You're going to need to practice on a lot more than Rock Band or Guitar Hero to fully make use of this rig, but Mac users looking to go a step beyond basic GarageBand recording may want to consider Apogee's new GiO guitar interface and controller, which is fully compatible with GarageBand 09, as well as Logic Studio 9 and MainStage 2. Designed to more or less give you full hands-free recording, the device packs five Stompbox buttons that are dynamically color coded to match software effects, plus five Transport control buttons that are dynamically lit when engaged, not to mention all the ports you'd expect, including a 1/4" instrument input, a 1/4" MIDI Expression pedal input, a headphone jack, and that all-important USB port, which just so happens to also conveniently power the device. You're still going to have to make do with your current setup for a bit longer, however, as this one's only set to launch sometime in September for a fairly reasonable (as far as Apogee products go) $395.

Filed under: Misc. Gadgets, Peripherals

Apogee debuts GiO USB guitar interface and controller for Macs originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

With the season finale of The Bachelorette on tap for Monday, and the "After the Final Rose" special following one night later, two (maybe three) men remain.

Bachelorette spoilers, rumors and gossip abound as Jillian Harris prepares to make a decision and bring to an end what has been a tumultuous fifth season.

Let's review some of the theories posited (some from more reliable sources than others) as to what will happen in The Bachelorette season finale Monday:

• Jillian will pick Ed Swiderski. This is what many fans of the show, including past star DeAnna Pappas, see happening. Jillian Harris has had eyes for Ed since day one, and he looks like the odds-on favorite to win, right?
• Maybe, but there is the persistent rumor that Ed has a girlfriend. After all the talk about Wes Hayden (and Laurel Kagay) this season, Ed having a significant other that somehow derails his chances would be a big twist.
• Also a big twist - and one guaranteed to shake things up in some form? The return of Reid Rosenthal. All indications are that the vanquished third-place finisher will come back and ask for another shot. Will he get it?

Will Jillian Harris pick Ed Swiderski or Kiptyn Locke? Or neither?

• We have not heard any rumblings about Kiptyn Locke being chosen on the finale. Contrarily, we have heard plenty of rumors that he is being considered - or has even signed a deal - to be the next star of The Bachelor.
• Assuming Reid makes his play for Jillian, that could lead to this scenario: Jillian chooses Ed, but breaks up with him (possibly due to the girlfriend situation) for Reid on the "After the Final Rose" special, a la Jason Mesnick.
• Many fans think Reid Rosenthal will ultimately be Jillian Harris' choice, and it's just a matter of how the show times the big reveal. However, there are some who believe Jillian is not engaged and ends up with no one.

Now that would be a shocking ending - and a disappointing one for fans who have fallen in love with her and each of the Canadian cutie's remaining suitors.

Who will win The Bachelorette?

Professor Masatoshi Ishikawa at the University of Tokyo has developed two baseball-playing robots -- one that pitches, and one that hits. The three-fingered pitching bot throws a plastic foam ball at about twenty-five miles per hour, and lands ninety percent of its pitches in the strike zone, while the batting bot has a sensor which determines whether the pitches are balls or strikes, and hits balls in the strike zone with nearly one hundred percent accuracy. They are currently working on increasing the pitcher to about ninety-three miles an hour. The robots don't have any human stylings -- though, personally, we do detect a hint of Terminator.

Filed under: Robots

Japanese researchers develop baseball playing robots, Mark Buehrle reportedly unimpressed originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Megan Fox is a guy’s girl! The Transformers actress says that she is almost always friends with guys.

“I actually only had one female friend growing up,” said Fox, who was busy screening her new movie “Jennifer’s Body” at Comic-Con last night (July 23).

“Most of my friends were boys. I was such a tomboy. I always enjoyed doing guy things. So I really didn’t get along with the girls in that aspect,” she adds.

But Miss Fox does have some friends who are girls. “My one girlfriend lives in Florida and she works in a mall. She’s the furthest thing from an actress.”

The 23-year-old also finally cleaned up the rumors about turning down a role in the next James Bond film.

“The report about Megan Fox turning down a Bond movie is completely not true,” her rep said. “There have been no discussions nor any offers. Megan is a fan of the Bond movies.”

Finished up with her visit to the Middle East, Angelina Jolie and her 7-year-old son Maddox were spotted flying into Heathrow Airport in London on Friday (July 24).

The “Wanted” actress led her little guy through the international arrivals terminal, passing by eagerly awaiting paparazzi along the way.

As previously reported, Miss Jolie made the trip overseas to visit Amman, Jordan, where she was honored for her charity work by the Arab Children’s Congress.

During her travels, the “Mr and Mrs Smith” star also visited Baghdad to check in on the rebuilding progress in the war-torn area.