WIRELESS CHARGING
A revolutionary way of charging mobile devices may see iPhone 5 gain mass appeal. The inductive wireless charging technology for the iPhone could juice up its battery without the use of cables and plugs. By utilizing a charging dock, the iPhone can charge its battery as well as share, sync, or backup data at the same time. REUTERS

Some music apps for smartphones can do more than just play music. Here is a list of the top 10 music applications for both Android and iOS platforms. Some are free while others are paid.

Audiogalaxy: The music app looks like an iPod app. The music is not stored on the phone but has to be uploaded from the user’s non-DRM songs list via a web interface and then stream the songs to the phone through Wi-fi or 3G. The app is free for download and is for both Android and iOS.

Pandora: One of the most popular internet radio apps which combines iOS with multitasking facilities. The app is only for the iOS platform and is free.

Sound Hound: A music recognition app which is the fastest among its kinds. The user just needs to point the phone towards the source of the music and the song is identified. It also shows lyrics and provides information about the artist. The app works on both iOS and Android platforms and costs $6.99.

Google Music Beta: This app allows the user to upload music to Google’s servers and then stream it back again to the Android phone or tablet. The service, however, is free for a limited time span and is only for Android 2.2 (Froyo) and newer versions.

Cubed: It works only on the Android platform, serves as an alternative to the user’s default music player and has a good-looking UI. The album art is shown on a cube on screen which the user can rotate with his finger to browse through artists and music and can also be switched to a grid or list view. The app is free for download.

Winamp: Winamp is back for Android and it’s free. The app has the ability to sync music wirelessly with the user’s computer and can also play online radio stations.

TuneIn Radio: Available for both Android and iOS, TuneIn Radio provides access to about 40,000 radio stations worldwide. The app is free but the paid version, which costs $0.99, allows the user to pause and record live radio stations and remove the advertisements.

Amp Music Player: Amp serves as an alternative to the default iPod music player. The app has the option of song queuing which enables the user to line-up songs accordingly, and also has in-built skins. Amp can also be integrated with Twitter and Facebook. The app costs $0.99 and is only for the iOS platform.

mSpot Music: This free app works like iTunes in the cloud. The user just needs to add his personal music collection to an online locker, which is free for the first 5GB, and the app then streams the music to the user’s smartphone. mSpot is available for both iOS and Android.

Aweditorium: Finally, an app for the iPad which helps the user to discover music on his device. Aweditorium displays thumbnails which can be tapped to find more about a band or an artist and even watch videos related to them. The app is free.

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