Have you hacked you Zune yet? No doubt those of us on the original 30GB devices would like to hack our Zune just so we can do all the cool new things on an mp3 player we bought almost 3 years ago now. I mean it’s taken a long time to get the zune hacked but if this hack keeps and homebrew apps stay on Zune then this could increase the value of so many used Zune players on the market. A Zune 30 can be had for as low as $40 on eBay and local classifieds and buying a used Zune 120 just to hack it would be a fair deal at anything under $100.

Only time will tell what kind of apps show up in the Zune app store but let’s hope we start with some cool web tools like a web browser and maybe even a cool p2p program for mobile file sharing. Have you hacked your Zune today? Are you a Zune hacker? Send us details on how the OpenZDK install and app installation process went for you.

Zune, Zune HD hacked, XNA limitations removed – AfterDawn

The ZuneBoards Development Front, which consists of “itsnotabigtruck”, “Netrix” and “Nurta,” says that all Zune models, past and present are now hacked and will “for the first time, run applications directly on top of the Zune firmware,” giving users and developers full access to the firmware and hardware, without limitations.

Dubbed OpenZDK, the hackers behind it say there have been very few apps written so far, but admittedly OpenZDK is newly released.

It has finally happened. Hackers have taken interest in hacking Zune HD media players from Microsoft and I could not be happier. I might even jump on over to Amazon and buy a new Zune HD just so I can hack it. It is so sad that Microsoft has not built a robust app store for the original Zune players but at least now we can hack the Zune HD and maybe soon they will have all the cool apps we zune lovers have been waiting for.

Zune HD hackers launch development kit, homebrew apps about to get awesome

The Zune HD is an interesting device. On the one hand it’s got a slick user interface, a speedy processor, and a high quality OLED display, which make it a rather attractive alternative to the iPod touch. On the other hand, there are virtually no third party apps for the Zune HD, which means that you end up spending about as much money for a Zune HD as you do for an iPod touch — but one is just a media player that can handle a few games while the other is a handheld tool that can play music and movies and run thousands of third party games and other apps.

In fact, the lack of third party apps was my number one complaint when I reviewed the Zune HD last year. But it looks like things could soon change — and it’s not Microsoft’s doing. A group of hackers have released a developer kit called OpenZDK that allows third party developers to write native apps for the Zune HD.

Up until now, third party developers could use Microsoft’s XNA Game Studio to write apps, but it didn’t provide full access to all of the Zune HD’s features. The device has an NVIDIA Tegra processor with OpenGL ES 2.0 support and custom shaders. OpenZDK lets developers write apps that will use all of those features.

In plain English, that means that apps built with XNA couldn’t do 3D. Games built using the new OpenZDK tool can feature 3D graphics.

Survey Hints That Zune Could Double as Extra Storage For the Xbox – Gizmodo Australia

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.

Hello everyone from Zuney.Net!,

We have finally assembled the Zune hacking team "THRiCE", from here on they will be producing hacks and releasing them to all you guys here at Zuney.Net

The current team members:

Pr0x!3
ShaiLigum
ElementsRage
SauliusM
hobo218
Coprolal1an
Broken Bulb

If you want to get in on the action, and think you can add your expertise to the projects coming up then contact one of the team members at http://www.zune.net and maybe you will be picked.

Look out for a release soon!

RobZuney.Net

We’ve had a few requests for the Zune Preloaded Content and I found a great link for some easy to handle zip files for you. The guys at ZuneMods.net have some great articles on modding your Zune and you should definitely check them out

ZuneMods.net :: View topic – New Download Mirrors

We have new mirrors for the preloaded content! Thanks to kenmoini.com (mematrix-) for the bandwidth. These links should be available indefinitely.

Links:
http://kenmoini.com/zunehacking/Pictures.zip
http://kenmoini.com/zunehacking/Music.zip
http://kenmoini.com/zunehacking/Video.zip

I’ve spoken to two different members of the Zune Crew about the Zune as a platform. Both Microsoft employees were rather quick to tell me it’s not. Dave Caulton flat out says Zune is not a platform in this blog posts at Zunester.com. I understand Daves’ reasoning as to why he feels it’s not a platform and what concerns me is that they miss the point. I think consumers want it to be a platform and they want it open up to modification by a variety of developers so that they can truly personalize their Zune players.

Within days of the Zune release date we saw as bunnie studios cracked open a brand new Zune player and revealed to the world the Zune internal hardware. The Zune uses a Freescale iMX31L processor which "implements high-performance audio functions suited to high-end applications, such as smartphones and UMTS handsets" according to their websites.

That sounds like plenty enough for a portable media player and some say it’s enough processor for a gaming device. This product detail page shows the Zune has a "FS455/6 PC-to-TV Encoders support High Definition (HD) and Standard Definition (SD) outputs and are compatible with most graphic controller chips" It seems the Zune could support High Def and better resolution than we get on the Zune player but the limitations must be related to battery consumption. What really lacks here is battery technology as a whole, they really need to focus on building a better battery for the mobile age or we’ll all be wireless for 12 hour stretches tops without a booster battery.

Our new friends at IpodMods.com , an industry leader in used iPod repairs and parts sales, are setting up to offer Zune Repairs for the inevitable day when a Zune breaks while out of warranty and they have taken their first Zune apart. They have a nice layout of the Zune disassembly process and how to take your Zune apart if you have the need to. They also offer a 40GB hard drive upgrade using a nearly identical Toshiba MK4009GAL Hard Drive instead of the Zunes’ 30GB MK3009GAL. If you think you can handle the installation go for it or you can have them install it for you. They also offer replacement Zune screens, extended life batteries and more. Check out IpodMods.com for Zune upgrade parts and repair services.

Talk on the net is about the fact the Zune processor can support Linux and the possibilities of hacking Zunes to run linux and open wifi. I think it’s awesome for one reason. It will force Microsoft to recognize the consumers choice that the Zune is a platform and they need to cater to the developers market so eager to modify and customize the Zune players. What better way to gain market share then to offer one unit with many variations based on users needs. Its good to know consumers want a choice and if not given one suitable we’re willing to make one for ourselves.