Zune / ZuneHD - Downloads, Wallpapers, Info, Mods, & Hacks

Zune HD Waterfield Designs Suede Jacket

2009-11-02T11:26:00.001-05:00

If you have a Zune HD then you will want to pay attention. The made in the USA Suede Jacket is a perfect match for the Zune HD. Check out the video for all the details.

ZuneHD Photos

2009-09-28T08:45:00.000-05:00

Project Pink renderings were leaked this week by Gizmodo. They were however not related to the Zune Phone. Now we have concept artwork of the actual Zune 3G along with the specifications leaked from an industry analyst who remains unnamed.

The device will run Windows Mobile 7 and will feature the Zune Marketplace with not just music but also Windows Mobile applications specifically made for the Zune phone. Notable is however that through the Zune Marketplace it will also be possible to go into the Windows Mobile App Store. The store will however be branded as Zune.

Read more:
http://www.buyzunephone.com/zune-phone-photos/

Zune HD accessory roundup

2009-09-24T08:40:00.002-05:00

The Zune HD represents a big step forward in Microsoft's war against the iPod, but when it comes to accessories, there's just no catching up to Apple. Step inside any local electronics store and you'll find yourself wading through a swamp of speaker docks, cases, cables, chargers, in-car FM transmitters, and alarm clocks, all made for the iPod. Try looking for the Zune section, though, and you'll be sorely disappointed.

Fortunately, the handful of accessories made for the Zune are all surprisingly high in quality. The iHome ZN9 alarm clock, for instance, is one of the better bedside speaker systems we've tested, regardless of what MP3 player you plug into it. Same goes for the Kicker ZK500--the thing is a first-rate, floor-shaking speaker dock that any Zune owner should count themselves lucky to have.

Some accessories are uniquely Zune, though. The HD AV dock, for example, has no equal in the iPod world. With it, you can output 720p video from your Zune HD to your TV, as well as show off your music collection, flip through photos, and tune in to HD Radio channels.

Read the rest of the article here:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10358097-1.html

Zune HD brings new experiences

2009-09-23T08:46:00.000-05:00

Microsoft’s new touch screen portable media player is the new kid on the block of the ever popular touch screen based PMPs. But what makes the Zune HD stand out and what are its shortcomings? Check out this thorough startBlue review.

The first thing one notices is the design. Extremely industrial, it is available in either Black 16GB or Platinum 32GB which consists of a brushed metal back and a glass OLED touch screen. The second thing that catches your eye is the clarity, detail, and colour of the OLED screen. Unlike many of its competitors, the Zune HD innovates with the newest in screen technology. Unlike traditional displays that have one light bulb that is filtered by a liquid crystal display, the Zune HD contains thousands of light emitting diodes or tiny light bulbs. The result is a stunning display.

Beneath the outer hardware exists some impressive internals. It is the first PMP to have HD Radio. HD Radio allows you to not only listen to FM radio but also HD stations, giving you a larger selection and higher clarity. Bringing it all together is the 8 core NVIDIA Tegra Processor which allows for handling of HD Video, a slick graphical UI and games all together with powerful battery savings. Each core has a unique purpose so by selectively turning them on and off, the Zune increases your ability to save energy.

Read full article here:
http://www.startblue.net/technology/reviews/zune-hd-brings-new-experiences.htm

Zune HD Review: The PMP, Evolved - Gizmodo

2009-09-17T12:28:00.000-05:00

The gorgeous 3.3-inch capacitive OLED touchscreen takes up the majority of the device's face. More on that below. It's surrounded by three hardware buttons: Underneath the screen on the face is the home button, on the top edge is the power/hold button, and in lieu of a volume rocker the Zune HD has a button on the left side that brings up Quickplay options. These options drift onto the screen and offer volume, track forward/back and play/pause. Quickplay can be enabled to work even while the player is locked.

On the bottom of the device is the proprietary Zune port (the Zune HD will work with all of the surprisingly easy-to-find existing Zune accessories) and the headphone jack. It's rated for 33 hours of audio and 8.5 of video, which is very strong if it's true (especially since previous Zunes were lacking in battery life, to say the least). The Zune HD lacks both a speaker and a camera, though neither is necessarily a mark against it. Still, both options would be welcome.

Source:

http://gizmodo.com/5360126/zune-hd-review-the-pmp-evolved

Zune HD gaming and app downloads confirmed: Twitter, Facebook, and 3D games on the way

2009-09-16T10:19:00.002-05:00

The promotional video and leaked shots already made it clear but now it's official: the Zune HD will be a gaming and application platform. In addition to a few casual games, calculator and MSN Weather apps pre-loaded onto the Zune HD, the official Microsoft press release touting the launch contains this little nugget of gaming gold:

"Later this year, Zune plans to release free applications such as Twitter for Zune and Facebook for Zune, in addition to fun 3-D games such as "Project Gotham Racing: Ferrari Edition," "Vans Sk8: Pool Service" and "Audiosurf(TM) Tilt." Games can be added to Zune HD via Zune Marketplace over the Wi-Fi connection or when connected to the Zune PC software."

Hear that Nintendo, Sony, and Apple? There's a new handheld gaming platform in town. All that remains to be seen is how it will integrate with the Xbox 360.

Source:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/09/15/zune-hd-3d-gaming-and-app-downloads-confirmed/

Lucky Zune fan gets his Zune HD early

2009-09-14T10:14:00.001-05:00

Loveandhatejw over at ZuneBoards posted a picture of himself (that haircut is a mess lol) and the black Zune HD he grabbed at Best Buy. Unfortunately the player his unusable without the Zune 4.0 software which is supposed to unlock the device.

Yea well I picked mine up from a buddy at best buy today. It’s useless
out of the box but here is my pic with it from webcam. Sorry for crappyy q
uality in advance. I may or may not upload more pics.

Got the software?
Out of the box no software is included.

Two days is a long wait, how’d you get yours?
There’s was someone I new at best buy, they have helped me before.

Source:
http://www.mobiletechworld.com/2009/09/14/lucky-zune-fan-gets-his-zune-hd-early/

Zund HD is Born - CNN

2009-09-10T10:58:00.000-05:00

After three years, Microsoft (NSDQ:MSFT)'s Zune music player will no longer be available to be purchased once current stock is depleted. Fortunately, Redmond already has a successor in place to take up the slack, the Zune HD, according to a report from The SuperSite Blog.

The current crop of Zune hardware -- the Flash Zune 4 GB, 8 GB, 16 GB, as well as the model with hard drives of 80 GB and 120 GB -- start around $80 and will be sold until there are no more left in stock. The Zune HD will be available on Sept. 15 and start at $220.

The Zune HD 16-GB model will offer up to five hours of hi-def video and 22 hours of standard video. The 32-GB model ups the HD playback to 10 hours. To further round out its video capabilities, the Zune HD is able to support HD video playback through an HDMI docking station.

And of course the Zune HD has a 3.3-inch OLED touch screen with a 16:9 wide-screen format display and 480 x 272 pixel resolution.

Read more:
http://www.crn.com/retail/219501176;jsessionid=JNMAH3RTKSBY5QE1GHOSKH4ATMY32JVN

Zune HD Pamphlet Explored

2009-09-03T07:52:00.002-05:00

One thing I noticed was how similar the pamphlet size was to the box on the demo table and just assume it is one that will be included in the box as an accessory up-sell to inform users of the available accessories and services available to the Zune HD. A video and few pictures on the internet have confirmed this.

Source:
http://www.bostonpocketpc.com/Zune+HD+Pamphlet.aspx

Xbox Zune Video Marketplace demo

2009-08-31T12:35:00.001-05:00

The team from Xbox Australia yesterday showed off the upcoming Zune Video marketplace to Aussie tech journos.

Microsoft Upcoming Apps

2009-08-25T07:55:00.002-05:00

First, let’s start with quote directly from Microsoft from CNET:

"We have games on the Zune today and those will carry forward to Zune HD, but that's not where we'll necessarily stop."

Looking good, looking good.

Another quote:

“Games came pre-loaded on the current version of the device, but we made a decision to take them out of the firmware update and let people choose what games they want to have for themselves--and it made sense to do this via Marketplace. As before, games are free; the only difference is that people get to choose. Right now, we don't have anything further to say regarding Apps functionality beyond what we've already shared.”

Can you feel your face twisting into puzzlement?

To recap this past weekend, the Zune HD was out in the wild at select Best Buy’s and the rumor mill began churning at an intense rate when the Marketplace revealed an inaccessible Apps function that left pretty much everyone bewildered. Throw in an apparent confirmation that the Zune will be getting an SDK (Software Development Kit) and you have a punch bowl full of craziness.

Today, Microsoft acknowledged what people had found and went above and beyond, stating that the Apps section will contain games found on the past Zunes. Can you sense the sarcasm?

However, that first quote definitely shouts out “yes, something else beyond games is coming” and the suspense has started to become unreal. In all honesty, it is really hard to imagine that they would be keeping this a secret so close to the launch date in September if they planned on rolling out an SDK with full-on applications from the start. Maybe they don't want Apple to take the wind out of their sales?

http://www.examiner.com/x-8134-SF-Gadgets-Examiner~y2009m8d25-Microsoft-mum-about-apps-for-upcoming-Zune-HD

ZuneHD on HDTV

2009-08-20T09:42:00.000-05:00

The price for 16GB will be 219.99 and The price for 32GB will 289.99.. im getting one. The price is from Microsoft Store, Amazon, and BestBuy. Plus watch on HDTV

Zune HD lands September 15th, up for pre-order today

2009-08-14T09:31:00.000-05:00

Do you want a Zune HD real bad? Well you're in luck, because the wait is nearly over. Microsoft announced today that the heavily hyped media player will be making its way into retail channels come September 15th, and will be up for pre-order at select spots (Best Buy, Amazon, Walmart, and the Microsoft Store) today. That's right... today. The Tegra-packing, HD Radio-playing, 720p-outputting device will come in a black, 16GB flavor for $219.99, or a beefier, "platinum" finish 32GB version clocking in at $289.99 (apparently the player will come in five additional colors, but no word on which ones, exactly). If you're super impatient and in select markets (Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Miami, Minneapolis / St. Paul, New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington, D.C.) you can head into a Best Buy on August 22nd and 23rd to play with a device and drop $25 on a pre-order. Otherwise, you'll just have to sit tight till the ZHD makes its way into the wide world... which is actually pretty soon. Check out more info about the player at our Zune HD hub, and after the break you can enjoy a recent video we shot of the device in action and the official PR.

Source:
http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/13/zune-hd-lands-september-15th-up-for-pre-order-today/

Hands On with the Zune HD, Plus Video

2009-08-13T09:25:00.001-05:00

Earlier today, José Piñero, Zune's new senior director of marketing, swung by the PCMag.com Labs to preview the brand-new Zune HD for us. And we really liked what we saw.

While there are still lots of unanswered questions (Piñero wouldn't confirm pricing or capacities, for instance, but Amazon.com leaks suggest a 16-Gbyte player for $219.99 and a 32-GB version for $289.99), our first in-depth look at the device was impressive. The multi-touch OLED screen works very much like the iPod touch's, and it plays back both HD video as well as HD radio broadcasts. To cap it all off, the device is incredibly thin.

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2351459,00.asp

Zune HD's Bing-powered Web browser

2009-08-11T09:08:00.002-05:00

Last Tuesday, I shared my positive impressions of the mobile Web browser Microsoft is including in its upcoming Zune HD portable media player. What I didn't share (not because I didn't want to) were the photos I took of the Zune HD browser in action.

The following photo gallery includes four shots of the Zune HD browser doing its thing. The first shot shows the browser in portrait mode, the second shot shows how bookmarking is handled, the third shot shows Facebook in landscape view, and the final shot demonstrates the keyboard in landscape mode.

That last shot shows off another feature Microsoft has been keeping under wraps--Bing. Yep, the Zune HD's Web browser includes a search button for instant queries using the Bing search engine. Granted, it's not an earth-shattering or completely unexpected announcement, but it's one more detail for all the Zune fans and haters to sink their teeth into.

Checkout the gallery @ CNET:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12519_7-10306769-49.html

ZuneHD from Wired.com

2009-08-10T08:19:00.001-05:00

The upcoming Zune HD was the talk of the GDGT launch event in San Francisco last night, and we got a look at the device. First impressions: It’s compact, lightweight, good-looking and has a very slick interface.

Microsoft’s newest media player has a bright, crisp OLED display that the dark lighting of the nightclub showed off to very good effect. It’s fast and responsive: Video looked great on it. Its 480 x 272 pixels are a far cry from HD, but they present a 16:9 aspect ration and they’re bright and contrasty, with deep, rich blacks, so you won’t mind much. Also, we could zoom and swipe between photos with great speed; the screen never stuttered or paused no matter how quickly we zipped and zoomed the images around. The source of that visual oomph? The Nvidia Tegra chip inside. (”I know it’s not the Microsoft software,” quipped one bystander.)

Read more:
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/08/hands-on-with-the-zune-hd/

Cnet: Hands on with ZuneHD

2009-08-06T09:22:00.002-05:00

I'll admit right off the bat that I've been a pretty big fan of the Zune ever since I bought my first one back in 2007. I've also had some disappointments, which I haven't been shy about sharing--and last year's half-hearted Zune hardware refresh had me losing faith that Microsoft would be able to steer this one out of the ditch.

Well, having just geeked-out with a pair of Zune HDs for about an hour, I am tentatively reaffirming my faith in Microsoft. This thing was worth the wait, folks. Mind you, it's not going to crush the iPod Touch--a product that for all intents and purposes is more mobile computer than media player--but it's safe to say that the Zune finally has the power to make good on the promise of delivering one of the richest music experiences on a portable device.

Read more:
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-12519_7-10303243-49.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=Crave

New Zund HD Photos

2009-08-05T07:39:00.001-05:00

We're sure you have seen the Zune HD by now, but this new gallery of pictures is quite nice.

The shots are a little small, but they give you a nice taste as to what the device will look like and some more looks at the new UI and marketplace.

View full gallery here:
http://t03.us/2009/08/new-zune-hd-pictures-surface/

Microsoft, Apple and 21 More Companies Sued for Touch Screen Patent Violation

2009-07-23T08:22:00.002-05:00

Tsera has sued 23 electronics companies in federal court in eastern Texas for violating a patent on touchscreens.
The suit, filed on July 15, cites Apple’s iPod Classic and Nano products, Microsoft’s Zune digital media player, and 21 other popular devices as violating a patent, “Methods and Apparatus for Controlling a Portable Electronic Device Using a Touchpad,” granted in 2003.
The patent proposes a general description of how a user would input commands on a touchscreen “by tracing patterns with his finger on a surface of the touchpad. No immediate visual feedback is provided as a command pattern is traced, and the user does not need to view the device to enter commands.”

“A microcontroller within the device matches the pattern traced by the user against a plurality of preset patterns, each of which corresponds to a predefined function or command of the device. If the pattern traced by the user is a reasonably close match to any of the preset patterns, the device performs the predefined function corresponding to the matched pattern. The touchpad replaces the numerous buttons that are typically used to control portable electronic devices, thereby enhancing usability and reducing manufacturing costs.”

Source:
http://windows7full.com/w7/2009/07/22/microsoft-apple-and-21-more-companies-sued-for-touch-screen-patent-violation/

Price set for ZuneHD: $249

2009-07-22T07:58:00.002-05:00

The Zune HD is on the way, we know that much. But other than that there isn’t a whole lot known about the new Zune, other than Microsoft has big plans for it. A Microsoft insider has spilled some beans to the blogs about what we can expect with the new Zune HD. The insider claims that the new Zune HD will sell for about $249 to $280 for the base 16GB model, they didn’t give any specific price points for the larger Zune HD models however. They did indicate that Microsoft is considering a 64GB model and a 32GB model as well down the line after the product is released. Also rumored is that the new Zune HD will fully support for 720p movies and will even feature HDMI out. There is no official word as to when the Zune HD will be released by Microsoft, but rumors are that it will launch sometime in early September.

http://www.zuneagent.com/zune-hd/zune-hd-to-sell-for-249/

Zune Headphone Y Splitter

2009-07-21T08:13:00.000-05:00

A headphone y splitter is the most common of audio splitters. The goal of the device is simply to plugin to your audio device’s headphone jack(MP3 player, Ipod, Zune, ect) and split the audio so that two pairs of headphones are now able to listen on one device. They call it a headphone y splitter because it looks very much like the letter “Y”. These wires are very affordable, i recommend that you order the Apple Ipod speaker headphone splitter, it’s cheap, it works on all mp3 players and it’s from Amazon.

Microsoft App Store? “OneApp”

2009-07-15T07:57:00.002-05:00

Whilst attention has shifted towards Windows 7 and Office 2010 for the time being, Microsoft’s other major product launch up for this holiday season, the Zune HD, is always at the back of our heads. On one hand, the unceremonious announcement of the Zune HD late May helped confirm many of the rumored technical specifications of the device, but at the same time there is still a lining of mystery over how its browser works and what other capabilities the device may have.

A trademark application by Microsoft early last week could be an indication of what more the Zune HD might do, applications.

Trademark application 77775625 for the trademark “ONEAPP”, or alternatively pseudo-marked “One Application”, is classified as a trademark for “online retail store services facilitating the download of computer software for use on mobile phones, media players and other portable electronic devices”.

Source:
http://www.istartedsomething.com/20090714/microsoft-oneapp-possible-app-store-zune-hd/

Microsoft and a Music Streaming Service

2009-07-14T07:45:00.001-05:00

Microsoft plans to launch a music streaming service with a "similar principle to Spotify," according to a report by the U.K.'s Daily Telegraph.

"Music is an important area for Microsoft. We are looking at launching a music streaming service imminently. It will be a similar principle to Spotify but we are still examining how the business model will work," Peter Bale, executive producer of the company's news and entertainment arm, MSN, told the Telegraph.

The service could arrive as soon as the end of July, and is likely to offer free streaming, subscription-based streaming and paid downloads.

Bale added that he is looking at other business models to help figure out "what will work best for both consumer and Microsoft." The company's entrance into the music streaming market would bring, he says, "scale and a quality of product."

The service would be owned and operated by Microsoft, and be promoted through MSN and other Microsoft network portals. There is also the possibility such a service could link in with the company's Xbox gaming console, though Bale would not reveal exact details.

The service is apparently designed to boost appeal of Microsoft's music player Zune, which has so far struggled to gain a foothold in the iPod-dominated field. A high definition version of the player has recently been announced for the U.S.

Read more:
http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/content_display/industry/e3ia62deb261008854a6747c36e7e6478e7

Zune HD Marketplace Images Surfaces

2009-07-13T07:49:00.001-05:00

An XBOX 360 program manager "Fitret” has posted on Twitter a photo of the Zune HD showing the Zune Marketplace selection, specifically an artist sub-menu for The Hold Steady. It does not show much but it does look nice. We just hope there is an app store.

Source:
http://theunofficialwindowsblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/image-of-zune-hd-marketplace-surfaces.html

How to Stream Your Zune Tracks to Your iPhone

2009-07-09T08:01:00.002-05:00

It’s no secret, we are big fans of Microsoft’s Zune - both the service, and the device. I’ve had a Zune Pass since the service launched, and use it daily (my Zune Pass profile.) If you aren’t sure what that is, it’s an unlimited music streaming and download service. You can listen to as much as you want for just $15 a month. In addition, you get to keep any 10 tracks of your choosing each month as well. Yours to keep, forever. Did you know, though, that you can stream any of your downloaded Zune tracks to your iPhone? Yeah, that’s one of the best parts. When you start connecting the dots, you soon realize that you have the potential of having an entire catalogue of music available to you, on your iPhone, regardless of the amount of storage you’ve got.

But, wait…how do you stream Windows Media Audio files to the iPhone, which doesn’t support that format? Furthermore, Zune tracks that aren’t downloaded as part of your 10 free keepers per month are riddled with DRM. Yeah, we hear you. There is no Zune app available for the iPhone itself. What you need is to install a piece of software on your PC, along with downloading an app on your iPhone. Join us, as we open up the musical floodgates.

Full article:
http://www.gearlive.com/news/article/q309-stream-zune-tracks-to-iphone/