DIY: Creating music on your iPhone DIY: Creating music on your iPhone Beatmaker Source: Intua.net In part one of this blog post , I said apps are integral to creating music or video on an iPhone. Here are the ones I used to create music: First, I downloaded Beatmaker, by Intua , $20, because it was one of the few that let me play the iPhone like an instrument and program what I wanted it to play. In this app, I mostly used the step and song sequencer features. In the step sequencer, I chose each instrument (such as a bass guitar), then painstakingly selected individual notes in a four-beat measure to make several different short-pattern sequences. Next, using the song sequencer part of the app, I strung a series of these short sequences together to produce a line of music, such as the bass line in a song... GM reinstates 661 dealerships GM reinstates 661 dealerships General Motors has agreed to reinstate about one-third of the dealerships that it planned to close during bankruptcy last year, as the automaker struggled to reinvent itself through the 2009 auto crisis . About 1,100 of the dealerships had sought arbitration to be reinstated. In addition, GM also shut down or shed almost 900 dealerships that only sold brands that the company eliminated: Hummer, Pontiac, Saab, and Saturn. In a notice dated March 5th, the company said it planned to send Letters of Intent to 661 of the dealers, essentially reinstating them. Trade publication Automotive News says anecdotally by talking to dealers, most of the outlets that were reinstated were rural stores and Cadillac dealerships... Daily electronics deals Daily electronics deals Today's electronics deals, courtesy of The Consumerist : Dell Home : Dell Inspiron 15 Intel Dual Core Laptop $399 free shipping OfficeMax : HP Pavilion dv4 14-inch Laptop $549.99 free shipping Logitech.com : Logitech Z-5 USB Omnidirectional Stereo Speakers $44.99 free shipping Best Buy :  Lexmark Multifunction Wireless InkJet Printer for $59.99 $3.99 Shipping Buy.com : Gyration Air Music Remote for PC for $59.99 w/ Free shipping Dell : Vizio 55" LCD 1080p HDTV for $1749 w/ Free Shipping Newegg :  Seagate Expansion 750GB Portable External Hard Drive $20 Gift Card $109.99 Free Ship Walmart : SHIPPING NOW - Final Fantasy XIII Game (Xbox 360, PS3) w/ $10 Gift Card $59... Consumer Reports Index: Slow Job Creation Stalling Economic Recovery Consumer Reports Index: Slow Job Creation Stalling Economic Recovery YONKERS, NY — Slow job creation continues to drag on the economy, according to the Consumer Reports Index for March.  This month’s findings show that, although the tide of job losses has been stemmed, the level of job creation needed to fuel a consumer recovery has not developed. Consumer Reports Employment Index stands at 48.7 for March, reflective of net job losses in the prior 30-days and on-par with February at 49.0. Over the past several months the proportion of Americans reporting losing their job in the past 30 days has been on a decline and is now stabilized at 6.0 percent versus 5.7 percent in February. However, in recent months the proportion of Americans starting a new job in the past 30 days has also dropped, declining to 3... rssin:http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/pressroom/2010/03/my-entry.html simplefeed.consumerreports.org 100003s276po5d97fbu http://simplefeed.consumerreports.org/l?s=100003s276po5d97fbu&r=unknown&he=687474702533412532462532467072657373726f6f6d2e636f6e73756d65727265706f7274732e6f72672532467072657373726f6f6d2532463230313025324630332532466d792d656e7472792e68746d6c&i=727373696e3a687474703a2f2f7072657373726f6f6d2e636f6e73756d65727265706f7274732e6f72672f7072657373726f6f6d2f323031302f30332f6d792d656e7472792e68746d6c http://simplefeed.consumerreports.org/l?s=100003s276po5d97fbu&r=unknown&he=687474702533412532462532467072657373726f6f6d2e636f6e73756d65727265706f7274732e6f72672532467072657373726f6f6d2532463230313025324630332532466d792d656e7472792e68746d6c&i=727373696e3a687474703a2f2f7072657373726f6f6d2e636f6e73756d65727265706f7274732e6f72672f7072657373726f6f6d2f323031302f30332f6d792d656e7472792e68746d6c Tue, 09 Mar 2010 06:29:59 PST $item.data.get("content") Subscribe now! Subscribe to ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update your feed preferences <img src="http://simplefeed.consumerreports.org/iop.gif?s=100003s276po5d97fbu&r=unknown&i=rssin:http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/pressroom/2010/03/my-entry.html" width="1" height="1" border="0"/> Press Room Consumer Reports Index News $item.data.get("content") Subscribe now! Subscribe to ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update your feed preferences Online quiz, or deceptive advertising? Online quiz, or deceptive advertising? We all know there is suspect information floating around the Internet. But when you look for medical information from a major health website, you expect it to be above board, don’t you? Unfortunately, that may not always be true. Take the case of a recent WebMD depression quiz. The business site, BNET, noticed recently that no matter how you answered a 10 question quiz on depression, you’d be told you “may be at risk for major depression” – even if you answered “no” to each of the screening questions. The quiz is funded by Eli Lilly (and was clearly marked as such), and along side it ran an advertisement promoting Lilly’s drug Cymbalta, which, you guessed it, is approved to treat depression... CR Index: Slow job creation stalls economic recovery CR Index: Slow job creation stalls economic recovery The findings in this month’s Consumer Reports Index show that although the tide of job losses has been stemmed, the level of job creation needed to fuel a consumer recovery has not developed. Consumer Reports Employment Index stands at 48.7 for March, unchanged from February. Over the past several months the proportion of Americans who reported losing their job in the past 30-days has been on a decline, and is now stabilized at 6.0 percent, versus 5.7 percent in February. But behind this positive finding a significant trend is emerging. In recent months the proportion of Americans starting a new job in the past 30 days has also dropped, declining to 3.5 percent in February from a recent high of 6... Q&A: Self-exams for testicular cancer? Q&A: Self-exams for testicular cancer? I’ve heard that regularly examining my testicles is a good way to check for cancer. How often should I do that, and what’s the proper technique? — E.H., Burlington, Vt.   Monthly self-exams are an easy way to help men spot cancer and other testicular disorders early, when they’re most treatable. That’s particularly important for men at high risk of that otherwise uncommon cancer because of a family history of the disease.  The best time for the exam is during or after a shower or bath. One at a time, gently but firmly roll each testicle between the thumbs and fingers of both hands, feeling its entire surface through the skin of the scrotum. Normal testicles should generally feel firm but not hard, and they’ll have some minor irregularities... TV Meets the Web - from Consumer Reports TV Meets the Web - from Consumer Reports Getting online content onto your TV without using a computer is finally ready for prime time. From Consumer Reports' March 2010 issue. Podcast - TV Meets the Web Subscribe now! Subscribe to ConsumerReports.org for expert Ratings, buying advice and reliability on hundreds of products. Update your feed preferences Consumers can't wait any longer for health reform Consumers can't wait any longer for health reform More than 70 years ago, Consumers Union, the independent nonprofit organization that publishes Consumer Reports, called for affordable, reliable health care for all Americans . Today—after decades of failed proposals, broken promises, and political rancor—our nation is the closest it has ever been to answering that call. Reform proposals have passed both chambers of Congress by a majority vote; now they effectively await final passage. Reform will make sure you can get reliable, affordable health coverage if you’re sick, lose your job, or hit a rough financial patch. It will provide much-needed oversight of the insurance industry, spur competition, and change the way insurance companies do business... Daily Dispatch: Google animates public data; Survey calls Web access a fundamental right Daily Dispatch: Google animates public data; Survey calls Web access a fundamental right Combing through hundreds of blog posts and news articles daily, Dirk Klingner, our technology-trend watcher, sifts through the noise to bring you the tech news most important to consumers. If you have a tip on a story you want to share, leave a comment below. Four in five believe Web access a fundamental right ( Reuters ) Respondents in the United States were above the average in believing the Internet was a source for greater freedom and they were also more confident than most in expressing their opinions online...Of the 27,000 surveyed, more than half agreed that the "Internet should never be regulated by any level of government anywhere... Average gas prices--March 8, 2010 Average gas prices--March 8, 2010 Gasoline prices continue to climb higher compared to the week before . The national gasoline average is $.81 above the price this time last year. Diesel fuel is $.86 above this time last year. National regular gasoline prices Price Change from last week Regular gasoline/gallon $2.75  ↑ .05 Diesel fuel/gallon $2.90  ↑ .04 Regional regular gasoline prices East Coast $2.74  ↑ .04 —New England $2.75  ↑ .04 —Central Atlantic $2.75  ↑ .04 —Lower Atlantic $2.73  ↑ .04 Midwest $2.70  ↑ .06 Gulf Coast $2.65  ↑ .05 Rocky Mountain $2.69  ↑ ... Consumer Reports on Fox News discussing Toyota black boxes Consumer Reports on Fox News discussing Toyota black boxes Event data recorders, also known as black boxes, are installed in most new passenger vehicles to record crash data before, during, and immediately after an accident. They record information such as vehicle speed, throttle position, air bag deployment, whether brakes were applied, and if the driver was wearing a safety belt. This data can help police and accident investigators reconstruct what happened in a crash. Toyota has black boxes in its modern vehicles, though the carmaker has historically made access to crash data captured by the devices difficult to obtain. In fact, during testimony at the recent Congressional hearings, the company admitted it had only one laptop in America capable of reading the data... Baby and child news from Consumerist Baby and child news from Consumerist Here are some recent baby-and-child related stories from The Consumerist : Salmonella In Common Food Additive Leads To Recall Of Pretty Much Every Food Ever Thanks to salmonella contamination in the HVP paste at Basic Food Flavors, Inc. in Las Vegas, the FDA has recalled every food containing the product, ranging from salty snacks to salad dressings to soup and gravy mixes. The list of recalled foods containing the product is still growing, and encompasses familiar brand names ranging from Walmart's Great Value brand to McCormick to Trader Joe's. Read the full post . Zero Nutritional Difference Between Campbell's "Healthy" Tomato Soups And Regular, Just Higher Price A new ABC7 investigation shows Campbell's "Healthy Request" and "Low Sodium" tomato soups contain the same nutrients and exact same amount of sodium as regular tomato soups, but they cost more... Inside Consumer Reports Test Labs: Review of Easun NaturCut Classic, Fiskars Momentum 317736, and Scotts 2000-20 reel mowers Inside Consumer Reports Test Labs: Review of Easun NaturCut Classic, Fiskars Momentum 317736, and Scotts 2000-20 reel mowers The latest reel mowers we've tested. Reel mowers appeal for a number of reasons, including the financial savings (no gas to buy), maintenance-free use (beyond the occasional need to sharpen blades), and cardiovascular exercise they provide, not to mention the emissions they don't produce.But when push comes to shove, so to speak, a reel mower might not be the best choice for everyone. During our recent testing of gas and electric walk-behind and riding lawn mowers in Fort Myers, Florida, we reviewed the Scotts 2000-20 ($140), Fiskars Momentum 317736 ($200), and Easun NaturCut Classic ($220) reel mowers (left to right in photo)... Oscar outrage: Some viewers faced dark screens due to ABC-Cablevision tiff Oscar outrage: Some viewers faced dark screens due to ABC-Cablevision tiff Enough is enough with making viewers pay the price when contract negotiations between networks and TV providers hit a tough patch. So say our advocacy colleagues at Consumers Union (CU) , the parent company for Consumer Reports , after many New York City-area Cablevision subscribers lost the ABC network for much of Sunday, including part of the Academy Awards broadcast. Shut off at midnight by ABC, service was restored some 14 minutes into the broadcast, after the companies announced they’d made progress in resolving their dispute over payments from the cable carrier to the network for carrying ABC. As the broadcast approached, the FCC was reportedly in touch with the companies , and issued a statement Sunday saying that “consumers should not suffer due to the inability of these two companies to successfully negotiate a deal... Safe by definition: Smart throttle technology Safe by definition: Smart throttle technology What it is: Smart throttle technology is a safety feature that's built into some vehicles. It's designed to stop a car when both the gas pedal and the brake pedal are activated. It’s main purpose is to allow drivers to stop vehicles in which the accelerator has become stuck open for some reason. Smart throttle technology is already built into many European cars and trucks, as well as some Japanese and U.S. vehicle brands.   Why it's news: In the wake of growing concerns about sudden acceleration problems in Toyotas, both Congress and the Obama Administration are mulling new requirements that all new cars be equipped with smart throttle technology. Toyota has argued that sudden acceleration problems in its vehicles were caused by floor mats or sticking accelerator pedals, but they have pledged to include the brake override technology (their term for "smart throttle") in all of its future cars... Kwikset and Schlage locked in battle over rekeyable door locks Kwikset and Schlage locked in battle over rekeyable door locks Kwikset is suing Schlage for patent infringement. An open-and-shut case? Kwikset Corporation is taking Schlage Lock Company, LLC to court, having filed suit in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. Along with patent infringement, Kwikset, which makes the Kwikset SmartKey, contends that Schlage is making false and misleading advertising claims by calling its SecureKey "10 times more secure" than other lock products. Schlage has filed a response denying any wrongdoing. "Kwikset will be as vigilant about protecting our rights to intellectual property as we are about protecting the public," said Brent Flaharty, vice president of marketing for Kwikset, in a March 2 press release ... From the logbook: Honda Crosstour From the logbook: Honda Crosstour When is a wagon not a wagon? When it's a crossover. Or, in Honda's case, a Crosstour. There seems to be many ways for manufacturers to slice and dice the SUV-like market. Truck-based models have gone the way of VCRs, with the vast majority of family hauler sales going to car-based vehicles. The Accord-based Crosstour is clearly taking this approach even further. But without an available third-row seat, the Crosstour is unlikely to steal many sales from crossover competitors and the company's own Pilot SUV.   For $34,730, our all-wheel drive EX-L is fairly loaded, but as we noted in our "Just In" blog , we're disappointed that this much money doesn't get you a much needed backup camera... The salt you can't control The salt you can't control I like salty foods. It’s easier for me to bypass chocolate than potato chips. But I do look for lower-sodium chicken broth, tomato juice, and soy sauce because even I find standard ones too salty. Interestingly, a vast majority of our sodium comes from packaged foods and restaurants, not home cooking. Thomas Farley, M.D., New York City’s health commissioner, recently visited Consumers Union while publicizing the National Salt Reduction Initiative , a coalition of public-health organizations and city and state health departments. Its goal is to work with manufacturers and restaurants to reduce the amount of sodium in the food they make and serve by 25 percent over the next few years. A similar effort already under way in the United Kingdom has cut sodium content there by 40 percent in some products...