One the more fun gadgets I've tested lately is Gear4's PocketLoops. With the portable keyboard and free companion app, users can create and remix loops. Gear4 is known for its variety of idevice accessories including cases, speakers and its UnityRemote universal remote.  

Once you slip an iPhone or iPad touch into the dock of the keyboard and launch the free PocketLoops app you have a MIDI device capable of creating and recording music.

Exploring PocketLoops is fairly intuitive. An onscreen tutorial does a good job of guiding you through the features. The PocketLoops app has a 4x4 grid available for creating drum loops or melodies.

The keyboard keys that trigger percussion are marked with corresponding icons.

When you are ready to lay down a track, you can record it as an m4a file and share it via email.

The updated software worked flawlessly with iOS 5 and iOS 4 devices.

PocketLoops should be a fun device for anyone. Serious musicians will want more, but may find it useful. Maybe Gear4 can expand upmarket? For the rest of us though, it is a fun gadget to create music and we're looking at how to bring the fun to you maybe in the form of a meetup or a PocketLoops throwdown so stay tuned.

Apple mobile users may get the next iOS update earlier than expected. Apple said to expect the free iOS 4.3 update to arrive on March 11, but many in the tech sphere think it could come as early as today.

Whenever it arrives, iOS 4.3 brings improvements and a few new features to the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.

Browsing speeds will be significantly improved thanks to Nitro JavaScript engine for Safari which is generally regarded to already be the fastest among mobile browsers.

Also, AirPlay media streaming features will be expanded to allow streaming from Safari and from other third party apps to an Apple TV.

iPhone users will also get Personal Hotspot functionality which allows devices to access the internet using their iPhone's 3G connection. This does require additional carrier charges, but it can be actvated on the spot.

For iPad users, the update will enable the side switch to be set either as screen-orientation lock or a mute button.

If you are an iPod touch user who refused to pay for Apple's 3.0 update, your patience has paid off.