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Top Music Features of the HTC Thunderbolt

By Gareth Jale


The smart phone is one of the most anticipated Android devices ever, and it already has a great selection of accessories available for it. So if you want an case or a screen protector to protect your investment, you won't have much trouble finding the perfect one. But this article will be focused more on the applications that are available for the phone instead. They're really something else, and they make the device a perfect choice as a portable multimedia station. But what good is a portable multimedia station without the right music app? Let's look at the top five currently on the market.

Our top choice is the Pandora radio app. Just in case you've been living under the proverbial rock, Pandora is a free, ad-supported, Internet-based radio app that gives you 24/7 access to the music of your liking. The neatest thing about Pandora is the way it learns. First, you build a station by choosing a favorite song. Then, Pandora plays additional songs based on the likes of users who have similar tastes. If you like a song, give it a thumbs up; if not, give it a thumbs down. As you continue this process, Pandora learns, and thus creates a station that it tailors specifically to you.

Settling in at the two-spot is the Rhapsody for Android app. The only reason Rhapsody isn't number one is because it isn't free. To access it, there's a monthly subscription. But Rhapsody gives you a free 14-day fully featured trial subscription that lets you determine if the service is right for you before you ever spend a dime. So what does a Rhapsody subscription get you? It provides instant access to a massive MP3 database that is growing every day. You'll design your own playlists and even have access to radio stations like MTV Radio.

At number three, we selected Double Twist. In case you haven't heard, Double Twist (or sometimes doubleTwist) is the Android alternative to iTunes. But Double Twist is much more than an alternative; it actually improves on many of the shortcomings inherent in the iTunes model. Double Twist is a fully featured multimedia player that handles video just as well as it does music. And just like iTunes, it has a PC and a Mac desktop client that provides seamless synchronization between your computer and your smart phone. Another nice feature of the app is that it allows you to set the ringtone for your phone from any song in your library with a single click.

At the four and five spot, we have a tie between StreamFurious and BubbleBeats. BubbleBeats won't replace Double Twist, but it's a nice alternative when you want to have a little fun with your music selection. BubbleBeats is essentially an organic playlist designer that works surprisingly well even though it can be quite unpredictable. StreamFurious is a must-have tool that gives you fast and convenient access to Icecast and Shoutcast streams. It even has a nice discovery engine.




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