DoubleTwist, a multimedia manager and player that looks an awful lot like iTunes, is getting a hand from T-Mobile, which will include an installer for the software in its Android phones.
T-Mobile will pre-load the installer in the MyTouch 3G Fender Limited Edition phone. What that means, presumably, is that once the phone is plugged into a computer, users will get the option to install a custom version of DoubleTwist, making it easier to start transferring movie and video files to the phone. A standalone version of DoubleTwist can also be downloaded for free, and it'll work with most devices, including T-Mobile's G1 and MyTouch 3G, Motorola's Cliq, Samsung's Behold II and Google's Nexus One.
DoubleTwist's resemblance to iTunes is so uncanny, you wonder how they get away with it. The layout, which includes a library and playlist on the right, song list on the left and search bar on top, mirrors that of iTunes. Even the icons look similar. The difference, of course, is that iTunes only syncs with Apple's iPod and iPhone, while DoubleTwist supports hundreds of devices.
DoubleTwist isn't trying to hide its intentions, either -- it has a Web site callednexusoneitunes.com, designed to snag people who can't figure out why iTunes won't work with the phone, or are seeking an alternative. Last year, the company released an ad depicting Apple chief executive Steve Jobs as the tyrant in Apple's classic "1984" commercial. This all makes sense, given that DoubleTwist's founder is Jon Lech Johansen, a.k.a. "DVD Jon," who once cracked Apple's FairPlay technology to allow songs purchased in iTunes to play on other devices, and vice versa (Apple has since removed the technology from its music catalog, but not video). Johansen was also among a group that developed a crack for DVD copy protection.
This is good news for Android users who want a simple media manager, but the pre-installed version has one major drawback: It's missing Amazon's MP3 store, which is integrated into the downloadable software. It would also be nice if the custom version of DoubleTwist integrated the Android Market, letting users manage and download apps, but there's no word on that.
