Finally ready to announce! Cesar has the semi-official blogosphere announcement…

http://zuneinsider.com/

Huge thanks to everyone for you patience on skipping zune marketplace content. Just…a…little…longer…

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Zune.net | Stephen Marley - Artist Profile Page

The Grammy-winning producer, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Stephen Marley has been a member of the celebrated Marley sibling group, The Melody Makers, since the age of seven and has been the driving creative force behind his brothers’ music. Stephen’s production, performance, and writing credits has earned him five Grammys, more than any other Marley family member or reggae artist in history.

Born in 1972 and the second son of Bob Marley, Stephen Marley was dancing and singing onstage during his father and The Wailers’ live shows (alongside older siblings Ziggy and Cedella) by the time he was old enough to walk. As a young boy, he stayed at home where he would shadow his father, mimic his speech, and quickly fall in love with such future reggae anthems as “Lively up Yourself.” At seven, he began learning guitar on a nylon-stringed acoustic.

In 1979, he made his official debut with “Children Playing in the Streets,” followed in 1985 by Play the Game Right. Over the next decade, The Melody Makers would follow in their father’s footsteps, racking up Grammy awards and bringing conscious songs and one-love rhythms to every corner of the globe.

With his anticipated upcoming album, not only does the sound and soul of Stephen Marley come into vivid focus, but the 34-year-old artist is now inevitably stepping to center stage for the first time in his 27-yearcareer. Mind Control is all Stephen and a cornucopia of the sounds and styles that he loves: a blend of reggae, rock, R&B, nyabinghi rhythms, flamenco, and hip-hop.

Featuring cameos from roots-rock star Ben Harper, hip-hop hero Mos Def, and younger brother Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley, Mind Control is a collection of songs that rangefrom critiques of society (”Mind Control”) and politics (”Chase Dem”), to the sweet and open-hearted (”Hey Baby”).

Download Stephen Marley’s single, The Traffic Jam from Zune Marketplace today.

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Yesterday I had a meeting w/ James, the Zune release manager and he spilled the beans on the next firmware update. In Mid March, we’re going to release Zune Firmware Update 1.3.  Here’s what’s in the update:

• We’re fixing the skipping problem that some users were experiencing – that is, content acquired from Zune Marketplace will no longer skip when played on the device.


• Improved device and software reliability, when it comes to device detection, and improved sync’ing.


• We’ve made some changes to the FM Tuner so it no longer drains the battery when in sleep mode.

Now, for the inevitable question, “When is the *next* update coming?” or the corollary, “When do I get (insert ‘podcasting’ or another feature here)?” No specifics yet, but again, the dev team is always working on making Zune better. As we get closer to knowing what’s coming out and when, I’ll make sure and post. Also, know that some folks on the Zune team (including the Zune release manager) are reading this blog, and reading your comments. Thanks to everybody who has chimed in with ideas and suggestions (Cesar looks at John W, Tom, T, Swanlee, Rhett, and everyone who commented in yesterday’s post). You rock High five!

The specific date I heard on 1.3 was March 20, but let me double check w/ the team and get back to everybody.

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Webpage: http://www.Deegansongs.com
Location: Barnstaple, Devon, United Kingdom
Description: A subtle blend of emotions and feelings layered and infused together to provide a trifle of musical flavours topped with a sprinkling of Retro Pixie Dust
Biography: I cut my first record at the age of just 5! (Belting out I’m Henry the 8th I am in a recording booth at Butlins.) It didn’t quite reproduce the Wall of Sound but at only 5 I thought it rocked&& funny it never got the airplay it deserved!? With my parents originating from Ireland growing up in an Irish family automatically gave me qualifications in providing entertainment at family gatherings, and a love of music. At 15 and inspired by artists such as John Lennon, George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Simon & Garfunkel, I purchased my first cheap dodgy guitar and learnt how to play chords from a Beatles song book. Drawing from the magical sounds and inspirational characters that the late 60’s and early 70’s were blessed with I have developed and crafted my own style; acoustically led and built from the classic solid foundation of pop song structure. Creating and performing music either independently or as part of a band has continued over the years but until recently remained an enjoyable hobby. In the last 2 years I have been working to transform the experience gained over the years into a serious profession as a songwriter. I have concentrated my efforts towards creating a website (www.Deegansongs.com) and producing an album of my work to showcase my songs. (My first album ‘The Roads You Take’ is available for purchase through CD Baby as well as Apple iTunes). Entry into the 2006 UK Songwriting Competition has produced semi-final placements for 7 of my songs. The first 2 songs that I have forwarded to The Guild of International Songwriters and Composers (G.I.S.C) for assessment have been described as “excellent” with “great commercial value”. Described by Will Sherman, A&R Manager, Matchbox Recordings as “easy to listen to, peaceful, melodic and catchy. Awesome stuff!”, my song ‘Ease The Pain’ is featuring on the forthcoming release of ‘The Big Indie Comeback Vol 2’(Matchbox Recordings). “The Roads You Take” is now also available to purchase at Apple iTunes www.Deegansongs.com seandeegan@Deegansongs.com
Press Release:

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It’s been just about 3 weeks since I got my first Zune case. I’m kinda slow to things. The BoxWave Flexiskin is a very nice and well designed silicone skin for a rough Zune users like myself. I’ve put the case through some serious real world testing and I’m pretty happy with it over. I’m not very interested in the belt loop attachment which then gets in the way if you’re not using it but it’s a livable trade off for the convenience of having it should the need arise. The basic FlexiSkin runs $19.99 and is a solid deal at the price. You can get the belt clip for an extra buck and a kickstand for standing your Zune player up for an extra $3. My favorite part of the FlexiSkin is the screen protector mine that it came with. It actually works and protects my Zune screen. My greatest fear is scratching that luscious screen MAX has and I’m probably overly cautious of damaging it. Having the silicone case and screen protector on my Zune made me loosen up with it a bit and do things like just jam it in my pockets or backpack with little regard for what it banged or bumped against. The screen protector is raised just above the screen so as to allow dust to settle between without scratching up the screen like many other protectors do and the case design keeps the screen covered at all times.

MAX is a black Zune and my case is white which gives it a dull gray look that’s really not so bad. The Boxwave Flexiskins for Zune are an excellent deal at the price and if you can win one for free in our Boxwave Zune case giveaway you’ll love it that much more. In order to enter to win a free Zune case from Boxwave just drop by the Zune forums and leave a short blurb on you and your Zune and bingo you’re entered.

From the BoxWave site:
FlexiSkin Case - PDA, BlackBerry, PSP, Treo and iPod skin cases | Accessories by BoxWave

BoxWave’s FlexiSkinâ„¢ is an ultra low profile skin case designed for complete usability. Precision constructed with anti-static material, the FlexiSkin skin case provides reliable protection from unwanted dust and accidental bumps. The FlexiSkin soft case now features SmoothTextureâ„¢, which guarantees both low profile anti-dust protection and a pleasant tactile experience (selected models).

Protect your device with the anti-dust skin case from the award winning leader in handheld accessories. Experience the FlexiSkin skin case by BoxWave today!

BoxWave Flexiskin Silicone Zune Case Features:

• Enhanced with new SmoothTexture™! SmoothTexture™ makes the Microsoft Zune FlexiSkin feel softer to the touch and reduces surface dust
• Soft, low-profile case
• Form-fitting case designed to perfectly fit your Microsoft Zune
• Anti-slip properties gives your handheld more grip on surfaces
• Durable and protects your Microsoft Zune from scratches and bumps
• Washable and tear-resistant
• Conveniently designed to provide quick access to all of Microsoft Zune’s control buttons
• FlexiSkins without a kickstand come in aluminum grey, coral pink, frosted clear, future blue, jet black, and smoke grey color
• FlexiSkins with a kickstand come in cosmo pink, frosted clear, jet black, and super blue color
• FlexiSkins without a kickstand include a removable clear LCD screen shield
• FlexiSkins with a kickstand do not include a removable clear LCD screen shield
• Includes a high quality, simple-to-use, and detachable belt clip (optional)

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Zune.net has been featuring loads of new music and all sorts of funky new artists. Youc an download mp3 files and wallpaers of top new artisits from the Zune Marketplace. Stop by and check out Fujiya & Miyagi

Zune.net | Fujiya & Miyagi - Artist Profile Page

Fujiya & Miyagi is comprised of David Best, Steve Lewis, and Matt Hainsby. The trio met while they warmed the subs bench at Sunday league soccer and discovered they had a mutual hero-worship of world heavy weight wrestler Kendo Nagasak, 70’s krautrock, and early-90’s electronica. They named the band after the name of a record player, Fujiya, and the wise martial arts master in the The Karate Kid, Miyagi.

Download their track “Ankle Injuries,” from their first full-length album Transparent Things, for free on Zune Marketplace today.

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Vaja Cases has release yet another awesome Zune case and this one looks so sweet it’s on my list of must have. the green and brown color scheme is very cool and I have to get one ASAP. Not much for details on the case yet except these specifications and the pictures below.

Features for the New i-Volution Case from Vaja Cases for Microsoft Zune

• Full access to main functions
• Removable front protector
• Access to hold button and headphone plug
• Cutout for charge & sync
• Several colors available
• Optional clip system
• Optional personalization

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Featuring new and unsigned artists is our favorite thing about Zune and music blogging and supplying you with as much new music as we can is our goal each day. We love to have so many Zune fans enjoying their new mp3 player and we want everyone to spend more time listening to music and less time doing silly things like driving cars and working. So we try to feature as much music from as many obscure bands and musicians as we can for your enjoyment.

Exposure to new musicians has been the best part of running ZuneMAX and access to great music has never been easier now that people continue to suggest new sites for us. You can find just about any type of music genre amongst the unsigned artists at Unsigned.com including Dance Artists and more. For even more great music from unsigned artists you should check them out for yourself.

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MP3: Ana Cristina — Deer in the Headlights

With a new CD on the way, Ana Cristina is taking charge and taking a new direction.

The release, expected to drop this spring, will be different from Cristina’s debut effort. Her first CD was a self-titled Spanish-language album that she recorded in 2003 at age 15 on the Sony Discos label. It featured mostly ballads by other songwriters.

This time around, Cristina is performing her own self-penned, high-energy pop/rock. The music will mostly be in English, with a few tracks in Spanish.

Cristina began recording the CD earlier this year. She’s also been busy promoting the upcoming disc by performing live with a five-piece band at venues throughout South Florida.

The concerts are the latest go-round for the Miami native, no stranger to the local scene, with the five-octave vocal range.

Cristina, the daughter of Cuban parents, began showcasing her talents at age 5 and quickly became a fixture on Spanish-language TV.

Cristina is booked for the benefit Sports, Stars, Wishes — The Make-a-Wish Ultimate Sports Auction. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. March 8 at Hollywood’s Hard Rock Live, 1 Seminole Way. Tickets are $250. Contact sfla.wish.org or 954-967-9474.

Cristina also will be part of the post-race party and awards ceremony for the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida Celebrity 5K, which benefits Community Partnership for Homeless Inc. The celebration starts at 9 a.m. March 25 at Nikki Beach, 1 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach. Contact celebrity5k.com or 305-278-8668.

For info on shows farther down the road, visit anacristina.com and myspace.com/anacristinafans.

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Did buying your new Zune player break the bank for you? Are you finding it difficult to make it from pay check and sometimes need some help? You might be a candidate for a Payday loan online from Secure Consolidation that will help you make it through some hard times. Each of us has a struggle to make it in these difficult financial times and on occasion need a helping hand and a Cash Advance can be a life saver when your finances just don’t meet your needs one week.

The Payday Cash Advance Loan has been a popular choice for students, part time workers and those in need of some fast easy cash and might be a choice for you if you blew all you money on your Zune. if you don’;t have a job that’s going to pay you next week then don’t bother trying to get  a loan. You need to get a job first.

Popularity: 3% [?]