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xbox 360
j allard
Microsoft's J Allard (Xbox 360 and Zune) Gets a Promotion
J Allard, who most recently helped give the Xbox and the Zune a really, really good user experience has gotten a promotion to "Chief Experience Officer" of the Entertainment and Devices devision. The E&D devision, for those of you who don't know, encompasses Xbox, Games for Windows, Mobile Communications (including Windows Mobile), Zune, Connected TV, Microsoft Surface, Mac Office, Microsoft Auto and Windows Embedded. Now that Allard is essentially going to have his fingers in all these pies, you can expect a Zune/Xbox 360-level of UI polish that projects like Windows Mobile haven't seen before. You can't see it, but we're doing a fist pump now. [ZDNet]
Zen X-Fi
New details have been leaked about Creative's answer to the iPod touch and Zune, a wireless music player with Wi-Fi media sharing capabilities called the Zen X-Fi. Pictures show the device sporting a chrome-and-black plastic look that's vaguely reminiscent of the iPhone, along with a nine-point directional pad. Besides certain internet features, X-Fi will also come with an SD card slot and a built-in speaker.
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Creative's Zen X-Fi to Enter Ring Dominated by iPod Touch, Zune
New details have been leaked about Creative's answer to the iPod touch and Zune, a wireless music player with Wi-Fi media sharing capabilities called the Zen X-Fi. Pictures show the device sporting a chrome-and-black plastic look that's vaguely reminiscent of the iPhone, along with a nine-point directional pad. Besides certain internet features, X-Fi will also come with an SD card slot and a built-in speaker.
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marketing of the future
Recently, Disney announced the grand opening of their new Innoventions Dream Home located in Tomorrowland in Anaheim, Calif. The construction was a collaborative effort between Disneyland, Microsoft, HP, Life|ware and home-builder Taylor Morrison—so naturally the home functions more as a big advertising campaign for current products than an actual "home of the future." Still, I wouldn't mind booting out the fictional Elias family from their 5000-square-foot home to get my hands on some of this tech.
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Disney's Innoventions Dream Home is a Big Ad For Microsoft and HP...But I Still Want It
Recently, Disney announced the grand opening of their new Innoventions Dream Home located in Tomorrowland in Anaheim, Calif. The construction was a collaborative effort between Disneyland, Microsoft, HP, Life|ware and home-builder Taylor Morrison—so naturally the home functions more as a big advertising campaign for current products than an actual "home of the future." Still, I wouldn't mind booting out the fictional Elias family from their 5000-square-foot home to get my hands on some of this tech.
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zune badges
The recent Zune Update a month or so ago added the ability to track your listening habits and reward you for them. Think of achievements on the Xbox 360, except not pedantic ones like listen to every artist that released a single in 2003. These badges are actually quite nice, and display on your Zune Card if you do whatever it is enough times in the previous month. A thousand plays isn't all that hard if you're sitting at your desk all day like us. No cheating, cause we know you'd just leave your player on repeat and turn your speakers off. [Zune via Zune Insider]
Zune Listener Badges Show Your Dedication To That Band You Like
The recent Zune Update a month or so ago added the ability to track your listening habits and reward you for them. Think of achievements on the Xbox 360, except not pedantic ones like listen to every artist that released a single in 2003. These badges are actually quite nice, and display on your Zune Card if you do whatever it is enough times in the previous month. A thousand plays isn't all that hard if you're sitting at your desk all day like us. No cheating, cause we know you'd just leave your player on repeat and turn your speakers off. [Zune via Zune Insider]
microsoft
Robbie Bach Denies Blu-ray Xbox and Zune Phone, But Hints Zune Touch, and Zune Platform May Expand to Other Devices
In an SFGate interview running today, Robbie Bach, Microsoft's president for entertainment and devices, touched on many familiar points: Zune is more than a product, it's a platform, and because of that, we shouldn't be surprised if pieces of it turn up on other devices. However, as for a Zune phone or any other iPhone competitor, Bach stressed that there is a diverse array of Windows Mobile products to choose from, and added, "We don't have any plans to make phones ourselves." As for the old chestnut about a Blu-ray-equipped next-gen Xbox, he said, "That is so far out that there isn't anything to talk about." (He probably won't change his mind by tomorrow.) Update: Apparently there's some hullabaloo over Bach saying, "Just assume that over time where there's a screen, touch will be part of it." Is that a reference to a Zune Touch of some kind? To be honest, it's a fairly un-bold prediction, given the direction of all handhelds everywhere. So yeah, sounds like a touchscreen Zune will happen, but like, duh.
It was all business as usual, but with all due respect, I do have to beat Robbie up over a few other overly precious quotes:
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ihome zn9
It's pretty amazing that no one's made an alarm clock radio for the Zune yet—it's been out for a year and a half already—but iHome's stepped up to the plate. The ZN9 has dual alarms, separate weekday/weekend times, backlit LCD, and of course a Zune dock. It's similar in functionality to this other iHome alarm clock we're currently testing, but this one's got an Xbox 360-like tapered case. $99 for the Microsoft fan in July. [iHome]
iHome ZN9 is the World's First Zune Alarm Clock Radio
It's pretty amazing that no one's made an alarm clock radio for the Zune yet—it's been out for a year and a half already—but iHome's stepped up to the plate. The ZN9 has dual alarms, separate weekday/weekend times, backlit LCD, and of course a Zune dock. It's similar in functionality to this other iHome alarm clock we're currently testing, but this one's got an Xbox 360-like tapered case. $99 for the Microsoft fan in July. [iHome]
update
Zune Marketplace Adds a Bunch of TV Shows
The offerings over at Zune Marketplace are about to see a nice little update as Microsoft adds 400 new episodes of various television shows. That's not gigantic if you start analyzing shows by 24-episode seasons (and even less when you scale it to dailies like The Colbert Report), but if you were to scale that in terms of MTV seasons, that's like 100+ new shows! Holy crap! Here's the full rollout schedule of the new content: More »
zune
GameStop Squashes Its Bad Zune Habit
It was always strange seeing a video game retailer peddling MP3 players, but nevertheless GameStop has ceased selling Microsoft Zune portable media players. The breakup puts a small speedbump in Microsoft's path to wrest marketshare away from Apple's iPod line, and could slow the progress Zune made against Creative earlier this month. While the initial reaction might be doom-and-gloom for the Zune, the level-headed amongst us will remember that GameStop sells video games, not music players, and big box chains like Target, Best Buy and Wal-Mart will continue to stock it. GameStop said it will continue to sell Zunes until stock is dry, so if you're looking for a deal you might want to stop by your local store. [The Street via Kotaku]
hide your gadgets
Buy a Cheater's Crushed Zune For 99 Cents: Do What You Will With The Dirty Videos
This is one of the reasons you don't cheat on your women, my friends—because they will hit you were it hurts. And that usually means a swift kick in the nuts followed closely by a thorough dismantling of your precious gadgets. The poor Zune pictured here met its demise after a scorned woman found videos on it featuring her then-boyfriend in the act of cheating. More »
microsoft zune
Industry numbers group NPD has just confirmed that Microsoft's Zune's sold 2 million units, just slightly under one year after it sold its first million. Where is Microsoft getting the marketshare for the extra million? Mostly from Creative, who dropped from 4% marketshare to 2% from Q1 '07 to Q1 '08. Apple's also gone down from 72% to 71%, so there might be some defectors in the fruit squad as well. Total marketshare for Microsoft now stands at a decent 4%. [PMP Today via Tech Digest]
Zune Hits 2 Million Sales, Drinks Creative's Milkshake
Industry numbers group NPD has just confirmed that Microsoft's Zune's sold 2 million units, just slightly under one year after it sold its first million. Where is Microsoft getting the marketshare for the extra million? Mostly from Creative, who dropped from 4% marketshare to 2% from Q1 '07 to Q1 '08. Apple's also gone down from 72% to 71%, so there might be some defectors in the fruit squad as well. Total marketshare for Microsoft now stands at a decent 4%. [PMP Today via Tech Digest]
zune
Put Games On Your Zune Now: XNA 3.0 Preview Arrives
XNA 3.0 tech preview is out, and with it, you can dev or install some homebrew games on your Zune right now, like Alien Aggressor and Galactic Wars 3. The directions are at [Zuneboards, thanks IPXX]
zune
If you've got time and absolutely nothing better to do, you can graba resource explorer and dive into the Zune software. What would you find? Some images of two new Zunes, both with a black back. The current black 80GB and red 8GB Zunes have a silver back, which are also pictured, so these would be new new. It looks like just bad lighting, but the resource item actually says "black back." We don't know whether these are retail colors or just limited edition Zunes for employees, but we'll probably find out soon. [Zunited News Center]
New Zune Colors Make the Beast With Two Black Backs
If you've got time and absolutely nothing better to do, you can graba resource explorer and dive into the Zune software. What would you find? Some images of two new Zunes, both with a black back. The current black 80GB and red 8GB Zunes have a silver back, which are also pictured, so these would be new new. It looks like just bad lighting, but the resource item actually says "black back." We don't know whether these are retail colors or just limited edition Zunes for employees, but we'll probably find out soon. [Zunited News Center]
zune
Microsoft Developing Copyright Filter for Zune, Will Block Pirated Content
Yesterday, NBC jumped aboard Starship Zune after its protracted breakup with iTunes. It's clear why—and going with NBC's pricing was only part of it. Saul at the NYTimes says that Microsoft has agreed to develop a copyright filter that would block pirated content from being played on Zunes. Which is exactly what NBC was demanding from iTunes. Sucks, right? Well NBC's president of digital distribution just thinks you don't know what's good for you. Update: Microsoft says NBC was speaking out of turn, and there's nothing like this in the works for Zune. Phew. Update 2: As I suspected, Microsoft's denial actually isn't that black & white, details on that below. More »
z4z
Zune Owner Uses Craigslist for Love Connection
One lonely Zune owner in West Hollywood is searching Craigslist high and low for one of his own—a simple lady to "rocket sweet tracks up each other's Zune slots." Isn't looking for a Zune-using soulmate the technological equivalent of being the last unicorn, fervently searching Earth for a companion, but ultimately settling on a one night stand with a horse* on its way to the glue factory? We mean, what was meant to be a one night stand. Before her kids moved in. Of course, if this is a viral ad, it's far less funny. And it probably is.
*Admittedly, we have to place in our Zune-unicorn metaphor for the role of the horse. So you can just assume the Zune owner resorts to herpes-covered prostitute who uses a Rio or something. [Valleywag]
zune
While at the Zune Media Event in Redmond on Monday, the media had some downtime between presentations, and naturally the conversation moved to Microsoft vs. Apple. The mix of bloggers, reporters and Microsoft advertorial/internal bloggers provided an interesting, if predictable dialogue. Then the convo turned to iPod vs. Zune, and the question of Zune's lack of Mac support came up. The closest anyone came to giving a good reason was suggesting Mac users bought Apple products more for the logo than the actual product, meaning they'd never abandon the iPod for a Zune. A fair point, perhaps, but a silly reason for a company to justify their lack of support for another platform. Here are a few reasons Zune should support OS X:
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Seriously, Where's the Zune Support for Mac?
While at the Zune Media Event in Redmond on Monday, the media had some downtime between presentations, and naturally the conversation moved to Microsoft vs. Apple. The mix of bloggers, reporters and Microsoft advertorial/internal bloggers provided an interesting, if predictable dialogue. Then the convo turned to iPod vs. Zune, and the question of Zune's lack of Mac support came up. The closest anyone came to giving a good reason was suggesting Mac users bought Apple products more for the logo than the actual product, meaning they'd never abandon the iPod for a Zune. A fair point, perhaps, but a silly reason for a company to justify their lack of support for another platform. Here are a few reasons Zune should support OS X:
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tv shows
Colbert says Zune Ownership Proof You're Crazy
On last night's Colbert Report, Stephen gave advice to George Bush on how to go "completely nutball" so Sen. McCain can distance himself from the extremely unpopular president on the campaign trail. Not only did he tell Bush to wear a tinfoil jockstrap, he said the prez should buy a Zune. Really? Sure it's market share is 4%, but what about the new software? [Colbert Report]
zune update
Zune 2.5 Update Screenshot Tour
If you haven't yet gotten the chance to update to Zune 2.5, here's a screenshot tour that takes you through the new and notable changes. A lot of the stuff is the same—it's only a point update and not one to change the fundamental features—but there are great updates in the social portion of the software. Hit the jump for the full tour.
