It seems lots of people are asking about the value in purchasing songs from Zune MarketPlace that one hears over the FM radio transmitter that Zune players come with. Apple users are asking why they would download songs from FM radio but its because most of them do not have FM radio access on their portable music players.

Itunes is a powerful music store and they offer lots of free content in the way of podcasts in their directory but they do not offer access to FM stations like Zune does. I agree that purchasing songs over FM is probably not going to be a huge feature for Zune users but it does show Zune commitment to securing as much new content as possible for Zune owners.

Many people still listen to the radio and having the ability to grab a new song you hear over the FM radio on your Zune is a nice feature for those of us looking for new music from old sources.

New Zune feature: Download songs you hear on FM radio | Technology | Los Angeles Times

Among the new features, Zune will enable its users to download music wirelessly and to buy songs they hear on the built-in FM radio. A new crop of Zunes will come in 16 gigabytes and 120 gigabytes and in new colors — blue on silver and all black. And Zune will start offering recommendations based on the music users listen to.

Popularity: 35% [?]

OverDrive.com has become one of the easiest to use audio book sources for users of portable media players with supoprt no offered to media players as well as Creative and iPod.

This means Zune users can now purchase books at locations such as Borders.com and they can transfer there DRM-protected WMA audiobooks as well as DRM free mp3 audio books to there portable music devices.

Microsoft’s Zune(R) Now Compatible With OverDrive Audiobooks From Libraries - MarketWatch

OverDrive ( www.overdrive.com), a global digital distributor of download audiobooks, eBooks, and more to libraries, schools, and retailers, announced today digital audiobook support for Microsoft’s Zune(R) digital media player with the OverDrive Media Console v3.1 release. This makes OverDrive’s library download platform the only service compatible with Zune’s 3.0 firmware and virtually all MP3 players including iPod(R) and Creative devices. Millions of users from more than 8,500 OverDrive partner libraries, as well as shoppers at online retailers like Borders.com, can now transfer both DRM-protected OverDrive WMA Audiobooks and DRM-free OverDrive MP3 Audiobooks to their Zune players. OverDrive Media Console v3.1 can be downloaded for free at http://www.overdrive.com/software/omc/download.asp.

Popularity: 28% [?]

Keeping with our theme of holiday shopping and gift ideas I was hunting for a quick easy way to cover a bunch of people with a holiday message and I was going to try an e-card from one of the many online email card services out there but the trouble with those is that not everyone I know has an email account and the ones who do will most likely read an email once and delete it if they even read the whole thing.

I think mailing Holiday Cards would be a better idea and a far more personalized way to say hello for the holidays. These Holiday Cards can be mailed out weeks in advance and may end up being used as holiday decorations in someones home where it becomes much more useful than an email.

Cards can be sent toanyone and everyone you know or just to contact a select few of the people you know. You may use Holiday Cards to say hello to those friends not quite close enough to earn a Zune or maybe you will reserve a special card for those friends who are close and deserve a special mention this year.

Whatever your reason to send one a card for the holidays is a fast simple way to let people know you care.

Popularity: 1% [?]

I love this picture of a Zune player accessing the Zune MarketPlace online from the WiFi setup at an Apple Store.

Ina Fried of Cnet has a review of the available wireless hotspots in San Francisco and she seems to have had fun with it anyway.

Apple Store outside image - Photos: Searching for Zune-friendly Wi-Fi - CNET News

Ironically, one of the best bets for Zune-friendly Wi-Fi is the perpetually wired Apple Store. It’s no problem getting access at the downtown store on Stockton Street.

Popularity: 29% [?]

Review: Microsoft Zune vs Apple iPod - Indiatimes Infotech

The Zune has a long way to go to become a threat to the iPod. But it is getting closer. With updated Zunes and new iPods hitting the market recently, I spent some time with each: a black-on-black version of Microsoft Corp’s music and video player and a bright red model of Apple Inc’s iPod Nano.

And it became clear that there are a few things Apple can learn from the Zune — though not surprisingly, Microsoft might want to take some notes as well.

Popularity: 28% [?]

The holiday shopping season is just around the corner and shoppers this year will be looking for the best deals online. It’s been a long year financialy and the whole country is hurting from fuel prices and this gloomy economy. I predict a huge shift to online shopping this Christmas shopping season as the number of deal seekers look for the lowest priced gifts for this year.

Deals such as Newegg promotional codes and discount coupon websites like BestOnlineCoupons.com will be hot spots for the best deals on computers and electronic gadgets from laptops to mp3 players and smartphones.

Electronic devices should be plenty popular for holiday shoppers and websites like TigerDirect and Best Buy are offering discounts and promotional coupons online to save on holiday gift ideas and to bring in new shoppers with things like free shipping and gift wrapping.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Seems Zune originals is the only place you can get Blue, Green, Pink and Red Zune players. Along with the custom engraved Zune players you can buy from Microsoft their online store is the only place to get any other color besides black which is what is being released to stores for the holidays.

What color Zune do you want?

Zune updates Originals store with new designs | Crave, the gadget blog - CNET

It may be worth it, however, since Microsoft is stating that the only way for customers to currently get their hands on red, green, pink, and blue versions of the new 16GB Zune is to order directly through the Zune Originals online storefront. Brick and mortar stores will only be seeing the black versions of the new 16GB and 120GB third-generation Zunes (at least, for now).

Technorati Tags: zune, zune original, red zune, blue zune, pink zune, green zune

Popularity: 1% [?]

Matt Miller from ZDNet.com installed the Zune 3.0 firmware on his Zune 80 and is enjoying the manual sync mode it now features. In the past Zune owners complained about having issues with syncing a Zune device on multiple computers and losing content in the process because the Zune software would remove files not found on other computers when logged in as guest for example.

The new manual sync mode allows you to select exactly what you want to sycn so you can avoid those large movie files you don;t really want or the personal picture folder you ahve that you don;t really want the kids to see but Zune won’t miss

Another problem I came across was in having to large a harddrive on my laptopo and too much content for my Zune to sync. I had to remove some of my music folders on the sync settings because I had issues syncing on my laptop. Manual sync should help with all of those issues now and it’s a welcome addition for sure.

Zune manual sync mode lets you control your content | The Mobile Gadgeteer | ZDNet.com

I upgraded one of my Zunes to the latest 3.0 software and was very pleased to read the latest news that manual sync capability is now a part of the Zune desktop software.

Technorati Tags: zune, zune sync, zune 3, zune firmware

Popularity: 34% [?]

So as many of you know I have had a 20 plus year love affair with Madonna. It started from the first time I saw the Like A Virgin video and its been consistent like her career ever since. I have never had the pleasure to see her in concert as I have never been able to score Madonna Tickets but should the chance ever happen I am hoping to catch her one day soon.

The woman has been able to remain on top of an industry full of new faces and styles. No other performer has been able to reinvent themselves as many times as she has and it seems she’s been able to stay on the cutting edge of style and music for decades now. More impressive has been the trend setting she has done and there is no doubt her influence on music and popular culture since the mid 80’s up until today.

If I had the money for Madonna Tickets I would go just to see what kind of crowd she still pulls but I think it would have been better to have caught her at her peak in the 90’s. Her most recent shows have become politicized and although I agree with her position I disagree with using an entertainment venue to spew your views on the world if it’s not a part of the music you sing normally.

Let the music play and go see a Madonna Concert when you get the chance.

Popularity: 30% [?]

Here is a review of the Zune 16Gb player from PC World. They seem to agree with most everyone else that the Zune has finally become a serious music player with high features end iPod does not offer.

The additional capacity of the 16GB player should come in handy for those who decide to use the many new features available to the Zune 3.0 firmware. You can now access the Zune MarketPlace from your wireless device and do things like purchase songs you hear on the radio station thanks to the new partnership Zune has with many major radio stations.

The hardware specifications on the Zune 16 are very similar to those of the Zune 8 and what really changed was the harddrive capacity and the high gloss finish of the new Zune 3 players.

PC World - Microsoft Zune 16 GB Review

The 16GB Zune retails for $200–the same price that the 8GB Zune carried when it debuted. Size (including the 1.8-inch screen), weight, and the device’s battery life (according to the company’s spec) remain the same for the $200 Zune 16GB. At 0.3 inch thick, the 16GB Zune is noticeably bulkier than the 0.24-inch third-generation iPod Nano; it also weighs a bit more, at 1.7 ounces versus 1.3 ounces for the Nano.

Popularity: 2% [?]

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I have been attending more live performances and not listening to as much music on my Zune in the past few months. I much prefer live music and listening to a band perform than I do to listen to the same garbage over and over again.

I have tried lots of new music using my Zune pass and its been much fun trying out so many new artists with the playlists features but there is nothing like a live concert if you can get good Concert Tickets. As new as it may be much of the new music out there today sounds like the same junk respun by talentless actors who play musicians on television or something but they can’t really sing. Music today has become more about style and less about substance and it feels very empty to me.

The hottest Hip hop artist on the planet sounds prepackaged in some way. He thinks he’s Nino Brown, he talks smack like Doo Doo Brown and he looks more like Charlie Brown but he’s making big money as the most popular hip hop star in the world.

Lil Wayne sounds hard as nails but I have my doubts about how tough a life he lives and how hard he actually is. Whatever the truth is he sells Concert Tickets and CD’s by the truckload and the guy is literally making a Milli, a Milli, a Milli, a Million dollars a day talking crap he does not seem able to back up.

Thankfully you can still find some good deals on better shows so find Concert Tickets for whatever music you like and put down your mp3 player and see a live performance.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Here is a Zune 3.0 software walkthrough from Ina Fried and Cnet News.

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In yet another misstep Microsoft was forced to confirm details of the recently leaked Zune 120 harddrive player and the Zune 3.0 software. It seems they can’t hold onto many secrets at Zune headquarters because almost everything Zune has ever done has been leaked.

The Zune 120 will replace the Zune 80 at the same price point and the Zune 4 gb player has been dropped and the Zune 8 is now joined by the Zune 16.

Microsoft confirms Zune details | Beyond Binary - A blog by Ina Fried - CNET NewsInWith most of its news already leaked out there, Microsoft on Monday confirmed the details of its fall Zune lineup.

On the hardware side, Microsoft will beef up Zune’s capacity, expanding the hard drive-based model to 120GB and the flash-based player to 16GB.

More significant are the software and service improvements. Most notably, as is the case with the iPod Touch, Zune owners will now be able to use the device’s built-in Wi-Fi to download songs.

Also new, the updated Zune will make recommendations based on the songs someone is listening to and there will also be new Zune “channels” programmed by experts and along themes like “work-out” music.

Zune will also come with two games–Hexic and Texas Hold ‘em–and adds support for audio books in the Audible format.

Popularity: 35% [?]

Asus has announced a new Touchscreen Smartphone using Windows Mobile 6.1 that could reveal quite a bit about what a Zune Touch would be like.

They could also incorporate the Zune Software and make it a touch screen media player as well? So what are they waiting on?

Asus Rolls Out Windows Mobile Touchscreen Smartphone — Smartphone — InformationWeek

Computer maker Asus on Monday announced a touchscreen smartphone that should make mobile professionals more productive.

The company’s latest handset — the Asus P552w — uses a Marvell Tavor 624 MHz processor to run Window Mobile Professional 6.1, and it’s capable of many productive mobile applications. The handset’s can send and receive e-mail and instant messaging, and it can view and edit Microsoft (NSDQ: MSFT) Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files.

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The smartphone lacks a physical keypad, as all of the input is done through the phone’s 2.8-inch touch screen. Some have found Windows Mobile to be a cumbersome to use on a touchscreen device, so Asus has implemented a custom user interface it has dubbed Glide.

With Glide, a user can perform navigational functions like zooming, selecting, and scrolling with flicks of the finger. The interface can also be used with integrate applications for functions like reading news, viewing slideshows, and checking the weather.

Popularity: 37% [?]

Third generation Zune pictures leak: 120GB and 16GB flavors — Electronics NEWS - about-electronics.eu

The third generation of Microsoft’s Zune portable media player product line has been talked about and speculated for quite a while now, but very little has managed to leak out of Redmond, until now.

A Canadian has supposedly somehow gotten his hands on both 16GB and 120GB flavors of the Zune, both of which are expected to be released under Zune 3.0 (recall that the original Zune 30GB is considered first generation and that the Zune 4, Zune 8, and Zune 80 are considered second generation).

Popularity: 51% [?]

Looks like Apple may be releasing some cheaper iPods for the holidays. Lets hope Microsoft does the same and we get a slew of new players for the holiday season.

Apple Could ‘Rock’ Cheaper iPods - Forbes.com

Steve Jobs isn’t even bothering to hide it this time. Apple has invited the press to a “special event” on Sept. 9. And while the tech giant isn’t saying, exactly, what it will announce, any journalist who hasn’t figured it out by now had one too many jars of stupid sauce over the Labor Day weekend.

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