Rhapsody is a online music service, similar to that of Pandora that provides user with streamed music, the entire 9.5 millions of them.

The mobile application went live on Android Market this morning and can be downloaded for free. While the application is free to download, there will be a montly subscription fee of $9.95 following the free 14-day trial.

Image: Android Guys

If you are interested, check out the application and after 2 weeks, decide if you would like to keep it.

Source: Rhapsody Blog via Android Guys

Omniano band while not the perfect piece of Windows Mobile instrument like the Ocarina for iPhone, is by itself a fairly high quality application. HyongaSoft have developed a trio of individual instruments mimicking the precedent on the Samsung Omnia. Namely the Piano Concert, Flute Concert and the Motion Drum, these 3 applications are compatible with Windows Mobile 5.0 and up, supports multiple screen resolution and musically supports 3 octaves.

The products of HyongaSoft is not currently available. It is likely that the product may be entered for the Race to the Marketplace challenge that commence the launch of the store. Check out some of the feature that are associated with the applications as well as the video introductions below:

Features on the Flute Concert

• Compatible with Windows mobile 5.0 or higher
• Supports 3 octaves
• Octave controlled by tilting head of your smartphone.(using accelerometer)
• User friendly piano style key
• VIBRATE feedback when octave changes
• Blow your device’s microphone to play flute
• Fast response and Realistic flute sound.
• Changeable volume.
• High quality user interface
• Auto-blow mode
• 4-Type skin mode
• You can change octave by finger gesture in octave-circle (for none accelerometer devices)
• Support multi-track record and play!
• Support file save and load!

Video Introduction of the Flute Concert

www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEaTtfXt5xo

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JpoM-ESjqw

(Source: HyongaSoft via WMPoweruser)

	Touch The Music
	Version 0.3
	Cost: Free
	Arlanthir and Jakob Dam (Developer Info)
	Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

If you are wondering why Windows Mobile doesn’t yet have a game application similar to Tap Tap Revenge or Guitar Hero, it is now available. Even though its not quite complete yet, its playable and can certainly be entertaining. Touch The Music with its functional buttons, currently have just one song and no options.

This is still a huge improvement from before where the clicks doesn’t quite respond or coordinate well with the music. It is also good to know that the graphic designer is Jackob Dam who have himself developed a couple of Flash Lite games namely Soccer Touch and Touch Break.

Get Started with Touch The Music

Regardless of critics, this is a game moving towards the right direction. If you have the storage to spare, give it a try!

Screenshots

Download

Note: Other resolution available on developer’s page.

	Omniano The Band
	Version 1.0.0.1
	Cost: Free
	Hyonga (Developer Info)
	Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Omniano has been one of the sorted after application with its installed capability to play multiple instruments such as the piano, flute and drum. In this update, you can finally get a complete experience when trying out these 3 instruments. The piano is now available in 2 rows, the flute can be played easily when air is blown into the mic and the drum is even available in multiple genres.

The file is huge, standing at 30+ MB, so consequently, the installation took longer. But once installed, there isn’t too much lag when the application is loaded. You can switch between in matter of seconds.

Screenshots

[View with PicLens]

Video Guide

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uxk7FYEuUmc

Download

(The above .cab file is for QVGA)

Download: WVGA | VGA | WQVGA

(Source: PocketNow.com)

	Caxixi by Samsung
	Version 0.9.7 (Beta)
	Cost: Free
	Samsung (Developer Info)
	Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Caxixi (pronounced ca-shi-shi) is an application written for Samsung Windows Mobile phones such as the Omnia. It plays the sounds of a variety of percussion instruments. The sounds are triggered by shaking the phone using a variety of gestures.

Named after an African percussion instrument , the Samsung Caxixi is the latest application developed by the smartphone manufacturer for the Samsung Omnia. You can choose from 25 different types of percussion instruments and have them each assigned to a different direction (Up, Down, Left, Right and Center). On top of that, you can record your own jamming session and share it with your friends!

The Caxixi is free to download and it seems a fun application to own. It does seems like an effort to promote the Samsung Mobile Application Store and the Samsung Mobile Innovator. Check out the screenshots and video below to see it at work!

Installation

Design

The blue-colored theme is very Samsung. The buttons are seemingly well crafted for the screen resolution of Samsung Omnia (400x240).

Usability

To add an instrument, click the second button on the bottom that looks like an arrow. You can then click on either of the directions to set them to one of the 25 instruments. Give is a try by clicking on them to preview before confirming the setting.

The cool feature of this application is the recording. Imagine a group of Omnia users getting together to jam? The recording will be able to create an orchestra formed by percussion instruments. Samsung calls that group of people the drum circle.

And finally, the settings menu lets you modify the sensitivity amongst other options. This almost feels like an application for the professional drum circle.

Features

• Choose from a range of 25 instruments to play
• Able to assign 5 different instruments to 5 directions, allowing you to create music even when you’re alone
• The ability to record and produce your own jamming session.

Pros

• The slick design sets itself apart from other applications
• The smooth UI does not deter users from using the applications
• Wide range of options to choose from

Cons

You do need to be somewhat precise when playing the instructment at the chosen direction. Practice makes perfect, give it a try today and become the master of Caxixi!

Should I get it?

Screenshots

Video

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlczBzCAQuQ

Samsung:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBbr8qjN5p8

Poll: How did you liked the Caxixi?

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

Download

You don’t really associate hip-hop music with Windows Mobile. Bill Gates himself have tried it, and it just didn’t felt like a good mix. Nonetheless, Naughty by Nature seem to have found the sweet spot and have utilized Windows Mobile as part of their smart business.

In the back of our mind, we know businesses have to move to a new level with all these mobile technology that had sprang up. Yet, seeing it in action is another thing. Mobility has largely seem to be of interest only to tech-related companies, but with better UI, fluid sync and easier accessibility, it is time for adaptation. Check out the video below to learn more.

Video: The Art of Smart Overhead

www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlVFnm3lGcg

	Microfi Nitrogen
	Version 1.00
	Cost: Freeware (Donate)
	Filipe (Developer Info)
	Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

Media player has evolved to become an expected feature on a PocketPC, allowing users to enjoy their chosen tunes on the go. And when it comes to media players, people are better associated with either the default Windows Mobile media player or the more popular Slide 2 Play (S2P). Nitrogen, a new emerging touchscreen player may now be added to the mix.

Installation

Just like any good 3rd-party applications, Nitrogen is easy to install and can be setup to go fairly quickly. From beginning to end shouldn’t take you more than a couple of minutes. And installation on Storage will work fine as well.

Design

The application is intended for touchscreen PocketPCs, which meant Samsung Omnia and Epix for us here at CareAce.net. On the Samsung Omnia, while the screen fits perfectly, we do have a bone to pick with the size of fonts on the menu which is rather tiny for the 3.2 inches display. In the case of Samsung Epix, we are seeing a misfit screen that is not squeezed together but is either undersized or oversized from the default 320×320 resolution (see screenshot 1 and screenshot 2).

However, while those sizes are the defaults, you may create skins with customized screen-size. For example, in order to create a skin that’s fitting for the Samsung Epix, make sure it occupies fully the 320×320 screen resolution. This brings us to the topic of skins, yes, you may download skins from the developer’s XDA-developer thread or create your own!

Those sizing issue aside, we do appreciate the customized menus that the developer has created, despite the fact that some of them are based on open-source libraries, efforts are made nonetheless.

Usability and Features

Nitrogen is an open-source application all around, utilizing as many resources as one might find and come up a fairly smooth looking application. From this alone, we know that the application is probably functional.  And after exploring the application a little further, I have to say I’m quite impressed. Yes, there are flaws, but the developer is not a full-time dude who is working in a company that get paid for this stuff. Okay, back to evaluation.

Regardless of other fancy icons or features, the core of the application is the player. The player is nicely decorated with finger-friendly controls including the expected Play, Back and Forward buttons. The controls that are a little north of expectation is the shuffle and repeat button, volumer changer and the progress bar. This makes listening to music on the go much easier, without having to stop and look.

To add songs to the playlist, simply press the List icon and choose a song (MP3/OGG formats). There are some other extended options once you have added the song to a playlist. To checkout the playlist, simply choose Playlist. You can switch between the Browser and the Playlist to edit the playlist.

Aside from the other expected functions such as equalizer, or even skin selector, we have something else that’s north of expectation, at least for me. Both the Sleep Mode and the Blank Screen are a pair of setting that I’m sure a certain group of people will come to appreciate.

The Blank Screen simply turns off your display, but the cool part is with a single click on the optical mouse button, the song will play. This is a good feature if you just want to lie down and enjoy the music without the lighting.

The Sleep Mode is just like the settings on some TV, you can adjust to have the application shut off by itself within a set amount of time (range is between 1 minute and 120 minutes). Another bonus feature for users who may want to play lullaby without worrying about leaving the player on all night.

Pros

• Finger-friendly controls
• Customized menu
• Ability to implement or create skins to fit device-specific needs
• Blank Screen that leaves only the song on without any lighting distraction
• Sleep Mode gives you control of when to turn the application off.

Cons

• The sizings of the menus as well as the fonts, hopefully there can be a way to dynamically adjust according to device specs.

Should I get it?

Despite flaws in design, the Nitrogen media player is a fairly easy to use application that should add feel-good value to users. You should certainly consider getting this if you’ve a load of music on your device.

Do give it a try and let us know how you like it! (:

Screenshots

Nitrogen on Epix

Video

[Coming Soon!]

Use Microsoft Tag for Mobile Download (?)

	Slide2Play (S2P)
	Version 0.58
	Cost: Free
	A_C: S2 Applications (Developer Info)
	Note: There is a rating embedded within this post, please visit this post to rate it.

I’m all for utilizing the multiple functions on your Windows Mobile device, in fact that’s what the platform is all about, the ability to multi-task. And when it comes to media player, nothing frustrates more than a difficult to access interface. Inconvenience turn people away from carrying out actions, such as listening to their collection of music.

Simply install the application (on your Storage is ok) and load it up. The application will point to My DocumentsMy Music, so be sure to place your music there. And once you have your music in, you are ready to go. Now you can accompany your smooth music with your smooth UI. How smooth.

If you have S2U2 (Slide to Unlock 2), this will compliment it and integrates well into the application.

Have some music that you enjoy? Make it a pleasant experience with Slide 2 Play!

Resources

• Read Me [here]
• FAQ [here]
• XDA Forum Discussion [here]

Screenshots

Video

www.youtube.com/watch?v=csiB1VDS86k

Source: Techie Lobang Youtube

Microsoft Tag for Mobile Download (?)

To lock your keypad while music is playing on your BlackJack II, press and hold the End Call button (the red one on the right).  Hold it down for approximately 3 seconds.

You can tell if you’ve enabled the lock when you see the Home screen.  You’ll see the left soft key changes to Unlock.  To unlock your BlackJack, tap the power button.  Then press the left soft key (directly underneath the Unlock option), and then press the * key.

If your music stops playing when you lock the keypad, then you need to change a setting in Windows Media Player.  Open Windows Media Player, go to the Menu and select Options.  Click on Playback.  Uncheck the box next to “Pause playback while using another program.”  Push the left soft key underneath “Done” to save your settings.

Now your music should play unhindered when you switch programs or lock the keypad.