Although DI.FM (Digitally Imported) now has an official app for Windows Phone, we shouldn’t forget the fantastic Beem Plus from developer Den Delimarsky. The official DI.FM app has some great features, but Beem Plus brings SkyDrive recording, Last.FM scrobbling, integration with the Xbox and Nokia Music stores and the ability to copy the track name.
Now, version 2.2 has landed in the Store and it take along with it two new features: Sleep Timer and a notification center (which actually came in version 2.1).
The Sleep Timer is in fact one feature that the official DI.FM app has that Beem did not. By heading into settings, you can set the music to turn off after 30 minutes, 1, 3 or 5 hours. It’s a great feature to use when wanting to fall asleep, especially to some enticing trance.
While the sleep timer feature is welcomed, we’re not thrilled with the location: diving in Settings to enable such a frequently used feature seems inefficient. The official app has it listed at the bottom of each page, making it used far more regularly.
The second new feature is the Notification Center. This was actually part of the 2.1 update, but we’re covering it here in this article. The purpose of this area appears to more or less a way for Den to communicate with those who use his app. For instance, he can pass on messages like the “Report bugs” alert that takes you to Github. While not a huge addition, we’ve always like the ability for devs to communicate directly with their audience.
We have also heard from Den that working on the streaming logic in the app is on his list. This is another area where the official app has a leg up, as it tends to buffer a lot less. Hopefully we’ll see that in the next update.
Beem Plus version 2.2 is a free app for Windows Phone 8. It’s also open source. Pick it up here in the Store.
Daniel Rubino is the Executive Editor of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft here since 2007, back when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, Microsoft Surface, laptops, next-gen computing, and arguing with people on the internet.
