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Nokia's MixRadio to be spun off as its own music service
The restructuring plans from Microsoft caused a ripple effect throughout the company, with its recently acquired Nokia Devices and Services business being the most affected one. Now, as part of this, The Guardian reports that Nokia's MixRadio music-streaming app is expected to spin out and live as a standalone service. Essentially, this means MixRadio will no longer be limited to Microsoft's platform, though it's still going to come pre-loaded on Windows Phone handsets made by Nokia. Not that the world needs another streaming service for tunes, but the eventual spin-off would give the MixRadio app the chance its curation features to other platforms such as iOS and Android. At the moment, however, there are still things to work out: "I've been meeting with potential investors around the world in the last few weeks. We have very strong interest from investors in the US, Europe and Asia, and we remain open for further discussions," Nokia's Jyrki Rosenberg, VP of Entertainment, told the British publication.
Nokia rebrands Music service as Mix Radio, updates Windows Phone app to match
Nokia's Music service has been a secret weapon for Lumia owners -- they get ad-free radio streaming on their phones at no extra cost. The company is driving that advantage home today by rebranding the service as Mix Radio (reflecting the service's main feature) and launching an updated music app to match. The new Mix Radio client centers on Play Me, a personalized stream defined by a few favorite artists. There are also Pandora-style thumbs-up and thumbs-down votes to refine the selection, and it's now easy to share mixes through email, Facebook, text messages and Twitter. As before, avid listeners can spend $4 per month to get unlimited downloads, improved quality and web listening. Current Lumia users just need to update their existing Music app to take advantage of Nokia's smarter audio experience.
Microsoft and Nokia launch Music Mix Party, let friends share a streaming Xbox playlist (video)
We've seen a few attempts at shared audio streaming, but many of these depend on specialized apps or hardware. Microsoft and Nokia could clear that hurdle with their newly launched Nokia Music Mix Party, which leans on what many of us have at home. Xbox 360 owners with an Xbox Live Gold subscription just have to visit a website that starts an artist-based streaming playlist with a custom QR code; after that, anyone in the room with a mobile device can scan the code and vote on which songs should play next. The service is free to use during July, although we don't yet know if and how pricing will change afterward. Is Mix Party simple? You bet -- but it could keep guests happy at future shindigs, even if they don't care for our tastes in music.
Mobile Miscellany: week of May 27th, 2013
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week, a new addition to the LG L-Series surfaced in Russia, a Lumia 920 was sighted that'd make Oscar the Grouch flip, and TalkTalk added three new devices from Huawei to its roster. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore all that's happening in the mobile world for this week of May 27th, 2013.
Nokia launches Music with Mix Radio app on Asha, starting in Russia
While the Asha line lacks the glamor of Nokia's WP8 smartphones, it outsells its big-shot siblings by a wide margin. Now, owners of those handsets will be able to grab Nokia's Music with Mix Radio, an app that was previously available only on Windows and Windows Phone 8. Other WP8 hand-me-downs like Transit and Xpress Now have already hit the budget platform, showing it's far from being Nokia's neglected child. While missing some WP8 features, Asha Music users will get 2G/3G and WiFi streaming, 100 channels of curated content and offline storage of up to four mixes. You'll likely have to wait a few weeks to grab it though -- unless you're in the launch country of Russia.
Nokia Music app launched for Windows 8 and RT hardware (video)
You may know Nokia Music as the resident DJ on many WP8 handsets, and now the app's looking to play sets at some larger venues. It's popped up on the Windows Store for Windows 8 or RT hardware, and looks pretty similar to the WP8 version, albeit formatted for bigger screens. It doesn't just serve as a front-end for accessing your personal music library -- you'll also find artist info, genre-specific mixes for online streaming and offline listening, as well as the option to create mixes of your own. The software will push tunes to compatible smart TVs or DLNA-equipped kit, and you can plug in your Nokia Music+ subscription details or check out the free seven-day trial for some extra features: better quality songs, unlimited skips and offline mixes, as well as synced lyrics where available. Currently, the app is only available in Australia, the US, the UK and Ireland, but will be coming to everywhere Music+ has launched over the "coming weeks." Windows 8 or RT users can head to the source link for the download. If you need us, we'll be off memorizing Bieber lyrics.
Nokia Music for WP8 now keeps track of listening history, adds Live Tile feature
Human beings living their mobile life under Microsoft's OS have been enjoying the Nokia Music service for awhile now, but for the Windows Phone 8 folk in particular, the groovy app just got a little better. Earlier today, Nokia released an updated version of its jam-packed application, giving users, among other things, a Live Tile option that displays various info about the music currently being played -- you know, simple (but useful) stuff like artist and song names. What's more, Nokia Music now also boasts a history feature which takes virtual note of the most recently played tracks, as well as bringing improvements to the download section of the app's mix radio stations. If all that jazz sounds great to you, dear reader, then pay the source link below a quick visit, where you'll easily find a direct download of the goods.
Nokia Music+ now live for US Lumia owners
After launching the service across the pond just a few short days ago, Nokia's now ready to make Music+ available for the US -- confirming to us today its availability on Yankee soil. To recap, the paid subscription service ramps up the free app's offerings with higher quality audio, unlimited offline downloads and Mix Radio skips, multiple device use, as well as lyrics -- all for $4/mo. It's a significantly cheaper alternative to other freemium music streaming services currently available in the Windows Phone 8 ecosystem. So, if you've recently gone Lumia, you might want to check it out.
Nokia intros Music+ subscription service with unlimited downloads, web listening
Most of the bigger streaming music services have both a free tier for casual listeners and a paid level for truly committed music fans. Nokia doesn't want to be the exception to the rule. It's launching Nokia Music+, a paid version of its existing platform. Paying €4 per month ($4 in the US) gives perks that you'd normally expect from a more expensive alternative like Spotify or Slacker's premium tier: the upgrade ratchets up the audio quality, adds lyrics, allows unlimited skips in Mix Radio and enables as many downloads for offline play as the phone can hold. Aren't you suddenly glad that you picked up a 32GB Lumia 920? Not that you'll always need it to tune in -- Music+ adds web streaming for anything with a suitably capable browser. Nokia hasn't said just which countries beyond the US will get the more advanced service, but it should make a formal debut within the next few weeks.
Mobile Miscellany: week of December 17th, 2012
If you didn't get enough mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This week, we have a super-sized dose of news for Nokia and Windows Phone users, along with the latest rumblings on the mobile network front. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of December 17th, 2012.
Nokia Music gets upgraded for Lumia 920 and Lumia 820: Equalizer, Dolby support, Facebook connectivity
Now Windows Phone 8 has arrived with Xbox Music in tow, what's next for Nokia Music? Well, at a press briefing this week in London, it told the assembled tech press that its still going -- and Nokia's even adding features. The music service is apparently continuing to expand, with new tracks being added weekly -- Nokia's mix radio currently houses 338 curated mixes in the UK alone, across pretty broad selection of music genres. And yep, there was a mention of K-Pop. New functionality improvements include an immediate share-to-Facebook option, while the Gig Finder feature nestled within the music app picks up improved search skills, capable of checking specific venues and areas, along with the ability to buy tickets for -- and get directions to -- future gigs. The app's new audio equalizer has 18 presets while you'll also be able to tweak the seven-channel system to your own personal preference. On top of that, Dolby tech is also embedded in, with Dolby headphone (a signal processing upgrade) in attendance on both the Lumia 920 and Lumia 820. Nokia also affirmed that the upgraded app will be included on its hardware that gets bumped up to version 7.8. We're just about to get our review model and will give the new features a full rundown as soon as we can.
Nokia, AT&T and Green Day join forces for Nokia Music launch event in NYC
Nicki Minaj was there to introduce us to the Lumia 900 earlier in the year, and now Green Day has been drafted in to celebrate the launch of Nokia Music. Lumia-toting Americans were granted access to the free music streaming service a couple of days ago without much fuss, but the official party kicks off on September 15th at NYC's Irving Plaza. AT&T's also putting its name to the event, and if you head over to Green Day's Facebook page, you'll find instructions on how to get your chance to be there. Let's hope this one goes well for Nokia's marketing team, because if it's anything like that Lumia 920 embarrassment, they'll probably just want waking up when September ends.
Nokia Music free streaming service comes to US, available exclusively for Lumia handsets
Nokia Lumia owners on the other side of the pond have been rockin' out to the company's streaming service ever since Music launched during last year's Nokia World, but users in the US of A are about to get access as well. The Windows Phone handset maker just announced that Nokia Music will be available for US-based Lumia devices beginning today, with a US-based team of "musicologists" running the show. Users will have access to more than 150 playlists that span all major genres as part of an all-you-can-eat pro bono offering. There's also an option to create custom playlists with a Pandora-like feature that pulls in songs based on a selected artist and plays them back in random order, without advertisements popping in every few minutes. Playlists can be downloaded for offline listening as well. Officially, the app supports Lumia 900 and 710 handsets, and it can be downloaded from Marketplace today. Full details are in the PR after the break.
Mobile Miscellany: week of July 2nd, 2012
Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, the HTC One V marked its debut at US Cellular and Verizon announced a dumb phone with a surprisingly handy feature. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of July 2nd, 2012.
Nokia releases Play To beta, updates Music app for Windows Phone
To follow its announcement of updated Nokia Drive, Maps and Transport apps (and not to forget Creative Studio), the firm in Finland now has two more servings of software to crow about for its Lumia lineup -- okay, no more alliterations. We promise. Today, Nokia has announced an updated version of its music app, now dubbed -- simply enough -- Nokia Music 2.0, along with an entirely new beta package known as Nokia Play To. While the Music upgrade appears to include little more than minor revisions to the wording of certain functions, the Play To software will cater to users of DLNA equipment with its ability to stream photos and videos. Because it's only in beta form, the means to stream music hasn't yet arrived, but Nokia intends to bake this ability into a future revision of Play To. For those who'd like to be a Guinea pig for the Espoo crew, just check out Nokia's source link below.
Nokia Car Mode for Symbian Belle now ready for download
Nokia loves motorists and is showering them with gifts over at the Nokia Store to prove it. Well, one gift at least: the free-of-charge Car Mode app, which helps to transform your Symbian Belle smartphone into a turn-by-turn sat nav, with all the power of Drive, traffic updates, Music and voice calling presented in a more dash-friendly manner. (Did we just say 'Symbian'? We didn't mean to.) The other offering is Car Mode with MirrorLink, priced at £17.99 (roughly $28), which we took for a bump-free ride back at Nokia World, and which repeats the smartphone's screen on compatible systems such as Toyota's Touch Life. Head to the source link to claim your prize.
Nokia Music joins the auto-playlist club, brings Pandora-like song-finding to Lumia 800
Smartphone owners have a lot of options for streaming music these days, and if a new challenger doesn't get off to a good start, it could easily get left in the dust. How is Nokia planning to keep up with the likes of Spotify and Pandora on its upcoming Windows Phone? By conscripting Echo Nest, the folks behind iHeartRadio and Spotify's own song-finding features, to pull the playlist picking strings behind Nokia Music's Mix Radio. Using a lightweight browser app, Mix Radio assesses your appetite for beats with a "taste profile" derived from your music library, and uses the data to generate personalized radio stations. The outfit is calling it the "most personalized global music service the world has ever seen." Nokia Music also offers 100 professionally programmed streaming stations and roughly 15 hours of downloadable programming. Echo Nest told us we'd hear more from Nokia itself soon, but if you just can't wait, hit the break for the song-picking puppet master's own press release.
Nokia Music breaks free from Lumia's chains, brings Windows Phone users together
Sure they're "stylish and light," but is that enough of a lure to rope you into the Lumia line's Mangofied wares? You'd want something a little extra to compensate for the underspecced goods, like a spate of exclusive apps, perhaps. Well, the good news is you don't have to buy what Espoo's selling to get a taste of its special sauce. Thanks to some mobile hackery, Nokia Music's just joined the jailbroken ranks alongside Drive and Maps and is available now for sideloading onto your Windows Phone 7 device. You can snag the .xap file at the source below, but first you might wanna make sure you're rocking an unlocked handset. Try it out and let us know how you fare in the comments after the break.
Nokia announces its Drive navigation, Mix Radio, and ESPN Sports Hub cloud services for WP7
Fancy some turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation, cloud based music or sports highlights on your brand new Nokia smartphone? You don't need an app for that: the Lumia 800 is now the only Windows Phone with full navigation built-in. Nokia announced its Drive navigation, which has a look and feel that should be comfortable with users of its former Ovi Maps suite. It also looks to have similar functionality, enabling the download of maps so that you can find your way into offline areas (see gallery, below). %Gallery-137555% There's also exclusive Music and ESPN Sports Hub apps. The former features Mix Radio, a service that streams "locally relevant music" across hundreds of channels. The latter, meanwhile, allows sports fans to check up on stats, scores and news, and to pin their favorite teams or leagues to the start screen. All told, the company is promising a "uniquely Nokia" experience -- guess their slick hardware won't be the only way they break out of the WP7 pack. Check out a video demo of the navigation embedded after the break. Amar Toor and James Trew contributed to this report.
