MusicCenter
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Music Center lets you select music from your lock screen or any app
Music Center (free) is a very cool little app that lets you see your iOS music library from your lock screen or inside any app. It's a notification center widget, and it works quite well. You load the app, and you can select lists by song, album, artist, and playlists. Then go to your Today notifications and scroll down to the edit control to add the widget to your screen. That's all there is to it. I wasn't sure how useful Music Center would be, but I find I am using it frequently. I especially like the access from the lock screen to play music via Bluetooth while I am driving. It's quick and easy, but of course Siri can also select music by using your voice. Since the notification feature is a quick pull-down from anywhere in iOS, it's also useful if you are in the middle of using another app. Apple might pull this widget if it is found to be in violation of any developer rules, but so far, so good. Music Center is clean and useful, but note that you can't use iTunes Match or search since widgets don't get to use the keyboard. A pro version, which is a US$ 0.99 in-app purchase, gives you scrolling instead of buttons, but I find the free version meets my needs. Music Center requires iOS 8 or later, and it's optimized for the iPhone 5 and 6 phones. It's a universal app, so it will run on iPads too.
Klipsch's Music Center KMC 3 Bluetooth speaker costs $400, will be available in June
Klipsch is known for offering everything from well-designed headphones to home theater systems, but the audio-focused outfit has been staying away from producing relatively portable Bluetooth speakers. That all changed back at this year's CES when Klipsch outed the KMC 3 as part of its Music Center lineup, which we're now finding out will be priced at $400 (or $399.99, to be precise) when it hits store shelves this coming June. In return for your hard-earned cash, Klipsch's first Bluetooth-equipped soundbox (apt-X and AAC) will give you a 2.1 assortment that's loaded with 2-inch, full-range drivers, a zippy 5.25-inch subwoofer and a battery capable of running up to 26 hours -- this, according to the company, makes for a system "perfectly designed for powerful, accurate sound reproductions." Don't mind the hefty price tag? Then make the source link below your next stop if you're interested in snagging one of these.
