Inside the Circle

Congrats! CrowdGather acquires AnythingbutiPod

socialcircle@live.com — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:44:30 PST

I've known Grahm Skee for a while now, but I've always known about his site AnythingbutiPod. It's one of the coolest sites out there for getting a deeper understanding of digital media (players, music formats, etc). Recently, ABI was acquired (read: purchased) by CrowdGather, a company that likes to centralize where people can find forums and communities for different types of technologies.

I'm very proud of Grahm and what he's been able to accomplish with ABI. I guess now the BOOMSHOTS in Gears 2 will be just a bit more sweeter :-)

Best of luck with the next chapter, buddy.

[Graphic comes from ABI. You can hear it from Grahm here!]

Free Music Download: Because Mondays Really Suck

socialcircle@live.com — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 12:19:33 PST

I give you Urban Outfitters' Music Mondays' five free songs for the week.

Maybe Mondays won't suck so bad anymore.

Let's call it Canadian firmware 4.3 update for Zune HD! :-)

socialcircle@live.com — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:19:22 PST

So, over the weekend, I was finally able to get the firmware update for my 16GB Zune HD. Now I know the update was only released on Friday, but the reason I say finally is because it didn't involve me just simply plugging the device into the computer and having it update. It involved me traveling to Canada. It appeared for me (and apparently for Neville as well) that by changing the region location to Canada we were instantly prompted for the 4.3 update. Weird, I know, but this also explains why our buddy Jason Dunn was able to get it immediately and not us [See, sometimes being Canadian with Zune does have advantages, haha].

So what's in the new firmware update. The general rundown is this:

Support for the upcoming 3D games and applications.
Auto Suggest feature for text input.
Faster web browsing experience.
Landscape keyboard
Keyboard option has been added in the settings section.
New toggle between seek and presets under Radio.
Under the internet settings, you can now toggle to default mobile or desktop webpage layout.
Artists bios are updated; embedded links to other artists in text.
Other bug fixes.

I will admit that the browser does run much snappier and having it suggest words to you, as you're typing is a much welcomed improvement. And it prepares Zune HDs for the impending arrival of new games and applications.

Now we already know that games like Audiosurf and Gotham Project Racing and applications like Twitter and Facebook are on the way, the question is when? Some are suggesting that it will happen the day of the XBOX Live update, given that Zune and XBOX are becoming closer together (see: Zune Video Marketplace). Will that be the case only time will tell?

By the way, the embedded links in the artist bio is actually more useful than I had imagined. One of the great bios to try this on is the one for Prince (considering it's talking about movies and whatnot). What I found when I clicked on "Purple Rain" as a movie title was it tried to go into the Marketplace and a message came back and said "This video is not available in the Marketplace" -- well gee, why would it tell me that? When I clicked on one of his album names, it went directly to the Marketplace and to that album. That cuts out some time needed to reach content.

But yeah, what do you all think of the 4.3 firmware update...?

Sunday Treasures - Breaking Benjamin

socialcircle@live.com — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:10:20 PST

Artist	Breaking Benjamin
Song	The Diary of Jane
Album	Phobia
#zunetune	Click here to download

Current Music - Embedded with Common, Lykke Li and Bloc Party

socialcircle@live.com — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:53:18 PST

Common takes us cross-country for a whirlwind promotional tour. We're Embedded with him at morning radio shows, record store signings and on stage. Then we head to his old neighborhood in Chicago where he explains how Barack Obama has raised the bar for all of hip-hop. Along the way, Mos Def, Pharrell, and Will.i.am testify as to why Common is one of the greatest in the game.

Plus, Swedish phenom Lykke Li storms San Francisco thrift shops to find an outfit for her show, and Bloc Party performs "This Modern Love" acoustic on a sidewalk in Paris.

Current Music Presents: Embedded is a six part special that puts you on the ground and behind the scenes with unrivaled access to your favorite musicians. We've traveled the world, going beyond performances to bring you the most intimate and unfiltered moments in artists' lives. When others stop the cameras, we capture the real story of today's top musicians.

Get more at http://current.com/embedded.

[Information taken from the Current TV site]

¡No Se Les Olvide! / Don't Forget!

socialcircle@live.com — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:03:21 PST

Hoy, a las 8pm/7pm Centro en Univision desde Mandalay Bay en Las Vegas, NV, es la 10ma entrega de los Premios Latin Grammy.

¡Que no se les pase ver la ceremonia!

Y de las 2pm hasta las tres de la tarde, pueden ver el pre-telecast en vivo. Pero no se si son las 2pm-3pm tiempo Este, Oeste, Central, o que onda..

The 10th annual Latin Grammy Awards is tonight at 8pm/7pm Central time from Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, NV on Univision.

Don't forget to watch!
You wouldn't want to miss Alicia Keys, would you?

You can watch the live pre-telecast from 2pm to 3pm today. However, I don't know which time zone that is under... Eastern, West Coast, Central, or what.

Using the Zune HD Wallpaper Development Kit

socialcircle@live.com — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:16:39 PST

I have to thank Grahm Skee over at AnythingButiPod for a little package he put together, making a certain wallpaper possible. Yesterday we posted a review about DLO’s Jam Jacket CordSaver. In a few of the pictures you saw our new branded background picture. Marques posted a comment about it after the article. That picture was possible because of the Zune HD Wallpaper Development Kit (WDK) created by Mr. Skee.

There is a thread in the ABi forums showing you how to use the WDK. In this thread it includes a compressed (zipped) folder containing what you need to make your own wallpaper. Within the compressed folder are some templates to help get started making your own background. The templates help you plan your design around the Zune HD’s screen elements such as the battery gage and clock. There are templates for Photoshop, GIMP, and a transparent png for those without either of the aforementioned photo editing programs. From the same ABi thread, it appears the Photoshop file works with GIMP, Corel PhotoImpact and Paint Shop Pro 2 -- good to know if you are rolling with any of those programs instead of Ps. Finally, there are a few examples of completed wallpapers.

To see our full collection of branded Zune HD wallpapers check out our thread over in the AnythingButiPod forums.

Free Music Download: The Very Best

socialcircle@live.com — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:29:31 PST

The song "Rain Dance" features M.I.A.

What more incentive do you want?

Inside Look: DLO Jam Jacket CordSaver for Zune HD

socialcircle@live.com — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:08:36 PST

Along with the Zune HD I received a few new cases to check out and sample. One case is the Jam Jacket CordSaver by DLO. Notice the ‘Designed for Zune’ logo. You can be sure that products carrying this logo have gone through strenuous product testing to ensure the item works properly, does not damage your Zune, and is of sufficient build quality.

Hence the “CordSaver” title, one major feature of this silicone case its integrated cord wrap, located on the back of the case. The case covers both the media button, on the side, and the power button, on the top of the Zune HD. The button covers rise above the profile of the case. This differs from the flush nature in which the buttons lay on the Zune HD, without the Jam Jacket. The only uncovered button is the home button. Already slightly raised, this button sits on the front of the device. Also, the case leaves the bottom-facing headphone jack and sync port exposed. Even when using the case, the provided openings allow for easy access to both ports. While the screen is left unprotected, the silicone framing around the front of the Zune HD does recess the screen just a bit. This allows one to leave their Zune HD face down on a table, without worrying about the screen coming into contact with the surface.

I decided to try the case for a day to see how it worked as fashion accessory and item of utility. As you can see in one of the above pictures, my current headphones (Sennheiser CX-400’s) come with a cord wrapping accessory. For the day, I decided to trade-in the included cord wrap accessory for the one attached to the back of the Jam Jacket CordSaver case.

Installation was simple; open packaging, remove case, insert Zune HD into case, enjoy. As I started my fifteen minute walk to class I spent some time figuring out the best length and orientation of the headphone cable to give myself adequate device mobility. The question is, how best do I manage that extra foot of cable left over after going from my ears to my hand/pocket? On the back, There are notches at the top and bottom of the cord wrap utility that allow you to decide which way to orient your headphone cable after wrapping it. At least with my CX-400’s, the CordSaver cannot accommodate the entire length of cable (well, not comfortably). Instead, the CordSaver does is allow me to wrap up enough headphone wire to create a manageable length of cord without having to stuff a handful of headphone cord into my pocket along with my Zune HD. As I reached campus I tried slipping the Jam Jacket + Zune HD combo into my pocket. I did not notice any extra bulk as a result of the case and wrapped headphone cord. Like silicone cases I have used before, this case also attracts pocket lint.

As I walked from class to class, with the Zune HD in my hand, I found that the raised media button made it easier to access track and volume controls. Also, I noticed the raised edges of the Jam Jacked CordSaver prevented me from inadvertently touching the screen, while playing music. When I hold the Zune HD in my hand, my thumb rests across the row of playback buttons below the album art. With the Jam Jacket, my thumb rests on the raised silicone edge around the screen, just enough to prevent it from unintentionally rating a song or skipping to the next track.

The only thing that bothered me about the case was the ‘CordSaver’ aspect. In the day that I used the Jam Jacket, my CX-400’s cable did not like to stay in either of the provided notches on the back of the case. I noticed it generally came unnotched after spending time in my pocket (i.e. during class). After the day-long trial, thinking it had something to do with the thickness of the headphone’s cable, I tried my Sennheiser HD-201s and the headphones that come with the Zune HD. The cord on the HD-201 is roughly twice the thickness of the CX-400’s. These too did not ‘notch’ well. Knowing length of cable wrapped around the sheath calls into question ones ability to notch the headphone wire, I only wound the 201’s once before trying to notch the cord. The Zune HD headphones faired the best. While they too would become unnotched, the cable was able to remain notched while supporting the weight of the device something neither of the other two headphones could manage. Know that in all cases the headphone cord never came unwound from the cord wrap; they just would not stay notched.

The cord wrap accessory I use with the CX-400s also has a tendency to occasionally come unnotched, though not nearly as frequently as the CordSaver case. Overall this is not too big of an issue. I think the problem has something to do with the case resting in my pocket and the design of the notches themselves. The CX-400’s wrapping accessory is tailored to one pair of headphones. With the Jam Jacket CordSaver, DLO is selling to a larger audience and trying to accommodate headphone cords of different thickness. Also, on the Jam Jacket, the silicone used to create the notches is thinner than that of the Sennheiser cord wrap accessory. Perhaps this contributes to the Jam Jacket’s inability to hold thicker cords well.

Overall, the Zune HD and Jam Jacket CordSaver work well together. The case had a nice feel as I held it. It also looked good doing its job, saving cord and Zune. It also provided easier access to the media button than simply using the Zune HD by itself. Do not let the case’s occasional inability to retain headphone cord deter you. The case is worth purchasing because the cable wrap feature is super useful. Constantly wrapping and unwrapping your headphone cord around your Zune, is bad for the wires in your headphones. The friction from the constant bending and unbending around your Zune will cause the wires to fray internally. This leads one or both channels to stop working, with little sign of damage to the outside headphone cord. I think this is the reason why Skullcandy recommends against this practice. It looks like the Jam Jacket CordSaver tries to prevent internal shearing (Cord-Saver, get it?). I think it does a good job by allowing you leave yourself just enough cable to get from your hands to your ears without forcing you to wrap extra cord around your Zune HD. If you have headphones with a thinner cord you might get better wrapping and notching results. For longer periods of storage, and depending on headphone cord length, you can wrap the entire length of your headphone cord in CordSaver utility, creating a compact yet organized Zune HD + headphones package. If you are looking for a silicone case with a little added functionality, the Jam Jacket CordSaver by DLO is not a bad choice.

Premiere: @Common's "Make My Day" music video!

socialcircle@live.com — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 13:31:51 PST

Hip-Hop superstar, Common, teamed up with Current TV to host a video creation contest. In this contest, readers were invited to create a music video for Common's song "Make My Day". Of the many that entered, Common himself chose the winner above.

The winning video was created by Wealthy Pictures and uses "a combination of original imagery, green screen footage from Current, and imagery from the Dover Pictorial Archive Book Series of Copyright-Free, Permission-Free images for Artists and Designers".

You can see some of the other submitted videos over at Current TV.

Free Music Download: Urban Outfitters' Music Mondays

socialcircle@live.com — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:56:12 PST

Urban Outfitters is all excited about their new, weekly free music download installments.

And I'm glad to give you the link.

Again, I found the information for this on their Facebook page.

One of the best things? Other than the downloads being free.. You get not, one or two, but FiVE free songs!

YAY Facebook.

Sunday Treasures - Kim Sozzi

socialcircle@live.com — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 10:46:54 PST

Artist	Kim Sozzi
Song	Feel Your Love
Album	Feel Your Love (Single)
#zunetune	Click here to download

Vox Circle: All Your Music Videos Are Belong to Us

socialcircle@live.com — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:40:45 PDT

Today's special edition of Vox Circle takes on the form of a tip.

I ran into an odd issue a while back. I have a number of music videos. I want to sync them, and I use Sync Groups to transfer media to my Zune. After connecting my Zune, I went into the Zune desktop, clicked Device, and then View All Sync Groups. After the screen loads, then click on the option to create a new Sync group.

If I tried to select "Music videos" and leave "All" as the opion, I wouldn't get all of my videos to sync to my Zune. If I try to create a sync group and manually add all of my artists, I found that not all of my videos were syncing. In taking a closer at the sync group, there's a limit on how much text can go in the field. So my thought was, how do I add all of my videos, and not worry about manually syncing when I add new music videos to my collection?

In taking a queue from a trick on adding multiple genres to a playlist, such as by typing "ele" to get electronic, electronica, and any other genre that started with "ele", I used the following artist criteria for my music video sync group:

a;b;c;d;e;f;g;h;i;j;k;l;m;m;n;o;p;q;r;s;t;u;v;w;x;y;z;1;2;3;4;5;6;7;8;9;0;

Now, any music videos I add to my collection sync to my Zune, and no more manual steps. I hope that this helps!

Julio Angel Ortiz is a writer, IT engineer, and gadget freak who can't ever seem to settle on one device for too long. Amazingly, his wife still puts up with him after 12 years. He maintains a Tumblr blog over at http://www.voxbomb.net.

Live Now: The Microsoft Store Grand Opening in Mission Viejo

socialcircle@live.com — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:25:34 PDT

Over on twitter, Marques, as Tromboneforhire, is tweeting about the grand opening of the Microsoft Store in Mission Viejo, California. Check him out! If you are at the opening event, shoot him a tweet and say “hi,” it’ll make his day.

UPDATE

Check out our facebook gallery to see the pictures from today! Oh, this update was made from my Zune HD.

Your.Music.Weekly - 10/28/2009

socialcircle@live.com — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:22:57 PDT

Here is your weekly dose of free music sloth.

More free tracks than you have the right to over at Indie Music Cafe.
Two MP3s from Jookabox.
Discover Koudlam.
Mmmm... Fugazi.
Of course there's a band called Bear in Heaven.
Just in time for Halloween... 3 MP3s from Surfer Blood.
Grab a free MP3 from the Whigs.

And that's all for now. Enjoy.

Let’s Carve a Pumpkin: Zune Style

socialcircle@live.com — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 13:56:30 PDT

I had two friends come and visit me last weekend. On Friday when they got in, one gave me a pumpkin. Not one to refuse gifts, I asked myself,“What am I going to do with a pumpkin?” By the time Sunday rolled around I had an answer, “I’ll carve it a la Zune.”

After spending some time looking for a Zune logo large enough to be a template. I spent time in Photoshop making it pumpkin-ready (i.e. thickening lines). After two tries, I had a template that appeared size-appropriate for my gifted pumpkin. On my initial try, the logo was too big and too thin for my pumpkin when printed in a portrait orientation. Making the logo smaller and thicker, I reprinted the logo in a landscape orientation. This orientation fit the pumpkin.

Using scissors and a box cutter, I freed my template so I could tape it to the pumpkin. For the box cutter portion I used my food prep cutting board (I washed it afterwards). I attached the paper logo of Zune to my pumpkin using scotch tape, barely covering the edges. I traced the outside and inside edges with a gel roller pen. Accounting for the curvature of the pumpkin was a little difficult. Approximating and resmooting the template helped me trace the edges. With a permanent marker, I began coloring the sections I intended to remove, after tracing the edges. With all the lines and triangles, I wanted to be sure I knew where to cut.

My initial post-template product looked partially complete. Freehand, I joined the outside edges of the Zune logo that had been covered by tape. It was at this point I realized I had to create some type of negative space around the logo itself. The interior triangles would be removed, but how would I represent outside edges of the logo?

Again, freehand, I created some edging around the logo allowing it to better stand out when carved. Could I have used a ruler? Sure. Unfortunately that would have meant stopping this journey and looking for my ruler. I was on a mission. Joining the two points on each side of the logo was difficult, but I managed.

Now the fun began, carving the pumpkin. I started by opening the top and removing the pumpkin’s innards. I grabbed a few handfuls of pulp and seed. It was not until after I finished cutting out the shapes I intended to remove that I cleaned out the remaining hanging tendrils inside the pumpkin with a spoon. I recommend doing that just after opening the top. I makes the cleaning job much easier as you are not scraping around where you have already cut into the pumpkin. When carving I moved in an inside-out fashion, meaning I started cutting the shapes closest to the center of the design and then worked my way to the edges.

You can see the residual innards through the shapes I removed. Initially, if I had taken more time cleaning the inside they would not be there. After removing the shapes, I gave the pumpkin a quick scrub with the abrasive end of a scrub sponge. I wanted to remove as much remaining ink as possible. I spent some time straightening some internal edges as I some of my cuts were in an angled fashion away from my guide line. One and a half hours later, I finished carving and started taking some photos of my new work of art. In the spirit of Halloween, I would like to present to everyone my Zune-inspired pumpkin.

Check out the gallery:

Avatars (if you are so inclined):

Free Music Download: Boy Crisis

socialcircle@live.com — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:13:17 PDT

Roxy's free music download of the week: "Dressed to Digress".

And just so we're clear, you really do have around a week to download the songs for free. You have to buy them once the next song is posted the following week.

New Kicker Docks with Zune HD Compatibility Coming Soon

socialcircle@live.com — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 08:04:02 PDT

[Image Source: Southern Customs]

While browsing Amazon I noticed a new Kicker Dock I had not seen before. I jumped over to Kicker’s website to get the full details. It looks like Kicker has two new speaker systems designed to be compatible with the Zune HD. Depending on what you are looking for, both look like great alternatives to the ZK500; which is also compatible with the Zune HD. In terms of raw power, both sit below the ZK500. However, do not let that fool you into expecting anything less from Kicker as both docks look to provide new options in addition to the offering of the ZK500. In these brief summaries I am pulling from a few different sources.

ZK350

[Image Source: Zune]

The ZK350 is compatible with all Zune devices. With a battery pack that is sold separately, the ZK350 can be made into a portable speaker system. Taking your Zune and Kicker speakers wherever you go sounds like a sweet proposition. The dock includes a handle and weighs a bit over seven pounds. This is less than the weight of a gallon of milk. It has an external antenna that allows you to use the Zune HD’s HD radio. The ZK350 has a 4 1/2 inch subwoofer, two 4-inch woofers and 1/2 inch tweeters. The device features composite video out (red-yellow-white) and fixed volume audio out, that allows you to connect your dock to a TV and enjoy video content from a Zune. It also allows you to plug in another audio source (aux in), and features a headphone jack for private audio listening. The dock includes a remote and magnetic storage bay for the remote.

With an MSRP of $199.95, the ZK350 dock is listed as being available October 2009 on Kicker’s website. Check out the ZK350 Product Page for more information. Although we are nearing the end of October, the Kicker Store seems to be the only place to pre-order this dock, with a shipping date to be determined.

ZK150

[Image Source: Amazon.com]

Compatible with all Zunes, the ZK150 is a non-portable alarm clock that comes in two colors, black and white. Differing from the other two Kicker Models, the ZK150 includes a twelve preset AM/FM radio. You can wake to the radio, an alarm, or your Zune. The dock has two programmable alarms. While the ZK150 lacks tweeters, it does have a ported enclosure that work with the 3-inch speakers to provide bass response for the Zune dock. The ZK150 features an LCD clock display that has ten levels of brightness. Being a clock radio, the the Zune dock futures a sleep timer of up to 120 minutes. With the dock you can drift of to sleep thanks to your Zune and not wake at 3am because music is still playing. Similar to the ZK350, this Zune dock gives you the option to listen through headphones and plug in another audio source. Unfortunately, this dock does not include a remote.

The ZK150 has an MRSP of $179.95. Kicker’s website also gives it a release date of October 2009. For full details check out the ZK150 Product Page. You can pre-order this Zune dock via Amazon.com. The Kicker store gives a December 1st shipping date, at the latest.

It turns out Zunerama first unveiled the ZK350 and ZK150 as part of their CES 2009 coverage back in January of this year. It is great to see new Zune docks finally coming to market. Hopefully both are available in time for the unofficial start of the Holiday shopping, i.e. Black Friday, as their pre-order pages are already viewable.

Sunday Treasures - Lady Gaga

socialcircle@live.com — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 09:00:01 PDT

Artist	Lady Gaga
Song	Beautiful Dirty Rich
Album	The Fame
#zunetune	Click here to download

U2 to broadcast Rose Bowl concert live on Youtube

socialcircle@live.com — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:17:03 PDT

In Honor of Windows 7, here's "Seven Steps to Heaven"

socialcircle@live.com — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:55:57 PDT

In honor of the launch of Windows 7, here's a special video. It's the GRP All-Star Big Band performing "Seven Steps to Heaven" (Get it?! Haha, I made a-funny). Actually this band is spectacular and this is one of my favorite jazz compositions (both to listen to and to perform). Enjoy.

And congrats to Microsoft on releasing a stellar OS!

And yes, I'm cheesy! :P

Free Music Download: DJ Daisy O'Dell

socialcircle@live.com — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:23:02 PDT

Head on over to Roxy and snag their free music download of the week so you won't have any more "I can't workout today" excuses; this week, you get an hour of workout music to jam to as you sweat it out.

And don't forget; get your salad, no dessert!

The Kanye West/Spike Jonze film "We Were Once A Fairytale"

socialcircle@live.com — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:45:33 PDT

Um, yeah... so this is an video production by Spike Jonze, who's already known for basically doing things the avant-garde way. The video stars Kanye West and pretty much all I can say after seeing it is... Whoa! But here you watch it and come to your own conclusions on its meaning(s).

Your.Music.Weekly - 10/21/2009

socialcircle@live.com — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 21:18:03 PDT

More mid-week music fixes...

So apt for about now: the Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble.
Stereogum stacks several tracks, from artists Cold Cave, Dum Dum Girls, Telepathe, and more.
Spinner.com has a large round-up of free MP3s, from bands such as Jets Overhead, the Antlers, Drink Up Buttercup, and more.
Check out this 17-minute instrumental from Memory Tapes.
Download a free track from Animal Collective.
RCRD LBL has some Bodega Girls.
Prefix Mag has a sweet remix of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's "Heads Will Roll".

Enjoy!

Free Music Download: Urban Outfitters' LSTN

socialcircle@live.com — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:52:47 PDT

Yes, from the retail store.

From the looks of it, they're all into the free (legal) music idea via their LSTN page. Which can also be found on the Urban Outfitters Facebook page.

LSTN's #1-4 (a total of 84 free downloads) are yours for the taking.

However, you need iTunes to download the LSTN #5-7 installments. Also, the free download offers expire for #'s 5-7; so you can only really get #'s 6 and 7 since the free offer for #5 has come and gone..