Windows Phone 7 Tip — Get an app to help with missing Zune features
January 17, 2011 4 Comments
Having Zune on Windows Phone 7 is, without question, one of the key features of the OS. Anyone who’s used a Zune device, up until this point, would agree that Zune on Windows Phone brings together a great media system with the awesome power of Zune Pass.
However, many of the favorite Zune Features didn’t make it to the first version of Zune on Windows Phone 7. Some are features that people love (looking at you Smart DJ), while some are features that would be nice and handy (like over-the-air podcasts).
There are, however, a few apps in the Zune Marketplace that can help fill the void for these features (Smart DJ and Podcasts, specifically) until they are handled natively by Zune and the Windows Phone OS. Here’s the apps, I personally use, to fill those gaps.
Problem: Can’t download/stream podcasts over the air, while you’re out and about with your Windows Phone.
Answer: Podcasts! — This is a wonderful app that looks like something Zune would design. It’s great for allowing you to not only find your favorite podcasts (video/audio) but to stream them as well. You can’t download podcasts (as of this writing) but you can stream them, which is good for most who want, for example, hourly news updates.
There is also a second app called Feed Reader 2.0 that seems to try to do everything; Feed Reader, Twitter Client and Podcast streaming. You can also download podcasts using this app.
Problem: No Smart DJ available on the actual device
Answer: Really this is a pick your poison kind of thing. The purpose of Smart DJ was to allow you to take your favorite artist and find other songs that you might enjoy. Services like Last.Fm and Slacker Radio can fill this void nicely. At the very least when you find a song you like you can heart it to remind yourself to search for it in the Zune Marketplace.
Anyone else want to share apps in the Windows Phone Marketplace that can substitute for missing Zune features? Or even apps that help with the two scenarios described above?
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Problem: No Zune Social available on the device
Answer: My application – ZuneCardr, which if you remember I asked if I could use your Zune Tag for, that allows people to view their Zune Social information like Recent Plays and Favourite tracks etc. Very similar to the Zune HD experience – this is actually coincidental as I’ve no idea what the Zune Card experience on a Zune HD looks like as this part of the service never worked on my Zune HD in the UK so had to guess!
This is true. Thanks for mentioning your application. =)
Very nice app.
Thanks for the reply – glad you liked the app, still don’t know why Microsoft didn’t include a first-party Zune Social experience, but pleased my app is able to perform most of this functionality instead!