Category: music


Top Five Walkman Phones

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September 28, 2010

W 205 sony ericsson music phone

W205

W205 has all the basics. It is a good music phone with a basic camera, FM radio and trackID. The quality of the Walkman player turns this simple phone into a great music device, and as a bonus, trackID will help you identify music you hear in your surroundings, but can’t quite figure out what it is.

W980 sony ericsson music phone

W980

This is a phone for music. It has all the great music features of a Walkman phone, and on top of that, W980 supports 3D games, video streaming, Bluetooth stereo and instant messaging.

Sony Ericsson Spiro music phone

Spiro

Newly released in 2010, Spiro takes the brilliance of a basic music phone to a whole new level. It has Bluetooth stereo and a 2 megapixel camera, as well as Twitter and Facebook applications to keep up with your social life.

Sony ericsson zylo

Zylo

The big sister of Spiro, Zylo is a dedicated music phone. It has all the best features a Walkman phone possibly can have, including Bluetooth stereo and automatic playlist creation. Besides its music functions, the phone also has great web features that include Google search, YouTube, Twitter and Facebook applications.

W995 sony ericsson music phone

W995

W995 is the ultimate full service phone with Walkman player. It comes with a 8 megapixel camera, stereo speakers, Bluetooth stereo, full media features including WiFi and a 3.5mm audio jack. This is a phone that has it all.

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Music Phone or MP3 Player?

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September 27, 2010

music phonesThe MP3 format is widely used in many kinds of devices and gadgets; however, it makes us instantly think of portability. Two of the most popular portable gadgets that support MP3 formats are the music phone and the MP3 player. While both of these devices can generally play MP3 files, support earphones, and each have their own budget models that are reasonably priced, you need to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the music phone and MP3 player before finalizing your purchase.

When MP3 players are better

When you compare an MP3 player against a music phone with the same price, the MP3 player wins in audio quality because much of the value is focused music only. Just about all MP3 players have an audio jack where you can plug not only different kinds of earphones and headphones but many speaker systems as well. Also, more MP3 players are capable of docking to larger sound systems turning the MP3 player into a jukebox.

Another feature that makes MP3 players win is the storage space. There are devices that are notably smaller than the average music phone, and have a good 2 to 8 GB space to store music. These portables are fairly affordable as well.

There are also MP3 players that are large enough to fit small hard drives boosting their storage capacities to hundreds of gigabytes making them most ideal for people with large music collections or several high-quality albums.

When Music Phones are Better

A music phone usually has the same core features as any standard phone which means the ability to call other people and send messages to other phones. These simple features make the music phones a better all-around device. The usability of the music phone varies depending on the manufacturer and some manufacturers like Sony Ericsson and Apple blend in the music interface very well with the rest of the phone interface. The good music phones have dedicated buttons for quick access to the music player features. Some of the higher-end music phones are capable of multitasking allowing music to play in the background while the user can do other things like texting.

Music phones are also richer in the extra features as well. A modern music phone normally has a camera that can take pictures and record video along with some other basics like alarm clock setting, reminders, calendars, and note takers. Many devices also support third-party applications to expand the music phone’s usefulness. Some of the more expensive devices may support Wi-Fi and GPS as well. Some MP3 players may match these extra features but they may cost a bit more.

Choosing Between the Two

Your choice really depends on how many devices you want in your pocket when you travel, how much storage space you need, and how important audio quality is to you. If you want that all-in-one device that can carry a few albums, your best bet is a music phone. Only get an MP3 player if you need to carry more albums and want a more comfortable listening experience.

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Great Mobile Apps to Identify Songs

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September 17, 2010

How many times have you sat in a pub and heard them play a song you love but can’t quite figure out what it was called again? Or while you’re out shopping, how many times have you heard a new song play that makes you hum along, and now you’d want to identify the song to find it on Spotify and play it on repeat at home.

The maddening moments can easily be saved by a couple of great little pieces of software. These mobile solutions to your musical curiosity will find a song and identify it on the spot, and leave you wondering no more. If you don’t own one of the following lifesavers already, go and get one!

1. Sony TrackID

Sony Ericsson TrackIDSony TrackID is a brilliant default feature of Sony Ericsson music phones. It is a service that will find you the name and artist of a track that is playing in your surroundings. This is great thinking from the part of Sony Ericsson, a very admirable step in the way of truly incorporating music players into mobile phones. Sadly however, this feature is only available on Sony Ericsson music phones.

Cost: The cost of the service is equal to the fee your operator sets for transferring the data to your mobile phone.

Available for: A variety of Sony Ericsson music phones. Check out the new Sony Ericsson Spiro for a cheap option.

2. Shazam

song finderFor the rest of us, there is Shazam – an app that has been massively successful, and rightly so. Originally, Shazam launched in the UK as an SMS service. The app is easy to use: just open it, hold you phone up in the air and let it soak up the music that’s playing. In no time, it will identify the name of the artist and the song, and the info will appear on the screen of your mobile phone. The new version now includes even a 30 second preview so you can check it’s the right one.

A rumour has it that the famous Shazam has now been outperformed by its lesser known competition, but Shazam has set to conquer the world with (SHAZAM)RED for iPhone. The ( )RED label represents the ultimate cool and good cause all in one, and brings unparalleled recognition.

Cost: Shazam is free to download, but there is a limit of five tags per month imposed on free users. If you’ll use it more, opt for Shazam Encore or (Shazam)RED to have unlimited access. It is priced at £2.99.

Available for: iPhone, iPad, Nokia, BlackBerry, Android, Windows

3. SoundHound

find a song

Lesser know than Shazam, SoundHound is said to be faster and more accurate than its more popular counterpart. And, it is simply offering more. SoundHound does all the tricks Shazam does, and adds a few extra, just because, well, why not!

On top of performing brilliantly on its core functions of identifying the song that plays in the bar, it will also recognize your humming and tell you what the song is that’s stuck in your head. The software also produces a “what’s hot” listing from the most popular searches people perform, a great tool for finding new songs.

SoundHound will also provide you with song lyrics, artist biographies and discographies with every song it identifies. Whether these extra features actually bring any additional value is debatable, but well done for them.

Cost: The app costs £2.99 on iTunes for unlimited access. Free version works similar to Shazam, allowing for 5 tags a month.

Available for: iPhone, iPad, Android, Nokia

4. MusicID

song finder

Highly successful in the US, MusicID just landed in the UK and some other parts of the world in spring 2010. Like Shazam, it works with users holding up their iPhone to identify music playing in the surroundings. Once the track is identified, users can click through and buy it at Apple’s iTunes Store.

A unique feature of MusicID is that it will also let you type in lyrics to find the song you’re looking for. But then again, we all have Google for that.

Cost: MusicID is a much smaller financial burden at only £0.59, and said to be a great little piece of software!

Available for: iPhone, iPod

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Buying Guide for Music phones

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September 14, 2010

Sony Ericsson Spiro music phoneMobile phones started very simple only having the primary functions of making phone calls to other mobile phones and connected phones. They later evolved into devices that can send short messages to other compatible phones. When phones got the colored treatment on their screens the features expanded vastly with many phones nowadays equipped with cameras, Internet capabilities, and built-in audio players. Now, there are even several phones out on the market coming from major manufacturers including Nokia, Apple, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, LG, and others, specifically made for music enthusiasts. When shopping for a music phone, people have different preferences, but if you are having trouble choosing, consider these different aspects of the music phones you are considering.

Phone Features

People like to get a music phone mainly because of the convenience of carrying only a single portable device while being capable of making phone calls and playing their favorite tracks. But one of the most important things to consider is how good these phone features are and if they are good enough to replace a general feature phone or even a smartphone. Start from the basics such as how the phone manages the contacts and how good the camera is. Look at the other specifications and see if they meet your needs. If you find a music phone that has features that you may not use, consider another option as the phone may be cheaper.

Storage Capacity

One of the biggest advantages that ordinary music players have over music phones is their storage capacity. If you plan on putting thousands of tracks with average quality, consider a phone that can store 4 GB or more. If the internal memory is not much, see if the phone supports removable media and find out the maximum media size the device can support so you can make the most out of the music phone.

Connectivity Options

Some of the cheaper music phones use a proprietary port for connecting earphones. This is only good for people that do not mind the mediocre quality of the earphones that the music phone comes with. If the earphones are not comfortable, consider getting the best music phone that has a 2.5mm or 3.5mm jacks so you can use your favorite headphones. Some other phones support Bluetooth A2DP which allows wireless headsets to be used but these headsets are quite pricey.

Music Player Interface and Controls

The music player interface usually adapts to the rest of the phone interface. Before buying a music phone, try the phone yourself or look for video demos online to see how well the phone manages your music and how easy it is to do certain tasks on the phone such as playing, pausing, and adjusting the volume controls.

Sound Quality

Achieving decent quality is not just about the earphones but about the way the device delivers the sound to the ears. It may take some time to try out the different phones so it would be better to research online for a particular review so you can see how the reviewer evaluates the audio quality and how well it compares with the competition.

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Top Ten | Top 10 | Ringtones of All Time

Filed Under: just for fun, mobile phones, music, nokia by admin — Leave a comment
April 30, 2009

The ubiquitous ringtone – another one of those omnipresent features of modern life. And how far you’ve come, young ringtone. What started out as a collection of monophonic squeaks and squeals became a multi-billion dollar industry, almost overnight.  Believe it or not mobile phone ringtones have been around for over a decade now, with the first commercial ringtone services said to have emerged with the Nokia mobile phones of early 1997.  Gradually, they have become an established part of modern life with some of them becoming headline news over the years.

So as we look back over the history of ringtones, a few stand out as the “big hits” or “classics”. Though there are very few established lists of the top-selling ringtones of all time, we’ve tried to put together a list of the 10 most ‘influential’ (ie. Everywhere!) – of all time.

10. Crazy Frog

It was always going to be on here somewhere, so let’s get it out of the way first. The “Crazy Frog” ringtone was based on an animation called “The Annoying Thing” by Erik Wernquist, and made famous by the mobile content company Jamba who heavily promoted “The Crazy Frog” on TV and the internet. The ringtone spawned a chart hit based on a remix of “Alex F” which went to No.1 in the UK, Japan, Australia and a number of European countries.

9. Ridin’

Ridin’, Chamillioniare’s hit single of 2006 rocked the ringtone world. It sold the most ringtones ever to that point topping out at over 2.3 million sold, which actually eclipsed the amount of singles sold from the same single. “Ridin’” was awarded “Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group” at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. It was also nominated for Best Rap Song. Number 91 on VH1′s 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.

8. Sir Mix-a-lot

In 1992, Sir Mix-a-Lot, a rapper had a huge hit with “Baby Got Back” which was re-recorded as a ringtone with the lyrics “Pick up the phone! Pick up the phone! ‘Cause you don’t wanna miss this call and I cannot lie!.” This was one of the first “ringtone remixes” of popular songs to achieve success after being marketed by Jamba, the same company that produced the Crazy Frog ringtone.

7. iPhone ringtone

When Steve Jobs announced the launch of the iPhone in early 2007, his demonstration included a ringtone, which was quickly made available as a recording by a number of websites. The ringtone has been described as like “holy angels tinkling” and was eventually included within the standard ringtone set on the iPhone.

6.  Eminem – Lose Yourself

Eminem’s Oscar winning song from the soundtrack of 8 Mile. As millions knew instinctually, the instrumental at the beginning made for the ideal ringtone buildup before the epic head-nodding audio explosion began. When this played you didn’t want to answer the phone. That was my excuse, anyway.

5. Classic telephone ring

With the rise of personalised tones a lot of people have decided to avoid them in favour of the classic “bell ringing” sound of a normal telephone. A number of surveys over the years have shown this to be one of the most popular tones.

4.  CTU Ringtone

The popular TV show “24” features a highly recognisable ringtone on the phones in the CTU office complex. The same sound is now being marketed as a ringtone for mobile phones and is rapidly becoming a big hit.

3.  Super Mario Brothers Theme

Created by Koji Kondo, the Japanese composer and musician best known for his scores for various video games produced by Nintendo. This is the number one selling ringtone ever in Japan, and set the benchmark that all annoying video game based ringtones aspire to.

2.  Mr T. (Pick Up Yo’ Phone, Fooo)

Many things in life defy explanation. This is one of them. Do yourself a favor and find it. Truly, hours of fun.

1.  Nokia Tune

The Nokia Tune, based on a 13 note rendering of “Gran Vals” by Francisco Tarrega, a 19th-century Spanish musician, is typically included within all Nokia handsets as the default ringtone and has therefore become famous or infamous due to its popularity. It is the typical ringtone of the middle-aged business man who hasn’t got the time or inclination to work out how to change it.

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Affordable, Legal Music Downloads for the New Year

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January 7, 2009

So many of us want to support our favourite bands – but so many of us also can’t justify the prices. It’s hard to buy a track for 79 p from iTunes when you know there’s sites that can give them to you for free.

But, as a New Years resolution, I’ve decided that I don’t want to steal anymore….. or as much. :) So I went on a hunt for the cheapest music to purchase in the UK.

Starting with iTunes, albums are currently on sale for under £5, with weekly albums featuring at only £3.95. The Ting Tings – We Started Nothing is this week’s feature album. Pretty good deal. Regular albums are still going for £7 and tracks for 79p.

The Nokia Music Store shows no signs of New Year deals, with albums at their regular price of £8 and tracks for 80p. However, anyone who’s invested in a Comes with Music plan  must be laughing right now with thier unlimited music collection.. I am well and truly jealous – LEGAL AND FREE music!? I haven’t heard of anyone’s thoughts on this as of yet, so if you are a member, please acknowledge my curiousity with a comment.

An impressive and unique bargain can also currently be found on Tesco Digital, with their launch of HitPac5 – Each Hit Pac product contains 5 songs from an artist of your choice - perfect for picking up an instant package of tracks, or you can pick individual tracks from each collection for only 60p per track. I like the idea of this, as my music collection was lost about a year ago and the idea of buying a whole album is never one I choose willingly. Who really likes more than 5-6 tracks on an album anyway?

Katy Perry, Take That, The Killers, Britney Spears, Sigur Ros - These are just a few of the £3 digital albums that can be purchased at the Amazon mp3 Store.. so that only leaves me with one decision today – A sandwich for lunch… or a cd?

So there you have it, the best bargains online for UK legal-music downloads. Hope it was helpful!

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