It seems like iPod/iPhone docks are a dime a dozen, but docks and speakers for the Zune are slightly lacking. Fortunately, Kicker has a solution with firmware for its ZK500.

Unfortunately, the user is required to ship the system to the company in order to have the firmware installed. That upgrade/installation runs about $40, but the company will pay for the shipping. By the way, the ZK500 costs about $249.

Source

Tags: Kicker, Kicker ZK500, MP3 Players, ZK500, zune, Zune firmware, Zune HD

Those who have a Zune, and have downloaded the latest firmware update, version 4.3, will have the option of downloading six new games for free.

It doesn’t sound like these are games that require special glasses, but even if they have 3D graphics, it is a definite step up. There is a list of the six new free games after the jump.

(more…)

Tags: Audiosurf: Tilt, Checkers, Lucky Lane Bowling, microsoft, Microsoft Zune, Mobile Software, MP3 Players, PGR: Ferrari Edition, Piano, Vans Sk8: Pool Service, zune, Zune 3D games, Zune HD

After we’ve seen the Rachael teaser yesterday, today we get a glimpse of its user interface. The Sony Ericsson phone is going to be released on Tuesday, November 3 but it looks like Sony Ericsson wants us to see more and more of its capabilities already.

In this demo you’ll see how Rachael deals with multimedia files. The video shows how the Android phone plays music and videos for you and you can’t say that you’re not impressed with what Sony Ericsson has cooked up. If you own a Zune then the UI will seem familiar as some influences are pretty clear. But that doesn’t make the interface less interesting!

In remains to see the real thing in action. The video is conceptual and for internal use only so the Rachael might look completely different. We’ll tell you all about the Xperia X3 once it becomes official. Just a few more days to wait!

via se-blog

Tags: Android, Sony Ericsson, Sony Ericsson, UI, video, Xperia X3, zune

The Zune HD is a hit product so far. Most resellers have run out of it so maybe you should check eBay’s auctions to see if people are selling any Zune HD. And if you do, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to find out that there’s a special Zune waiting for you. The auction for this 32GB “Atomic” Zune HD starts at $265 but the price will probably go way up. In case you’re not willing to pay extra for a Zune HD then you should probably wait for the guys at Redmond to release this version too. Which I’m sure they will do at some point in the near future.

via Anything but iPod

Tags: Atomic, ebay, microsoft, microsoft, MP3 Players, zune, Zune HD

The Zune HD has come and it has conquered. Although launched after Apple’s iPod-related media event, the Zune HD quickly became a best seller. It looks like all the major players have run out of Zune HD players for now. At Amazon you’ll have to wait for up to two months to get a 16GB model while a 32GB will be available in up to three weeks. Best Buy has the Zune HD as “backordered” while New Egg has sold out all its available Zune HD. So what do you say Microsoft? How many Zune HD have you sold so far? Did the fact that the iPod touch 3G lacks a camera increase the Zune HD sales? We’ll know more in the near future when we’ll probably be able to compare actual sales figures for both the Zune HD and the iPod touch 3G.

via Engadget

Tags: Amazon, Apple, best buy, hd, iPod touch 3G, microsoft, microsoft, Mobile News, New Egg, Portable Devices, zune

September 15 is the day when the Zune HD will be finally available but it also happen to be the day when Microsoft will have a Zune software update for everyone else. The new software, possibly the Zune 4.0, will bring you plenty of new features but you’ll have to wait two more weeks to get it. In the mean time it will be interesting to see how the new iPods coming on September 9 will affect Zune HD orders in the following months. What’s your next MP3 player going to be? A Zune or an iPod?

via Microsoft

Tags: ipod, microsoft, microsoft, MP3 Players, software, zune

We have some good news for future Zune HD owners! According to this pamphlet right here, the Zune Marketplace will be filled with music, HD movies, TV shows and podcasts. The pamphlet has been handed out at Best Buy’s Zune HD showings so it’s as official as it can get. We were kind of expecting HD movies availability from the Marketplace anyway. What else would you need a Zune HD for?

via Zunited

Tags: best buy, hd, marketplace, microsoft, microsoft, Mobile News, Movies, MP3 Players, zune

We already know that Microsoft will make us all call Windows Mobile 6.5 and all its future updates as Windows Phone. Apparently Windows Mobile isn’t as appealing as Windows Phone, is it?

And it looks like the final build of Windows Phone is already available and it has been shown off. Check out the video above to see what Windows Phone looks like! You’ll spot a Zune-like interface, the Marketplace for Windows Phone, the My Phone sync service and Microsoft Tag. Are you impressed in any way with Windows Mobile 6.5 Phone?

via theinquirer

Tags: microsoft, microsoft, Mobile News, Mobile Software, Windows Mobile 6.5, windows phone, zune

It seems that woot.com’s deal of the day today focuses on Microsoft’s iPod competitor, the Zune. They currently have up for sale a refurbished 80GB Zune in addition to a Home A/V pack for $149.99 plus $5 shipping.

To put this into perspective, a brand new 120GB Zune retails for around $230 while a refurbished 80GB Zune sells for about $170. Add that to the ~$79.99 you’d be paying for a Zune Home A/V pack and you have a deal that you can really woot about.

While this is a great deal, I think I’ll hold off until the Zune HD hits the market.

Read (Woot!)

Tags: 80gb, hd, ipod, Uncategorized, woot, zune

Does this surprise anyone? Well, it is a bit surprising as this move comes a little late in the game. Microsoft is about to launch a music store/service for the Zune and possibly the Xbox. According to Peter Bale, the executive producer of MSN, Microsoft is “looking at launching a music streaming service imminently.” The new service should be available sometime in August and it’s apparently going to be similar to Spotify. Will cell phone users be able to use it too?

The service will probably be offered for free as long as users agree to listen to ads every half hour. Is Microsoft going to reinvent the whole iTunes concept? Nothing is clear so far and we’ll be looking forward to see Steve Ballmer explain this to the crowd.

via Joystiq

Tags: Apple, iTunes, microsoft, microsoft, Mobile News, music, Streaming Service, xbox, zune

According to the FCC, Creative is on the verge of launching two new MP3 players, the Zii and Zii EGG. Anyone having a deja-vu feeling? These players look similar to the iPod touch and the Zune HD. Which one would you choose?

We don’t have all the specs yet but it’s clear for everyone that these new players will come with HD cameras. This also powers up the rumor according to which iPods are going to get cameras themselves. The Zii and Zii EGG will also come with 802.11b/g WiFi and the Zii system-on-chip.

So what do you say Creative? When are you launching the new players?

Tags: creative, hd, HD Cameras, iPod Touch, MP3 Player, MP3 Players, Portable Devices, System-On-Chip, Zii, Zii EGG, zune

Well sure it’s a Microsoft phone you’ll say, it will run some sort of Windows Mobile version on it! That’s true but what I mean is that the phone appears to be Microsoft-branded. Could this Pink smartphone project be the first Microsoft phone? Microsoft denied more than once that it’s working on an own mobile device but what if that changed?

Sure maybe Microsoft will not call it a Zune phone in which case the company was awfully right when declaring that no Zune phone is going to be created soon. The Pink phone is said to run on Windows Mobile 7 and we can expect some sort of custom UI on top of the regular OS. Pink is also said to be a Sidekick-like phone and it could be manufactured by Sharp or Motorola. Unfortunately we don’t have any hot details about it!

A lot of questions come to mind but we shall leave them unanswered for now. We’ll be waiting for someone to leak that Pink-related ad campaign that Microsoft is reportedly working on.

Tags: microsoft, microsoft, Motorola, Motorola, pink, Sharp, Sharp, Windows Mobile 7, zune

Remember those Zune HD rumors from a while back ago? Well it looks like the device is really real. Microsoft has announced the Zune HD today and here’s what you can expect from it: 3.3-inch OLED capacitive touchscreen display, built-in HD radio and HD output. We could have some surprises when it comes to apps and games specially conceived for the Zune HD but we don’t have any precise details just yet.

We do know that the Xbox and Xbox Live will get Zune integration and the Zune marketplace will be filled with Live video resources. E3 should bring more information about the Zune HD’s capabilities and extra features. Microsoft is waiting for E3 to reveal more:

attendees will see first-hand how Zune integrates into Xbox LIVE creating a game-changing entertainment experience

By fall you should definitely be able to get the new Zune HD. Just in case you don’t want an iPod instead.

Tags: hd, marketplace, microsoft, microsoft, MP3 Players, Portable Devices, xbox, Xbox Live, zune

Naturally Microsoft has gone ahead and denied all that Zune phone buzz from earlier today. Brian Seitz said that the rumors posted on that @officethemovie Twitter account are basically false:

That account is bunk. Not run by Microsoft so I would not put much stock in what they say. The real Office movie account is http://twitter.com/office2010movie.

It was fun while it lasted but from what we see here Microsoft isn’t denying the actual Zune phone so who knows what’s coming in the near future?

via Engadget

Tags: microsoft, microsoft, Mobile News, Phone, twitter, zune

We’re still recovering from that earlier Zune phone news and now we have to deal with another Microsoft project, the Pink, which, from the looks of it, it’s a smartphone. Now the Pink has some features available. The phone will have a 3.5-inch or even larger multitouch display, an ARM v6+ processor, OpenGL ES 2.0-compatible graphics, 256MB of RAM and 1GB or more of storage. We can also expect a 3 megapixel camera, GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, a compass and an accelerometer. Think we’re done yet? We have even more leaked details for you! NVIDIA’s Tegra platform is also going to be part of the Pink project. TI’s OMAP 3 platform and Qualcomm 8k are also listed. Will Microsoft use all three of them?

That’s how Windows 7 Chasis 1 smartphones will look like but we can’t say for certain how will Microsoft bundle all those specs. According to previous rumors the Pink is not a phone but a project meant to bring Zune software and services to Windows Mobile. Should we assume that Windows Mobile 7 will come with lots of Pink features inside? Let’s hear it Mr. Ballmer? What will it be?

via zdnet

Tags: Chasis 1, microsoft, microsoft, Mobile News, Mobile Software, OMAP 3, pink, qualcomm, Tegra, Windows 7, Windows Mobile 7, zune

Whenever school starts, one thing that most students have to address would be the requirements. This is both academically and the thing you will need. But would you believe that one university has made the iPhone/ iPod Touch a requirement for a certain course?

The University of Missouri’s journalism school has just added the iPhone/iPod Touch to the incoming Freshmen required supplies.

“Lectures are the worst possible learning format,” said Associate Dean Brian S. Brooks. “There’s been some research done that shows if a student can hear that lecture a second time, they retain three times as much of that lecture.” Brooks did note however that theoretically any MP3 player could be used. “You could use a Zune, for example,” he noted.

By having an Apple device however, it is easier to download the lectures, as it has a special section in the iTunes Store. “There are about 50 other schools across the country that are doing this,” he concluded.

(Source) After Dawn

Tags: Apple, Apple, dean, incoming freshmen, iPhone, iPhone, iphones, journalism school, MP3 Player, university of missouri, zune

After we’ve seen that almost cute Zune HD concept, we have more Zune-related news which also concerns the cell phone business. First and foremost, no Microsoft is not launching a Zune phone.

The new Pink service is about to be revealed as people say that Microsoft is talking to important ad agencies regarding this Zune software for mobile phones project. We don’t have the exact details so far but it’s suspected that Microsoft is going to make the Zune the preferred media software for all Windows Mobile phones. Does that require ad agencies to promote it? Is this such a big announcement? Is anything bigger in the works?

via CNET

Tags: microsoft, Mobile News, Mobile Software, Phone, pink, player, software, Windows Mobile, zune, Zune HD

Is Microsoft hiding something from us? Does it have a new Zune ready to face the iPod touch? Could it be turned into a phone like we kept hearing before the CES 2009?

The picture above shows a Zune HD which is a touchscreen PMP but we have no confirmation from Microsoft so far. We can expect the device to be ready to offer us a 720p-ready display with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 which is one of two standard aspect ratio used by mainstream films. If such a device is coming soon, why not make it a phone? Microsoft?

via Engadget

Tags: microsoft, microsoft, Mobile News, PMP, Portable Devices, zune, Zune HD, Zune Phone

Steve Ballmer’s at it again and this time he sets his focus upon Windows Mobile 7. While we originally learned from a Motorola exec that Windows Mobile 7 probably wouldn’t hit the market until 2010, Big Bad Ballmer cleared that up for us; Windows Mobile 7 is officially set for a 2010 release date.

Ballmer then went on to say, in a Strategic Update Meeting, that a Zune branded phone will never hit the market. Microsoft currently has no plans to produce their own cellphone hardware and will leave that up to the pros.

Read (BoyGeniusReport)

Tags: microsoft, Phone, software, Steve Ballmer, Windows Mobile 7, zune

With Valentine’s around the corner, we’ve spotted another pink device. This time it’s a special edition pink Zune offered by Nylon Magazine and Microsoft. Just 1,000 units of this MP3 player are going to be made so you should definitely have to hurry if you want one. The Zune is available on eBay as we speak and it has a $279 price tag.

via eBay

Tags: microsoft, MP3 Players, Nylon Magazine, pink, Portable Devices, Valentine's, zune