MicrosoftZune
Latest
Canadian Zune undercuts American price, hip checks into boards
There was a time, not so many years ago, when smug Americans could scoff at the currency of our neighbors to the north, saying "That's what, fifty cents?" at any Canadian price whilst laughing heartily. Naturally we American's aren't quite so giddy these days, and while the US dollar is regaining some traction versus its northern neighbor that doesn't explain this Canuck second-gen 8GB Zune's price discrepancy. It's selling at Future Shop (which is like Best Buy, eh?) for just $99 CAD -- that's $82 US, and over $50 less than we can find it at any other reputable 'Merican retailer. It is a limited time offer, however, going back up to $149.99 CAD in just six days. So, you'd better hurry up and take off to the great white north -- Future Shop doesn't ship international, don'cha know.[Thanks, evil-m0nkey]
Engadget Podcast 117 - 11.07.2008: Zune giveaway edition
Yes -- it's happening again. Another installment of the beloved Engadget Podcast has made its way to the virtual airwaves of the ever-loving internet, and now you can listen in for personal enjoyment and edification. Today Josh, Paul, and Nilay get to the heart of our recent "preferred OS" poll, Apple's treatment of iPhone developers, Amazon's abandonment of painful packaging, and more. Included in this podcast is a first-ever (for Engadget at least) on-air unboxing. That's right, hear the sounds of a Gears of War 2 Zune getting ripped open. As a treat to our faithful listeners, we'll be giving away that very special edition 120GB Zune! Follow the instructions after the break to learn how to make it yours. Update: We've also included that Best Buy rap discussed in the podcast. Enjoy! Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul Miller, and Nilay Patel Producer: Trent Wolbe Music: Smells Like Teen Spirit 01:43 - Poll: Which OS do you prefer? 12:38 - Apple adds OTA podcast downloads to iPhone firmware 2.2, continues to burn developers 27:14 - Amazon takes a stand to eliminate wasteful, hard-to-open gadget packaging 34:30 - Circuit City announces store closure plans, full list of locations revealed 45:51 - Dash cuts 50 employees, drastically changing business model 55:05 - Gears of War 2 canvasses special-edition Zune Subscribe to the podcast [iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC). [RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically. [RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator. [Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune Marketplace Download the podcast LISTEN (MP3) LISTEN (AAC) LISTEN (OGG) Contact the podcast 1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.
Zune Guy calls Microsoft 'liars,' says Zune situation is 'f***ing bulls**t'
You've probably heard by now that the infamous Zune Guy ("Microsoft Zune") was so disappointed with Microsoft that he's elected to have his ink removed in place of something more in line with his shifted priorities. In addition to the reconstructive work he's going to have, ZG claims that Microsoft actually lied to him about his free trip to the Redmond campus, which (as you might imagine) further tarnishes his image of the company. Unfortunately, according to reps from Microsoft we spoke with, the trip was never confirmed -- only discussed -- and ultimately canceled due to the very reasonable fear that it might lead a lot of "hyper-engaged users" to expect a trip of their own (though they did hook our man up with a free Zune and some related swag). What you probably haven't heard (or seen) is his sprawling video rant, in which he accuses the big M of dropping the ball on his favorite PMP before going on a general rage-bender. We've included the video after the break (careful moms, it's full of expletives), as well as link to a zunescene forum where the Zune Guy reveals he's just purchased a new PMP... an iPod.[Thanks to everyone who sent these in]Read - Something else I have been hiding....Read - Bought my new PMP today....
How would you change Microsoft's flash Zune?
Hey, we gave you the opportunity to voice your opinion on Microsoft's original Zune back in August, so it's only fair that the new kids on the block get their turn in the ring, too. This go 'round, however, we're adding a little twist -- focus your attention on the flash-based iterations only. The diminutive Zune 4 and Zune 8 were probably more highly anticipated than their HDD-based siblings, and considering that the rumors were literally all over the map leading up to the release, we can't say anything really shocked us when launch day came and went. Granted, we were a bit bummed to find that these wouldn't feature TV outputs, but hey, at least we got the option of adding more than just two lines of text to the thing's rear, right?By now, you've had more than ample time to give the flash-based Zune of your choice some serious play, and we're sure you've logged a couple of complaints in your mind, so here's your chance to get it all out in the open. If given the keys to the Zune 4 / 8 design lab, what changes would you implement? Add in a few more pixels? How about a few more gigabytes? Melt the whole thing down and shape it like a discus? Or is your heart still longing for the oh-so-elusive Zune phone? Whatever your wish may be, feel free to let the whole world know in comments below -- you never know who'll tune in.
The Zune will be feeling some Halo 3 love
Microsoft's "iPod killing" Zune music player will be jumping in the sack with Halo 3 in a few weeks. Rumor has it that an exclusive Halo 3 branded Zune will be available later this month online and show up in retail stores come June. But just like the newish pink Zune, it'll only be available in limited quantities. But we're not sure how "limited" the device will really be. Overall, we think the Halo 3 Zune is quite sexy in a subtle fanboy way, but would it make you, fellow fanboy, break down and purchase a Zune over an iPod?[Via Live Gamer]
Xboy's revenge: Zune to play games by July 2008
In the continuing effort to sling a rock straight into the iPod's forehead, Microsoft has revealed plans to bring games to their Zune series of portable music players. How Zune? According to a Bloomberg.com report, you can expect pleasant beeps and boops to emanate from the player by July 2008. You might recall that Apple also recently embraced gaming on their somewhat popular iPod range.No specific games have been mentioned yet, though recent CES developments might give you a fairly strong clue. Expect arcade games like Geometry Wars and Uno to make the jump, complete with wireless play and Live Anywhere integration. Popular franchises (hello Halo) may give Microsoft more traction in their struggle against the iPod, at least where portable games are concerned. As New York analyst Michael Gartenburg puts it, "It's not like the music enthusiasts have been flocking to Zune, and they need to really answer Apple in terms of feature parity."With the battle between audio players now spilling into the gaming arena, winners and losers become more and more difficult to spot in the cloud of dust. Can music lovers be swayed by other diversions? And what do the PSP and DS have to say in the matter? See also: All things Xboy
Zune hits retailers today!
Microsoft's little mp3 player that could the Argo ... I mean Zune has hit retailers today! Yes, I know this is a blog about Xbox 360 and not mp3 players, point taken. But, have you forgotten the rumors that the 360 and Zune would play nice and possibly be able to show off some gamercard goodness? And of course Microsoft makes the Xbox 360 and Zune, both headed up by our buddy J Allard. Hmm, I think this whole post was about me trying to justify why there should be Zune news on this blog. Go buy your Zune today! (Zune news will be sparse from here on. I plomise.)
You got Gamercard in my Zune!
Gamertag Radio's resident code sleuth, Pinksage, found an interesting tidbit inside the Zune.net source code. It looks like links to various Zune related websites. They're all pretty normal except the last one on the list which reads, "gamercard.zune.net." -- check out a screen shot here. We had a pretty good idea that the Zune would play nice with our 360, but the idea of actual Gamercard integration never crossed our minds. Because we're also super sleuths (and because we love you) we stuck gamercard.zune.net into our favorite web browser. Unfortunately, it doesn't exist. At least, it doesn't exist yet. That won't stop us from speculating though (does anything?). Let's say you connect your Zune at your favorite WiFi cafe. You see that your buddy is playing Gears of War a week early. Naturally, you send him a Live message that you'll be right over, and off you go. We don't know how many of these features will actually be supported, but frankly, we're frightened. This kind of functionality could turn us into one of those annoying Blackberry people that are never disconnected. What do you think? If you're in the market for an multimedia player, would Gamercard/Live functionality convince you to pick up a Zune?
Amazon unveils Zune accessory gallery
While Amazon has done a commendable job in (presumably) dispelling the hot air of a Griffin spokesperson, it's not always, um, entirely reliable. However, we'd bet the gallery of Zune accessories gracing its pages now weren't uploaded erroneously. Boasting everything from the premium earphones, travel pack, FM transmitter, and dock to the sync cable, wireless remote, A / V cable, and car charger that we've known were on the way, we're just glad we can finally match a face with a name. Although none of the Microsoft-branded accessories are priced or available for pre-order, the Zunes themselves certainly are (in all three colors, no less) for those who aren't feeling lucky. Say, doesn't that dock connector look awfully familiar?[Thanks, Darryl]
Griffin is / isn't making Zune accessories
Ah, yet another round of conflicting evidence. This time it's Griffin's word against Amazon's product page, and we're honestly not quite sure who to believe just yet. We knew that Microsoft had solicited help from iPod add-on makers, and we'd been under the impression that Griffin was on the Zune accessory bandwagon since day one of the Zune launch, but now the company might be singing a different tune. iLounge has it that a Griffin spokesperson all but denied its future involvement with Microsoft's media player, and to add insult to injury, claimed the company would rather continue focusing on iPod accessories "due to its close relationship with Apple." Fairly strong words from the "leading PMP accessory maker," but they've certainly lost at least some credibility thanks to Amazon; clearly labeled as Griffin's "Tempo Armband for Zune," the product page is even accompanied by dimensions, a description, and a specific model number (8098-ZNTMPO). So, what's the deal here Griffin? Are you going to ignore all the future Zuneheads out there, or was that spokesperson just blowing smoke?Read - iLounge Read - Amazon[Thanks, chs]
