REVIEW: Mobile iTunes? No problem, thanks to Nutsie

Editor’s Note: Welcome to Yay or Nay, a feature for RCR Wireless News’ weekly e-mail service, Mobile Content and Culture. Every week we’ll review a new wireless application or service from the user’s point of view, with the goal of highlighting what works and what doesn’t in the mobile content industry. If you wish to submit your application or service for review, please contact us at rcrwebhelp@crain.com.
Application: Nutsie Mobile from Nutsie
Running on: Motorola Razr2 using Sprint Nextel’s network
Yay: Streaming our iTunes music to our mobile device is pretty sweet. And it’s free.
Nay: No control over what comes next is a bit of a drag; luckily all of our music is good. Further, the service only runs on a handful of handsets.
We say: Nutsie is a slick app that somehow takes advantage of the closed iTunes environment to provide access to music on the go.
Review: Want to listen to your iTunes songs when away from your desktop, but don’t have an iPhone or iPod? Have we got a deal for you. Just head on over to Nutsie.com, set up an account, upload your iTunes library and you can have access to your tunes anywhere you’ve got a cellular connection.
And best of all, the application is free.
Nutsie Mobile is an extension of the service’s Web application, which allows users to listen to their iTunes content from any personal computer with an Internet connection.
The first step in mobilizing Nutsie is to sign up for an account on the Nutsie site, which is a very simple procedure. Nutsie does a good job in detailing the necessary steps to upload an iTunes library, and even shows some photos of what you need to look for.
Once signed up, users are presented with the option of entering a mobile number to initiate the mobile service. Nutsie then sends a link embedded in a text message, and, if the device is supported, downloads the application to the handset. (It took a bit of scrambling to find a compatible device around the RCR Wireless News offices as the list of supported devices is quite limited.)
Similar to the Web version, Nutsie Mobile provides the user with a very basic user interface that includes a pause function, volume control and the ability to skip to the next song. There is no going back to songs previously played however, and you cannot pick what song comes next. The screen also displays album art if available.
There was minimal buffering when skipping songs, and there seemed to be less buffering when letting the service transition between songs. Nutsie also allows users to stream music from other users’ playlists.
The online site also has some cool features like links from songs to video content on YouTube, though often they were only linked in name. For example, our iTunes version of “Pick up the pieces” by The Average White Band linked to a YouTube video of Money Mark’s “Pick up the pieces.”
Downsides? Well, the mobile service relies on network coverage, which means it’s useless when on a plane or under water. Also, since it continuously uses a data connection, the service eats up battery life.
Finally, Nutsie Mobile only runs on a limited number of handsets from AT&T Mobility and Sprint Nextel, along with BlackBerrys from T-Mobile USA. Verizon Wireless and Alltel customers are out of luck.
Overall, though, the service provides a slick method of accessing iTunes music from a mobile phone.