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Bleeding Edge TV 302: Zune Originals package
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gizmatic, Short Bytes, Accessories, USB, Apple, Cell Phones, Features, Podcasts, Portable Audio / Video, Product Reviews, Videocasts, Videos,
We’ve said it for months, but we will say it again, as far as digital music goes, the Zune Pass is the best deal in music. Of course, if you want to take advantage of the tracks you download using the Zune Pass, you’ll need an actual Zune device. Sure, you could hit the store and pick up one of the generic Zunes you’ll find on the store shelves of any Target or Best Buy, but why not get something a little more customized? That is where the Zune Originals line comes in. We were able to get our hands on a custom-designed Zune Originals device, and we thought we’d give you a hands-on look at what exactly it is you get when you spend an extra $15 or so on a customized Zune. As you’ll see, you get premium packaging, a neat design etched into your Zune device, a piece of artwork, etc.
For all the details, go ahead and watch the video.
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Zune Z2K Caused by Leap Year?
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Microsoft, Music, Portable Audio / Video,
By now, you have probably heard of the temporary sepuku occurring in 30 GB Zunes. If not, then you either don’t have one or undoubtedly haven’t plugged yours in the last few days. Many have suggested that the “Z2K” problem was caused by 2008 being a leap year. Microsoft offers tips if your Zune has ceased to exist. They suggest disconnection, allowing the battery to drain, then reconnect the Zune to its USB port on your computer or AC adapter. Check with Microsoft if you have questions or your own theory.
Read More 
| Zune FAQ
Bleeding Edge TV 299: Zune Holiday 2008 Hardware & Accessory lineup
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Full Episodes, Gizmatic, Accessories, Features, Home Entertainment, Microsoft, Music, Podcasts, Portable Audio / Video, Videocasts, Videos,
We’ve made it clear a few times that we feel that the Zune platform has progressed nicely since it’s inception, especially with the introduction of the Zune Pass, which we feel is the best deal in music today. Definitely something we recommend this holiday season. So much so, in fact, that we have put together a video showing off every Zune device that is currently available, as well as some of the cooler accessories available for the device set. We show off the Zune 80, Zune 120, Gears of War 2 Special Edition Zune, the flash Zunes, and even a Zune Originals piece.
On the accessories side, we give you a look at the Kicker stereo for Zune, a few cases, armbands, car accessories, and the Home A/V Kit. See? Told you we brought the goods to this one. Check out the video for the scoop on everything, and let us know if you end up picking any of it up.
Microsoft MS08-078 Security Patch
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Internet, Microsoft,
Internet Explorer users should take special note. Microsoft has released the MS08-078 patch to fix a security problem. The company claims that the vulnerability comes through JavaScript code on malicious sites, when victims are redirected to them through hacked ones. Malware is then downloaded onto the user’s computer. IE 5.01, 6, 7 and Beta 2 seem to be affected. This means that about 1 in 500 may be at risk. If you think you may be one of them and haven’t updated your browser lately, head over to Microsoft to find out more.
Read More | Information Week
Charges Rise on Dell MS XP Downgrade
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Editorial, Microsoft, PC / Laptop,
Last June, Dell began to charge customers $20.00 to $50.00 to downgrade to Windows XP. It was up to $100.00 by October. Now it seems that they are charging $150.00. At the same time, we recently read that Microsoft claims that 9 out of 10 Vista customers are satisfied. While we don’t believe everything we read, we keep wondering why Dell is punishing XP users and MS’s inhouse research, with figures that include licenses sold as part of a downgrade package, seems cheerfully optimistic. What do you guys think? Remember when Coke came up with a new version and nobody liked it? It just went away.
Read More | Silicon Alley Insider
Calling 411 Is Free, If You Know Where To Look
Posted by Patrick Phelps Categories: Smartphones, Google, Microsoft,
So you don’t have an iPhone or other web-enabled phone, you’re away from your computer and you’re tired of shelling out your precious greenbacks for 411 services; is there any other option? Well, you could just keep on calling 411, the phone companies love it when you do that – a quick check reveals that Verizon charges $1.49 per call and both AT&T and Sprint charge a piggy bank busting $1.79 per call – or you could give Google or Microsoft a call, they’ll take care of you for free. Google’s service, “GOOG-411” can be accessed by calling 1-800-GOOG-411, while Microsoft’s “Live Search 411” can be accessed by calling 1-800-CALL-411.
Both systems use voice recognition technology (you won’t be able to speak with a real human) to provide directions to and phone numbers of millions of destinations across the United States and Canada, connecting you to your destination and sending you a text message containing the requested information if you so desire.
Which service is right for you? You’ll have to try them both out and decide for yourself. I surprised myself by choosing the Microsoft service as my favorite. Stranger things have happened…
Check out the video (up top) for an introduction to the Google service.
Microsoft To Drop OneCare, Adopt Free Morro
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Corporate News, Microsoft, Software,
Microsoft has announced that they will be offering free antivirus software late next year for Windows XP/Vista/7 and the upcoming IE 8. Referred to as Morro, the software will provide “comprehensive protection from malware including viruses, spyware, rootkits and trojans.” Because it is smaller, it is a welcome relief for those of us with aging PCs. Although they are discontinuing their OneCare subscription service in June, users should be happy they are saving a few bucks.
Read More | Daily Tech
Microsoft Lowers Prices on Zune Players and Accessories
Posted by Sheila Franklin Categories: Hot Deals, Microsoft, Music, Portable Audio / Video,
We told you yesterday about the Zune Pass being such a sweet deal and you probably countered with, “But I don’t have a Zune.” Microsoft is pleased to announce that they have lowered their prices on their flash-based products just for your. Effective now in the U.S. and Friday in Canada, the 4GB model is now $99.00, the 8GB is $139.00, and the 16GB Zune drops $20.00 to $179.00. There are also accessories that have been marked down, so you have no excuse.
Zune Pass now includes 10 keeper songs per month
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Corporate News, Hot Deals, Microsoft, Music,
Wow. The best deal in music just got a whole lot better, as Microsoft has announced that the $14.99 per month Zune Pass will now allow subscribers to download and keep 10 tracks per month, which is a $10 value. Those tracks are yours, permanently, even if your Zune Pass subscription comes to an end. Participating labels include EMI Music, Sony BMG, Universal Music, Warner Music, and independents like INgrooves, Independent Online Distribution Alliance, and The Orchard. Tracks downloaded from Sony BMG and UMG will be DRM-free MP3s, which tracks from EMI and Warner also include MP3 files, there are also some WMAs still hanging around. The Zune guys say that soon, 90 percent of the music in the Zune Marketplace will be in the MP3 format.
So when you break this down, if you subscribe to the Zune Pass, and download 10 tracks a month, you are really just paying $5 for unlimited access to the huge catalog of music available in the Zune Marketplace. We can’t think of a better, legal deal in music than what Microsoft is offering with Zune right now. Can you? At this point, we see no reason to fire up iTunes to do our music purchasing.
Zune 3.1 update: More games, better Social, more
Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Handhelds, Microsoft, Music, Portable Audio / Video, Video Games,
Just two months after the Zune 3.0 release, Microsoft is now deploying the next incremental update to their Zune platform with Zune 3.1. Available for download today, the Zune 3.1 update brings quite a few welcome feature changes and updates:
- New Games: Checkers, Sudoku, and Space Battle
- New multiplayer mode, and single-player difficulty levels, for Texas Hold’em
- Visual changes to the Zune Social, making it prettier and easier to navigate
- Like-Minder Listeners feature added to social, allowing you to compare your music tastes to others
- Improved play count reporting, content synchronization, and other bug fixes in both the hardware and software
You can grab the update now by launching your Zune software, going into Settings, and hitting Check for Updates.
Read More | Zune Insider
