this software!

VERDICT
Incomedia Website X5 Evolution 11 is, so far, the best web design software aimed at beginners; for those that cower at the thought of touching a mouse for anything other than web surfing! But the great thing about it is that there is a great level of depth for producing professional looking websites! It’s got everything you need: a graphic editor, ecommerce, templates to get you started and predefined galleries that you can populate with your photos taken from your mobile device!

The cost is a mere, £60! It is an absolute bargain!

SCORE
PLATINUM


2. INCOMEDIA WEBSITE X5
PROFESSIONAL 11
The professional version remains just as easy to use but it has more “pro” features that includes adding a database; more complex attributes to your store such as coupons, availability and product listings... Oh, you can create an app for Android and iOS (iPhone / iPad) that keeps your visitors updated everytime you add content! Brilliant! Speaking of mobile devices... The professional version will enable you to create sites specifically for the mobile!

Sure, the price appears steep at £170 but on a professional level if you compare it to the “industry standard” Adobe Dreamweaver at £46.88 per month it works out to over £562!

VERDICT
WebSite X5 Professional 11 has to be one of the best web design software on the “pro” market today! It’s got all the tools for a serious web designer! No need to pay extortionate money!

SCORE
PLATINUM


3. INCOMEDIA WEBANIMATOR PLUS

Above: This fade animation took seconds to create without reading or watching any tutorial materials! Imagine what you will be able to create with it! It's EZ as 1,2 & 3! What are you waiting for, huh?

Yes, Incomedia is on a roll with yet another brilliant program for web design; this time the focus is upon animation! Do you remember DHTML (Dynamic Hypertext Mark-up Language)? No? Okay, DHTML was all the rage with the first Dreamweaver software by Macromedia before they sold it to Adobe. Anyhoo, Dreamweaver allowed the web designer to create very interesting websites with some intricate animations going on. However, DHTML didn’t last long. If I remember correctly it was a combination of the competing web browsers i.e. Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator (gosh, that’s going back a bit) had different ways of processing a website created in different web design software and therefore DHTML had to be scrapped. Web designers fell back on the onetime game changing Flash software for creating animation to multimedia presentations – all the way up to playable games! You may or may not have realized it but with the advent of the iPhone, Steve Jobs effectively killed off (Adobe) Flash by refusing to allow the medium on the iPhone and subsequently the iPad. Then there was a big push for HTML5 to replace Flash altogether! Now, it is very rare to see any Flash content besides video material encoded in the Flash video format.

Here’s WebAnimator Plus to cater for amazing HTML5 based animations! Hurrah! If you ever used the Flash program you’d take to WebAnimator Plus like a fish to water! It is quite easy to get to grips with! There are plenty of tutorials aimed at the beginner that leads one gently to more complex animations. But WebAnimator is not just about animations; it is possible to create PowerPoint-style presentations with audio and video! The possibilities are great! Furthermore, because of the HTML5 standard the animations / presentations produced will work in all the browsers i.e. Chrome, Firefox, Opera and Internet Explorer!

VERDICT
The only element missing from this amazing cost effective package is the ability to create applications for mobile devices! However, at £69.99 there isn’t much to complain about! I think I would pay twice as much for a “pro” version that will allow me to create simple presentation apps for both Android & iOS.

SCORE
PLATINUM


Yes, it looks as though I hand out such high scores with ease but these web design software from Incomedia are really on top of the “budget but highly functional” market. As a former professional web designer I can say that many alternatives to Dreamweaver requires that the use has some design knowledge whereas the WebSite X5 products is so simple that a total novice can use it! I am thinking about mature folk, some of whom I have taught in the past, with no design skills whatsoever.

But there is a lot of scope for someone coming from a design background of some sort. Me? I am self-taught and that was pre-YouTube where I had to do a lot of reading plus trial and error. When it comes to the graphical element of the web design process the built-in tools are easy to get to grips with. WebSite X5 more or less tells the user what to do and when with the step by step methodology! This step by step method might prove to be a little awkward for the more experienced as they are used to building a site in a more unconventional manner. Most experienced people will start the design process in a photo editing / manipulation program and then bring the graphical elements into the web design software. And there are those who love to code!

The WebSite X5 Professional 11 supports those who like to add their own code. WebAnimator Plus also allows for those who know code (JavaScript) to add their own. Therefore, the designer isn’t limited by the software and this is why the Incomedia products all score PLATINUM!

IN CLOSING...
I could have brought other web design software into this listing but for the aforementioned reasons I decided not to. Anyone who able to use a graphic design program is most likely using the more sophisticated software (that I have omitted)! With my recommendations I expect non-designers and the non-technical to start creating websites fairly easily!

If you happen to be good with a graphic design / photo editing / manipulation package and would like to know what Synapse Circuit judges to be the best then that list will almost certainly come in 2015! Sorry, I just ran out of time!

Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

Yes, I am well aware that the site is due an update soon! It’s coming...

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at Synapse Circuit dot com

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT MUSIC MAKING GIFTS FOR XMAS 14

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
MUSICAL GIFTS FOR CHRISTMAS...

Good evening, Synapse Circuit Readers! Season’s Greetings! I hope that you are well and that you stay cold and flu free this Winter Holiday!

What better gift can you give other than the gift of music? Synapse Circuit is gonna sock it to ya with beautiful gift ideas for Christmas!

#SynapseCircuitTopMusicCompositionList #YouRockGuitarGen2 #MusicMakerPremium #Orion8.5 #REAPER #Caustic3 #GStomperStudio #AudioEvolutionMobileDAW #SennheiserUrbaniteXL

TAKING THE MUSIC BACK!
Dear Synapse Circuit Readers,

I think it’s time. Time to take the music back! I don’t know about you but I cringe when I watch talent shows on TV; it’s as though the participants are being groomed for fame and fortune to escape the trappings of whatever: poverty, the feeling of neglect, wanting to be loved and admired, etc. How many parents out there that pimp their children out to these Svengali mogul figures who have the power to turn the average Joe and Josephine into a “star”? Don’t you ever wonder what happened to a rising star that has dropped out all of a sudden? Do you even remember them now that they are no longer in the limelight? Do you ever wonder why those that have “made it” have gone down the cul de sac of self-destruction through excess? There is a price to be paid for the selling of the soul! Nuff said!

On a more cheerful note (nice unintended pun) there are still many of us out there who love music for music and not for the foolish trappings of “stardom”. There are many of us out there with an innate talent for being able to pick up and instrument and play like it was second nature! It is possible to make a career out of music without taking shortcuts that come back to haunt us down the line! If you are a young man or woman whose parents discouraged you from going into the “entertainment industry” you should give thanks and praise; they looked after you! I thank my parents for discouraging me to be taken in by the charismatic snake-like “movers and shakers” in the music industry many Moons ago! Thanks to technology and the Internet you can do it for yourself! Here are some great gifts you can give to loved ones and / or yourself to make a joyful sound! A one, two... A one, two, three, four...



1. YOU ROCK GUITAR
GENERATION 2
The guitar is still a staple and one of the foundations of music making today; despite of electronics, synthesizers and computers the guitar remains as a rock (hee hee) of modern music making! Many well made guitars come with a hefty price tag and when you look for alternatives it is almost certain that the quality of the instrument is questionable i.e. built cheaply, shoddy pick-ups (if electric) and equally shoddy lead inputs that can fall out of the guitar body. I had such a guitar many years ago! Eventually I sold it to raise money to get a PC and music software. Fast forward to the present...

...enter You Rock Guitar! This is the second generation You Rock Guitar (YRG Gen 2 or YRG2 for short); it appears as though it is an accessory for a game console. Does anyone still play Guitar Hero? I never got around to it! Anyway, the YRG2 feels nice and solid to handle – it has a good weight on it. Although it is made from plastic it does feel like a serious instrument. It takes me back to the days when I was trying out various guitar synthesizer options from Roland and other manufacturers. The one common complaint about these guitar synthesizers was that of “latency”; if you don’t know that latency means it is the time it takes an instrument (in this case) to make a sound after a key or string has been struck / plucked (usually with synthesizers utilizing a Music Instrument Digital Interface). It is desired that a synthesizer using MIDI (as described) makes a sound simultaneously when struck or plucked any delay is known as latency. We will come back to “latency” in a bit...

Essentially the YRG2 is a MIDI (Music Instrument Digital Interface) controller that allows you to control the set of sounds on a physical synthesizer or if you have a computer with Virtual Studio Technology instruments (VST = a music related technology invented by Steinberg) you can play those virtual instruments via the YRG2! And it gets better... ...there is no latency! When I was playing around with the YRG2 I didn’t pick up on any delays when strumming chords or picking individual notes (albeit badly – I am out of practice)! So, if you can play the guitar and you are looking for a cost effective way to utilize synthesizers in your composition you will be relieved to know that the YRG2 costs around £200! £200 is an absolute steal! I have seen guitar oriented MIDI controllers going for extortionate prices!

In addition to the YRG2 being a MIDI controller it has its own built in sounds so therefore you can plug it into an amplifier and start playing! Because there is no latency it is ideal for a beginner and / or someone that wants to step up from the Guitar Hero console game. In fact I am going to make my first recommendation right now! Rocksmith! Rocksmith is a unique game / guitar learning facility that is available for the Xbox, Playstation and PC / MAC! If you or the intended is a beginner the combination of YRG2 and Rocksmith is phenomenal! Rocksmith is by Ubisoft!

What besets most guitar beginners is tuning the darned thing and keeping it in tune! There are a plethora of guitar tuning devices and, lately, mobile phone / tablet applications that will help you to keep the guitar in tune. Bear in mind that there are some guitars out there with certain hardware built into it that keeps the strings in tune... ...those guitars costs an absolute fortune! A king’s ransom! One of the many delightful aspects of the YRG2 is that it NEVER needs tuning! The most intimidating thing on the YRG2 is the control panel that gives you options for different tunings, sounds and playing styles. It takes a little while to get used to and it may be second nature if you are used to setting up a game console joystick / controller. If you happen to be a seasoned musician the chances are you are used to all manner of control panels from a variety of devices i.e. mixing desk, synthesizers and all manner of recording equipment and therefore the YRG2 control panel will be easy to get to grips with. After around 20 – 30 minutes I started to get the hang of altering the settings.

Another brilliant aspect of YRG2 is that the fretboard can be detached and, if need be, replaced with another! As a result the YRG2 lends itself to being extremely portable; I remember the days when I had to carry around this massive guitar case that was so cumbersome – especially on public transportation! The YRG2 unit came with a nice looking and very handy soft case.

Here’s my next set of recommendations... ...if you are not an iOS user I recommend the Galaxy Note 4 or S5 handsets – if you haven’t yet decided and / or upgraded – due to the compatibility with IK Multimedia’s AmpliTube app (for Android) and the iRig HD-A guitar interface (by the same company) that works with Android and PC! The combination of YRG2, IK Multimedia’s AmpliTube, iRig HD-A and Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is pretty formidable!

Soundcamp 8 track digital audio workstation (DAW) that is similar to Garage Band for iOS & OS X devices; so far it’s only available for the Galaxy Note 4 and Edge. It is very likely that Soundcamp will be available for older premium Galaxy models such as the Note 2 and 3. Soundcamp shows great promise! Full review coming soon!

The reason for recommending the Galaxy Note 4 and its Edge variant is that Samsung has a professional sound facility processes audio in real time thus eliminating latency as mentioned above!

IN PLAY
I found the YRG2 quite natural to play; to be honest I didn’t expect the feel to be like a traditional guitar. Once I found a setting that I liked on the control panel (as mentioned earlier) it was plain sailing! My thought as a non-player is, “if I were on stage with the YRG2 how easy will it be to go into the different settings?” I don’t want to frighten you but the control panel has a steep learning curve potential as you can store your own settings in addition to the presets! Gosh! There are backing tracks that you can play along with; I know a few basic chords and it would have been useful to have the playing of a guitar virtuoso so that I can pop down to Central London with a mighty big hat, pretend that I am playing and receive the coinage! Ha ha! Trust me to think of that! Hee hee... I hate reading manuals but you will have to read the manual to make the most of the control panel and ultimately the YRG2 as an instrument!

Here are some of the feature listings (as found on the YRG website):-

HARDWARE
<Gen2> pickup design*
Pick Guard*
Detachable 22 fret guitar neck for portability
Whammy bar
Modulation joystick
Bridge mute
Standard ¼” guitar jack
Stereo mini headphone output
Stereo line-in for iPods and MP3 players
High speed USB/MIDI interface
MIDI output – 5-pin legacy connector
GameFlex port connects wirelessly to Wii and PS/3 (Gameflex cartridge sold separately)
Uses 4xAA batteries or USB power (sold separately)

MIDI
New MIDI controller mode supports DAW’s like Ableton Live!*
User defined Joystick to MIDI controller mapping*
Body Switches to MIDI controller (on/off) mapping*
MIDI program change stored in presets
MIDI mono mode (one channel per string) supported
Standard MIDI class driver for compatibility with PC’s, MACs, iPads. Works with most DAWS, Recording Software, Tablature software and sound modules

ONBOARD SYNTH
15 new professionally sampled guitar sounds: acoustics, electrics, basses*
15 new professionally sampled synth sounds: piano, strings, pads, drums, synth leads*
20 new on-board jamming and practice loops*
Velocity switching samples supported for future downloadable content (DLC)*
Stereo chorus effect built in*

FINAL THOUGHTS
The YRG2 is a phenomenal guitar and MIDI controller with no latency! A professional player will easily appreciate it due to the fact that many synth guitar pickups are plagued by latency that has the player having to change his / her playing style to compensate. Then there are these specialist synth-guitars that have a mad price tag!

For all the beautiful liberating technology within the YRG2 it is accessible to the everyman / woman with a desire to learn! And it is so natural – aside not being able to apply vibrato onto the immovable strings on the fretboard / neck (you use the “whammy bar” / tremolo for vibrato) – that you won’t feel it hard to pick up a traditional guitar afterwards.

To get an idea of the YRG2’s value all you have to do is pop down to a musical instrument store and look at the various high priced guitars and basses; with the YRG2 and software / applications you can get the sound of pretty much all the popular make of guitar: Fender Stratocaster, Gibson, Rickenbacker and so on! And you get a MIDI controller too which will enable you to play just about any virtual or real synth! You can’t lose with the You Rock Guitar Generation II instrument! It is simply awesome!

SCORE
DOUBLE PLATINUM



Now let’s take a look at some digital audio workstations = DAW...

PC SOFTWARE



2. MAGIX MUSIC MAKER 2015 PREMIUM
Every once in a while I get someone emailing me with the following, “Hi, I want to make <insert musical genre> and I was wondering if you can recommend a software...” My reply is Magix Music Maker Premium! Why? I am so glad you asked! Today’s electronic music such as Dubstep inspires many people with no musical skills to have a go at making music and the sea of music making programs can be staggering and frustrating to the uninitiated! And it doesn’t help when approaching those that consider themselves to be “professional” based upon the cash value of the software he or she is using and studio set-up! The “professional” may not even be aware of software in an affordable price range! The “professional” is nearly always going to recommend what he / she have! Here’s a quick rundown on the software “professionals” use (to sound just like everybody else):-

1. Ableton Live; it’s an okay software that has options for playing live.

2. Reason; this is a software that gets mentioned a lot – especially if you read electronic music magazines. It’s okay, I think it is too expensive by today’s standards.

3. Cubase Pro (or something like that); again, it was once an industry standard but the standard has moved on from where Steinberg introduced its Virtual Studio Technology (VST) in the form of virtual synthesizers and effects.

These are the top 3 software that get mentioned by those that believe that they are on the top of their game! There are many more “pro” music software, DAW (digital audio workstation) but they all do more or less the same thing but in slightly different ways. Anyhoo, Magix Music Maker Premium takes the best of all three of the DAWs mentioned above and wraps it all up in a neat inexpensive package that is a mere £90!

What I like about Music Maker Premium (now version 2015) is that you – as a non-musician – can get stuck in straightaway! It’s a question of asking, “What hasn’t it got?” “What can’t it do?” “What makes it so different than software costing 3 or 4 times as much?” For a start MMPremium comes with loads of sample loops (Soundpools) that covers a wide array of musical genres and because they are complimentary to each other (the default sample loops) you can’t really construct a track that is out of tune! When you are ready to have a go at using virtual instrumentation you will find that there’s quite a few excellent sounding synthesizers for beats as well as melody or noise – as you like it! What’s more is that you can use Steinberg’s VST instruments and effects! But it doesn’t stop there... MMPremium contains a wonderful array of effects that adds great sparkle to any track! And it goes further still... There is a Mastering Suite that enables ANYONE to master the finished track for that professional clean (or dirty) CD sound! There are great presets for just about every device going i.e. radio, MP3 player, video, etc. It’s the boom! Not only does it accept and sequence WAV files on the tracks but it accepts video too! Make your track, make your video to go with it! Read the full review here: Synapse Circuit Magix Music Maker 2015Premium Review

Perfect for the beginner and the experienced! I defy anyone to pick out a track made from Music Maker Premium from DAWs costing up to 3 or 4 times more! Oh, be aware that because Music Maker Premium works with MIDI you will be able to use it with You Rock Guitar Generations 1 and 2!



3. SYNAPSE AUDIO ORION 8.5
Synapse Audio is of no relation to me... I came across this remarkable DAW by accident! Well, there are no accidents, right? Anyhoo... Orion 8 or Orion Studio 8.5 (8.6 is in the pipeline) is very much like Music Maker Premium in terms of the instruments and effects that comes with it. It doesn’t have a library of sample loops as this DAW is geared towards the musician that uses instruments to make the music but there is an audio track that allows you to import WAV files together with your composition.

The instruments and effects are top notch! And what I LOVE about Orion 8.5 is the beautiful MIDI interface that makes it so easy to create musical patterns / phrases from scratch! Orion 8.5 (soon to be 8.6) is the most underrated DAW on the planet! If you compare it to Propellerhead’s (in)famous Reason you will first of all notice that you are able to use VST instruments and effects; Reason is closed off and only supports Propellerhead oriented products. Incidentally Synapse Audio has developed a virtual synthesizer for use with Reason.

Although Orion 8.5 is not as feature rich as Music Maker Premium (2015) it does make up for the shortcomings – if you can call it that – by giving the user (hopefully you) rock solid professional virtual synthesizers, effects and mixing desk that allows you enrich your sound!

FINAL THOUGHTS
Orion 8.5 is aimed at the intermediate to the seasoned professional who wants a no nonsense DAW without having to burst a blood vessel trying to figure it out! Orion 8.5 is immediate! Again, it is compatible with the amazing You Rock Guitar Generation 2!

Check online for prices.

SCORE
PLATINUM




4. COCKOS REAPER 4.76
Here we have a cost effective “pro” oriented DAW! Reaper is very much aimed at the professional end of the market in comparison to the aforementioned DAWs here. Think of this one as Steinberg’s costly Cubase professional program that you will expect to find in recording studios. I wouldn’t go as far to state that the recording studio is dead as there are some about but these days all you need is a above average PC (or MAC) and Cokos Reaper if you are intent on creating a home studio without breaking the bank! There are two licences:-

$225:  full commercial license for professionals making money with their music. And...

$60:   discounted license for non-professionals.

Reaper does come with some minor synthesizers but because it is so affordable you can purchase some great commercially available virtual synthesizers out there! Unlike, Music Maker Premium & Orion, Reaper assumes that as a professional musician you will have your own collection of VST instruments and effects!

IN USE
I found that Reaper was very straightforward to use; the interface has a visual logic about it so you don’t necessarily need to look at the manual – besides if you do get stuck there are loads of YouTube videos that show you how to make the most of it! To me and many others, Reaper is the antidote to these overblown DAWs. It has gotten to a point whereby the music software market is oversaturated with software houses trying to convince you that they’ve got the ultimate DAW for professionals and that you are nothing without it! Ow, phooey!! I’ve reviewed so many DAWs over the years that keep getting complicated with each release and, in my opinion, get in the way of music making! Reaper just cuts out all the gimmicks and lets you get on with it.

FINAL THOUGHT
If your current DAW feels like it is weighing you down you ought to try Cokos Reaper! Trust me, it will feel like a breath of fresh air. Me? I find it very easy to bring in my WAV files and add virtual instruments as and when without any complications. And if I do get stuck on something – which is rare - I look it up on YouTube and I am sorted. I give you an example, there is one DAW that I have used that features a beat altering instrument which was desirable to use only to find out that I wasn’t able to drag ‘n’ drop any beat onto it other than the loops that it came with. But with Reaper I know I am not getting any gimmicky instruments and effects that may or may not work as expected. With the money I’ve saved on Reaper I am able to purchase a virtual synthesizer that gives me the result that I was looking for! I am happy!

It doesn’t take long to get to grips with Reaper! After working solidly for a few weeks I became very familiar with how it works. Like the other two DAWs mentioned here I was able to get stuck in innately without having to think too much.

SCORE
PLATINUM


This marks the end of the road as far as PC software goes. Reaper is available for the MAC too! And it comes on a small exe file 8MB as opposed to these heavy gimmicky DAWs that spans across ex-amount of DVDs!

TO CLOSE...
Altogether I would say that the PC music software here goes from beginner, intermediate and pro! The beauty is that you can get professional results with all of them! It’s the creative mind that counts! Tell that to your stroppy teenager if he or she is disappointed that you didn’t sell your car to get him or her that expensive overblown music software!

And now for some music making Android apps... ...slowly but surely people are beginning to wake up to realize that the iOS devices aren’t the only ones to enjoy great music making software! Here’s the best music composition apps for Android...



5. SINGLE CELL SOFTWARE CAUSTIC 3
Caustic 3 reminds me very much of Synapse Audio Orion 8.5 and Reason combined; the default instruments are similar and you can access the instruments in a virtual rack configuration.

It’s very easy to use and works on Android 2.2 upwards! This one is a no brainer!

Create your rack by adding up to 14 machines from a choice of:

* Subsynth - Virtual analog subtractive synthesizer
* PCMSynth - Multi-sample wave synthesizer
* BassLine - 303-like monosynth
* BeatBox - 8-channel sampling drum machine
* PadSynth - Harmonic table pad synthesizer
* 8BitSynth - 8bit equation solver synthesizer
* Modular - Fully configurable and routable synthesizer
* Organ - Hammond-like tonewheel organ with rotary speaker
* Vocoder - 8-band harmonic vocoder
* FMSynth - DX-style 3-operator fm synthesizer
* KSSynth - Karplus-Strong string modeling synth (new!)

The unlock key is an affordable £5.99! The beauty of this baby is that not only can you finish a composition and output it as a WAV file or to MIDI whereby you can load it in your desktop computer to complete! And because it works with MIDI you should be able to use the You Rock Guitar Generation 2 with it!

Caustic 3 is one of my favourite music making apps on Android!

SCORE
PLATINUM




7. PLANET-H G-STOMPER STUDIO
G-Stomper Studio is in a similar vein to Caustic 3 but I found it to be a little more complicated to get to grips with. I had to take a considerable amount of time getting to know it. Thank goodness for YouTube! Once I became familiar with G-Stomper I was very, very delighted with the results. I would recommend using it with a device with a nice big screen i.e. a phablet or tablet! Mind you it does look and sound good on the Motorola Moto G 2014! Ultimately it looks better on the Galaxy Note (2 and 4 that I own. I suspect it would look just as good on 3) and on my Asus Fonepad 7 LTE with its front-facing stereo speakers! It costs £6.36 which is money well spent! Here are some highlights:-

* Drum Machnine : Sampler based Drum Machine/Step Sequencer, max 24 Tracks
* Sampler Track Grid : Grid based Multi Track Step Sequencer, max 24 Tracks
* Sampler Note Grid : Monophonic Melodic Step Sequencer, max 24 Tracks
* Sampler Drum Pads : 24 Drum Pads for live playing
* VA-Beast Synthesizer : Virtual Analog FM Synthesizer (polyphonic + multitimbral)
* VA-Beast Poly Grid : Polyphonic Step Sequencer, max 12 Tracks
* Line Mixer : Mixer with up to 36 Channels (parametric 3-band Equalizer per channel)
* Effect Rack : 3 chainable Effect Processors (31 Effect Types)
* Master Section : 2 Sum Effect Processors (31 Effect Types)
* Pattern Set : Live Pattern/Song Arranger (Pattern Set) with 64 concurrent Patterns
* Timing & Measure : Allows almost every Beat Signature and complex Swing Quantization
* Piano Roll : On various Screens (8 Octaves switchable)
* Support for additional Content-Packs
* WAV File Export, 8..32bit up to 96kHz: Export your Loops/Songs as Sum or Track by Track and use them in Ableton, FL or any Digital Audio Workstation of your choice.
* SoundCloud Upload Integration

What I have noticed is that there is no means to output the composition as a MIDI file; this not a disaster but it would have been a bonus to load the MIDI file into a desktop computer for fine tuning, etc if need be. However, because the WAV file output can go up to 96 KHz the sound quality will be great! G-Stomper Studio is pretty much a decent mobile DAW! I don’t think you can use it with You Rock Guitar Generations 1 & 2 unless you export the composition as a WAV file and bring it into another DAW that is compatible with MIDI!

SCORE
GOLD

8. EXTREAM SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT AUDIO EVOLUTION MOBILE DAW 
The Audio Evolution Mobile DAW is very much like what you see on a desktop computer in terms of the interface and as a result I found it fun to use. I took a bunch of sample loops from my PC and imported them into Audio Evolution assembling them into a composition. Sometimes it’s how I feel like composing music – the sample loop method. For me, it’s like doing a crossword puzzle whenever I am travelling on public transport for long periods! That said it is possible to compose with MIDI i.e. virtual synthesizers. Note that MIDI relies upon SoundFont based virtual instruments that comes as an in-app purchase, £3.70.Similarly, if you want to record high quality audio into Audio Evolution you need to purchase that function as another in-app purchase, £4.17!

Audio Evolution can export to WAV and MIDI files and it is possible to use MIDI controllers such as the wonderful You Rock Guitar Generations 1 & 2!

Here is a list of features:

(*) The following in-app purchases are available to enable the following features:
* USB audio interface support (you can also purchase USB Audio Recorder PRO).
Please see compatibility list here http://www.extreamsd.com/USBAudioRecorderPRO and for more information here: http://www.audio-evolution.com/manual/doku.php?id=usbaudiosupport
* MIDI/virtual instrument support (enables MIDI sequencing, USB MIDI and virtual instruments)
* FX pack 1 (distortion, overdrive, speaker sim, wah wah, phaser)
* FX pack 2 (10-, 15-, 30-band graphic EQ)
* ToneBoosters pack 1 (Barricade, DeEsser, Gate, Reverb)
* ToneBoosters EQ with frequency analyzer

Functions:-

* Multitrack audio recording/playback
* MIDI sequencing (in-app purchase required)
* Non-linear non-destructive editing with move, trim, split, cut/copy/paste, remove, cross-fade and range editing
* Virtual instruments based on SoundFonts (in-app purchase required)
* Loop playback
* Volume/pan/mute automation
* Latency correction
* Import of WAV, MP3, AIFF, FLAC, Ogg/Vorbis audio files (m4a and others when running Android 4.1 or higher)
* Mastering to stereo WAV, AIFF, FLAC or OGG file
* Software monitoring for USB audio devices and some Android devices that have low enough latency
* Sample rate conversion
* Metronome
* Zoom down to the sample
* Each track has controls for volume, panning, mute, solo, arm, 3-band EQ with mid-sweep, 3 insert effects, 2 effect sends and output bus selection
* Unlimited number of tracks (*)
* Unlimited number of groups (*)
* Real-time effects including: chorus, compressor, delay, dual delay, reverse delay, reverb, flanger, noise gate and many more!
* Offline effects: fade in/out, normalize, reverse, pitch shift, time stretching
* Unlimited undo/redo for editing facilities
* Several grid options for aligning your samples (with tempo and time signature settings)
* Repeat samples with several options to create loops
* Add markers and quickly jump to them
* Projects are interchangeable with our desktop DAW Audio Evolution 5
* Export to other DAW's by rendering all tracks to separate audio files (stems)
* In short: a complete portable recording studio!
(*) Depending on your hardware's capabilities

The bottom line is that I think that eXtream Software have done well with Audio Evolution but would have done better if they didn’t have the in-app purchases. I think most people, like me, prefer to make a single purchase the first time!

SCORE
PLATINUM



Despite the in-app purchases I think this Android DAW is very, very close to something like Reaper (as mentioned above). I do wonder how difficult it would be for eXtream Software to make it possible to utilize the synthesizers found in Caustic and G-Stomper Studio... Oooh that would be ideal!


9. SENNHEISER URBANITE XL
So, you have made your music making selections for yourself and / or loved one and now you require some headphones for peace and quiet! Ha ha! The Sennheiser Urbanite XL is quite a large DJ-like headphone that will also serve to keep your ears warm this winter!

Oddly, the marketing on the box states “Made for iPod, iPhone and iPad” but it has the standard input jack that fits into just about every device with a headphone jack! Anyway, I really appreciated the sound coming from the headphones – nice and rich! I could feel the bass! Overall I felt that the tones were well balanced and not oversaturated. I would say that it is a competitor to Beats Audio but I find that Beats Audio tend to over saturate the overall tones to extremes so that they are quite unreliable for music composition. Mind you most headphones are unreliable for the purpose of music composition – even the ones that state they are specifically for that purpose! The trick is to listen to the track on a good set of speakers / monitors and then use the headphones for convenience without altering the settings! The mistake is to alter the settings of a DAW whilst using the headphones because it will sound totally different again on the speakers / monitors. With Sennheiser Urbanite XL (as with most of the Sennheiser headphone range) I didn’t feel the need to tweak the EQ on the DAW! That’s the mark of a good set of headphones!

On the street I thought it did a good job of cutting down ambient noise but not so much that I lost a sense of what was going on around me. There’s also a built in mic so that I may take or reject calls! Very handy!

VERDICT
I really enjoyed the Urbanite XL for both listening to and composing music!

SCORE
PLATINUM


Because I am not looking to “feel” the music as with Beats Audio is why I give the Urbanite XL such a high score. When composing music on the fly I need something neutral. The best price that I have seen is £166! Oh, there is a carry pouch that comes with it too! But they are so comfortable I left them on my ears! Ha ha!

Well, that’s it with regards to the Music Composition gift ideas! I was hoping to feature some speaker / monitors but I ran right out of time! If I should get some speaker / monitors coming in at the last minute I will do my best to do a quick review! I was looking forward to reviewing more Bluetooth speakers as it is sometimes desirable to compose without being tethered to a cable! But don’t worry, more reviews are coming!

What I have given here is a good selection of products that you or someone else is most likely to appreciate!

THANKS FOR READING!

Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

Yes, I am well aware that the site is due an update soon! It’s coming...

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at Synapse Circuit dot com

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT THE ADVANTAGES OF GOING ANDROID

Above: Proof that many former iPhone users have chosen to get rid of the latest models in favour of something better! Have you ever seen so many recent iPhone handsets in exchange stores? This is an unprecedented phenomenon! 

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT
NOT HAPPY WITH THE iPHONE? THINKING ABOUT ANDROID?

Good evening, Synapse Circuit Readers! Season’s Greetings! It’s great to see you as always! Have you done your shopping yet?

Hey, are you thinking about ditching the iPhone or a Windows phone? Synapse Circuit gives you reasons to consider going Android!

#SynapseCircuitReasonsToGoAndroid #GoAndroid #MigratingTo Android #iOSForAndroid

15 REASONS TO GO ANDROID
If you are thinking of leaving the iTunes phone ecosystem here are some sound reasons to go Android!

01. If you are not going to be anal about this idea of “premium” you can pick up a decent handset for a much lower price ratio in comparison to the iPhone either to purchase outright or on a monthly contract!

02. You have so much choice! You can have a screen size that suits you!

03. There are so many different designs to choose from! The HTC One M8 is a great looking handset and you are probably wondering why it is not on this list... ...it’s the camera that lets it down! Other than that it does look amazing! If photo and video is important to you like it is to me then the HTC One M8 will almost certainly disappoint! But if you just take pictures to update your social networks, etc then give it a go by all means!

04. In addition to having different internal memory configurations you can extend the storage with a microSD card!

05. As a power-user you might appreciate that many Android handsets come with a removable battery! Nothing worse than having a phone for business only for the battery to die on you midday!

06. If you are not going to be anal about this idea of “premium” you can pick up a decent handset for a much lower price ratio in comparison to the iPhone either to purchase outright or on a monthly contract!

07. The key Google apps i.e. Drive (Docs, Sheets and Slides), Chrome, Translate, etc communicates better in the Android environment.

08. Google Now is better than Siri!

09. You can get a hybrid phone and 7” tablet that will not break the bank!

10. The Android operating system gives you more scope and is not as restrictive as iOS.

11. Android productivity apps outputs to a file format compatible with PC and Mac!

12. By rooting (jailbreaking on the iPhone) handset you can choose from a fairly wide range of custom ROMs and have more control over your device and privacy.

13. If you are not happy with the user interface overlay such as TouchWiz, Zen and others you can replace it / them with a launcher! Not forgetting that Android has great widgets to add to the customization!

14. If you are not happy with the default keyboard you can replace it with another and / or have multiple keyboards that you might use for different apps. That said, I personally prefer the official Google Keyboard app as it does the job! At the moment, as far as I am aware, third party keyboards meant for use with iOS brings up instability issues!

15. In addition to Google Now you can use virtual assistant apps such as Speaktoit Assistant that allows the user to give voice commands to interact with the handset.

Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

Yes, I am well aware that the site is due an update soon! It’s coming...

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at Synapse Circuit dot com

SYNAPSE CIRCUIT UPGRADING YOUR HANDSET FOR XMAS?

 SYNAPSE CIRCUIT

AN UPGRADE FOR CHRISTMAS... 

Good evening, Synapse Circuit Readers! Season’s Greetings! It’s great to see you as always! I hope that all is well and that you are winning in your preparations for Christmas!

Hey, are you due for an upgrade? You ought to read the Synapse Circuit Smartphone Christmas Recommendations!

#SynapseCircuitTopSmartphones #GalaxyNote4 #G3 #GalaxyS5 #MotoX2014 #MotoG4G2013 #MotoG2014 #Fonepad7LTE

WHY ME?
I find myself asking that question almost every time I do a bit of mystery shopping visiting London’s mobile retail outlets... What happens is this: Whenever I am in a mobile retail outlet store invariably a complete stranger comes up to me and says something along the lines of, “I am done with the iPhone! It’s s**t! I am going for a...” Hold that thought! I will tell you what these men (they are all men) tell me that they are getting instead at the end... Let’s get it on! Here are my recommendations...

1. SAMSUNG GALAXY NOTE 4
This is my current daily driver! The form factor is just amazing when compared to the Galaxy Notes 2 & 3; it no longer feels like a “phablet” and I am surprised to find that I can operate it with one hand – bearing in mind my hands are quite big! I take a size ‘large’ in Marigold gloves! The real metal edge really does make a difference but I would have gotten the Note 4 regardless because the Galaxy Note concept is the pinnacle of Android handsets. In my mind it destroys the iPhone 6 Plus in every way:-

* 5.7” Quad-HD screen; the best screen going!
* 16MP camera; 4K video recording and excellent 1080p video options!
* Android & TouchWiz combination is outstanding as it allows for great functionality!
* The S Pen; the latest S Pen design is awesome and in use it feels very natural!
* Removable battery and storage expansion via microSD card up to 128GB! Superb!
* The design is far more superior; the iPhone 6 and Plus are the blandest designs ever!

Read the full review here: Synapse CircuitGalaxy Note 4 Review

It’s unsurprising that the Galaxy Note 4 has become more desirable than the Galaxy S5 as Synapse Circuit predicted that the 5 inch plus form factor is no longer an issue; the Galaxy S4 just looks like a Galaxy Note (3 & 4) mini in comparison. We LOVE the big screen form factor than not! Sure, there are those out there that say they prefer a smaller screen yet the demand for the larger screen keeps escalating!

Please note (see what I did there?) that despite the up to 6” handset there are apps specifically for the tablet! Don’t kid yourself thinking, “Yeah, I have the best of both worlds!” No! What you have is a darned good handset but there are some useful apps out there on the tablet! Let’s move on...


2. LG G3
LG did exceptionally well with the LG G3; it beat Samsung by placing a quad-HD screen on a premium handset! Some may argue that the Galaxy S5 should have come second but when you take the unique design and simple functionality into consideration this is what made the G3 one of the best premium handsets on the market today and it no doubt affected the Galaxy S5 sales.

The 5.5” q-HD screen justifies what I have been saying all along about ‘Phablet Phenomenon’. Another thing is that LG decided to add a removable battery! Well done! The 13MP camera is pretty darned good too! There’s storage expansion via microSD card up to 2TB! WOW!!!

3. SAMSUNG GALAXY S5
For some reason Samsung didn’t release the UK version of the Galaxy 5 with a quad-HD screen however they (Samsung) put a great deal of effort into making the Galaxy S5 everyday proof with water and dust resistance. The pulse reader helped to make the Galaxy S5 a must have for Android sportspersons with the enhanced S Health functionality!

The Galaxy range of camera is consistently excellent and the Galaxy S5 16MP camera gave it a considerable advantage for ardent mobile photography fans! If correct the 16MP camera is the same one that is in the Galaxy Note 4! Again, the removable battery and microSD up to 128GB!

4. MOTOROLA MOTO X 2014
Now if you prefer to buy your handset outright and you’re looking for a balance between features, hardware and functionality then the Motorola Moto X 2014 might be an option! What is immediately striking about the Moto X 2014 is the brilliant design what with the front-facing speakers! What’s more is that you are able to customize the Moto X 2014 to look the way you want it to which is a great idea! The base Moto X 2014 costs £419 that gives you:-

* 5.2" AMOLED full HD 1080p display.
* 13MP camera which is above average - not the best but very good.
* 16GB storage
* 2GB RAM
* 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon CPU from Qualcomm

Considering that some of the super-premium handsets can cost around £650 to £750 the Moto X 2014 is very competitively priced. See the full review here: Synapse Circuit Moto X 2014 Review

One unique feature is the ability to use your voice to interact with the handset! It’s also water resistant!


5. MOTOROLA MOTO G – 2013 & 2014
WOW!!! Motorola certainly came back from the abyss with a range of handsets from premium to budget! Here in joint fifth are the Moto G 2013 4G and 2014 3G models! Let’s start with the last year’s Moto G...

Moto G 4G around this time last year sold out in just about every mobile retail outlet in London! It costs £145 and you do get quite a decent handset for the money – especially with 4G connectivity thrown into the mix!

* 4.5” 1280 X 720 HD, 329 ppi display!
* 8GB of internal storage; microSD cards up to 32GB
* 1GB RAM
* Qualcomm MSM8x26 quad-core A7 1.2GHz
* 5MP camera

If you like your handset compact and modest then this will certainly do the job! It’s so inexpensive that it could become a secondary handset or ideal for a teenager.

The second generation Moto G came back strong but controversially without 4G! The screen gets bumped up to 5 inches but the ppi is reduced from 329 to 294, the design is in keeping with the Moto X 2014 and the amazing front-facing stereo speakers and an updated Qualcomm 1.2GHz quad-core CPU! Just add £5 to the cost! The camera is upped to 8MP and it is very good!

The great advantage with both models is that you get more or less a pure vanilla Android experience! You just have to weigh up if the 5” screen and front-facing stereo speakers are more desirable than having 4G! I personally went with the 2014 model as I have 3 main 4G handsets that I use daily! Both handsets represent exceptional value! It has been understood that the Google Nexus 5 handset is no more once the stock has sold out, well the Moto G models can replace it – kind of! What I do hope for is a second generation Nexus 5 that will be a step up from the Moto G 2014 i.e. full HD 5.2” display, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, 2GHz quad-core CPU, 13MP camera and stereo front-facing speakers for around £200! Oh, it’s gotta have 4G too! The potentially huge 6” display on the Nexus 6 may prove to be too much for some but I like it! Speaking of the Nexus 6, I didn’t get an opportunity to review it – maybe next year! However, it does look good though!

Oh, the Moto G 2014 has a dual nano SIM capability! Cool!

Motorola Moto G 2014 Review

And lastly...


6. ASUS FONEPAD 7 LTE
Okay, this might seem like an odd choice but if you are looking for a true “phablet” then the Fonepad 7 LTE could truly offer you the best of both handset and tablet!

* 4G LTE!
* 7" 1280x800 display!
* 2X2:Intel® Atom™ Multi-Core Z2560 Processor 1.6 GHz with Intel Hyper-Threading Technology!
* Dual front speakers!
* 16 GB of internal storage!
* 1.2 MP front-facing camera and 5MP rear camera!
* MicroSD expandable up to 32GB!

The only downside is that on the fly you will need a Wi-Fi connection if you want to use it as a phone! Unfortunately, because it is a 7” device it is registered as a tablet and as a result you can’t use the data aspect of a standard SIM. If you haven’t read my solutions to this proposition here’s what you can do:-

1. You can use a Mi-Fi device which is a personal Wi-Fi unit; most network providers offer up to 15GB of data for around £15 to £20 on 4G!

2. If you happen to have a main driver (another handset) you can use it as a personal Wi-Fi spot and tether the Fonepad 7 LTE to it – especially if you have an unlimited data plan! Some network providers prevent tethering or limit it to around 2GB! You can get around this by using a tethering app – the best ones are usually the ones you pay a little for!

3. You can rely on “trusted” Wi-Fi spots i.e. if you are a coffee bar poser like I sometimes am the Wi-Fi in such places is usually free!

4. I am quite sure that you can use a data only SIM that typically gives you 1GB for around £8 or 10GB for around £15! Obviously, you will have to shop around for the best value. Do ask your network provider to give you a deal as you are a long term costumer and you might get the 10GB for £10 or £12 instead of £15!

From there you download these free messaging, voice and video calling apps such as Viber, Skype, LINE, Kakao, Tango and WeChat for fine examples as alternatives to a typical mobile SIM. When used sparingly such a set-up can work! But you have to be careful of apps that use data in the background – especially social networks, news and weather feeds and GPS!

The choice is yours!

The Fonepad 7 LTE costs around £200 but considering you get a tablet and a phone it is pretty good value! Once again, there are some apps that are only available to the tablet and you may find that these apps are crucial to your daily operations. It would be ideal for network providers to allow for the standard SIM to work with phone enabled tablets in the foreseeable future!

Fonepad 7 LTE Review


REASONS TO GO ANDROID
If you are thinking of leaving the iTunes phone ecosystem here are some sound reasons to go Android!

01. If you are not going to be anal about this idea of “premium” you can pick up a decent handset for a much lower price ratio in comparison to the iPhone either to purchase outright or on a monthly contract!

02. You have so much choice! You can have a screen size that suits you!

03. There are so many different designs to choose from! The HTC One M8 is a great looking handset and you are probably wondering why it is not on this list... ...it’s the camera that lets it down! Other than that it does look amazing! If photo and video is important to you like it is to me then the HTC One M8 will almost certainly disappoint! But if you just take pictures to update your social networks, etc then give it a go by all means!

04. In addition to having different internal memory configurations you can extend the storage with a microSD card!

05. As a power-user you might appreciate that many Android handsets come with a removable battery! Nothing worse than having a phone for business only for the battery to die on you midday!

06. If you are not going to be anal about this idea of “premium” you can pick up a decent handset for a much lower price ratio in comparison to the iPhone either to purchase outright or on a monthly contract!

07. The key Google apps i.e. Drive (Docs, Sheets and Slides), Chrome, Translate, etc communicates better in the Android environment.

08. Google Now is better than Siri!

09. You can get a hybrid phone and 7” tablet that will not break the bank!

10. The Android operating system gives you more scope and is not as restrictive as iOS.

11. Android productivity apps outputs to a file format compatible with PC and Mac!

12. By rooting (jailbreaking on the iPhone) handset you can choose from a fairly wide range of custom ROMs and have more control over your device and privacy.

13. If you are not happy with the user interface overlay such as TouchWiz, Zen and others you can replace it / them with a launcher! Not forgetting that Android has great widgets to add to the customization!

14. If you are not happy with the default keyboard you can replace it with another and / or have multiple keyboards that you might use for different apps. That said, I personally prefer the official Google Keyboard app as it does the job! At the moment, as far as I am aware, third party keyboards meant for use with iOS brings up instability issues!

15. In addition to Google Now you can use virtual assistant apps such as Speaktoit Assistant that allows the user to give voice commands to interact with the handset.

REASONS TO STICK TO iPHONE
You’ve invested into the OSX and iOS ecosystems i.e. your desktop / laptop is a Mac; you may think that it is easier to keep everything firmly uniformed.

HERE’S WHAT STRANGERS TELL ME THEY ARE DITCHING THE iPHONE FOR
Yes, I opened this article with various strangers approaching me in mobile retail outlets that randomly tell me what they think of the iPhone and why they are ditching it. Here’s the handsets they are getting instead:-

1. Samsung Galaxy Note; it was version 3 at the time and it wouldn’t surprise me if there is more of an uptake for the latest and best version, 4.

2. Samsung Galaxy S; at the time of being approached the Galaxy S5 was and still is on the market.

3. Sony Xperia Z3; the Sony handset has made quite an impact on the mobile phone market. Many people like that designs, I don’t appreciate the design of Sony handsets.

4. HTC One M8; many people love the design and metal body of the One M8 (and M7) but I wonder if they are happy with the camera results.

5. LG G3; LG has created a fantastic design language in the G3 that makes it so very desirable over many handsets. I make no secret that I am a Samsung person primarily for the build, functionality, removable battery, microSD card and power but the G3 is very tempting. It could very well be that my next handset will be a choice between the Galaxy S6 and the G4! But well done, once again, to LG for this stunning design!

I still have no clue as to why 90% of the time I visit a mobile retail outlet that a total stranger approaches me to let me know what he feels about the iPhone and why he is ditching it!

Please check out the Synapse Circuit site here: Synapse Circuit.com

Yes, I am well aware that the site is due an update soon! It’s coming...

Synapse Circuit for tech news, opinions, articles, reviews and competitions. You will find interactive PDF magazines, videos and links to free legal software! Check it out at Synapse Circuit dot com