zunehd

ZuneHD 64 GB now available

April 10, 2010 | By Surur

Now may be a bit of an odd time to buy one, given the arrival of Windows Phone 7 in around 6 months, but if you prefer a pretty nice media player that is regularly updated with new features, and have a massive library and music, this 64 GB ZuneHD is now available for purchase.

Selling for $349.99 at the Zunestore, the 64 GB device comes preloaded with the latest 4.5 version of its software, which brings better features on TV-out and expanded video codecs. The smaller capacity 16 GB and 32 GB models have seen corresponding reductions in price to $200 and $270 respectively.

Are any of our readers interested? Let us know below.

Via Engadget.com

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ZuneHD 4.5 firmware now available

April 5, 2010 | By Surur

The latest version of the ZuneHD firmware, version 4.5, is now available, bringing the announced SmartDJ and Marketplace for TV support. There are also a more expanded collection of codecs, including Xvid support and part of full compatibility with MPEG-4 part 2 Advanced Simple Profile, meaning even less video need to be converted before it can be viewed on the device.

In the above video by Engadget we have Micheal Yaeger, Zune marketing manager, taking Engadget through the new features

Hopefully Microsoft will maintain consistency and make sure these features make it to Windows Phone 7 also.

ZuneHD owners can get the update via their PC client.

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Microsoft makes 64 GB ZuneHD official

March 31, 2010 | By Surur

Press release: We’re excited to share that Zune fans will be able to purchase a new 64GB capacity of the popular Zune HD device for $349.99 starting April 12th through ZuneOriginals.com. By increasing the Zune HD capacity to 64GB, users will be able take up to 16,000 songs, or 20 hours of high definition video from Zune Marketplace, or 25,000 pictures on the go! Customers will be able to customize their Zune HD 64GB through ZuneOrginals.com, available in their choice of Platinum, Black, Blue, Red, Green, Purple and Magenta colors.

In addition to introducing the new 64GB capacity, we are also reducing the prices of the 16GB and 32GB devices. Starting today, price lists are being distributed to retailers, setting the Estimated Retail Price (ERP) for the Zune 16GB device at $199.99 and the Zune HD 32GB device at $269.99.

With its OLED multi-touch screen, built-in HD radio, HD video out capabilities and Internet browser, Zune HD is a full-function media player which has received accolades from press and consumers. We’ve also announced details of an upcoming firmware update which will add even more features to the device, such as Smart DJ auto-playlists directly on the Zune HD, ability to browse, stream and acquire music from Zune Marketplace on your TV (while the device is connected to a TV set through the A/V dock) and expanded codec support allowing users to play more video formats natively from the device.

We are excited to be offering a great range of storage capacities for the Zune HD at a competitive price point and will be sharing more news on the availability of the 4.5 firmware in the coming days.

Via Engadget.com

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Microsoft officially spreads its Panoramic UI over the large screen

March 30, 2010 | By Surur

Microsoft has made the ZuneHD marketplace and smart DJ features accessible while the device is docked in the 720P-capable AV Dock and of course what is most interesting is to see the Metro Panoramic UI unfurled over a big screen, and it does look as gorgeous as we always expected it to.

The update of course also reminds us how a device fully under Microsoft’s control can continue to develop over time, again raising hope of a rapid continuing development of Windows Phone 7, even after release.

If you are a ZuneHD owner, read the release below.

It’s been an exciting few months for Zune. We launched the Zune HD device last September which has been receiving press and consumer praise for its OLED screen, HD Radio, HD video out and key music discovery features, which become even more powerful with a Zune Pass subscription. We also expanded the Zune service to additional platforms. We brought Zune video to Xbox LIVE in November, giving consumers access to instant on 1080p HD with 5.1 surround sound and the ability to buy content once and play it on the TV through Xbox LIVE, on the PC through the Zune software and on the go on a Zune device. We also announced last month that Zune will be an integrated feature on Windows Phone 7 Series and we’re looking forward to sharing more details about the Zune experience on Windows Phones in the coming weeks and months.

Earlier this year, we also shared that we’ll be introducing a Zune HD firmware update this spring. We’re excited to be bringing even more features and functionality to Zune users through this update, and wanted to share some additional details around what will be introduced.

- Smart DJ on Zune HD: Zune has always been committed to helping people discover new music. We added "Smart DJ" to the Zune software last fall and now we’re bringing this popular music discovery feature to the Zune HD device. Smart DJ on Zune HD will let you create an instant playlist mix whenever the inspiration strikes direct from your device. Just choose a song or artist from your collection or from the Zune Marketplace catalog and press the Smart DJ icon to build a new mix based on your selection. If you have a Zune Pass music subscription it will pull music from your existing collection and the Zune Marketplace catalog to create the mix. If you don’t have a Zune Pass subscription you can still use Smart DJ to build a playlist from the collection on your device.

- Picks on Zune HD: Picks is another popular music recommendation feature in the Zune software which we’re extending to the Zune HD device. The Picks algorithm analyzes what you listen to and compares that to millions of other Zune users to make personalized recommendations. With this update, you’ll be able to access these automatic recommendations directly on the Zune HD device as well as on your PC.

- Browse and Stream Music from Zune Marketplace on your TV: Using the Zune HD A/V dock, you can connect your Zune HD to your TV to play your favorite videos and music from your device on the big screen. With this software update, you’ll also be able to browse and stream music from Zune Marketplace directly on your TV to find and listen to your favorite music from the comfort of your couch. You can browse New Releases, check out recommendations from your Picks page, search for a specific song or artist, or even create a new Smart DJ playlist on your big screen – a great way to make an instant soundtrack for your next party.

- Expanded Video Codec Support: With expanded support to include MPEG-4 Part 2 Advanced Simple Profile (ASP), which includes Xvid and AVI support, you’ll be able to immediately enjoy a broader range of video content natively on Zune HD – no transcoding required.

The update will be offered as a free download in the next few weeks, and we’ll be sure to let you know when it’s available. In the meantime, we wanted to share an image of the Smart DJ feature on the Zune HD device which is attached here; All a user needs to do is press the Smart DJ icon on the far right of the screen to build a new mix based on their favorite music.

Via Engadget.com

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Teased 64 GB ZuneHD hold promise for 64 GB Windows Phone 7 devices

March 29, 2010 | By Surur

We wrote a few days ago about SanDisk’s recently announced 64 GB Sandisk flash memory module. It seems the ZuneHD may be one of the first devices to get this, as a link to a 64 GB version has just popped up on Zune.net.

Of course at the moment the link leads nowhere, and in some ways 32 GB may be wasted on the ZuneHD, and would be better suited to a ZuneHD 2 with the same screen resolution and innards as a Windows Phone 7 phone (minus the phone of course).

Hopefully the module showing up in a Zune device also suggests we will see some Windows Phone 7 series phones coming with that much storage too – give me 64 GB and USB storage mode and I promise I will stop complaining about removable storage in Windows Phone 7.

Via Engadget.com

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Microsoft sued for ZuneHD “Buy from Radio” feature

March 27, 2010 | By Surur

An ophthalmologist in Wisconsin is accusing Microsoft of wilful patent infringement for its Buy from Radio feature.

The suit, filed in U.S. District for the Western District of Wisconsin earlier this week, alleges that Microsoft’s Zune music player’s "Buy from FM" feature infringes a pair of patents that were granted in 2002.

He claims her contacted Microsoft with the idea of tagging music heard on the FM radio and allowing purchases via a WIFI hotspot in 2006, and was then ignored by Microsoft, only to see the idea appear almost unchanged in 2008 with the release of the first Zunes.

In his suit, Yavitz asks for a permanent injunction against Microsoft selling the Zune with the allegedly infringing technology, along with treble damages, and court costs. He also said that his patents are broad enough that other broadcast technologies such as HD radio do not undercut the validity of his patents.

"I came up with the [patents] before there was even an iPod," Yavitz said, adding that his patents have another ten years to run.

Microsoft officials declined to comment on the suit or its merits but Yavitz said it’s possible that Microsoft is now more open to negotiation with Windows Phone 7 Series devices, which will include Zune-like features, including an FM radio.

"Windows Phone 7 has the potential of turning every phone into a Zune," Yavitz added. If the new phones take off, they could bring in a lot of income, which would make the two patents that much more valuable. Yavitz’s suit also alleges that the feature is implemented in Zune HD devices, which shipped last September, replacing earlier versions of the player.

With all the talk of patent trolls and patent wars, its often easy to forget sometimes patents protect the little guy with a bright idea. Did Microsoft steal this idea, or was it just extremely obvious? Let us know your thoughts below.

Read more about the suite at ItManagement.com

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A look at the Zune media player on Windows Phone 7

March 20, 2010 | By Surur

The above brief video from MIX10 shows the Zune media player in action. The software appears to be a pretty full implementation of the ZuneHD client, but lacks the squirting music sharing feature that unfortunately never really caught on.

On interesting feature not demoed is that the Zune client will be able to synchronize media over WIFI, meaning in conjunction with cloud services and OTA updates a Windows Phone 7 devices may be one of those devices one will never have to plug into your PC at all.

Are our readers looking forward to this music experience on their phones? Let us know below.

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Facebook App for ZuneHD now fixed, looks pretty nice

March 3, 2010 | By Surur

Pocketnow have published this video review of the ZuneHD facebook app, which launched yesterday with some problems, but which is now working properly after a hasty fix.

Headline features are the ability to post updates containing a link to the music you are currently listening to on Zune.net, allowing one to share previews of the music with anyone, and full tracks with Zune subscribers.

The main complaint however appears to be the software running quite slowly, something which will hopefully not be an issue on our gigahertz processors when the software shows up on our Windows Phone 7 phones.

New Facebook app for ZuneHD, a taste of WP7s apps?

March 2, 2010 | By Surur

2010-03-01zunehdfb-6

Microsoft has released the long awaited Facebook client for the ZuneHD.

Engadget, who gave it a try, notes the app has some issues. Most were related to some connectivity problems, but they note that the photo viewer allows one to leave comments, but lacked pinch-to-zoom, or any other form of zoom in fact. This issue is also present on the Windows Mobile version of the Facebook client, but rather disappointing for a newly released product running on the flag-ship version of their mobile OS.

See more pictures of the client after the break.

Continue reading →

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Does ZuneHD price drop presage the Zune Phone?

February 5, 2010 | By Surur

Several blogs have noticed ZuneHD pricing at Amazon and New Egg had dropped by $30 to $40, while the official Microsoft Store is now offering a $20 price cut for the $32GB Zune HD, with the once-$229 16GB Zune HD now listed for $199.

Of course there are all kinds of theories to explain the drop, but my preferred on is the imminent announcement of a Zune Phone at Mobile World Congress.

If this is the case it also implied the device will not only be announced, but may be delivered to the market very soon after.

What do our readers think? Is this likely? Let us know below.

Via tech.yahoo.com

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WM7: Analysts jump on board, says Pink phone is coming in 2 months

January 19, 2010 | By Surur

Feeling a bit left out, Jefferies analyst Katherine Egbert also felt the need to add to the Windows Mobile rumour mill, which has been very hot recently, with their own bold prediction.

Citing “industry checks” (or is that blog posts?) she claims a Microsoft branded handset, in the same vein as the Google Nexus One, is set to be released by Microsoft in the next 2 months, either at Mobile World Congress in February or CTIA in March.

Apparently the Zune-like phone will run Windows Mobile 7 with an interface similar to to the ZuneHD UI, will be crated in partnership with a few OEM’s and will have at least a 5 megapixel camera and be capable of 720p video.

Egbert ads that the OS will include a Zune video store and music subscription and purchasing services and social networking apps like Xbox Live, Facebook and Twitter.

Interestingly Techcrunch has also spoken about a similar device, which appears to be more dumb phone than smartphone, also set to be announced soon.

A developer has told them Microsoft is developing an OS based on the “ZuneHD kernel” with very strict hardware and software specs, from screen size to RAM size to processor speeds. The OS can not run any Windows Mobile applications, and can only be programmed for in Silverlight and .Net. No background are allowed, and no system resources can be accessed either. The device will come with a Microsoft software store with an easy approval process.

The device will also come with XBox Live functionality for gaming and messaging, and there is no expectation that this will be a business device. The UI will be like the ZuneHD, but with phone controls build-in.

Commentary: To us it sounds like this may be one and the same device, but not Windows Mobile 7 as we expect it, but rather a branch like the ZuneHD is at present. At the same time it also seems rather like a dead end, and we wish Microsoft would roll everything together in one OS and device, rather than force users to choose if they want an entertainment of business device.

Read more Barrons.com and MobileCrunch (via MSMobiles.com)

Follow us on twitter.com/wmpoweruser for the latest Windows Mobile 7 news and rumours.

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ZuneHD to get XviD support, will Windows Mobile 7 bring it too?

January 12, 2010 | By Surur

According to CNET ZuneHD owners, who have been getting many more updates than us humble Windows Mobile users, will be getting support for MPEG-4 part 2 Advanced Simple Profile videos, which means your ZuneHD will be able to play DivX video straight from the net.

Also in the update will be the Smart DJ feature, which on the ZuneHD means you will have a Pandora-like streaming playlist when on WIFI.

A Facebook app is also set to show up soon.

The Zune music service is expected to come to Windows Mobile 7 handsets in some form soon, and hopefully these enhancements will be part of the package.

Official Twitter app coming to ZuneHD

December 16, 2009 | By Surur

The official Zune twitter channel has announced the imminent arrival of the ZuneHD twitter application. The ZuneHD’s app catalogue has been slowly filling out, but of course the device is still primarily a media player.

It does serve as a reminder however that while Windows Mobile does have an official Facebook client, Microsoft has for some reason seen fit to rather serve the small minority of their device users, rather than the larger Windows Mobile community. Hopefully this is an issue they will address in the near future.

Via Mobiletechworld.com

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