zune

Looks like the folks at Microsoft are still continuing to roll out applications and mini-games for the Zune HD, some of which are being ported over to Windows Phone 7 e.g. 'Goosplat'.

Two news ones that are now available are 'Music Quiz' which  uses the Zune's music library to...well quiz you on music. Functioning like those common bar-quizzes, the game allows you to pick an artist, genre or playlist to test your skills on two-levels: 'normal' and 'hardcore'.  

The other game, 'Animalgrams',  falls into the puzzle category as it uses 'the Jungle of the Savanna' as a background theme for figuring out anagrams.  Hmmm...witty one there, Microsoft.

Both look like great time-killers and are quite fun. These two new games brings the ZuneHD game count up to 14--not bad for free, as all are actually really enjoyable.We also really hope 'Music Quiz' makes it over to the WP7 Marketplace some time. Fire up your Zune connect software and head to the Marketplace to download.

As always, both are free.

Your guess is as good as ours as to what Microsoft's currently teasing on Twitter. So far, they've only said "Don’t be so touchy…flat is where it’s at." Maybe it's a new Zune HD. Or maybe it's a Windows Phone 7 device. (But with Microsoft branding!?!?) A tablet? An e-reader? Some sort of trackpad? Search us, but we'll be keeping an eye on it, for sure. [via @msfthardware]

Update: So Neowin is reporting that this lil' gizmo is the new Microsoft Arc Touch Mouse, which supposedly features a multi-touch track pad on top and acts as a mouse otherwise. This is reportedly to take advantage of the multi-touch features of Windows 7 without investing in an expensive screen. Sounds cool. It's supposed to be available in September.  -Malatesta

For those who don't know, the Zune Marketplace went offline today and users were only given a few hours notice. As of this writing, they're still offline (6pm) and it could take all night before they're done.

But done doing what? That's the cryptic part here as there was no pre-announcement, but as ZDNet did some digging, they found out that Microsoft is arranging a marriage between Bing and Zune.

In fact, you can kind of see it working now. Go to Bing.com, search for your favorite band and you'll get a bunch of info on them plus songs which can be played (see the little 'play' button?). Of course it doesn't stream right now and instead you get the image to the right, but we think by late tonight it'll be a different story.

Nice to see Microsoft taking Zune to the next level and putting these two services together, it just makes sense. To what extent though these features overlap remains to be seen. It would be nice to have a Bing search launch my Zune software and add it directly to my Zune HD or, come November, my Xbox and Windows Phone 7.

Competition is hot these days in the music-download biz and Microsoft's $14.99 a month Zune Pass may instead get chopped down to $9.99, according to senior product manager Terry Farrell in an interview with Business Week.

While Phil and I think the $14.99 a month price is fair (you get to purchase 10 songs a month with that $14.99, in addition to unlimited downloading), others in the industry, notably Amazon and Rhapsody, offer a similar service for $10.

Microsoft does need to position itself here carefully: they want to make a profit and find that sweet spot, but they also want to make sure when you buy an upcoming Windows Phone 7 device, you take advantage of the Zune Marketplace.

Finding just the right combo could be killer, because while Amazon has some presence on mobile (notably Android), Rhapsody is less straight-forward and has less presence. (Plus in comparison, Zune Marketplace is a better experience than Amazon's on Android). This is still the one area that Microsoft can really exploit against Apple, who still don't have a monthly pass subscription.

And while they're at it, we'd like to see Microsoft implement some type of Zune Video Pass, which was rumored to be coming. The idea of having unlimited video streaming/downloading on my Windows Phone 7 would be fantastic.

[via Business Week & Zune Boards]

One of the larger concerns we've heard regarding Windows Phone 7 is its relatively closed nature, sending shivers -- or sounding a battle cry -- through the likes of XDA Developers and other hacking sites. And it looks like the call to arms has been answered, as the Zune firmware has been cracked open, paving the way for sideloading apps outside of the Zune Marketplace. As the heroes put it, "the limitations of XNA are now no limitations at all."

Here's to hoping we see some killer apps in the near future, and later on Windows Phone 7. [Zuneboards via Engadget]

For those curious, the Zune connector i.e. the sync/charge interface cable from the Microsoft Zune series, won't be used at all with Windows Phone 7 Series devices.

That's the good news, since said Zune connector is a little large and more than a little proprietary.

The bad news is that the WP7s chassis specifications don't require any specific sync/charge format, meaning OEMs who make our next-gen phones are free to use Mini-USB, Micro-USB or even their own proprietary format.

Now we hope OEMs have learned their lesson in regards to that last one, so we don't think we'll see many of those. Still, for those wanting a definitive decision with regards to Micro or Mini USB ... looks like Microsoft is going to let the old free market decide. [via Windows Phone Secrets]

Looks like Microsoft is once again denying anything about a Zune phone. Quoting a Microsoft spokesperson: "we have no plans to create a Zune phone," which seems pretty open and shut.

Then again ... Assuming there is something in the works, it's not like they would confirm either.  And as NeoWin points out, they also denied ever making an MP3 player, too.

With the rumors flying high this week, especially with the USB reference codes found in the .inf file from the latest Zune software update, Microsoft is probably feeling some heat from their OEMs over the issue--don't forget, they are also very interested in the prospect/denial of such a device.  We can understand if they are nervous and causing some little waves with Redmond.

Regarding that Zune update, consensus seems to be swaying from an actual "Zune phone" to "these are plans to incorporate the Zune experience into Windows Mobile,"

Check out Paul Thurrott's piece over at WinSuperSite, which delves deeper into that issue as well as detailing the recent changes to the Zune software, it's a good read.

Oh Mobile World Congress, you can't come soon enough.  Please rescue us from ourselves.

[via NeoWin.net]

Funny how on the last past podcast we were just lamenting the XBox Live's "point system" for purchasing games, videos, services, etc.  It was hardly transparent, made you do conversions and came across ... well ... as slightly dishonest.

How we pay for things in XBox is relevant for Windows phone users because, make no mistake, XBox and Zune integration are coming down the pike in addition to our Marketplace.  How we pay for those services across our "three screens" will be quite relevant to the success or failure of such an ecosystem, if we can be so bold.

Luckily, Microsoft has evidently heard the cacophony of complaints regarding this system and appears to be at least re-evaluating the process.  Microsoft's Aaron Greenberg said in a recent interview:

We never intended to ever mislead people. I think we want to be transparent about it, and so it is something that we're looking at. How can we be more transparent and let people see it in actual dollars?

Well, perhaps they won't be ditching the points system, but at least they are considering improving it.  

Microsoft, do us a favor: just ditch the points and go with dollars.  Things are complicated enough already, and there is NO benefit for the consumer with the points system.  Not a single one.

[via Gizmodo]

Sometimes you look so hard in the back alleys for leaks on something that you miss it when it's right in front of you.

In this case, lets flash back to October 2009 at the Microsoft San Francisco Dev Camp (we covered it here).  A traveling, nerdy roadshow, the Dev Camp was meant to get developers to attend presentations on programming and working with WM6.5 as well as a chance to meet with and ask questions members of the WinMo development team.

In other words, pretty technical and dry.  Unless some questions on Windows Mobile 7 and prospects of Zune phones get brought up...and answered.

Thanks to forum member Interframe, who watched the nearly 3 hr video, he caught some major gems that we all missed.

For example, at the 2hr mark, we get this exchange:

Q: (roughly translated): "So Steve Ballmer went out and recently said "Windows Mobile 6.1 wasn't what we wanted it to be, neither was 6.5", so with that in mind, when is 7 coming out?"
.....
(The WM7 developer added to what the others from the WM team had to say about the question)
.....
A: "I can give you a little inside information there Mike. I'm not gonna give you anymore than Loke gave you, but I can give you some context. My day job, is working on Windows Mobile 7. I own the calendar feature in fact. I had to try really really hard to convince my manager to let me come down here in San Fransisco and take a day off. All day long, working on 7, staying focused. Its on track (Ed. cough, cough)

The reason its been delayed and you haven't heard much about it is cause we had to go back to the drawing board with our strategy. Change things a little bit to be more competitive when we come out the door, so were not laughed at. We wanna make the same kind of impact the Zune HD made, if you look at Engadget and the blogosphere, people were very impressed with the Zune HD in many ways except for the lack of an app store.

We wanna put out something that we're all proud of, which is competitive on day one, we don't wanna wait any longer."

But there's more. 

• There won't be an OTA update feature in WM6.5 (which should be obvious at this point) but they are serious about it for WM7
• Definitely no Zune phone, but they are most certainly aware of trying to emulate that success with their new OS
• Better graphics support in the OS and for developers too

Read Interframe's word-for-word transcript here and check out the whole video here for yourself.  The video is chock full of little tid-bits and we encourage you folks to watch it from 1hr 58mins and forward for the Q&A.  Either way, next year, when we're all gawking at our WM7 calendar, I want you to think of "blue shirt guy".

(And note, in case that video disappears, we have the whole thing on our HDD ready to be re-posted).