Proving that the iPhone 4 is trying to be a Swiss Army Knife is indicated by so many third party companies  making gadgets and add-ons – and of course the ubiquitous app – to turn it into all sorts of things.

The latest to cross the moat into Auscam’s castle – well Shed and the moat is a muddy driveway – is the Fostex AR-4i Audio Interface allowing apps on the iPhone to use its audio input rather than from the iPhone’s mic.

Looking like a cross between a battery charger and a music cradle, the “interface’ is a unit that allows an iPhone 4 to slide in and connect to an iPhone interface connector.  All of the documentation (which is sparse) and any other references I could find only mentioned iPhone 4. My iTouch didn’t work, so I assume earlier iPhones may not work either.

On either side of the interface are ports for input devices (3 x microphone), DC power  (which is actually USB) and headphones. Two separate rotary thumbwheels control headphone volume and input levels, with the input levels also being displayed via a series of red and green LEDs. Main power is supplied by a pair of “AAA” batteries.

A hand grip is supplied that can let the unit be used vertically or horizontally. A standard cold shoe is bolted on the side. A pair of un-branded microphones is supplied with right angle connectors to attach them to the AR-4i, or of course you can use your own.

The AR-4i is $199

Major Music Wholesale: 1300 306 670 or www.majormusic.com.au

By David Hague

David is the owner and publisher of AusCam Online. He has a background in media dating back to 1979 when he first got involved with photojournalism in motorsport, and went from there into technology via a 5 year stint with Tandy Computers. Following that, he ran a software distribution company on the Gold Coast and was one of the first to recognise the potential of Microsoft Windows.

Moving back to WA, David wrote scripts for Computer Television for video training for the just released Windows and Office 95 among others, and was then lured to Sydney to create web sites for the newly commercial Internet in 1995, building hundreds of sites under contract to OzEmail including Coates Hire, Hertz Queensland, John Williamson, the NSW Board of Studies and many, many more.

He went back into full time journalism as the Managing Editor for Channel 7's 'Gadget Guy', Peter Blasina's publications VideoCamera and Pixelmag, before starting Australasian Camcorder magazine when these publications were shelved. He lives at Sydney's Avalon Beaches nearly on the ocean front with dog Budweiser and in his spare time is a nut for motor sport, road safety, fishing, science fiction - especially Dr Who - and technology.

David can be contacted via david@auscamonline.com