Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Rumors of a Zune phone have floated around forever, but we’ve always thought it would make more sense for Microsoft to start by simply making a Zune player for Windows Mobile — a plan Steve Ballmer casually confirmed today in an interview with CIO Magazine. Sure, Ballmer’s hinted at Zune on WinMo in the past, but those were just hints — not like today’s pronouncement that “the Zune software will also be ported to and be more important not just with the hardware but on the PC, on Windows Mobile devices, etc.” That’s a pretty solid declaration of things to come, if you ask us — too bad he didn’t give a time frame. Now, about that 360 integration.

[Via WM Power User]

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

You’ve seen the PR, not check the videos. The zunitedcommunity just posted four introductory videos straight outta Redmond — three demonstrate the new WiFi Marketplace, buy from FM, and Channel features in the 3.0 firmware while the fourth demonstrates the updated desktop software with new Zune mix and improved Now Playing views in additional the new auto-generated Picks view populated to reflect your listening habits. CNET News also had the chance to get some hands-on time courtesy of Zune’s Joe Belfiore. Joe confirms that WiFi access to Marketplace only works from hotspots that don’t require a browser-based login (duh) while once again hinting at future Xbox and Zune integration since both stores are based on the same technology. He also confirms that the 3.0 firmware will work with all Zune devices as expected. Curiously, when asked about accessing your Zune music collection from your phone, Joe responded by saying, “that’s another really interesting device that you may someday see us do work on but nothing that we’re announcing here today.” Funny response since CNET asked him about accessing Zune music from a phone, not a Zune phone. See all five videos after the break.

[Via Zunited, thanks Ryan and Milo]

Continue reading Zune 3.0 video blowout with just a hint of a Zune phone

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Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video

var digg_url = ‘http://digg.com/microsoft/Zune_3_0_video_blowout_with_just_a_hint_of_a_Zune_phone’; You’ve seen the PR, now check the videos. The zunitedcommunity just posted four introductory videos straight outta Redmond — three demonstrate the new WiFi Marketplace, buy from FM, and Channel features in the 3.0 firmware while the fourth demonstrates the updated desktop software with new Zune mix, improved Now Playing view, and new Picks view auto-populated to reflect your listening habits. CNET News also had the chance to get some hands-on time courtesy of Zune’s Joe Belfiore. Joe confirms that WiFi access to Marketplace only works from hotspots that don’t require a browser-based login (duh) while once again hinting at future Xbox and Zune integration since “both stores are based on the same technology.” He also confirms that the 3.0 firmware will work with all Zune devices as we expected. Curiously, when asked about accessing your Zune music collection from a phone, Joe responded by saying, “that’s another really interesting device that you may someday see us do work on but nothing that we’re announcing here today.” Funny response since CNET asked him about accessing Zune music from a phone, not a Zune phone. See all five videos after the break.

[Via Zunited, thanks Ryan and Milo]

Continue reading Zune 3.0 video blowout with just a hint of Zune phone

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Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video

Someone clearly didn’t want Microsoft fans being left out at this time of extreme Apple coverage. In an interview with SFGate, Robbie Bach manages to deftly deny the rumored Xbox / Blu-ray match-up, deny a Zune Phone is coming anytime soon (although he intimates Zune software may come to phones), but still cleverly suggests that a Zune Touch could be in the offing. Of course, by “cleverly suggest” we mean he mentions the possibility of a device with touch capabilities, which is like saying Dell might release a laptop with a keyboard. Is that the device pictured above? No silly, that’s just someone’s Photoshop work. Steve Jobs — anything to say about this?

[Via wmpoweruser; Image courtesy anythingbutipod]

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Filed under: Cellphones, Portable Audio, Portable Video

The funkiest and freshest dude in Redmond, J Allard, has once again reached out to the people and dropped straight-up knowledge in regards to Zune Phone rumors. According to the report, during an interview with Reuters Allard shrugged off the chatter, saying that the company was focusing on the new Zunes at the present time. It would have seemed like a total dead-end, but the Microsoft exec then noted that the Zune was built on top of Windows Mobile, and added that the giant has, “The flexibility to take these in a different direction where [sic] our customers, our partners and we are ready.” Sure, some new product would be nice, but let’s be honest folks — why would you need to make a phone when everyone is running your software anyway?

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