Zune Thoughts.com

The 10 Free Tracks Explained

David Tucker — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 10:10:00 GMT

“Zunerama has a great FAQ on Zune's new subscription model of Zune Pass + 10 free songs to keep per month. Inspired by the FAQ and in part by an email conversation with some friends (thanks Mike), I thought I would contribute a few thoughts by walking myself (and by proxy you) through the process of using these new credits on two albums in the Zune Marketplace and seeing where we end up.”

So I could take the time to walk everyone through all of the details of the surprising new 10 free songs feature. But Zunerama and Social Circle have done such a great job on their FAQs and walkthroughs that I’ll just redirect everyone to look at those instead! Zunerama’s FAQ is a great 10 question FAQ that just explains the basics and I think probably answers some of the confusion about this feature. The Social Circle walkthrough takes you through, complete with pictures, the process of getting tracks for both DRM and non-DRM tracks.

Both of these I think you’ll find invaluable resources to getting your monthly downloads as easily as you can!

What Does That Zune Pass 10 Credit Purchase Look Like?

Jason Dunn — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:34:00 GMT

If you have a Zune Pass, it's not immediately obvious how you claim your ten free song credits, so since I have a three-month Zune Pass trial (courtesy of a kind soul on the Zune Team), I figured I'd see how this worked. When you see a song you want, you click on the Download button like you normally would. Only instead of just downloading the track, you'll see the pop-up windw above, which gives you the option to use a song credit or just download it as part of your Zune Pass account. If you click Use Credit, one of your ten credits will be used. Here's the weird thing I noticed though: nowhere in the process does it show you/tell you what format the song is in, MP3 or DRM'd WMA. If, when you're browsing the album you see the small MP3 icon, the download will be in MP3 format. If you don't see the MP3 icon, the download will be in DRM'd WMA format. An even though 90% of the catalog is in MP3 format, it didn't take me long to find an album that was in the WMA DRM'd format.

I'm really liking this 10 free tracks a month deal, but the Zune team shouldn't hide the fact that some tracks are DRM'd. I don't consider any music truly mind to keep as long as it's poisoned by DRM, because as we've seen several times this year, all it takes to make that music stop working is for a company to decide they're going to turn off their DRM server.

What Are Your First 10 Tracks?

David Tucker — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:14:00 GMT

I had no idea until grommet mentioned it in our forums that the 10 song credit was for ANY music in the Zune library and not just for music part of their subscription service. That turns what is a pretty neat feature into something that’s “woah” to me. If you buy at least 10 tracks of digital music a month anyway then the cost of a Zune Pass on top of that becomes much more palatable. I have to say I’m still very surprised that Microsoft is doing this. This is definitely a huge deal in my eyes and something they need to promote heavily.

That said, what are you all buying with your first 10 tracks? We only have a week to do it really since the tracks don’t carry over and there’s no time like the present! I knew instantly what I was going to buy anyway. Metallica’s “Black” album. It has 12 tracks so I went ahead and bought the final two tracks to get the whole thing. Anyone think that a lot of people may do something similar and end up buying music anyway to get the whole album?

Zune Pass Now Offers 10 Tracks Per Month to Keep

Jason Dunn — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:12:00 GMT

http://zuneinsider.com/archive/2008...ks-to-keep.aspx

"The week just keep getting better for Zune owners: today we're announcing some amazing enhancements for Zune Pass. Starting today at about 11:00PM pacific time, everyone with a Zune Pass gets to keep 10 tracks from Zune Marketplace each month. These 10 tracks will be yours to keep, forever. Each month that you keep your Zune Pass current, you'll get another 10 tracks credited to your account. All this for the same price as your Zune Pass today: 14.99/month, or about the price of one CD per month. So each month as you discover and download new music in Zune Marketplace, you'll be able to keep 10 of your favorite tracks. One quick note: there is no roll-over, so make sure you collect your 10 tracks each month."

The blog post goes on to say that approximately 90% of the 4 million tracks in the Zune Marketplace are available in MP3 format. I don't know if that's something that has just changed tonight though, because the last time I checked I had a really hard time finding MP3s in the songs that I wanted - and that's why I purchase most of my digital music from Amazon's MP3 store. Still, I'm all for DRM-free music, so it's great to see them focusing hard on getting more MP3s into their catalog.

Back to the big news though: getting to keep approximately $10 worth of music per month, and getting rented access to a huge collection of music, all for $15 per month, is compelling. What I'm not sure about is what format the 10 tracks you get are - I suspect their in WMA format and DRM-laden, which makes them less interesting, but I suppose it's better than nothing. The Zune team isn't the first I've heard offering a subscription service with tracks to keep (check out what Nokia is doing), but I think it's a first out of the major players in the subscription industry - which I guess really only consists of Rhapsody and Napster at this point with pretty much every other player dying off.

So what do you think? Is this enough to make you want to sign up for a Zune Pass if you've been resisting up until now?

Can Common Give Zune Cool?

Adam Krebs — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 21:45:00 GMT

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap...DJr-JAD94GUNMO3

"Since it first landed two years ago, the Zune has been the butt of many jokes, like how its wireless music sharing feature would be great, if only a second person would buy one. But while Apple Inc. has counted on the sex appeal of its ever-thinner devices to keep consumers turned on, the Zune team has been beefing up its software and courting artists like Common, a dashing MC with mainstream appeal who might just help make Zune — dare we say it? — cool."

Common has been promoting with Zune since he performed on the Los Angeles leg of Summer 2007's Live at the BBQ Concert series. Zune sponsored his most recent tour, which he used to promote his forthcoming album, Universal Mind Control. Perhaps in an attempt to return the favor, the video for the epynonymous lead single, Universal Mind Control, features a Zune in the opening and closing shots. Though both Common and Microsoft deny any monetary compensation for the placement in the video, Common has since appeared in the latest round of Zune ads, alongside hip hop legend Afrika Bambaataa. The spot, which promotes the Zune software's new "Mixview" feature, attempts to show the relationship between the Neptunes-produced Universal Mind Control and similar-sounding tracks made years ago by Bambaataa and his group, the Soulsonic Force. Mixview has been promoted by Microsoft as a music discovery tool which visually showcases relationships between artists, their influences, influencers, and contemporaries, and is at the center of a new multi-million dollar campaign headed by noted ad firm Crispin Porter + Bogusky, who have previously worked on Microsoft's I am A PC campaign and Burger King's Subservient Chicken viral campaign.

I'm a huge fan of Common's music, and ate up every minute of Cesar's interview with him when he visited the Zune offices in September (my brother had a similar experience with Common when the artist came into the Obama election headquarters to make get-out-the-vote phone calls). And I love the simplicity of the spot itself; it seems for the first time the Zune marketing guys have gotten out of their own heads and actually showcased the product itself. While it's not quite on par with Apple's "This is how you use the App Store" commercials for the iPhone, it's certainly much better than the launch ads. Hopefully Common and CP+B can finally inject some much-needed mass appeal into the Zune marketing campaign. The ad runs this week on most networks that target 18-25 year-olds (MTV, Comedy Central, Adult Swim), and during both the Sunday and Monday Night Football games.

ZuneOne Leather Flip-Style Case for Zune 30

Adam Krebs — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:00:00 GMT

The ZuneOne leather case ($15 USD) is a folio-style case with a magnetic closure mechanism and a rotating leather belt clip on the back. The magnetic closure feels very "Zune" (in line with other accessories like the headphones and car pack v2). While the overall construction is solid and has held up under a good deal of almost continual punishment, the stitching between the back of the case and the belt clip feels weak, and several of the seams started to open up after only a few weeks of normal usage. Additionally, the cutouts for the play/pause and back buttons are quite hard to get at, though both the screen and d-pad benefit from their generously-sized holes.

The top flap has a hole cut out for straight plug headphones and there is space on the top sides for right-angle plugs too. You will have to flip open the case to operate the hold switch, but the flap basically negates the use of the hold switch anyway. The bottom of the case features plenty of room for a cable connector, but as with most cases, the Zune/case combo will not fit in a dock. If you're in the market for an inexpensive yet still stylish and durable leather case, you can do a lot worse than the ZuneOne.

Adam Krebs is an avid Zune fan whose brown 30 has weathered every firmware update since 1.0, and attributes this fact to the excellent protection he provides his device. He lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts with his family.

Calling All Readers: Help Me Torture Test a Video Solution

Jason Dunn — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 04:00:00 GMT

About two months ago, I purchased a Canon HF100 high-definition video camera to replace my ageing but still totally sweet Canon GL2 (that thing has such great optics!). It took me a while to re-create my template in 16:9 format, but I did and published my first two HD videos to YouTube...and I was quite disappointed with the results. YouTube only offers a 4:3 aspect ratio player, so 16:9 videos look pretty tiny with those big black bars on the top and bottom. I set out to find a better solution for embedding videos on Thoughts Media sites, and I think I've found one: MotionBox.

I say "I think" because while the video quality is utterly fantastic, and for $20 per year they offer a lot of value, I've been seeing some problematic playback issues today - sometimes the video will start right away, other times it will take 30+ seconds before it starts, and sometimes it won't start at all, instead showing a black box. And sometimes it will just "break" and stop playing. These are obviously serious problems, but I don't know if MotionBox is just having a bad day, or if my bandwidth Kung-fu is weak today. So check out the video below and report back what you find - does it play back OK? Any problems or glitches?

Zune Price Cut

David Tucker — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:35:00 GMT

http://news.cnet.com/8301-10805_3-10101356-75.html

“The software maker plans to announce on Wednesday a price cut for its flash-based models. The 4GB version will drop to $99, the 8GB model will drop by $10 to $139, and the 16GB model will sell for $179, down from $199. Microsoft is also cutting prices for several of its Zune accessories. The cuts take effect on Wednesday in the U.S. and on Friday in Canada.”

Well, this is welcome news for the holiday season. I think this is something Microsoft should have done a long time ago, personally. The flash players are where the really big market is and I think these price cuts could actually have a big impact on their sales. The 8GB model at $139 is a very good price.

My only problem will be deciding which one to buy. I really wanted a flash player for working out and I can’t think of a better time than this holiday season.

The CNet article also talks about the new ad campaign that Microsoft kicked off on Monday that centers around getting people to download the software even if they don’t have the Zune player.

PBS Content Comes to Zune

David Tucker — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 19:01:00 GMT

http://www.zunerama.com/2008/11/pbs...ne-marketplace/

"Well, I am thrilled about this piece of news! Effective today, Zune Marketplace has added video content from PBS, including NOVA, Scientific American Frontiers, Carrier, and more. You can also download specials and mini-series, such as Ken Burns’ acclaimed 2001 miniseries, Jazz. The ten episodes of this series will set you back 8,000 points, or about $100 US. A season of NOVA goes for 2,880 points, or roughly $36."

Not only did we get hit with the Zune 3.1 update today (just a day before the big XBox 360 update tomorrow too!) but Microsoft also added to their video library the PBS collection, according to Harvey Chute over at Zunerama. Every bit of new content, especially in the video section, is only a good thing. I’m not actually familiar with any of the shows but PBS is definitely a big name to bring into the Zune fold!

Actually a few of them sounds really interesting. Anyone have any thoughts on them?

Zune 3.1 Firmware and Software Released Today

Jason Dunn — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:00:00 GMT

Today, the Zune 3.1 release come out - and for a .1 release, it's looking pretty big! The most obvious change is that there are now three new games, bringing the total to five. There are three new games - Checkers, Sudoku, and Space Battle - along with a multi-player enhancement to Texas Hold 'Em. The three new games, and their descriptions are as follows:

Checkers: "Checkers - the eternal strategy challenge you can learn in minutes and play for life. Play the classic game or try suicide mode, in which the first to lose all their pieces wins."

SuDoKu: "Solve Sudoku by filling in all nine rows and columns with the numerals 1 through 9. Each numeral can only be placed once in a given row or column. Play the classic 9×9 or a quick 6×6 game."

Space Battle: "Survive as long as you can against increasingly aggressive waves of alien attackers! Customize your ship and add weapons to your armory as you progress through the game."

Texas Hold 'Em is enhanced with new multiplayer optons. I don't have any details about this, but I presume it's for local WiFi play with nearby Zunes. There are also new single-player difficulty levels for you Texas Hold 'Em pros out there.

Other enhancements with this 3.1 release include:

Zune Social enhancements include a visual refresh to make things easier to navigate, and a new feature called "Like Minded Listeners" that will let you see how compatible your music tastes are with friends and other listeners.
There's improved stability and performance in both the device firmware and desktop software. One the device they've improved the play count reporting and content synchronization, especially channels and wireless purchases from the device. The device side firmware should also eliminate some of the lag we sometimes see.

Want to snag this 3.1 release? Just sync your Zune and sometime within the next few hours you should see the 3.1 update pop up. Enjoy, and let us know what you think!

Zune as Xbox360 Storage Device? Not Quite...

Adam Krebs — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 15:30:00 GMT

http://gizmodo.com/5086362/survey-h...ge-for-the-xbox

"The most recent installment of the Zune newsletter includes a survey question that hints at the possibility of the Zune being used as additional Xbox 360 storage. After selecting "Yes" to the first question, readers are asked "Have you ever connected your Zune to your Xbox to do any of the following?" The first response to the question is "Use my Zune hard drive for extra Xbox 360 storage." One could interpret this as meaning that Microsoft is considering making the Zune official backup storage for saved games, Marketplace downloads, etc. Yes, that would be a great reason to buy a Zune, but keep in mind that the question could refer to using the Zune simply as a means to upload pictures and audio tracks to the 360 (although that would be ridiculous because nobody would give a damn). And, of course, it may mean nothing at all. We shall have to wait and see if Microsoft does the smart thing here."

While I'd like to believe something like this is a sign of what's to come, I just don't see it happening. Why would I want game content on my Zune if I can't do anything with it? What purpose does it serve to carry around my Halo 3 stats with me everywhere? Even if I could, I doubt I'd beam my gamerscore to a buddy the same way I would with a new track. I think, and as Christopher Price points out, that the question itself was just poorly worded:

"What the question meant to ask was “Are you storing pictures and video on your Zune, because your Xbox 360 hard drive is full from game and marketplace content?” When you realize that’s what they were asking… you can see how the rumor got started. Microsoft does want to know that this is an issue, because over on the PlayStation 3, people can use all kinds of storage options… it takes only a few minutes to upgrade the hard drive with one of your own (and not pay Microsoft’s six-times-cost markup for their puny 120 GB hard drive). If the PS3 is luring away savvy customers over being able to have unbounded storage options… Microsoft needs to tackle that issue (with more than the obnoxious-highway-robbery of their hard drives, of which, I refuse to pay… and use my Xbox 360 less because of it)."

Ian Dixon Interviews Jason Dunn

David Tucker — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 07:45:00 GMT

http://iandixon.spaces.live.com/blo...3EA9!3087.entry

"This week I am talking Jason Dunn from ZuneThoughts.com a great resource for Zune owners. Earlier this year the Zune firmware and software was updated and I talk to Jason about what’s new on the Zune devices and the updated Zune desktop software."

Yesterday, Ian Dixon released the latest podcast of "The Media Center Show". The interview was with someone you may be familiar with, our own senior editor, Jason Dunn. (If you're not familiar with Jason, well, then welcome to Zune Thoughts!)

Ian and Jason spend an hour talking about the Zune G3 updates. If you're looking for a new podcast to add to your rotation, Ian's looks like a good one but at the least you should follow this link to listen to the interview!

Zune Marketplace Freebie: "All Buddhas" by KnowSleep

Darius Wey — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 06:45:00 GMT

http://social.zune.net/my/ContentRe...ca-0019b92a3933

Another week and another Zune Marketplace freebie that you can download, play back, burn to a CD, and sync to your Zune device. You'll need a Zune account to download the free content. Clicking on the link(s) below will automatically launch the Zune software and take you to the artist's page, so please ensure that the software is installed on your PC.

Title: All Buddhas (feat. Seasunz)
Artist: KnowSleep
Genre: Electronic/Dance
Length: 3:52

Do You Have A WiFi Network At Home And If So, How Many Devices Are On It?

Ed Hansberry — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:00:00 GMT

I was just wondering how many readers of these three sites (Zune Thoughts, Pocket PC Thoughts and Smartphone Thoughts) had wireless networks at home. By just having a device that these sites cater to, it is likely you have a WiFi enabled device. I just got a Zune 8 about 3-4 weeks ago, my first Zune, and love how I am able to sync with my PC's media database over the network, which only increases my frustration with my Windows Mobile device's inability to sync via WiFi.

My list of WiFi enabled devices that I use daily include:

Work Laptop (Vista Ultimate)
Wife's Laptop (XP Pro)
Three Series 2 TiVo's
Wife's T-Mobile Dash with Windows Mobile 6.0
My K-Jam with Windows Mobile 6.1
My HTC Universal with Windows Mobile 6.0
The family Wii

So I have 9 devices used online in any given week on my WLAN, plus the family desktop PC that is connected to the router via Ethernet. Note that I have a few other devices like an older iPAQ 3900 with the sleeve and WiFi card (2003 all over again!) and my son has a Nintendo DS that we just haven't bothered to put on the network. I even have a 1999 Dell Latitude that works on the network, but to say it is slow would be an understatement. I am sure that looks like a lot to some here, but I am sure more than a few of you will be able to make me look like a Luddite by comparison.

2009 Zune Guide & Giveaway!

David Tucker — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 11:41:00 GMT

http://www.zunerama.com/2008/11/2009-zune-guide/

Well, I was hoping to give it a read through first but with how the week's going, that's just not going to happen! Our friend Harvey Chute over at Zunerama has just posted up the 2009 Zune Guide. It seems like a nice recap of the developments throughout the past year. The 40 page guide is full of links to accessories and gift ideas as well. I'm looking forward to actually getting through it myself!

And if the Zune giveaway from Engadget isn't good enough for you, then page 14 of the guide has details about how you can win a 16 GB Zune from Zunerama!

Blue Zune 120 Spotted, Still No Red Zune 120 in Sight

Jason Dunn — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 12:20:00 GMT

http://zunerama.com/forum/index.php?topic=12032.0

Keen-eyed Zunerama forum member Johnny West spotted this gem amongst all the new Zunes announced last week: a blue Zune 120. I can't say I'm surprised by this, but better late than never - I was a bit irked back in September when the blue Zune was only available in the 8 GB capacity. I always think it's a bad idea to force customers to chose between aesthetics and features - soon, it seems like you won't have to...well, unless you like the colour red. You can still order a red Zune 80, but there's no sign of a red Zune 120. I have a red Zune 80, and it looks fantastic - I wonder why they're not offering this colour in a Zune 120?

Make Extended Listening Enjoyable with Comply Foam Tips

Jason Dunn — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 08:00:00 GMT

When I think of what matters to me in a pair of headphones, comfort isn't usually at the top of the list - not because I don't want them to be comfortable, but because sound quality is always the thing that I care about the most. Take the Ultimate Ears super.fi 5 EB's for example: they are fantastic-sounding headphones, but after an hour or so or having them in my ears, my ears tend to hurt a little. And my right ear never seems to seal up air-tight with them in. Despite that, I adore the super.fi 5 EB's, and put up with the discomfort - partially because it's rare that I listen to more than an hour or two of music in a single sitting. But do I wish the super.fi 5 EB's were perfectly comfortable after extended periods of use? You bet! And that's exactly why the Comply Foam Tips caught my attention - they claimed to improve the comfort experience for a variety of headphones, so I contacted the company to ask for a few samples.

As you might expect, there's not much to them at first glance. They come in simple, attractive packaging, and are sold in a variety of package sizes (three pairs for $14.95, five pairs for $19.95, and ten pairs for $37.95 USD). You'll need to select the type that are compatible with your headphones of course; brands supported include Ultimate Ears, Apple, Creative Labs, Klipsch, Plantronics, Sennheiser, , V-Moda, and many others - including the Zune headphones. They're very simple to use: you pull off the old headphone tips, and gently twist on the Comply Foam Tips. It didn't take me more than a few seconds per headphone.

Do the Comply tips work? Absolutely. I was, frankly, more than a little surprised that after two hours of listening to my Zune using the super.fi 5 EB's that neither of my ears have even the slightest bit of discomfort. For me, that's a radical improvement and it makes me enjoy my headphones (andy my Zune) even more. I didn't notice any difference in the level of noise reduction provided, and the audio quality also sounded identical.

My only minor complaint about the Comply foam tips: it seems like they take a while to completely expand and fill the ear canal. On one hand that means unlike other foam tips I've used in the past, you don't have to do the thumb-and-forefinger-roll and jam them into your ears in under one second - you can take a couple of seconds to get them into position. The down-side of this approach means that, depending on the headphones you're using, you'll have to hold the headphones in place for five to ten seconds while the Comply tips fully expand. Ultimately, that's not a big deal, but it's something to be aware of - and this is assuming, of course, that you need to compress the Comply tips before inserting them into the ear canal in the first place. Some people might be able to just stick them in and go, but I prefer to let them expand. I'd also be remiss if I didn't mention that at $5 per pair for the three pack, these are mighty expensive pieces of foam - but short of damaging them somehow, each pair should last quite a while. And having improved headphone comfort is certainly worth a few bucks, isn't it?

Jason Dunn owns and operates Thoughts Media Inc., a company dedicated to creating the best in online communities. He enjoys photography, mobile devices, blogging, digital media content creation/editing, and pretty much all technology. He lives in Calgary, Alberta, Canada with his lovely wife, and his sometimes obedient dog. His ears are now much happier!

Engadget Contest: Gears of War 2 Zune!

David Tucker — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 09:35:00 GMT

http://www.engadget.com/2008/11/07/...veaway-edition/

"Included in this podcast is a first-ever (for Engadget at least) on-air unboxing. That's right, hear the sounds of a Gears of War 2 Zune getting ripped open. As a treat to our faithful listeners, we'll be giving away that very special edition 120GB Zune! Follow the instructions after the break to learn how to make it yours."

Engadget unboxed the Gears of War 2 Zune on their recent podcast. That’s not the best part though. Engadget decided they’d rather give it away than keep it for themselves so if you want one, now is the time to act! This is, unfortunately, only a contest available to people in the United States but if you’re a Gears of War fan then this is definitely a contest for you!

Follow this link for all the contest details! Act quickly though since you only have until Friday, November 14th.

Holiday Gloom?

David Tucker — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 12:13:00 GMT

http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008....fortune/2.html

"Microsoft's latest answer to the iPod, with 120 gigabytes of storage and a 3.2-inch high-resolution color screen, is a vast improvement over the original Zune, which debuted in 2006. But the new Zune faces the same problem as the iPod: Smartphones and other Web-enabled devices chock full of features (think iPhone) threaten to render these one-trick players obsolete."

The holiday season is getting close and that means big sales for a lot of gadgets. Fortune has a list of gadgets, though, that it thinks will be flops. Fortune's biggest issue is that the prevalence of smartphones make the mp3 player start to look a bit long in the tooth. I'm not sure I agree with that assertion. Camera enabled phones have really done nothing to the digital camera business. Most people realize that a stand alone device is better in a lot of cases.

I think that, for now at least, the standalone MP3 player is still superior to almost any phone based option. The only one that really is a usable solution is the iPhone. And really, with phones tied to carriers, who wants to use that as their primary entertainment device. I really don't know that many people who have eschewed their iPod for an iPhone. Even people who have an iPhone mostly seem to have an iPod as well.

So with all that said, I think the impact on the Zune will be minimal. There is a large market for MP3 players that I really just don't see going away any time soon.

Order Your Gears of War 2 Zune

Jason Dunn — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 02:00:00 GMT

http://https://zunestore.net/us/cat...04(ZuneCatalog)

You want your own Gears of Wars 2 Zune, complete with 120 GB of storage, the original Gears of War soundtrack (why not the GOW2 soundtrack I wonder?), and 244 images? Sure ya' do. Order one now for $279.00 USD.