Nokia Lumia 520

[tubemonkey]

I use mine primarily for streaming music and FM radio. I sometimes listen to audiobooks on it via Audible and OverDrive. My primary audiobook player is the LG Volt.

[jj2me]

I use mine primarily as follows, in order of most use:

1. For audio and video Podcasts, using the default Podcasts app. When doing chores and not in a location where I'll bother anyone, the 520 is upside down in my breast pocket (speaker facing up), playing through the speaker.

2. As a streaming music player:
- Mix Radio,
- Music and Audio,
- Xbox Music (soon to be using my $50 yearly subscription, which tubemonkey posted in Dec.)
- FM for local radio.

The app Music and Audio is one I've just begun using, and I don't yet understand if it's doing something illegal, since it allows song downloads. After the download, if you scroll to that song and press the floppy disk "save" icon, it's now able to be played by my other music app (XBox Music), implying it's totally freed up, which seems a lot like I've stolen it.

3. As a personal video player, playing TV that's been manually offloaded from my TiVo using old tech.

4. As an occasional offline GPS nav system. But that's been mostly in theory, as I have other. bigger-screen GPS alternatives.

[Blossom]

I use Spotify, Slacker and Rhapsody on mine for Streaming.

Looks like there is a Android version of the app you not sure about.

[Sweetpea]

Originally Posted by jj2me

Anyone find an audiobook/podcast player that can read .mp3 audiobooks located on the SD card?

Or even a music player that supports the resume function and SD card access.

I find one that I really like:

http://www.windowsphone.com/nl-nl/st...7-aad07f74db08

It's free now. It works while the phone is locked, it resumes. I don't know about SD card access as my 920 doesn't have a SD card, but as the requirements says you need to have a SD card, I think it should work.

[silverraven]

Well so far I am very pleased with both the battery and speaker on this little phone. I've got insomnia, so I use audio books to help me sleep. Something about reminding me of Geometry class makes me doze right off. I tossed a few audio books on my micro SD card and put them on repeat so they would go all night long. I didn't use head phones, I just have the volume on 3 or 4 sitting on my bedside table. But even at that low volume I can hear the books plain as day. And the battery doesn't even go down to half after playing all night long.
Even if I use this phone for nothing more than playing audio books at night I think it is definitely worth the money I paid! $20 well spent!
S

[jj2me]

Originally Posted by Blossom

Looks like there is a Android version of the app you not sure about.

Thanks. The Android app's title, "SoundCloud - Music & Audio", makes me realize it's a SoundCloud app. I did a little Googling of "Soundcloud legal", but didn't find anything obvious. I need to play around a bit to see what's going on--perhaps I'm mistaken about my download being restriction-free.

[jj2me]

Originally Posted by Sweetpea

I find one that I really like:

http://www.windowsphone.com/nl-nl/st...7-aad07f74db08

It's free now. It works while the phone is locked, it resumes. I don't know about SD card access as my 920 doesn't have a SD card, but as the requirements says you need to have a SD card, I think it should work.

Thanks! It's currently a little buggy, often stalling at a black screen, but shows promise. Easily-accessible (on the playback screen) pitch-adjusted variable speed playback from 1x to 3x, in 0.1x increments.

I already had ELAudioBooks installed, and it seemed to not work. Whenever I navigated to and tapped a folder of audiobooks on the SD card, it always said "This folder is empty". So I backed out, thinking it couldn't see the files.

But because of your post, I went back and tried a bunch of things--the trick was to tap the "check mark" icon on the screen that says "This folder is empty," rather than backing out or tapping the "X" icon.

[tubemonkey]

In case anyone else is interested in buying one these no-contract phones, here are some current prices; and they're only $9~10 more than the pre-Christmas Amazon sale of $20. It makes a great little media player; a Windows version of an iPod touch, if you will.

Nokia Lumia 520

• Amazon --> $30
• Microsoft --> $29

[TrevorViking]

I appreciate everyone giving info on the phone and listing for what they've been using it.

I use mine as a paperweight so far. But I'm going to open her up to play soon!

(looking around at dozens of little used gadgets.....)

[hwlester]

Originally Posted by TrevorViking

I appreciate everyone giving info on the phone and listing for what they've been using it.

I use mine as a paperweight so far. But I'm going to open her up to play soon!

(looking around at dozens of little used gadgets.....)

I understand... I bought it to play with and have played a little, but I have several more functional devices that I use much more regularly. I've managed to get a bit of the flavor for Windows phones though and they're kind of where Android was about 5 years ago as far as adoption by developers...

[Blossom]

For me It's Cortana I use most. I pick up the phone hit the button and ask what's the temp outside. She then tells me and shows me a graphic with the forecast. If I am looking for something near by I ask her. Is there a Krystal nearby? She then shows me there isn't but the closest one is like in another state. I miss those little sandwiches. I also ask her to remind me or set an alarm. I guess you can say she is my PA and sometimes she gets sassy ask her to tell you a joke. They are pretty bad. lol

[hwlester]

Originally Posted by Blossom

For me It's Cortana I use most. I pick up the phone hit the button and ask what's the temp outside. She then tells me and shows me a graphic with the forecast. If I am looking for something near by I ask her. Is there a Krystal nearby? She then shows me there isn't but the closest one is like in another state. I miss those little sandwiches. I also ask her to remind me or set an alarm. I guess you can say she is my PA and sometimes she gets sassy ask her to tell you a joke. They are pretty bad. lol

I get all that, minus the joke, from Google Now on Android. The only killer app someone showed me on a Windows Phone was a translation app that you could point the camera at a sign/menu and it would overlay the translation. Turns out Android (and Google Glass) has that as well (Word Lens) and Google actually bought the company and integrated the functionality into the latest version of Google Translate.
Don't get me wrong... I'm glad there's competition between Siri, Cortana, and Google Now, because it only benefits the consumer. I just think they are closer to feature parity than some people want to admit.

[Blossom]

I think Cortana wins on personality. Alexa seems robotic and VoiceMate Genie and Google now needs more personality for a AI. Cortana is spunky she will answer fact questions or if you ask how far say St Louis is she will tell you. Google Now just tells you miles distance. Cortana will tell you hours and miles. Cortana is awesome for those with vision problems.

What Time is it? She will tell you. What is the temp outside she will tell you.

Ask her if it will snow tomorrow? She will tell you. She talks to you that is the HUGE difference.

Ask her what Halo is? She gets excited in her answer.

I just asked her when the Superbowl is and she told me. I didn't have to look at anything.

[Blossom]

I just ask Cortana what she thinks of Siri?

Her answer was "I think it's cool that shes out there trying to make people's lives a little easier."

[hwlester]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I think Cortana wins on personality. Alexa seems robotic and VoiceMate Genie and Google now needs more personality for a AI. Cortana is spunky she will answer fact questions or if you ask how far say St Louis is she will tell you. Google Now just tells you miles distance. Cortana will tell you hours and miles. Cortana is awesome for those with vision problems.

What Time is it? She will tell you. What is the temp outside she will tell you.

Ask her if it will snow tomorrow? She will tell you. She talks to you that is the HUGE difference.

Ask her what Halo is? She gets excited in her answer.

I just asked her when the Superbowl is and she told me. I didn't have to look at anything.

So you're talking about the speech portion? I know asking Google Now "How far is Saint Louis?" will get you both miles and estimated time on screen, but you're saying Cortana will speak both? Google Now definitely will answer time and temperature questions. I'll have to try some of the other examples you give, but it's definitely hit and miss what she speaks the answers to. Like I said, the competition is good for the consumer.