Microsoft's files Zune patent for "automatic delivery of personal content"

Worried that you weren't getting any phantom downloads to your Zune? Fear not, readers, as Microsoft has plans to get you seriously covered. In a new patent application unearthed last week, the boys in Redmond outline a scheme wherein new media -- whether it be podcasts, individual tracks, or albums -- would be downloaded to your Zune via WiFi if relevant new content appeared on the company's servers. What's relevant content, you ask? Well, say you had a number of Foo Fighters records in your playlist, and you had set your preferences to grab any new music by the band that was put online. Tracks (or maybe just freebies like singles) might be downloaded directly to your player and added to a playlist. The system might also make suggestions for downloads based on your listening habits, possibly suggesting a Probot record, or Queens of the Stone Age. Whatever the implementation may be, we can all be assured of one thing: Dave Grohl will somehow be involved.

[Via ZDNet]

[Amir @ Sep 25th 2007 9:09AM]

It will make porn downloaders very happy [;)] who watch stuff from one specific actor/site

[ssuk @ Sep 25th 2007 11:50AM]

My soon to be revolutionary "Pornographic Entertainment Newsgroup Internet Service" will become market leader of automated porn download software by the end of 2007.

[? @ Sep 25th 2007 9:10AM]

... so Microsoft is finally deciding to give us the consumers the services that should be offered when first Zune launched?

[dv @ Sep 25th 2007 9:15AM]

uh, i don't want my playlist being sent to a company server, thanks.

[Mike @ Sep 25th 2007 9:29AM]

Then don't get a zune :P

[Who? @ Sep 25th 2007 1:53PM]

Uh, what are you afraid of?

[mike @ Sep 25th 2007 9:16AM]

what the hell is a zune?

[ssuk @ Sep 25th 2007 11:52AM]

I think it's one of those things that... Does something. I'm not too sure though...

[bob e @ Sep 25th 2007 9:21AM]

This feed back loop is just what Zune needs to differentiate itself.

Now... offer better sound quality than iPod, along with intelligent content management and you may have something to talk about.

[Leo @ Sep 25th 2007 9:33AM]

According to many websites it does have better audio quality than the iPod, but who cares about that in an MP3 player?

[Chris @ Sep 25th 2007 9:35AM]

Lord knows "websites" are never wrong.

[[e-mail] @ Sep 25th 2007 10:27AM]

oh i have tried them both and the zune's sound quality is far better then the ipod's, no contest.

I don't really care about this development, I would rather portable zune marketplace on the zune.

[John @ Sep 25th 2007 12:32PM]

I would trust hydrogenaudio or head-fi in anything related to sound quality. And by all accounts, the Zune is very good for audio quality.

[Chocolate Rain @ Sep 25th 2007 9:42AM]

About damn time!
I think the Zune is a great player, bought mine early and it's still going strong like new. Give us an 80 Gig though.

[neon @ Sep 25th 2007 10:23AM]

Your comments: cant wait for the new Zune... love the first one. great sound, great
screen, great GUI.

[MEAT! @ Sep 25th 2007 10:35AM]

Zune_Msgbox("Notice! Your Zune "WhyDidntIGetAniPod" has just downloaded 30 tracks from: Foo Fighters. You now have three (3) days to listen to these songs before they will be deleted and not be able to be re-downloaded without paying. Enjoy.");

[Monu @ Sep 25th 2007 10:57AM]

Syntax error LINE 1: ';' expected
Unknown command LINE 1: 'WhyDidntIGetAniPod' is no known object

Critical error, please refer to "Pseudoscript for Dummies" for further help

[MEAT! @ Sep 25th 2007 11:13AM]

Ouch.

[Chris.L @ Sep 25th 2007 2:19PM]

sounds great...if you're one of those suckers who actually pays for their music...

[Kyle Johnson @ Sep 25th 2007 11:08AM]

How the hell does this patent not fail the obviousness test? I can already download personalized content from my local media library to my player via USB. Adding WiFi and an off site server it's just obvious, it's stupidly obvious.

[Raymanunique @ Sep 25th 2007 11:08AM]

How on earth can this be patented? I am using BeyondPod on my Samsung i600 that downloads my subscribed podcasts over wifi.

[Liquid @ Sep 25th 2007 11:43AM]

It's not patented, just a published patent application.

[Ellianth @ Sep 25th 2007 8:40PM]

The same way other stuff gets patented. Didn't they give out a patent for the linked list a while back?

[typoink @ Sep 25th 2007 12:00PM]

I'm pretty excited by this announcement. I like my Zune a lot, but the one thing the Zune Marketplace is sorely lacking is music discovery features. Rhapsody has their Channels, which work excellently, but Zune Marketplace really doesn't offer squat. Automatically downloaded new music could elevate the Zune from "competent" to "fantastic."

[typoink @ Sep 25th 2007 3:29PM]

Edit: and by "announcement," I mean semi-informative patent leak, but it's the closest we've had to a legitimate feature update announcement we've had since the thing launched.

[Javi0084 @ Sep 25th 2007 12:32PM]

If the Zune offered .ogg playback then I would consider buying one. IF.

[Larry Clark @ Sep 26th 2007 8:37AM]

My Playstation Portable downloads podcast over wi-fi at any set time

[Nathonrose @ Sep 25th 2007 2:34PM]

That was going to be my comment. People have to try and stop patenting some of these things. Now, if it's truly novel, heck yeah, patent it, your ideas need to get reimbursed, but something like this is just ridiculous. Hopefully it gets thrown out.