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iTunes is currently king of most of our digital media collections, mostly because it interacts with the ubiquitous iPod. However, alternatives do exist. Songbird is an open-source media player with the useful ability to extend its functionality through plugins. The most useful plugins include iPod support (which means you can sync and play without iTunes) and LyricMaster, which hunts down the lyrics for your music. Another is Last.fm Album Art, which collects art for your songs and adds it to the MP3 files.

Tried and tested

HTC Magic Price from $99 a month Rating 4/5 The Magic is HTC's second smartphone based on the Google Android mobile operating system. The first arrived in Australia as the Dream in February. Known elsewhere as the G1, it featured a full qwerty keyboard underneath a slide-out screen. It was a real geek gadget. Aesthetically challenged, bulky, clunky to use but full-featured and very functional.