Live Zune Blog

I'm opening the tables up for anyone who might want to help out with the blog.  If your interested in blogging about the Microsoft Zune and other interesting tech news feel free to contact me.  There would be no real limitations.  You would be just as in-control of the blog as I am.  So if this sounds like fun to you drop me a line.  You can leave a comment, or better yet email me at zuneblog@hotmail.com. 

C,ya  ~Kevin

So Microsoft just announced today that it will be releasing a Halo 3 Xbox 360. The Halo series is one of the most popular video games around right know. Microsoft is hoping for big sales with the Halo 3 video game coming on September 25. The series has sold nearly 15 million copies already. Microsoft is hoping that the Halo 3 Xbox 360 will draw attention and fans. The system will be on the market in September.

Some people had hoped for a price-cut on the Xbox 360 but no news on that yet. Sony recently cut $100 from their Playstation 3.

I'm not a big video game fan, but this game system does look sexy. I wonder if the box will be as cool as the Halo 3 Zune box was?

Source: USAToday

So I was checking out some blog posts on Zunerama.com when I came across a post about the iPod. It is actually very interesting. The post linked to a Macrumors blog post made back in 2001. The post had some details about the first iPod Apple was soon to be releasing. Read the comments and you will find the stuff people say are very similar to things you have heard before.

Read the Article ----- Read the Comments

It seems although the largest record company in the world, Universal, and Steve Jobs, who sells the most music online, are having a little argument.  Steve Jobs likes to have things at Apple running his way.  Can't blame him for that, but would he let his largest music supplier slip away from him?

As a music lover, I really have to side with Steve Jobs on this one.  Universal wants more (or better, all) control over their music being sold on iTunes.  This can only be bad.  This would sadly mean no chance for a DRM-free future and an increase in music costs online.  Don't think this would be an only iTunes thing either.  The only reason Universal isn't after Microsoft yet is most likely because Microsoft gives a small (like a penny or two) cut of the profits from each Zune sold.

Universal has come out and said that it does not plan on renewing it's contract with Apple.  Rather it will sell tracks as it wishes.  Meaning they decide the price and hold the right to withdraw any or all of their tracks of iTunes at any giving time.  While these may lead to special promotions with occasional cheaper songs, it will also lead to popular songs to become more expensive.  Needles to say, Steve is not very happy about this.

Apple recently said that negations were still going on, and nothing had been decided yet.  I somewhat doubt that Apple is going to let Universal get away with this though.  It would be a safe bet that Apple is handing over a few bags of cash to keep Universal happy and things will be back to normal soon.

     VS.     

If you watch Adult Swim regularly, you may have noticed a new Zune commercial. The Zune team went a little more of the artsy way with this commercial. Instead of actually showing the Zune, or what it does, they showed a cool little video with the brand name "Zune" at the end. Why not though? That is how Apple advertises the iPod isn't it? Check out the kick-ass new commercial below.

 
Video: Zune Planes Video

You can also find this video at the Zune-Arts.net website.

ILikeMyZune.net is now open. This is a new website by the Zune team opened on July 05. You can check up on some details about The Zune's LiveNation partnership on the website. This website will keep you busy during the summer with information on tour dates, locations, artists, and more. That is not all you have to look forward to though! The Zune is hosting some BBQ's in L.A., Chicago, and NYC. There will be plenty of hip-hop singers at these events, and best of all, it is free (except for the food). How cool is that?

The registration for the L.A. BBQ is currently up, so go sign up. You may also be able to stumble across Cesar who is heading down to L.A. to see the show. Even if you don't bump into him, drop him a comment and you can meet up with him.

This is promising to be quite the Zune partying summer!

Oh yes, and we have a birthday to celebrate. Zunerma.com recently turned 1 year old! Their throwing a party on their website. Their giving away tons and tons of Zune accessories. Go check out their giveaway section of the forums to get in on some of the giveaways. You may even win a Zune!

Some ZuneScene.com editors where stirring up trouble at the Phoenix iPhone launch. They played around with the phone and took joy in changing many of the phone's homepages to Zunescene.com. (Picture from Zunescene.com)

Click HERE to check out their blog post about their fun experience at the iPhone release. They weren't the only one's having a good time at a Apple store though. Check out these two cool dudes playing with the phone (in the link).

I have also gathered up some rumors about two new Zunes coming sooner or later. One hard drive based unit, and another, a flash based unit. Sources say their codename's will be Scorpio for the hard drive Zune, and Draco for the flash drive Zune. Draco is rumored to hold 4GB or 8GB of flash memory, while Scorpio will hold 80GB. No news on larger storage devices with 100GB or 120GB.

The good news is that production is rumored to start at the end of July. No news on the release date of the device has leaked yet, but I would assume the 2007 holiday season would be the ideal time to sell. Although if Apple jumped out and announced a new iPod, Microsoft might want to release the Zune before hand.

And finally, just for laughs, I have to post this picture from Zunescene.com up. Hilarious...

Ok, let me just start back where I left off...

My last post (nearly a month ago) was about 1mill+ Zunes sold.  As it turned out, the interview was misquoted.  Bach said that Microsoft was well on it's way to sell over 1 million Zunes by the end of the first year.  By the way, the end of the fiscal year is coming up for the  Zune.  June 30 is the end of the first year.  Get ready to sing happy birthday!  The Zune is also officially the number 2 player in the hard-drive category, as sales go.  Just behind, you guessed it, the iPod.

On May 31, a small firmware update was released.  This update is only a firmware update, the software is still 1.3.  The firmware update "brings an improved shuffle experience."  Just makes the shuffle feature more random.

The red Zune was announced early June.  You can buy it on Amazon.com and at local target stores.

Some of you may have noticed the two teddy bear looking things dancing in the Zune TV commercial.  That was actually a small clip for a Zune-Arts piece it is now on the Zune-Arts website, but Cesar was kind enough to post it up on Soapbox as well.  Check it out:

Zune Video

 
Video: Zune Video

Hmm..  What other news is their.  Oh yes, the Zune for Dummies book is coming on July 10.  Harvey is releasing this book and you can find more information on it HERE.  And we have the Zune tattoo guy!  I remember when he first told people on multiple forums that he was getting a Zune tattoo and no one believed him.  Now look at him!  Two Zune tattoos and getting to meet Cesar in person, awesome.

We also have Cesar takeing a trip to New York City.  he says he will meet for coffee and song exchange with anyone who is interested. 

We also have some rumors of Generation 2 Zunes coming from the net.  Word is that a 80GB Zune will be available as well as some flash players.  Of course Cesar made a blog post saying he really can't say anything about Zune rumors.  More information on these rumors as they come!

Robbie Bach, from Microsoft, recently did an interview with a reporter from the San Fransisco Chroicle. The interview talks about the Microsoft entertainment section in a whole, but some questions are more specific to the Zune:

Question: Can you talk a little bit about the Zune overall? Will we see next-generation Zunes coming out, particularly flash-based players?

Bach: We're still about nine months into having Zune in the marketplace. We're very pleased with the progress. We've sold a little over a million Zunes. In the category we're in, the hard-disk-based category, we've got about 10 percent market share. It's a good start. It's not an overwhelming start. I'm not going to pretend it's some gigantic move.

As we look to the future, you're certainly going to see us continue to invest in that category. We don't enter things like that lightly.

There will be new things down the path (in the fall). We just came out with a special edition pink Zune and a watermelon-colored Zune, which are the personal favorites with my kids.

Question: How is the Zune marketplace doing overall? Sandisk just put out a new Wi-Fi player to enable people to download wirelessly. Are you looking at the Zune having that?

Bach: The Zune marketplace is doing very well. We have a pretty typical attach rate of songs to Zunes. Certainly, like on an iPod, if you looked at the number of songs people have on a device, the majority are CD-ripped songs.

You're going to see us expand in that space, a little bit more from the social aspects of connecting people together, a little more than just a store.

As to the Wi-Fi, we think the idea of these devices being connected where you want them connected is very important. That's why we shipped the original Zune with Wi-Fi built in. The cool thing about that is, the innovation can all be in software.

Wi-Fi is an important area. We'll see how that Sandisk project does.

Question: Are people sharing music by beaming songs from Zune to Zune? Do you have any way to gauge that?

Bach: People are sharing. When your installed base is a million, the benefits of sharing, frankly, aren't as wide as we hope to see in the future. One of the challenges for us is continuing to build on the install base.

Sharing is a tip of the iceberg of what you can do in the social nature of music, and what you can do when you have a device that you can connect when you're at a Starbucks, when you're at work, when you're at home. That really, over time, will change things, for Zune and for consumers. [Source]

So it seems like Microsoft is energetic with their future of the Zune. Over 1 million Zunes have been sold in the last 6 and a 1/2 months. It is a start, but not as much as many had hoped for. The interview talks about Microsoft's competition and how in some areas, like the Zune, they fall short. Bach explains that this is not anything new. Microsoft has had to fight with many different companies, and it drives them to do their best. He explains that they do not enter a field lightly. They enter it knowing that they are not going to be backing down. Microsoft has had this fight with a number of their products, and today, many of those products are in the lead compared to their competition.

So, the future of the Zune is defiantly their, and it is bright. Knowing Microsoft's history, they are going to make this product the best it can be and they wont stop even after surpassing all competition. Can't wait to see what is to come!

Oh, and an interesting note that ZuneScene pointed out. Bach says it has been 9 months since the Zune's release, when it actually has been 6 1/2. Bach also claims that they have come out with a pink and red Zune, while the red Zune hasn't been announced yet.

The red Zune hasn't even been announced by Microsoft yet, and it is up on Ebay. Unlike the last ebay red Zune, this one seems legit. The seller has supplied many different pictures that would be nearly impossible to Photoshop. He also guarantees the authenticity with a 10x your money back offer.

This auction ends on May 30, and currently bid is $182.50, with 5 bids. So, if you want to be the first one on your block with a sexy red Zune, go ahead and bid on it. You will most likely get a good deal on it as well. I would expect that the price for the red Zune, when Microsoft announces it, will be $250 like all the other Zunes. This auction may fall short of that, or just above it.

You can check out this Ebay auction HERE

In other news...

Bill, from ZuneGuy, has posted two new blog entries. He has been sick after his travels, but he says he'll try and catch up on some of the Zune news. Go check out his blog HERE.

I have a few more things to update on today, so shall we begin?

First of; we have some cool music news for the Zune Marketplace this week. You can catch some new releases and a freebie, so go check it out. The freebie is called Remember the Orphans by The bloggs. I actually don't have any of their songs, so I am going to check out this freebie ASAP. Their is also an exclusive Calle 13 track called Tango Del Pecado remix on the marketplace. The ZMP also got the Paul McCartney catalog, which is totally awesome! I'm sure many of you are just as happy as I am about this. Interestingly, iTunes also got it. Although The Beatles catalog still remains absent from iTunes. There are a few theories on this. Check out this article.

Second; their is a really cool video floating around the net. The video shows the process that is done to put a design on the Zune. The lucky lady, Dani, gets to make a very cool Pink Zune design that is, most likely, one of a kind. She is funny throughout the video and keeps you entertained. Check out the video here.

Third we have an interesting blog post by Zunerama about the market of the Zune. They point out some key information of Zune sales. According to them, and their research, the Zune is really starting to turn a corner. Microsoft has put increased attention on some unique marketing of the Zune. The new limited edition colors and designs have really brought increased attention to the Zune. Partner ships with Adult Swim as well as with artist such as the MIMS and Ladytron have also drawn public attention. As Zune sales increase, and become in the tops on such sites as Amazon.com, the world is starting to wake up and see the Zune!

Will this last? Who knows. Rumors of the June 1st Zune announcement have increased around the blogging sphere. This wouldn't be the first time a rumor was brought up then shot down before though. So no guarantee. Zunerama also raises the point that the Zune is backed by a "cultish followers of owners" who are really dedicated to the Zune. I would say that this would be a perfect time to announce a gen2 Zune. With all the hype around, this would send Zune news flying!

First of, sorry I haven't posted much this week. I have been busy with school and such. I'll try to be better, I promise :). So I have a few things to come catch up on (Zune blog sphere= busy) so here it goes...

1st, Cobrasnake has a RED ZUNE! How cool is that? This must mean that Microsoft is going to release a red Zune, possibly, very soon. Rumors on the web have suggested that a red Zune would come out late summer, but maybe this has changed.

This also brings up the question of the generation 2 Zune. Is Microsoft just squeezing all the juice they can out of this first generation Zune? New designs and colors can't be all that hard to make. So I am thinking that Microsoft is done or just about done with a gen2 Zune, and is just hyping up the blogging sphere with these new designs, colors, and many giveaways all around the net, to get the Zune a little more know. I expect they are going to pop the announcement a month or so after the red Zune comes out. Or maybe another design/color will be released? Who knows, although it may start getting old...

2nd, The Halo3 Zune is going to be more limited then the Pink Zune was. The Pink Zune had 100,000 released, while the Halo3 Zune will have 1/5 of that (20,000) released. I can also imagine that game fans will be thrilled about this Zune. So they may sell fast! They go out, I believe, June 15, so pre-order yours know!

3rd, There have been many Zune giveaways all around the net lately. Most of them Microsoft sponsored. So you have plenty of chances to win a free Zune! Let me fill you in with all the ongoing contest at the moment.

- Zunerama.com: Microsoft gave Zunerama a pink Zune to giveaway. To win this Pink Zune, all you have to do is write a letter to the Zune Team and post it in THIS topic. The letters will be forwarded to the Zune Team and at the end of the contest, one random winner will be chosen! Easy right? Well... in one way yes, but on the other side, it is going to be a chance of luck to win. Currently your odds are about 1/100 and the contest doesn't end until June 1st. So good luck to ya! [CONTEST LINK]

- Mandy Moore: Revlon and Mandy Moore have gotten together and are giving away 10 Pink Zunes. All you have to do is put your information in, and you are entered for a chance to win. This ends July 1st, so plenty of time to submit. You do have to join their mailing list for this though. I entered a while ago, and I have only received one email about her new CD, so it isn't a ticket to spam or anything. [CONTEST LINK]

- GTR: GTR is celebrating their 100th episode by giving away a limited edition Halo3 Zune along with some other really cool stuff. The odds are against you here again, but you may get lucky! Just listen to their 100th episode and give a honest review of it. Piece of cake! Cesar from ZuneInsider.com actually got a chance to talk to them before, check it out HERE. [CONTEST LINK]

- ZuneCorps: Zunecorps is having an awesome contest as well. They are giving away one free Pink Zune to whoever can design them the best T-shirt. Not only is getting a free Pink Zune fun, but the contest is to! Enjoy yourself and make a sweet shirt. [CONTEST LINK]

4th, Microsoft has announced today that the Pink Zune is the second most selling Zune color. This is ofcourse due to the fact that Pink is the most awsomist color ever. The limited edition also draws people to buy it over other colors. Since the Pink Zunes are so popular and only 100,000 were made, I could guess that they will start running out soon. So if you want one, buy it know.

I can just imagine how fast them Halo3 Zunes are going to go...

So that is all the news I have for now. Sorry for the delay in posting! School is going to be out soon, so when that happens, I will have more time to blog.