SynchStep is public!

A little while ago, we pointed you to SynchStep, which back then was still in private beta. As of yesterday, SynchStep is public.

From the press release:

"SynchStep is a fun and easy experimental way to plays songs from your music library that match your pace. That means when you're out struttin your stuff down "My Favorite Street", every step you take lands in-time with a drum hit, a bass slap, a piano chord. It's kind of like being in your own music video, where your your music becomes the soundtrack to your life. Ya, it's just like a your own music video, except you don't have to pay 3 hundo to some smug director and let his smarmy crew use your bathroom."

To support this special project, tagtraum industries has created a nifty little plugin for beaTunes, which automatically writes the BPM information into the comment field, so that it can be easily read by the SynchStep application on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You can get a special version of beaTunes from the SynchStep site that has the plugin already installed.

For those of you interested in how to write a plugin for beaTunes, check out the source code and email us any question you might have.

Let the music follow You

As you all know, beaTunes has the ability to measure the tempo of your music. Many runners use it to create playlists with a certain BPM and then exercise to that tempo. But what if you did it the other way around? What if you were already walking or running and wanted to listen to music that matches your speed? Well, there is a new software for iPhone and iPod Touch called SynchStep that does just that.

Developer Greg Elliott has been tinkering with the concept of a personal soundtrack for a while. Early incarnations of the idea were custom built devices - the new iPhone approach does not need any additional hardware. It's all about the user:

"This device is not concerned with an optimal workout or improving the health of america. It is intended to de-optimize us, and do away with the notion of an 'optimal' walk or run. There is no program to follow, or pre-determined track; you begin walking and the computer follows you, adapting to you and your walking style without protest. It supports meandering, wasting time, and loitering."

The software is currently in private beta.