Yes, it’s been awhile since I posted here at ZuneSphere.com. There’s a couple of important news announcements regarding the Zune. First off, let’s talk about pricing.

On the hardware front, Microsoft lowered the price of the flash-based Zune players. The 4GB Zune now goes for $99; the 8GB for $139 and the 16GB $179. Unfortunately the hard drive based Zune didn’t receive a price discount at this time.

Several Zune accessories were also marked down – the Zune Car Pack is now priced at $69 dollars, the Home AV Pack is at $59 dollars, and the Dock Pack is now $39 dollars.

Now on the software/music side, a couple of major developments. First off, there’s a new firmware and software update available – so make sure to perform an update at your earliest convenience.

Secondly, the Zune Pass subscription received a nice enhancement yesterday. Starting yesterday, folks who use Zune Pass (which costs $14.99 per month) will be able to download and keep 10 tracks per month – DRM free. Microsoft signed agreements with EMI Music, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group as well as many independent labels to make this happen. Microsoft also announced that soon over 90 percent of the content on the Zune Marketplace will be DRM-free and in MP3 format. This certainly makes Zune Pass much more attractive for those of you who have been waiting in the sidelines. While you’re paying for unlimited access to songs, you also get what amounts to a free album once a month.

[Check it out via PC Magazine]

Technorati Tags: Zune Pass, Zune Flash, Price reduction

In preparation for the upcoming release of Gears of War 2 for the Xbox 360 console, Microsoft announced their new Zune Gears of War 2 Special Edition 120GB device which is now available for pre-order at Amazon.com and Walmart.com for $279.99. 

The new Zune GOW2 Special Edition player is based on the Zune 120GB player and features a laser-etched Crimson Omen on a new gloss black enclosure, collectible Gears of War packaging, and 244 pieces of Gears of War media (original game soundtrack, behind-the-scenes videos, game trailers, and concept art galleries).

The Zune Gears of War 2 Special Edition will begin shipping on November 7th - the same day Gears of War 2 will be made available worldwide.

[Pre-order at Amazon.com]

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Microsoft, Zune Gears of War 2 Special Edition

I’m willing to bet that when you think of the Zune, you’re thinking of a portable media player with a software application running on the computer desktop. Well in an interview with CIO.co.uk, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer sees the Zune as something slightly different.

Now, we built the Zune hardware with the Zune software - and what you’ll see more and more over time is that the Zune software will also be ported to and be more important not just with the hardware but on the PC, on Windows Mobile devices, etc.

Pretty interesting huh?

A Microsoft rep had this to say when asked by CNET’s News.com for additional clarification on Ballmer’s comment:

“We’ve always said that software and services is a key focal point for Zune and it does make sense to extend the Zune experience to other devices.. In terms of specific timing we have nothing to announce at the moment.”

Seriously now - is this really surprising? The Zune team did something incredibly right when they created the Zune platform. They nailed the user interface spot on. In fact many in the media think that the Zune user interface is BETTER than the iPod user interface. BETTER. With this kind of popularity, why not bring the Zune back into the Windows Mobile fold - especially since the Zune already has its roots in Windows CE/Mobile. Why not extend the reach of the Zune software to encapsulate many more devices - bringing them into the Zune influence.

The Zune also helped Microsoft extend their online marketplace services. Before the Zune, we had the Xbox LIVE Marketplace where gamers could download games and movies and of course interact and play with others. With the addition of the Zune Marketplace, Microsoft extended the Marketplace to include music (although the services are still disjoint from one another - movies in the Xbox LIVE Marketplace can not be purchased or used for the Zune and vice versa with music.

Yet the platform and services should help you see the bigger picture here. Take a step back and look from way up high.  At the center of all of this are Microsoft software services such as Windows Live, Xbox Live Marketplace, and the Zune Marketplace. Think the cloud folks. Connecting to the cloud and its services are client devices running Microsoft operating systems - from PC’s with Windows to mobile phones running Windows Mobile to Xbox 360 consoles running the new Dashboard Experience, to devices running the Zune software.

OK.. so that’s how I see all of this coming together. Will they actually execute a plan like this? Who knows.. but in the short term, it’s nice to see the Zune expand further into additional devices.

[Check it out via News.com]

Technorati Tags: Zune, hardware, Steve Ballmer

TheStreet.com has an amusing article about the new Zune 3.0 update over on their website entitled “Zune 3.0: Microsoft’s iPod Killer?” Now before Apple fans go ballistic with that statement, the author does point out immediately that “Apple’s iPod still rules the roost — and probably will for a long time.” Yup.. I’ll definitely admit to that one. In any case, the article’s somewhat amusing because of the statements that the author makes.

Case in point - near the end of the first page, Gary Krakow writes “The new software is definitely an improvement over the original and last year’s update. It puts your computer music library right on the front page where you can see everything in a glance. “  Umm sorry Gary but the initial library snapshot is pretty much identical to last year’s update. The music was always there to begin with.

Then he writes “The new software also puts Microsoft’s new Zune Marketplace front and center.” I’m not sure how “front and center” it is, but the Marketplace is as easily accessible this year as it was last year. It just looks a bit better graphically speaking.

“The biggest hardware difference is that Zune built-in Wi-Fi.” Umm.. Hello? Have you seen the iPod touch? (Unless he’s referring to the Nano and the classic of course… but he doesn’t clarify).

Yet there is one thing I do agree with Mr. Krakow. The Zune sounds better than the iPod. I definitely will agree to that.. though IMHO, the difference is subtle.

In any case, check out the review for a little chuckle..

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Zune 3.0, TheStreet.com, Review

For those of you who love commercials, Microsoft has a new Zune promo ad out explaining the new 3.0 features. Check it out on YouTube (or below).

Thanks to EDN for this linky. That link also has a nice overview of the new Zune 3.0 installation and update.

Technorati Tags: Zune 3.0, Promotional Video, microsoft

PC Magazine published two separate reviews of the new Zune updates this past week - separating out a review for the Zune 16GB flash player and the Zune 120GB hard disk drive player.

For the Zune 16, they had the following to say about the player:

Calling the Zune 16GB a new product is a bit of a stretch. With no real hardware changes, and the ability to load the new software onto any of the older models, we’re basically looking at the same old player with a paint job, a capacity upgrade, and price change.

They ended up giving the player 3 stars out of 5 - calling it a “good” player.

Now for the 120GB player, PC Magazine had this to say:

Still the best hard drive-based portable media player on the market—the feature-barren iPod classic can’t compete with the Zune’s top-notch navigation and added wireless abilities.

So there you have it - the hard drive version of the Zune still rocks in the eyes of PC Mag.. the flash player could use a little updating though.

Technorati Tags: PC Magazine, Microsoft, Zune 16, Zune 120, Review

I’ve been thinking about how we could turn the Zune Social idea into something a bit more concrete for all of us Zune users out there. Zune Social in itself is a wonderful idea in that, it allows users to see what their online friends are listening to on their Zune players. The biggest problem of course is… most of us don’t have enough friends with Zunes! It’s just darn hard to meet people with this wonderful media player.

So what can do to solve this?

I say.. let’s throw a party!! (A Zune User Party (ZUP)?) A real party that is.. not a virtual party of sorts.. but a real party in real cities around the country. We could start small.. start in one city and see what the interest is like. If it catches on, we can assign people in every major city to be responsible for administrating and holding their own party of sorts..

Think of this as.. a Zune owners party.. a way for people to get together and meet other fellow Zune owners. We could certainly add a spin to this by requiring Zune owners to bring their Zune along. In fact, if you bring a Zune to the party, you’d get into the party for free. If you don’t bring a Zune, you’d have to pay a cover charge.

Another reason to bring the Zune? Share songs with other folks at the party! Sharing songs was a pretty nifty idea to begin with but the truth is.. the next Zune owner is about 2-5 miles away from my office!!! What we need is a central location for people to mingle AND share. Heck, we could have people print out their respective Zune Cards too!

So.. what do you think folks? Since I live in Los Angeles, I’m thinking about starting up a Zune party here. If you living in Los Angeles AND you own a Zune, let me know if you’d be interested in attending. Just comment here. If we get enough interest, we could be the first to throw a Zune users party.. Heck, if we get a lot of interest maybe we can get Microsoft to help us out!!!

Technorati Tags: Zune Users, Zune Party, Los Angeles

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

We’re nearing the third anniversary of the Zune (ok.. we’re about two months) so if you’re Microsoft, what do you do? Keep them coming of course! Unlike the last two years, you won’t see any new hardware designs for the Zune this year. Instead, Microsoft decided to release new storage capacities for the Zune and also update the firmware and Zune software application.

Let’s first cover the hardware changes which really are not changes as much as additions. There’s a new hard drive based Zune out - the new Zune 120GB model or Zune 120 for short.  On the flash front, Microsoft upped the storage amounts to 16GB there - no real surprise there of course given that iPod touch devices are already available in 16GB models. I must say it’s slightly disappointing that Microsoft didn’t announce new hardware changes to the Zune to compete more effectively against the iPod touch.. but then again, the software changes are indeed nice.

Ah yes.. the software changes. This is certainly where things get exciting. First off, Microsoft has finally unleashed more capabilities to the built-in Wi-Fi support on the Zune. In the first iteration of the Zune, we saw the notion of being able to share music between Zune devices. Cute.. neat.. but somewhat useless considering I had to travel a tens of MILES to find the next Zune user! In the second iteration, Microsoft finally allowed for wireless syncing of the Zune. Another cool feature.. useful at times too.. but in practice, I never really used it.  Now, in the third iteration of the software, Microsoft finally allows for wireless downloads of music straight to the Zune via the Zune Marketplace. Finally - a truly useful feature of the Wi-Fi connectivity support on the Zune. What makes this even sweeter is the notion that with a Zune Pass subscription, you could easily listen to millions of songs on demand straight from the marketplace anytime you’re near a Wi-Fi hotspot. This is truly where an all-you-can-eat subscription makes a lot of sense. Sure it’s not free like Pandora.. but at least 1) you won’t have to worry about whether the service will stay alive or not and 2) you get access to WAY more titles!

Now to make this all possible, your Zune will now be able to connect to thousands of Wi-Fi hotspots (w00t!). Unfortunately, since the Zune does not have a built-in web browser, you won’t be able to connect to hotspots that required browser logins.

As for navigating the Zune marketplace on the Zune, users will be able to browse lists of featured new releases, top songs and albums sorted by genre, or use the on-screen keyboard to type a song title.

If you’re a big user of the built-in FM receiver on the Zune, then you’ll probably appreciate the new “Buy from FM” feature being introduced with the third iteration of the Zune software. Buy from FM lets customers tag and purchase songs they hear on the radio directly from their Zune device. If the user is near a Wi-Fi hotspot, they can purchase and directly download the track. If they’re not near a Wi-Fi hotspot, the track gets queued for download when the user either connects to their PC or connects to a Wi-Fi hotspot later on. I’m not a big user of the built-in FM radio myself.. but this might change things finally. There are certainly many many instances where I find myself saying “Gee.. who’s this person I’m listening to?”

Think that’s it? Nope.. there’s more folks. Microsoft also announced a new “Channels” feature on the Zune software. You can view and listen to expert-created channels or you can have the Zune software create custom channels for each user based on their favorite artists and genres. If you want to listen to the expert channels, you’ll need a Zune Pass subscription to get at everything - or you can purchase songs one at a time in an a la carte fashion if you don’t have the pass.

There’s also the “Personal Picks” feature which is basically a new recommendations system for users. When you log into the Zune Marketplace, you’ll find a new “Picks” area where suggested artists, albums, and tracks will appear. This is all done via a new Zune recommendation algorithm that uses information from the Zune Social.

Speaking of Zune Social, the online music community now gets a bit more powerful thanks to the Zune Card. Previously, you could see what your friends were listening to on the Zune Social - now you can take there tracks with you on the go via the Zune Card. A Zune Card is a real-time playlist of each user’s favorite and recently played tracks. The card can be accessed from the web or within the Zune software application or synced to the Zune device. Playlists will even automatically update when the Zune connects to a wireless hotspot - very cool. Overall - this is certainly a very neat feature on the Zune. You can finally listen to what your friends are listening to - assuming of course you can get your friends to use the Zune instead of some other competing music player! (more reasons to do so now!)

Two other new features on the Zune software are:

• Mixview. Customers can select an artist, album or Zune Card to activate a dynamic, visual mosaic of related music and listeners. With each click users can take the view in a new direction, creating a fun, graphical way to discover new music. Mixview works with users’ current collection of music, in addition to tracks and albums from across the Zune Marketplace.
• Now Playing. The improved Now Playing view is more interactive and cinematic. Users can sit back and enjoy the combination of great artist imagery, colorful effects, bio information and data from the Zune online music community, all combined in a full-screen view. They can also click to dive deeper into the music behind the picture, providing another great way to interact with their collection.

Finally, on the firmware front, other small but notable features on the Zune include:

• Two free games for the Zune - Hexic and Texas Hold ‘Em. Yes.. games on the Zune are indeed real
• Support for audiobooks finally!
• Support for audible!
• Support for OverDrive

So.. what’s the catch in all of this? Nothing folks. The great part about the Zune experience for existing Zune users is the fact that EVERYONE with a Zune will get these new features for free!! So if you have an original Zune 30 - not a problem - go ahead and update the firmware next week. If you have a Zune 80 - not a problem too! There are no fees to pay, no software to buy.. just upgrade (pray a little), and go! 

Finally, the current pricing plans are as follows:

• 120GB Zune - $249.99
• 80GB Zune - $229.99
• 16GB Zune - $199.00
• 8GB Zune - $149.99
• 4GB Zune - $129.99

It’s certainly nice to see the Zune team continuing to advance the Zune on the feature and software front. Though it would have been nice to see new hardware models aside from storage upgrades, the mere fact that these new software updates are made available to ALL Zune users is certainly something Microsoft can be proud of.

[Check it out]

Technorati Tags: Zune 120, Zune 16, New Zune, Zune Software, Zune three

Thanks to the FCC for this tidbit. It appears that a new 120GB version of the Zune will soon be available here in the U.S. Aside from the larger capacity drive, there appears to be nothing else different about this model. In fact, the Zune 120 (we’re guessing that this will be the name of course), appears identical to the Zune 80 design. No word on pricing nor availability but it’d be a good bet that the Zune 120 would be priced near $299. Of course, if Microsoft really wanted to try and push sales of the Zune, they could lower the price of the Zune 80 and have the Zune 120 start at $249. Is that too much to ask for?

[Check it out via BGR]

Technorati Tags: Microsoft, Zune 120, FCC