iTunes doesn’t sync with non-Apple products, and sadly, this is very much by design.  One could argue the company would sell more music and video if this were not the case, but we digress.

So if you have an Android phone, the most popular music management software isn’t an option.  What is an option, however, is an up-and-coming iTunes clone, doubleTwist. 

This software is designed for many mobile devices, but is very Android OS friendly.  With doubleTwist, you can purchase new music via AmazonMP3, manage music, video and photo collections, and sync this media with your phone.  You can even create and sync playlists. 

If you’re an Android user and have been missing a convenient way to manage the media on your phone, read our latest Android Help Center article, doubleTwist: The iTunes for Android.

The new ARCHOS 5 Android-powered Internet Tablet (the first non-phone Android device released) is now available for purchase in the United States at Amazon.com.  The tablet is available in three variations: 500GB and 160GB drive-based models and a 32GB flash-based model.

The ARCHOS 5 is one of the first non-smartphone devices to firmly grab our attention in some time. This is largely due to device’s rich media features.  The ARCHOS 5 has a 5” 800×480 touchscreen and an extensive codec library; this not only means that video will look great, but also that you won’t have to worry about the rigid transcoding requirements of other mobile video devices (cough… iPhone… cough).  Popular image and audio formats are compatible with the ARCHOS 5 as well.

Other features include the ability to playback 720p HD video (including MKV, MPEG-2, H.264, WMV HD files/formats), Android application support, an 800MHz ARM CPU, 802.11n Wi-Fi, an HDMI Mini Dock (optional), a DVR Station for recording TV (optional), a web browser, integrated GPS (navigation is a paid feature), a microSDHC memory slot (flash models), social networking software and more.

We hope to get one of these devices in for review soon.  If you have an Archos 5 Android tablet, let us know what you think of it!

Kinoma Play – one of the best Windows Mobile media applications – has just been updated with Location Awareness for Twitter, native YouTube and Flickr viewing, GPS-enabled local news, and general reliability and speed improvements.

If you love listening to music or watching videos on your Windows Mobile smartphone, and haven’t yet tried Kinoma Play, give this fantastic application a try.

Link: Get Kinoma Play Windows Mobile Media Software

Microsoft’s latest Zune portable media player, the Zune HD, is now available for purchase. 

Many in the tech world are raving about the new player, which boasts a new Tegra mobile processor, a 3.3-inch OLED touchscreen and the ability to output 720p HD video to TVs with an optional dock.

Other features include HD Radio support, built-in Wi-Fi, a web browser, up to 8.5 hours of video playback and wireless syncing. The Zune HD is available in two capacities, 16GB and 32GB. 

We doubt the Zune HD will prove much of a treat to Apple’s iPod touch, irrespective of how well it performs in consumers’ hands.  Microsoft will need a line of winning media players to compete with the ubiquitous iPod.  However, the new Zune may provide some insight into how Microsoft plans to beef up its future Windows Mobile devices’ multimedia experience.

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