Magnetosphere: Turn on and (i)Tune(s) Out

The repetitive graphics of most iTunes visualizers are about as appealing as The Osmond Family doing an album of Public Enemy covers. But just in time for springtime party season, The Barbarian Group (usually a crackerjack Web design team; now, all of a sudden, software developers) has released Magnetosphere, a mesmerizing new open-source plugin you can customize to pulse and glimmer according to your own personal tripping-out style.

Compatible with Mac OSX and most versions of Windows (probably works with Linux, too, but we haven’t tried it yet), Magnetosphere takes about a minute to install and run. The graphics are superior to any of the myriad other visualizers available right now and you can even adjust the sensitivity of the on-screen splashes and sparks by hitting the + and – keys, or add and subtract the number of particles in each image with the A and S keys. Be careful, though: If you go crazy with the key punching, your computer will get a little angry and, Fred Sanford-style, call you a dummy by freezing the app. That’s why this is the beta version. While Barbarian works the kinks out, just restart iTunes and all is well.

Developer-types will appreciate that Magnetosphere was built in the open-source environment, Processing, and is licensed as freeware for non-commercial use (mushrooms not included). This is the first of five upcoming software releases from Barbarian, and I’m anxious to see what comes next. In the meantime, excuse me while I get back to staring at my computer screen. —Adam Dorn (Mocean Worker)

Comments

[palfrey]

freeware for non-commercial use

So, we can look at the code, provided we promise never to do anything commercial with it, or let anyone else do anything commercial with it ever.

Doesn't sound very open or free to me...

[adonis]

All that means is that you can't make money off of it. They aren't, so they also ask that (since they are giving you the code) that you respect their wishes. It's like a friend that makes his own hand tools and gives copies away to people he knows. Then he asks that whoever uses them doesn't try to sell anything like them, just use by yourself. Makes sense to me.

[Gil]

Anything similiar avialable for WMP?

[Mark]

No. The closest thing to this for Windows Media Player is probably G-Force. Other than that, I'd say you're on your on your own there. I wish there was, though.

[coach suitcase]

I found that we can reached the moon and came back,but we find it troublesome to cross our own street and meet our neighbors.

[Cheap Jerseys]

It is not enough to be industrious, so are the ants. What are you industrious for?