First off, Microsoft reduced the price of the flash-based Zune players. The 4GB Zune was reduced to $99; the 8GB down to  $139 and the 16GB down to $179. Hoping for a price cut for the hard drive Zune? Nada.

However if you are looking for some Zune accessories, Microsoft announced a couple of price cuts there too. The Zune Car Pack now goes for $69 dollars, the Home AV Pack priced at $59 dollars, and the Dock Pack is now $39 dollars.

On the software/music side of the biz, Microsoft released a new firmware and software update so make sure to get the latest updates if you have the Zune.

Finally, Microsoft enhanced the Zune Pass subscription model yesterday – announcing that effectively immediately, Zune Pass subscribers will be able to download and keep 10 songs a month. This means that if you cancel the Zune Pass, the 10 songs a month you downloaded will be yours to keep forever. The files will be in MP3 format which means you’re free to use it on any device you want. The company struck agreements with the major music studios as well as independent labels and also said that soon over 90 percent of the music on the Marketplace will be DRM-free.

[Check it out via ZuneSphere.com, PC Magazine]

Technorati Tags: Zune Pass, Zune Flash, Price reduction

[Reprinted from ZuneSphere.com] Announced last week, Microsoft released their software update for the Zune media player today – adding a wealth of new features to all Zune owners out there. The most interesting feature with the new Zune is the ability for the Zune player to connect to Wi-Fi hotspots and connect wirelessly to the Zune Marketplace. From there you’ll be able to purchase and download music straight to the Zune player without needing a PC. Other new features include a new Zune Channels feature, support for Audiobook content, and a new Buy from FM feature.

Microsoft also announced that it’s working with Wayport Inc. to allow Zune users free wireless access to the Zune Markeplace from more than 9,800 McDonalds restaurant locations around the U.S.

Finally, Microsoft’s Zune Originals websites will offer online exclusive color choices for the new Zune 16 flash player including blue, red, pink and green. Zune Originals will also add 14 new custom artwork designs for customers to choose from. The new Zune 120 will sell for $249.99 while the Zune 16 will go for $199. However, if you’re an existing Zune media player owner – the updates are all FREE. Yes.. FREE.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Zune, Software Update, Wayport, McDonalds, Wi-Fi HotSpots

Thanks to the FCC, we now know there’s a new 120GB version of the Zune due to come out from Microsoft. Aside from the larger drive, it appears the Zune 120 will be functionally and physically the same as the Zune 80. No word on pricing or availability but it’s a safe bet that the Zune 120 will be around $299. If Microsoft wants to try and encourage sales of the Zune, it might be a good idea to drop the price of the Zune 80 and make the Zune 120 available for $249. Nice thought right?

[Check it out via ZuneSphere, BGR]

Technorati Tags: Microsoft, Zune 120, FCC

Yes.. the Zune market finally gets a clock radio accessory folks. iHome has announced the ZN9 Dual-Alarm Stereo Clock Radio for the Zune (works for both the 80GB Zune as well as the 8GB flash Zune). It’s somewhat sad to think that this is the first ever clock radio device for the Zune – considering how long the player has been out on the market. But hey – better late than never right? 

Features of the ZN9 include letting owners gradually wake or sleep to music from the Zune, or via the radio or buzzer, separate weekly and weekend alarm times, an extra large backlit LCD display (for all you visually challenged folks out there – that includes me!), and Reson8 speaker chambers.

You can purchase the ZN9 now for a price of $99.99.

[Check it out via ZuneSphere]

Technorati Tags: ZN9 Dual-Alarm Stereo Clock Radio for Zune

Since we’re already on the Zune news front – I’ll mention this tidbit. Long time fans of Joy Division will love this one – Microsoft will launch a limited edition Zune media player with custom artwork designed by Peter Saville on June 17th to commemorate the DVD release of the “Joy Division” movie documentary.

The custom black Zune 80 player will come preloaded with the Joy Division movie and will have an adaptation of Saville’s artwork from Joy Division’s “Unknown Pleasures” album etched on the back. Microsoft will make five hundred of these players which will be sold through http://www.zune.net and on http://www.zuneoriginals.net.

The DVD release of “Joy Division” is set for the same day and will be released through Genius Products and The Weinstein Company. I’ve already seen the flick and Joy Division fans will surely enjoy the film! The limited edition Joy Division Zune 80 will cost $399.99.

[Check it out via ZuneSphere]

Technorati Tags: Zune, Joy Division, Limited Edition Zune, Pete Saville, Unknown Pleasures

MSN Mobile is running a small promotion where they will be giving away a Zune a day for the month of June just for trying out MSN Mobile on your mobile phone. To get things going, you just need to go to http://www.msnmobilefix.com/zune/ and enter your cell phone number. A text message with a link to MSN Mobile will be sent to your mobile phone. Click on the link and enter the daily contest. Good luck!

[Check it out via ZuneSphere]

Technorati Tags: MSN Mobile, Zune

Microsoft announced the new Spring release to their Zune Marketplace website and Zune software application. Finally, Zune owners will be able to purchase television shows playable on both PCs and the Zune media player. Users will be able to choose from over 800 episodes of popular television shows ranging from South Park to The Hills, to Heroes, to my personal favorite – Battlestar Galactica. Each television show has a price of 160 Microsoft Points which is roughly 1.99 an episode.

Zune also expanded the feature set of the Zune online music community with several new features. Leveraging the Zune Pass subscription program, Zune owners will be able to follow what their friends are listening to and have the new music automatically downloaded and sync’d to their respective Zune players. This lets you follow what your friends are listening to without necessarily committing to purchasing a track or album ahead of time.

Here’s a list of the new features from the press release:

• Syncing Zune Cards to a device. Consumers simply drag and drop Zune Cards from friends to a Zune device and get updates on what friends are listening to every time they sync. If the song is available with Zune Pass, subscribers automatically have the full tracks on their Zune while nonsubscribers have full album information and artwork. If consumers hear something they like, they can add it to their collection with one click. Next time the user syncs his or her Zune, he or she will be asked to confirm the purchase.
• Enhanced friends search. Consumers now have the ability to add their name, location and bio to their Zune music community profile, making it easier than ever to find their friends.
• Instant friends. The true power of the Zune online music community is unlocked when friends are added and consumers can follow the music they’re listening to. Now, when new Zune owners join the Zune online music community, they’ll find the top music editors from the Zune Marketplace team already added to their friends list, giving them a head start in finding new music.
• Artist and album reviews. Inside the Zune music community, members have the ability to write and post their own reviews for artists and albums, providing another community-driven feature to support the exploration and discovery of music. The music community helps to find and recommend the best music.
• Reputation badges. Now members of the Zune community can earn badges that are displayed on their Zune Card showing they’re passionate fans or active members.
• Windows Live connections. Windows Live Messenger contacts will now be able to see what users are listening to via the Zune software. Clicking on the tracks displayed in the “Now Playing” feature will connect the Windows Live Messenger friend directly to that artist’s page on the Zune Social.

Finally, Microsoft added several new features to the Zune software application including:

• Auto playlists. Users can create an auto playlist that updates itself automatically as new music is added.
• Browsing videos. Consumers can browse their video collection by genre and series, plus they can preview videos before they play them on full screen.
• Editing album and track information. Users are able to edit track or album information (metadata) quickly via multi-select and drag-and-drop. The advanced metadata editing features make it easy to edit multiple tracks or survey albums and artist information.
• Organizing collections. In addition to sorting by artist or album, consumers can now sort by genre. While browsing by genre they can further sort music by artist, album or release year.
• Gapless playback. Consumers will now be able to listen to an album without the brief gap between tracks, both on their Zune and in the Zune software. This is a must-have for live-concert recordings and compilation albums.
• Syncing groups. Zune software now syncs to multiple Zune players simultaneously. Users can prepare which content on their computer to sync even when their Zune isn’t connected. Consumers can create custom sync groups for music, pictures and videos.
• Zune reminders. Experience is improved when a Zune player’s memory is nearing capacity, via an easy-to-use tool.

While this release is definitely a step in the right direction, it’s still a bit disappointing that not all of the content found on the Xbox Live Marketplace is available on the Zune Marketplace – notably movie rentals. Yet despite this glaring hole, the new updates should bring the Zune somewhat closer to some of the capabilities found on the iPod and iTunes.

[Check it out via ZuneSphere]

Technorati Tags: Zune software, Zune Marketplace, TV shows

Some interesting news for Zune owners – we’re finally getting games for our favorite portable media player! That’s right – game developers can now develop and distribute games for the Zune platform thanks to the Microsoft XNA Studio platform which allows developers to create games for both the Xbox and Windows platforms. According to this article over at News.com, games on the Zune will have access to the wireless capabilities of the Zune (a.k.a. multiplayer capabilities) and will also have access to the music library on the Zune (think soundtracks). First generation Zunes will also have game support though some games might be incompatible with first gen Zunes (if they need the touch pad etc). Other notes from this Wired.com article on the Zune include:

• Games on Zune will be limited to 16MB for code and content
• Control pad/rocker will make a good joystick replacement interface

Engadget had an early hands-on look at a game demo (Zauri) and had this to say in addition:

• Game distribution not clear yet – whether through the Zune marketplace, Zune software, or individual installers
• Beta development tools will be coming out this Spring
• No plans for game sharing as of yet

You can see a gallery of pictures of a game running on the Zune over at Engadget.com

[Reprinted from ZuneSphere.com]

Technorati Tags: Zune, Gaming, Games, XNA Studio, Microsoft

Lost in the Apple news yesterday was Microsoft’s announcement of an all new red colored Zune 80 GB media player – just in time for Valentine’s day. You can purchase the new 80GB Red player at Zune Originals where you can also customize the player with tattoos (20 new ones) and/or text. Best of all – the customizations are free as is the shipping. If you’re looking for a solid 80 GB media player – definitely take a look at the Zune 80GB player.

[Check it out via ZuneSphere]

Technorati Tags: Zune 80GB, Microsoft, Zune 80GB Red, Valentine\'s Day, Zune Originals

Are you having a hard time finding the new Zune 80GB media player? Well consider getting the unit from ZuneOriginals.net then. The website is finally selling Zune 80’s that can be customized with your own personal engraving or a combination of engraving and artwork or just artwork only. The best part? The customizations are entirely free of charge – just pay for the Zune 80 player.

[Check it out via ZuneSphere]

Technorati Tags: Zune Originals, Zune 80

[Check it out via ZuneSphere]

Technorati Tags: Microsoft Zune, Zune, Black Friday

Pictures of the Zune Citron media player have made it to flickr here and man.. it’s a pretty sweet looking color. Now aside from the color, this particular player pictured here supposedly has 16GB of storage space too! (oh yes.. it’s got the “Welcome to the Social” tag emblazoned across the backside of the player too!). Now if this player was available on the market, I’d be right on line waiting to buy one!

[Check it out via ZuneSphere, Gizmodo]

Technorati Tags: Microsoft Zune, Zune Citron, 16GB

Zune.net was down for the better part of this evening as Microsoft rolled out a new site redesign in time for the launch of the second generation Zune today. The new site redesign is now up and running and you can download the new Zune software here. There’s even a 64 bit version of the Zune software package if you’re running 64 bit Windows. The full “Zune Experience” is not yet ready as of this posting is now ready too. You’ll need to enter an email address (of course Microsoft would like a live.com email address if possible). The full experience gives you:

• Free Zune account
• Podcasts
• Membership to the Zune Social

We assume the link to that will begin shortly. In any case, if you’re an owner of a first generation Zune, make sure to get the new software now! You’ll definitely need this software to run the new Zune players coming out today.

[Check it out via ZuneSphere]

Technorati Tags: Zune.net, Microsoft Zune, Zune Software, Zune Marketplace

The first set of reviews are from the folks at LaptopMag.

LaptopMag’s review of the 80GB Zune is here and this is what they have to say:

After two days of use, the Zune made us forget about our iPod. The audio quality was on a par with our usual iPod experience (though the Zune’s headphones are much more comfortable), but the FM radio, easy wireless sync, and the larger stunning display had us hooked. Windows users looking for an easy melding of their computer’s music and their mobile player will find their answer in this second-generation Microsoft device. Though we still prefer the Apple Store’s selection of premium video and movie content, over-the-air downloads, complete touch interface, and skinnier design, the Zune has made a strong transition to the cool kids club.

LaptopMag’s review of the flash based Zune is here and this is what they have to say:

If you’re a Windows user, this player is every bit as cool as an iPod nano and has way more features. Mac users are left out of the Social aspect, however.

The next set of reviews come from PC World. Here’s the review of the 80GB Zune:

All in all, the 80GB Zune is a decent choice as an 80GB MP3 player. It sounds great, its interface isn’t a hindrance, and its pricing is right in line with the competition. Accessories and features such as premium headphones and an FM tuner give it at least one area where it’s a step up from an iPod Classic, and if you’re interested in wireless syncing, this could be the player for you.

Here’s the review of the flash based Zune:

With wireless syncing, FM radio, and full video support, the 8GB Zune has a lot going for it. Unfortunately, unless you really want wireless syncing, it’s not the best choice. If you’re looking for lots of storage, the Sansa View has the Zune beat. If you’d prefer a compact player, the new iPod Nanos are much smaller. If you’re seeking lots of features, the Creative Zen V is still one of my favorites. All are available for similar prices, and might fit your needs better than the flash-based Zune.

Technorati Tags: Microsoft Zune, Zune 2nd gen, Reviews, LaptopMag, PC World

Yup – we’re referring to the second generation Microsoft Zune media players. PC Magazine has published their reviews of the new units and actually gave their "Editor’s Choice" award to the new 80GB Zune. They had this to say about the new 80GB Zune:

The new Zune is trimmer, has a larger screen and increased capacity. Add its wireless abilities to the equation and you’ve got a player that (gasp!) trumps Apple’s iPod classic.

 

Things aren’t quite as rosy on the flash player front as PC Magazine found the following about the new 4GB/8GB flash based Zune:

The first flash-based Zune is a good-looking, easy-to-navigate device that can be synced with your PC wirelessly, but its small screen and jumpy interface are no match for Apple’s superior iPod nano.

However, what’s even more interesting is the comment the publication made about the new updated Zune software and Zune Marketplace. According to PC Magazine, the combination of the software and marketplace makes for a "fun experience that makes iTunes feel a little pedestrian." Wow.. congrats Microsoft.

Yes.. it’s not an iPod touch.. but this is a pretty awesome feat for Microsoft and the Zune team!

[via ZuneSphere]

Technorati Tags: Microsoft Zune, Microsoft, Zune second generation, Zune 80GB, Zune 8GB, Review, PC Magazine

It looks like the second generation Zune is making its appearance at some Target and Circuit City stores around the country. Of course – this is earlier than the planned release of the new Zunes which is scheduled for November 13th (next Tuesday). I don’t really think Microsoft would mind if the new units made it out to the wild a bit early – the mere fact that people might be interested in the new models would actually be a good sign.

I was curious to see if the local Target and Circuit City store had the new Zunes on display and in stock so I took a trip during lunch time to see if they had them. Unfortunately, I did not see any of the new second generation Zunes on display – however, I did see the new display stands showing off the new units – at least pictorially. I grilled some of the sales folks there and they claimed that the units hadn’t even arrived at the stores yet.. we shall see.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Zune, Target, Circuit City,

[Check it out]

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Don’t think for a second that your current first generation Zunes will be made useless with the upcoming second generation Zune. In fact, Microsoft will be releasing a new version of their Zune software and a new firmware for current Zunes. On November 13th, the new software updates will be released and if you accept the update, you’ll be able to do the following:

• Wireless Sync – Yes – your current Zune will be able to wirelessly sync to your music and video library through your home network
• Access to the new Zune Marketplace – now restocked with thousands of new tracks, podcasts, videos, and DRM-free MP3s
• Access to Zune Online Community – connect and share music and pictures that define you

Again – stay tuned for the software update on November 13th.

[via ZuneSphere]

Technorati Tags: Zune, Software Update, November 13th

I apologize for the lack of news recently – I’ve been away on vacation (playing in that Chinese 9 man v-ball tournament this past weekend in San Francisco) and I’ve also taken a break from writing altogether. I’m slowly getting back into things here (and also trying to get some of my personal life back together a bit).. Sooo to start things off, I though I’d mention that Gizmodo had posted up a screenshot of what appears to be the new upcoming Microsoft Zune 2 and Zune flash player. Both appear to have a nice sleek glossy look with the Zune 2 sporting an 80GB hard drive and the Zune flash player coming in 4 and 8GB varieties. No confirmation from Microsoft of course but these players certainly look legit enough. 

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Zune 2, Zune flash player

According to our source (from inside Microsoft) Draco production began July 23 as scheduled. Scorpio ran into trouble and production was delayed. A significant percentage of the hard drive based Scorpio units were experiencing continuity problems between the flex cable and pcb. In other words, a wire was coming loose. Our source went on to explain how there were emergency meetings and a new flex cable design will be implemented. The new cable will have a “S” shape (not a folded accordion shape). It should prevent tension build up during assembly and solve the problem.

With production pushed back to September, the next gen Zune appears destined to come out in late October or early November. Although that would miss the back to school holiday shopping season, a November release would mark the one year anniversary of the first Zune player.  

Finally, for those interested in the flash Zune rumors, Wired.com is reporting that the flash player went into production on July 23rd which means you might be seeing the new media player as early as September.

[Check out the Zune Scene article]

[Check out the Wired.com article]

Via ZuneSphere

Technorati Tags: 2nd gen Zune, Zune, Microsoft Zune, Flash Zune