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2009 Holiday Gift Guide: Zune HD
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Handhelds, Microsoft, Music, Portable Audio / Video, Techies, Teens, Under $250,
We must say, one device we were excited about this year was the Zune HD, and as evidenced in our Zune HD review, Microsoft came through with a superb device with a fantastic service behind it to match. In fact, we’ve said it many time that, in our opinion, for someone that truly loves music, Zune is the best deal around. Coupled with the $15 per month Zune Pass (which isn’t a requirement,) you get a top-notch portable media player with an OLED screen, HD Radio, and web browser with the advantage of being able to listen to pretty much any song you can think of at a moments notice.
The Zune HD retails for $289 for the 32GB model, and $219 for the 16GB model - however, Amazon’s got a great sale on the Zune HD that’ll put the 32GB model into your hands for $269 ($21 off,) while the 16GB model will run you $189 ($30 off.)
Read More 
| Zune on Amazon
Gallery: 2009 Holiday Gift Guide: Zune HD
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New (and free) Zune HD games now available
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Hot Deals, Microsoft, Portable Audio / Video, Software, Video Games,
Following up on the promise of more free games for the Zune HD, Microsoft has released six new titles that are now available for your downloading pleasure. We’ve got a blurb on each game here, but we’ve gotta just say, after playing with PGR Ferrari Edition, we are thankful for that Tegra processor that the Zune HD is packing. Sure, it’s no App Store equivalent, but hey, it’s free content that is actually more fun than a flashlight or tip calculator:
- Audiosurf Tilt: Audiosurf creates a rollercoaster ride from any song. Choose any song from your music collection and watch Audiosurf turn it into a unique roller coaster track for you to ride. The song you choose determines the shape, the speed, and the mood of each track. Tilt your Zune like a steering wheel to collect colored blocks and avoid speedbumps. Unlock more than 30 designs, each with its own special theme and color palette.
- Checkers: Enjoy the classic game of Checkers in a beautiful outdoor park setting. Play against the computer or against a friend.
- Lucky Lanes Bowling: Bowl in different game modes: exhibition, blackjack, golf. Play in five different bowling alleys with unique themes, all with the swipe of a finger. Choose from twenty different bowlers and twenty two different ball styles. You can play against the computer or play with up to four friends.
- Piano: Play your own tune, or play along with your favorite music on this electronic piano.
- Project Gotham Racing: Ferrari Edition: Tear through the streets of London, Tokyo, and New York in the Ferrari of your choice using multi touch controls and the built in accelerometer.
- Vans Sk8: Pool Service: From the Admiral to the old abandoned rec center pool, Bucky Lasek and Omar Hassan know a good bowl to skate. Hit the pools and put these Vans skaters to the test with all the tricks in their bag and achieve hero status once you unlock their pro model skateboards.
According to Microsoft, the Facebook and Twitter apps are still being worked on, but are still on track for Zune HD as well.
Gallery: New (and free) Zune HD games now available
Windows 7 launch imminent! Order your copy now for delivery tomorrow
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Hot Deals, Microsoft, PC / Laptop, Software,
It’s the eve of the Windows 7 launch, and if you haven’t heard, it’s pretty great. So great, in fact, that this is the first version of Windows that we are recommending people upgrade to on day one. We are that impressed. In a nutshell, Windows 7 is what Vista should have been back in 2007.
You can order Windows 7 today from Amazon, and they’ll have it on your doorstep tomorrow:
You can purchase the upgrade version of WIndows 7 if you are currently running Windows XP or Windows Vista. Anything earlier, and you’ll need to buy the full version.
Gallery: Windows 7 launch imminent! Order your copy now for delivery tomorrow
Another Microsoft Courier video shows how it’ll work
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Design, Displays, Handhelds, Microsoft, Rumors,
Remember that Microsoft Courier video we showed you last week? Well our friends at Gizmodo were able to uncover a bit more about the mysterious and astonishing Microsoft tablet device. In the leaked video above, you get a look at the way that the fine folks in Redmond think you’ll integrate the Courier tablet device into your everyday life. We must say, it’s insanely slick, and we hope that it works exactly as shown. Of course, this is just a demo, and it doesn’t even feature a real hand or stylus.
That said, we are big fans of the “infinite journal” approach, and we can certainly see a lot of professional uses for such a device with a natural input system. What we are still curious about, though, is if this thing is also meant to be a multimedia device. You know, movies, games, music? The things that we are expecting the Apple tablet to excel at? Or is this a case of Microsoft recognizing that Apple has a stronghold in that area, and as such, they’ll focus on a different, underserved demographic? Time will tell.
Read More | Gizmodo
Gallery: Another Microsoft Courier video shows how it’ll work
Microsoft’s Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 is their thinnest ever
Posted by Mark Rollins Categories: Accessories, Microsoft, PC / Laptop, Peripherals, Wireless / WiFi,
Clearly, revealing the Courier tablet prototype was not enough for Microsoft, as they have topped themselves once again. This time, the company produced their skinniest keyboard to date, and this Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 is totally wireless.
There is no Bluetooth dongle included, so make sure your computer has Bluetooth built-in before making the purchase. The keyboard is powered by 3 AAA batteries, while the numeric keypad takes just one AAA. Both will be available in October, $90 for the combo, and $45 for just the number pad, if that’s all you want.
Read More | Microsoft
Gallery: Microsoft’s Bluetooth Mobile Keyboard 6000 is their thinnest ever
Microsoft’s Courier tablet: We need one immediately
Posted by Mark Rollins Categories: Design, Displays, Handhelds, Microsoft, Rumors,
Our friends at Gizmodo recently got a fantastic scoop, revealing a project that Microsoft has been working on, known as the Courier tablet. This device has been a secret for the Microsoft for a long time now. According to Giz, this is more than just a concept device, but rather, Courier is in the “late prototype” stage.
Courier has two 7-inch screens that are touch sensitive, and are designed to be interacted by touch or with the very pen-like stylus. On its hinge is a home button like the iPhone, and this hinge serves as a virtual “pocket” to hold items that are moved from one screen to the other.
No word on price or availability just yet, but you have to admit that it looks quite sexy. Of course, this may not even come to fruition, but it’s a bold challenge to Apple’s dominance in the sexy multitouch devices department.
Read More | Gizmodo
Gallery: Microsoft’s Courier tablet: We need one immediately
Zune HD Review: Music discovery at its finest
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Design, Features, HDTV, Microsoft, Portable Audio / Video,
We’ve had the new Zune HD in our hands for a few weeks, and now that we’ve had the opportunity to thoroughly get to know it at an intimate level, we figured it was time to share - but first things first. We’ve gotta say it. Microsoft has been consistently wowing us over the last few months. Say what you will about Windows 7, Bing, et al, but at the end of the day, they are solid offerings that stack of well against their competitors. Then of course, there’s the Xbox 360, which just received a dashboard overhaul, making it even more useful and feature-rich, and there is even more to come this fall. For us to even be thinking about Microsoft in this way is a huge departure from even just one year ago.
So, all that said, where does the Zune HD fit into all this? Well, as we’ve posted previously, the thing has an OLED 16x9 display, and packs in the NVIDIA Tegra processor. Those two pieces of news has us super-excited to see if this thing would live up to the hype. Does it? Go grab a drink and get comfortable, because we are going to delve right in.
Click to continue reading Zune HD Review: Music discovery at its finest
Gallery: Zune HD Review: Music discovery at its finest
Zune 4.0 software now live - go get it!
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Microsoft, Music, Software,
It is now September 15th, and that means that you are now able to go and grab the Zune 4.0 update. Go ahead and do it, if you love music. The Zune.net site is still undergoing maintenance, but if you have the old version of the Zune player, just launch it and have it check for updates, and you’re golden.
Gallery: Zune 4.0 software now live - go get it!
Zune.net now streams entire Zune music catalog in the browser (even on Macs!)
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Internet, Microsoft, Music, Software,
One of the main gripes we’ve had with Microsoft as it pertains to the Zune platform is that they have stubbornly decided to keep it to a PC-only experience, leaving those of us who live in OS X out in the cold. Well, starting today, that changes. Kind of.
You see, the Zune Marketplace is now a part of Zune.net. Aside from having the largest audio and video podcast streaming directory, Zune now allows you to log in and listen to music from the Marketplace in any browser that supports Silverlight 3. Technically, Microsoft says that this experience is officially supported in Internet Explorer and Firefox, but we will have to give it a shot in Safari. Anyhow, the caveat here is that you can log in as a Zune Pass subscriber and stream music. This doesn’t solve the problem that those on a Mac have where they can’t sync their Zune hardware or download music. Still, though, it’s a step in the right direction, and a nice bonus for Zune Pass subscribers to be able to access and stream music, including Smart DJ playlists, on the fly. This basically turns any computer running IE or Firefox into a terminal for you to log in and crank those Zune tunes, and we like it.
For those wondering, any activities you do with Zune.net stream will also be reflected in your Zune account and Zune Card. How cool is that?
Gallery: Zune.net now streams entire Zune music catalog in the browser (even on Macs!)
Zune 4.0: The Complete Feature List Rundown
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Microsoft, Music, Portable Audio / Video, Software,
The wait for the big Zune refresh that a lot of us have been clamoring for is finally over. Today, the Zune HD launches, available from the Microsoft online store, Amazon, Best Buy, and others. Alongside that launch comes a much-improved Zune software and services package. That’s right, Zune 4.0 is here, and there’s lots to cover. Let’s dive in and take a look at all the major new features in Zune 4.0, as well as some of the smaller pieces of fit and finish that make this release shine, including the Zune Marketplace, Zune PC software, Zune on Xbox Live, and Zune.net.
ZUNE 4.0
From everything we’ve seen as it pertains to the Zune 4.0 software, this update is all about making music more enjoyable to listen to, easier to discover, and easier to manage. In addition, you get movies in the Zune Marketplace now (both rental and purchase,) Xbox Live integration, and a bunch of other features that make Zune 4.0 one of the best pieces of media management software that we’ve used to date.
QUICKPLAY
One of the first things you’ll notice about Zune 4.0 is the Quickplay screen. Similar to the Quickplay area on the new Zune HD, the Zune desktop software gets similar treatment. Here you’ll be able to pin specific content to the area, get a look at new content you’ve recently added to your library, pull up recently played content, and also get direct access to your Smart DJ mixes. Smart DJ, you say? Yes, read on.
Click to continue reading Zune 4.0: The Complete Feature List Rundown
