Xbox Live patent infringement trial underway

Posted By: wraggster

In 1994, Peter Hochstein and Jeffrey Tenenbaum patented a technology that allowed users to communicate live while playing the same game in separate locations.

Specifically, the patent in question is for an "apparatus and method for electrically connecting remotely located videogames," reports Patent Arcade.

Eight years later Microsoft released Xbox Live, while Sony launched an online gaming service for PS2.

In the suit - originally filed against the hardware makers in August 2004 - the plaintiffs alleged that both systems' voice and data communications technology infringed on their patent. They sought a permanent injunction and damages.

Sony settled its suit in April 2009, leaving Microsoft as the sole remaining defendant.

http://www.computerandvideogames.com....php?id=218745

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Microsoft's "Pink" smartphone to be Microsoft-branded?

Posted By: wraggster

Ready for even more rumors about Windows Mobile 7 and Microsoft's mysterious "Pink" smartphone project? Good, cause we've got a few -- and the first is potentially huge. ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley says her best understanding of "Pink" is now that it's a Microsoft-branded phone running a custom UI on top of Windows Mobile 7, developed by what's left of the Danger team and targeted at the Sidekick market. Yep, Microsoft-branded -- as in, the exact thing Microsoft has been denying for ages now. What's more, Redmond wouldn't be letting third parties use this new UI -- Pink would be manufactured only by Sharp or Motorola, who've made Sidekicks in the past. It all makes sense, even if it does feel a bit like MS is knifing its partners in the back -- companies like HTC and Samsung have been equally aggressive in layering their own UIs like TouchFLO 3D and TouchWiz on top of WinMo, but it's another thing entirely to compete against Microsoft itself, especially now that AdWeek says Microsoft's selected an agency to develop a Pink ad campaign. Yeah, things are starting to get a little wild -- we haven't even mentioned the open questions of whether the Zune HD is running Tegra because it's based on Windows Mobile 7 Chassis 1, or whether Pink will launch on Verizon, or whether Zune will appear on other phones, or... you get the idea. Hey Microsoft -- you want to clear any of this up by shipping some products?

http://www.engadget.com/2009/07/01/m...osoft-branded/

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Zune HD rumor mill: $249, 720p movies, 64GB model down the road?

Posted By: wraggster

It's obviously a bit hard to put too much faith in Zune HD rumors when even Steve Ballmer himself can't keep things straight, but someone claiming to be a Software Engineer at Microsoft (who has also dropped Zune HD tips in the past) has now spoken at some length with Neowin.net, and provided plenty of speculation fodder in the process. The biggest of those purported details is word that the Zune HD will run between $249 and $280 for the base 16GB model, and that Microsoft is also apparently considering a 64GB model for further on in the model year in addition to the planned 32GB model. Other tidbits include word that the Zune HD will boast full support for 720p movies though its HDMI out and that, as we had heard before, it's supposedly on track for a launch in early September.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/26/z...down-the-road/

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Rumor: Zune HD Comes in 16/32GB Sizes, Launches September 8

Posted By: wraggster

A tipster just dropped off a few internal Microsoft docs that point to a September 8 launch of the Zune HD. In addition to that, the tipster says it's coming in 16GB and 32GB versions. All pretty logical.

http://gizmodo.com/5302077/rumor-zun...es-september-8

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

The Fake, Half-Transformer Portable Xbox

Posted By: wraggster

No official portable Xbox is on the horizon, but that can't stop people from dreaming. The latest mock-up comes from a reader in Vancouver who has some creative ideas for advanced portable gaming.

Vancouver-based Video game artist David Delisle is building his portfolio and looking for feedback. He writes to Kotaku that he's not a fan of the PSPgo, as he's hoping for more hardware innovation for a device launching at $250 U.S.

So he dreamed up the following for a portable and branded it to the Xbox for kicks.

Some of the features in his design include a detachable faceplate, the ability for the d-pad wheel to be unlocked and pivoted like a steering wheel and – as seen in the animations here – some interesting ways to work analog triggers and a collapsible analog stick into the design.

How much would you pay?

http://kotaku.com/5297355/the-fake-h...-portable-xbox

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Kindle, Zune DRM Restrictions Coming Into Focus

Posted By: wraggster

t's not news that the media you buy for both Kindle and Zune are protected by DRM. Readers are sending in stories of some of the ramifications of that fact. First, Absentminded-Artist notes an account at Gear Diary recounting what an Amazon rep told one user about download limits on Kindle books.
"One facet of the Kindle's DRM has reared an ugly head: download limitations. Upgraded your iPhone recently? Bought a new Kindle? You may not be able to reload your entire library. There's an unadvertised flag: 'You mean when you go to buy the book it doesn't say "this book can be downloaded this number of times" even though that limitation is there?' To which [the rep] replied, 'No, I'm very sorry it doesn't.'"
Next, reader Rjak writes
"DRM is a bad idea, poorly implemented. One of the many many valid reasons to drop Zune and it's marketplace is the DRM validation error you see below. The vast majority of the music I had purchased last year is completely gone. There's no refund, the music doesn't exist on the service anymore, the files are just garbage now. Here's the error (screen capture): 'This item is no longer available at Zune Marketplace. Because of this, you can no longer play it or sync it with your Zune. There might be another iteration of it available in Zune Marketplace.

http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/06/...ing-Into-Focus

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

The DCEmu Interview - Question 38 - Whats the Best Console for Megadrive Emulation ?

Posted By: wraggster

A feature i did a few years ago and one im going to repeat now is the DCEmu Interview, a unique idea in which questions are asked by me to the Whole DCEmu Community its a way to learn more about each others and find out what our interests are and much more

Todays Question is Whats the Best Console for Megadrive Emulation ?

Give your Answer via Comments.

We want your DCEmu Interview Questions, Post any good questions Here

Remember to check out our DCEmu Interview Site to catch up on previous DCEmu Interview Questions

Heres the other DCEMU Questions - Answer as many as you can

The DCEmu Interview - Question 1 - What Consoles Do You Own ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 2 - Whats Your Favourite Console Of All Time
The DCEmu Interview - Question 3 - Whats Your New Years Resolution ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 4 - What Got you Interested in Homebrew/Emulation ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 5 - Whats the greatest Game Ever ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 6 - Whats the Greatest Homebrew Console?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 7 - Whats the Greatest Homebrew Handheld?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 8 - Whos the Greatest Homebrew Hacker/Coder and Why ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 9 - Whats the Greatest Emulator Released?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 10 - What Game(S) Would you like to see Remade ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 11 - Whats the Greatest Platform Game Released ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 12 - Whats the Greatest FPS Game Released ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 13 - Whats the Greatest Sports Game Released ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 14 - How Excited Are You In Todays Homebrew Scene ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 15 - Whats the Greatest RTS Game Released ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 16 - What Would Make the Perfect Homebrew Console ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 17 - What Are the Best/Worst Online Games Shops?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 18 - Name all the Consoles You have done Homebrew On ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 19 - What Emulators are the Best In the Console Scene
The DCEmu Interview - Question 20 - Whats The Best Gamepad/Controller Ever ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 21 - How Would You Improve the Homebrew Scene ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 22 - What Do You Want Off Santa For Xmas ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 23 - What Was The First Game You Beat?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 24 - Whats Your Longest Gaming time in One Session?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 25 - What Screen do you use for gaming?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 26 - Whats The Longest You Have Spent Playing One Game
The DCEmu Interview - Question 27 - Whats The Worst Console/Computer You Have Owned?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 28 - Which is Best for Homebrew, Handheld or Console ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 29 - What was the Homebrew Main Event of 2008?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 30 - Whats The Next Console Your Going to Buy ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 31 - How Long have you Been into Homebrew/Emulation ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 32 - What Internet Browser Do You Use ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 33 - What Search Engine Do You Use?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 34 - Whats The Best Console for Snes Emulation ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 35 - Whats The Best Console for N64 Emulation ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 36 - Do You Cheat at Games ?
The DCEmu Interview - Question 37 - Whats the Best Console for PSX Emulation ?

11 comments - Last Comment By paul3100

Zune HD has a Tegra processor, confirms official Zune podcast

Posted By: wraggster

You can stop wondering what exactly is powering the new Zune HD. On the official Zune Insider podcast, host Matt Akers confirmed the rumors: yep, it's rocking a Tegra. No surprise, that announcement came with a heap of praise for NVIDIA's chip, so much so it's almost painful to listen. "So sick, so much better battery life, graphics acceleration. This thing is like a mini laptop in your hand, right, it's so awesome." We'll have to see about that for ourselves (in September, maybe?), but we are indeed encouraged by the news.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/19/z...-zune-podcast/

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

RetroChallenge 2009

Posted By: wraggster

News via pdroms

RetroChallenge commences July 1st, 2009 and runs until July 31st, 2009
In order to qualify, computer systems must use a pre-pentium processor... in general, this means 486 or below, 680x0 and pretty much everything with an 8-bit processor, but we'll also let you in if you have an old Cray kicking about.
Gaming consoles and PDAs qualify if they are at least ten years old as of July1, 2009.
Where appropriate, replica hardware and emulators may be used.
Entrants are responsible for adequately documenting their projects and submitting occasional updates during the contest.
Projects may encompass any aspect of retrocomputing that tickles the fancy of the individual entrant.
Winners will be arbitrarily chosen and crap prizes doled out during the first week of August 2009.
Have fun.

http://retrochallenge.net/2009/rules.html

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

DCEmu The Homebrew & Gaming Network

Posted By: wraggster

Welcome to the DCEmu Homebrew and Gaming Network.

DCEmu is as it has been since i joined all the sites under the DCEmu banner a network which concentrates on Homebrew, Hacking, Development and Commercial Gaming and Hardware News.

All Homebrew/Emulation Coders once we verify them (and i spot them) have the ability to post in all our Console News Forums and the news automatically shows up on not only the site to which that news forum belongs but also on the main DCEmu Portal Site. We always like to have an onsite mirror but gladly welcome the linking to your own site.

DCEmu can be used by coders to become their release centre and with the Homebrew Scene across so many scenes being so massive now you can quickly get noticed by a lot of sites including mainstream networks.

Now with the News forums, normal members cant start topics in them but you can reply to any topic, Normal Members can post as Normal in any None News forum. I get so many emails asking why he/she cant post in whatever forum.

And heres one for people using private messages to ask Questions, Please Use the forum to which the question would be easiest to get an answer as quick as possible. I get so many and i just ignore all of them (not to mention i have a massive amount of work anyhow). Also the users on DCEmu who use homebrew every day are tons better than me for remembering how to do homebrew on that particular console.

How Can You Help DCEmu

This site like any site is a massive undertaking and we need help on every console scene. No site in any scene is 100% perfect on what they cover and totally up to date. In homebrew methods change all the time and only you the users can help others join in the fun. If your a specialist in any console area and you want to see all the news appear its a great way of making sure it happens.

We are always in the need of Tutorials and Guides and FAQs not only for Homebrew but for hacking and Development and even just for gaming on consoles.

Our DCEmu Reviews Website is also in the need of reviews of both Hardware, Homebrew and Games Reviews so please review as much as possible.

Newsposters are always in need especially for WIP and Release News of Emulators, Homebrew etc and across many languages, i am English and to be honest the the translation apps on the net are crap, but the more help we get the better we can become, ive also no doubts that there are releases in places like Japan, China and Korea etc that never reach the likes of DCEmu and others because of language barriers.

Console News

Another change thats going to happen is that our Console News site will now post as much retro homebrew, Game Translations and also Modchip/flash cart news as possible, bringing much needed coverage to those communities.

The DCEmu Homebrew and Gaming Network

To those of you who are new to the DCEmu Homebrew and Gaming Network our Network Covers all these consoles.

Pandora - http://pandora.dcemu.co.uk/
Nintendo Wii - http://wii-news.dcemu.co.uk/
Nintendo DS - http://nintendo-ds.dcemu.co.uk/
Playstation 3 - http://ps3-evolution.dcemu.co.uk/
Playstation Portable - http://psp-news.dcemu.co.uk/
Xbox 360 - http://xbox360.dcemu.co.uk/
GP2X - http://gp2x-emulation.dcemu.co.uk/
GP2X WIZ- http://gp2x-emulation.dcemu.co.uk/
Xbox - http://xbox-emulation.dcemu.co.uk/
Zune - http://xbox-emulation.dcemu.co.uk/
Nintendo Gamecube - http://gcemu.dcemu.co.uk/
GP32 - http://gp32emu.dcemu.co.uk/
Gameboy Advance - http://gbaemu.dcemu.co.uk/
Gameboy Colour - http://gbaemu.dcemu.co.uk/
Playstation 2 - http://ps2emu.dcemu.co.uk/
Playstation - http://ps2emu.dcemu.co.uk/
Sega Dreamcast - http://dreamcast.dcemu.co.uk/
Sega Saturn - http://sega-saturn.dcemu.co.uk/
Nintendo 64 - http://nintendo64.dcemu.co.uk/
JXD - http://ngage.dcemu.co.uk/
Apple iPhone - http://apple.dcemu.co.uk/
Apple iPod - http://apple.dcemu.co.uk/
iPod Touch - http://apple.dcemu.co.uk/
Tapwave Zodiac - http://ngage.dcemu.co.uk/
Gizmondo - http://ngage.dcemu.co.uk/
UIQ Mobile Phones - http://ngage.dcemu.co.uk/
Pocket PC - http://ngage.dcemu.co.uk/
N-Gage - http://ngage.dcemu.co.uk/
Symbian OS Mobile Phones - http://ngage.dcemu.co.uk/
Palm Pre - http://palmpre.dcemu.co.uk/
Retro Consoles - http://console-news.dcemu.co.uk/

As you can see theres quite a few consoles we cover

But thats not all we cover we also have a range of websites that arent totally Homebrew Related.

The Joypad.Net - http://www.thejoypad.net/ - The Joypad.Net is the premier place to find news on controllers and joypads etc.

DCEmu Interviews - http://interviews.dcemu.co.uk/ - Interviews with Coders from many Homebrew and Emulation Scenes and Home of the DCemu Interview, join in the biggest public interview

DCEmu Guides & Tutorials - http://tutorials.dcemu.co.uk/ - This is the place to submit any and all tutorials and Guides for any scene and they can be homebrew and gaming related. Once we verify them they will show up across our network.

DCEmu Reviews - http://reviews.dcemu.co.uk/ - This is the scenes biggest independant collection of reviews and is the place for both hardware and Software reviews. Get your reviews noticed by submitting them to DCEmu reviews. We now have the sister site Games Reviews

DCEmu Console History - http://console-history.dcemu.co.uk/ - This is where you can find Dark Watchers Collection of Console History, a great place to catch up on old consoles

PC Gaming & Homebrew - http://pc-gaming.dcemu.co.uk/ - Our PC Gaming site covers PC, EEEPC and PC Homebrew and Emulators.

DCEmu Blog - http://blog.dcemu.co.uk/ - This site covers anything that doesnt fit above and is our rant/current affairs/funny stuff/Movies News site, all the off topic stuff goes in here.

PSP Demons Site - http://pspdemon.dcemu.co.uk/ - The Master of game modification is home here.

Cross & Taylors Chefs - http://personal-chef.dcemu.co.uk/ - This site for all those who wonder is my brothers site who is a top chef, again not homebrew related but he cooks a mean meal :P

DCEmu Developer Sites

These are sites where we have some of the Homebrew scenes best coders release their emulators, games etc to the world:

Chui(Dreamcast) - http://chui.dcemu.co.uk/
Deniska(PSP) - http://deniska.dcemu.co.uk/
DxDev(PSP & DS) - http://dxdev.dcemu.co.uk/
GPF(Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii & Dreamcast) - http://gpf.dcemu.co.uk/
PSMonkey(PSP) - http://nemo.dcemu.co.uk/
ZX-81(PSP & GP2X) - http://zx81.dcemu.co.uk/
Plynx(PSP) - http://plynx.dcemu.co.uk/
Hamsterburt(PSP) - http://hbert.dcemu.co.uk/
Miemt11(PSP) - http://miemt.dcemu.co.uk/
Tinnus(PSP) - http://tinnus.dcemu.co.uk/

Helping DCEmu -

Submit Hardware, Homebrew and Gaming Reviews - http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=248

Submit Guides & Tutorials (Homebrew, Hacking, Development and Gaming Related) - http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=272

Submit News - http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=117

Submit Homebrew Releases - http://www.dcemu.co.uk/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=117 (Once we know your legit you can post in any news forum that covers the console your release is for)

I think thats all, one last thing is to say thank you from everyone here to all the visitors, guests, coders and staff who make DCEmu what it is today.

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Daniel Petric sentenced to 23 years in prison

Posted By: wraggster

Daniel Petric, the teenager who shot and killed his mother and injured his father after being cut off from his precious Halo 3 back in 2007, received his sentence today, MSNBC reports. Judge James Burge sentenced the boy to 23 years to cries of mercy from the boy's surviving father, who stated that Daniel "still does not understand why he did something so terrible."

Daniel's sentence is actually a lot lighter than it could have been, as the prosecution was pushing for the maximum sentence of life without parole. The defense's argument was that Daniel was so young and so addicted to the game that he could not be held accountable. Petric, only 17 years old, was even younger when he committed the crime, and the judge's lenience is likely tied to his belief that young Daniel was addicted to the point of delusion.

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/06/16/da...ars-in-prison/

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Tegra might power Zune HD, definitely does augmented zombie reality

Posted By: wraggster

Ready for a double dose of Tegra newsbits? We've been wondering what's packed in the Zune HD for some time now, but apparently PC Perspective has had the answer since Computex and didn't realize the newsworthiness until now. According to the article, NVIDIA staffers told the site that its uber-powerful Tegra processor will be the heart and soul of Microsoft's revised PMP. There's been no official word from anyone, and for all we know it might've been some (possibly misinformed) employee mouthing off for kicks. If true, however, it'd be one helluva 'screw you' from Microsoft to Windows Mobile fans, who've been waiting over a year at this point to see some retail hardware running on NVIDIA's mobile platform. We've put in calls to both companies for some sort of statement, but we're not getting our hopes up.

In other news, a group of researchers from Georgia Tech and Savannah College of Art and Design are showing off some of CPU's impressive potential with an augmented reality game ARhrrrr. Using a Tegra-powered mobile dev kit, the game projects a 3D town based on a two-dimensional diagram where you tap the screen to shoot zombies, or lay Skittles in real life to serve as virtual bombs. We've seen similar implementations before, but we're admittedly quite infatuated with this one, and as a bonus, there's video of the demo after the break.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/16/t...d-zombie-real/

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Zune HD Packs Nvidia Tegra: Better Video and Better Battery Life

Posted By: wraggster

If you were wondering how the Zune HD could pack in such iPod touch-beating smoothness into such a small size, we might have an answer for you: It's packing Nvidia's teeny, high-performance Tegra processor.

As we explained in our Giz Explains: Low-Power Chipsets, Nvidia's Tegra proc is designed to handle high-def video and Flash with buttery smoothness in small packages, just like the Zune HD. So while this is as yet still unconfirmed, given that we haven't had confirmation from Microsoft, it makes a lot of sense and would actually be a very smart move—and the sources reporting the rumor seem very certain that it's true. With a Tegra processor, the Zune HD would certainly be able to decode videos with far less necessary power than with any other chipset, which means better battery life combined with better video quality. What else could you want from a next-gen PMP?

http://gizmodo.com/5293404/zune-hd-p...r-battery-life

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

OpenBor News - SX to Leave Homebrew Scene

Posted By: wraggster

DCEmu Member and Coder Samurai X has posted this on Lavalit:

I will tidy up what ever projects are left such as Dreamcast, xbox, gp2x and not introduce any new features. This way people should be able to play on all consoles as my parting gift to all of you.


As for the website and sourceforge, I'm handing it over to Damon. We will move it to his hosting company and it should for the most part be transparent for all of you.


It has been a pleasure working with all of you but life has me real busy, though you will probably still see me lurking around here and there.

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Zune HD to Come in 16 GB and 32 GB Capacities?

Posted By: wraggster

"The Zune HD also comes with Internet Explorer (with tap-to-zoom technology), which means you'll not only have access to you favorite websites, but you'll also have access to other Wi-Fi features like song sharing, channel streaming, and the Zune Marketplace). Beyond that, the Zune HD has everything you'd expect a PMP to have and the standard Zune stuff, such as podcasts, Zune Pass, games, and a photo viewer. Zune HD is available with either 16GB or 32GB."

We know that the Zune HD is going to be Flash-based, but Microsoft has remained tight-lipped on the exact storage capacities that the Zune HD will be offered with. A Canadian publication named CRAVE has published an article in which, as you can see by the quote above, the storage capacities are listed in a matter-of-fact way at 16 GB and 32 GB. I emailed the editors at CRAVE last week to ask for a confirmation of this information, because it wasn't presented as a rumour or a "maybe this is what it will have", but the editors didn't reply to my email. So will the Zune come in 16 GB and 32 GB capacities? It seems like a reasonable guess - 8 GB would be too small to be of much use with HD content, and 64 GB would likely drive the price of the device through the roof. So what we're left with is either 16 GB, 32 GB, or both. Will those be the two storage capacities we'll see this fall? We'll see...

http://www.zunethoughts.com/news/sho...apacities.html

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Zune HD Will Have Unicode Support

Posted By: wraggster

This is news that will make some people happy: the Zune HD will have unicode support, meaning that it will display non Latin-based characters. This means that if you have a song/video/photo that has a file name, or metadata, in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc. it wil display the filename on those characters rather than showing you the "unknown block" characters. Not having any files like that myself, I'm unsure of exactly what languages are supported, or how the implementation will work. What would make people really happy of course would be if unicode support was rolled back to older Zune devices - because no one wants to buy a new device to get unicode support. Microsoft has thus far remained quiet about what sorts of software support they'll continue to provide for the older Zune devices. Let's face it, they've extended the feature-life of the Zune 30 further than anyone else has ever done with an MP3 player - so if they were to stop releasing firmware updates for it, it wouldn't be very surprising. I'd really like to see unicode suppot trickle down to the Zune 120/80/16/8/4 devices though - it would be a shame to see the devleopment stop on devices that are still being sold today.

http://www.zunethoughts.com/news/sho...e-support.html

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Zune HD Amazon Listing Hints At Games, Apps

Posted By: wraggster

Amazon's listing for the upcoming Zune HD is a little sparse for the time being, given how little we actually know about this device. Buried in the product description, though, are clues for a possible bombshell: game and app support.

http://gizmodo.com/5276921/zune-hd-a...-at-games-apps

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Zune HD Won't Get Last.fm

Posted By: wraggster

The Xbox 360's updated Zune-branded video store and support for Last.fm got some folks' hopes up: the streaming radio service would be a great fit for the upcoming Wi-Fi Zune HD, and since Microsoft has already brokered a relationship with the company, such a feature isn't just desirable—it seems plausible. So BBG asked! And Microsoft answered.

http://gizmodo.com/5275376/sad-zune-hd-wont-get-lastfm

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Microsoft's Zune HD shipping on September 5th?

Posted By: wraggster

Look, we fully understand that September 5th is a long ways out, but don't think for a second that Microsoft isn't inking every last detail of its Zune HD launch in stone. That said, Windows expert and all-around good guy Paul Thurrott has been "told" that this very player will ship exactly on the fifth day of the ninth month of this year. Needless to say, that jibes with Microsoft's official line ("this fall"), but sadly, we've no other information to go on at the moment. In other words, feel free to pencil this one in, but keep that eraser handy -- cool?

http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/31/m...september-5th/

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

A Few More Details About International Release

Posted By: wraggster

"Up until now, the portable media player and its online iTunes Store equivalent, Zune Marketplace, have only been available in the US. From early Autumn, however, a revised service, Zune Video, will be available on Xbox Live in the US, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Ireland and Spain (with more countries coming aboard later). Xbox 360 owners in these territories will be able to go online and access video content and play it via their console. A variety of access options will be available, including instant streaming, download to rent and download to own. However, no Zune portable music players will be launched outside of the US - at least not yet. This is about the online service only."

It's still fairly difficult to determine what Microsoft's strategy around an international release will be. So far they've been tight-lipped about their specific plans with regards to launching the Zune services outside of North America or Western Europe, and even the Zune HD doesn't look like it'll make it outside of the US. This seems like a poor strategy, and one I really hope they fix before the HD launches in the fall.

http://www.zunethoughts.com/news/sho...l-release.html

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Gizmodo Gets Hands-On With the Zune HD

Posted By: wraggster

"Having just played with a prototype for a few minutes, I'm really impressed with the Zune HD. I've got a video, too, showing off how well the animations work. The device is tighter and more physically beautiful than the iPod Touch and it's got a better UI, the main menu's scrolling so natural through the swipe gestures."

The boys at Gizmodo got a chance to check out the Zune HD in person, and managed to not only snap a bunch of geek-lust-incuding photos, they also managed to get it on video - and their camera person understood the whole "focus" thing a bit better.

http://www.zunethoughts.com/news/sho...e-zune-hd.html

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Exclusive: Steve Ballmer demos the Zune HD for Engadget!

Posted By: wraggster

That's right kids -- Ballmer himself whipped out the newly minted Zune HD for us during D7 and showed of a few of its finer features... including its ability to play a Pixar movie on its gorgeous OLED screen. Also of note, Steve off-handedly mentioned that the device would be shipping in a month, though we can't confirm that that's accurate. Anyhow, these pictures say far more than a thousand words, so just hit the gallery.

Update: Microsoft just pinged to let us know that the Zune HD is still set for a Fall release, not next month.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/28/e...-for-engadget/

0 comments - Last Comment By wraggster

Zune Video coming to Europe, no Zune included

Posted By: wraggster

The good news: Zune Video, the expanded version of the Zune Marketplace that combines the current Zune download shop and the Xbox Live Video Marketplace, is coming to Europe. The bad news: according to The Guardian, there won't be any Zune HDs on which to play the stuff bought with Zune Video. At least, there aren't any plans to release the device outside of the US yet.

The other bad news: In a correction at the top of the post, Keith Stuart clarifies that "the service coming to Xbox Live is Zune Video NOT Zune Marketplace. Music is not part of the Xbox Live offering." This is still wonderful for European Xbox 360 owners hoping for expanded video offerings -- but less great for those hoping for expanded music offerings, or those hoping for expanded Zune offerings.

http://www.joystiq.com/2009/05/27/zu...zune-included/

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Zune HD Unveiled, Set For Fall Release

Posted By: wraggster

Several readers have written to mention that Microsoft has confirmed and unveiled the Zune HD. It has a "3.3-inch, 480 x 272 OLED capacitive touchscreen display, built-in HD Radio receiver, HD output," and it makes use of multi-touch input. More details will be forthcoming at E3, including how the device interacts with Xbox Live. Reader johnjaydk notes a PCWorld article that asks whether the Zune HD will be capable of competing with the iPod Touch. Quoting: "... the real competition between the Zune HD and the iPod Touch will come down to software. The new Zune will be based on a custom version of Windows CE, while the iPod Touch runs on the already popular iPhone platform, for which thousands of applications are available."

http://hardware.slashdot.org/article.../05/27/1612244

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Microsoft Mulls Zune's Game Credentials

Posted By: wraggster

Details might be a bit sketchy, but Microsoft has today confessed that, yes, it wants in on the handheld gaming market.

After years sitting on the sidelines – despite much speculation – and watching as first Nintendo, then Sony and lastly its bitter rival Apple all marked their territories in portable games, the format-holder has told Develop that its new Zune media player will also play substantial games content.

It just won’t admit to when that strategy will come into play just yet.

Today, Microsoft confirmed the introduction later this year of the Zune HD, the latest in its line of media players. The device is billed as ‘the first portable media player with built-in HD Radio receiver, HD video output capabilities, OLED touch screen, wi-fi and an internet browser’.

For now, the device is a US-only product due for release in the autumn. Zune HD’s existence was confirmed as part of a new strategy that will see the Zune Marketplace’s video content available via the home console Xbox 360 Marketplace to users in Europe and North America.

Chris Stephenson, GM of consumer marketing for the TV, Video and Music Business at Microsoft told Develop: “We are launching and today confirming a fourth device. It’s a hyper competitive product in the top end of the media player market."

http://www.gamebizblog.com/gamebizbl...edentials.html

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Zune HD confirmed, as video service comes to Xbox Live in Europe

Posted By: wraggster

Microsoft has confirmed plans for a "next generation" of hardware for its Zune portable media player, in the form of the much rumoured Zune HD.

Available only in the US, the new player will be launched this autumn and will include a built-in HD Radio receiver, HD video output, OLED touchscreen, Wi-Fi and an Internet browser.

Microsoft has still not announced plans to release any Zune hardware in Europe, but the brand name will become the "premium partner" on the Xbox Live Video Marketplace in both North America and Europe.

Users will have the chance to stream video content or download it, as either limited time rentals or lifetime ownership. Although the US is already well served by Netflix on Xbox Live, there is no equivalent service in Europe and the selection of video content much smaller as a result.

"The Zune experience is growing beyond a music player in the US. Zune’s international expansion starts with video on Xbox Live; eventually we’ll offer the full digital entertainment experience spanning screens, devices, platforms and geographies," said Chris Stephenson, general manager of consumer marketing for Microsoft's TV, video and music business.

"Delivering on Microsoft’s connected entertainment vision; this news marks a turning point for Zune as it brings cross-platform experiences and premium video content to living rooms around the world."

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/article...live-in-europe

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Zune HD is official, heading your way this Fall

Posted By: wraggster

That's right folks, the Zune HD is real, and it's coming this Fall. Microsoft officially announced the next iteration in their Zune line today, making it less of a tripped out pipe dream, and more of a totally tubular reality. The specs, which look exactly like that leak we saw, go like this: 3.3-inch, 480 x 272 OLED capacitive touchscreen display, built-in HD Radio receiver, HD output (utilizing a new dock -- not on-board), and... not much more right now. Microsoft is doing away with the famed squircle in favor a full multitouch device, and they seemed to indicate that some new touch-friendly apps and games would be headed our way, though they were fairly mum when it came to details. The device will boast an IE-based, customized browser, but little else was said in the way of software.

Details are also scarce concerning storage capacities, CPU performance, and other crucial numbers, but it seems like they've got more in store come E3... and that's the next big piece of news. Zune integration is coming to the Xbox and Xbox Live, as the Zune marketplace will step in to replace the current Live video resources, expanding the library and offering all kinds of new perks, like Zune's first foray into international waters. According to the company, at E3 "attendees will see first-hand how Zune integrates into Xbox LIVE creating a game-changing entertainment experience" -- we're not entirely sure what the means right now, but it sounds sweet. Try to contain your excitement.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/26/z...way-this-fall/

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Zune Upgrade Plan Rumor Is Much Less Exciting Than It Sounds

Posted By: wraggster

Lately, wild rumors have dominated the Zune conversation. But what about the regular old player? The one that actually exists? Look! Someone's talking about it: behold the utterly believable, utterly boring Zune Upgrade Plan, as reported and/or theorized by ZuneScene.

According to their sources, starting in June, current Zune owners will be able to "upgrade" to a current unit at a discounted price. Discounted by how much? This much:

As you can see, these are pretty deep cuts, and, if true, would be an awfully nice gesture to loyal Zune fans. The upgrade plan, should it actually happen, will need to be requested on the Zune support line, though you shouldn't call them to ask for it now any more than you should call their sales line to ask for a Zune Phone HD.

http://gizmodo.com/5269822/zune-upgr...than-it-sounds

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Microsoft Gaming Patents — Where They're Going

Posted By: wraggster

BNET looked at some patents which suggest that Microsoft might be thinking about an integrated game console/set-top box. Quoting: 'Patent 20080167128 is for watching television on a game console, while patent 20080167127 covers switching a gaming console between various media, including television, video, music, and games, and even using the console as a set-top box. Clearly Microsoft has been interested in controlling the living room, and combining media, gaming, and set-top functions in a single device would make a great deal of sense.' There are also hints of mobile gaming that support the current round of rumors about a combination Xbox-Zune.

http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl.../05/24/1610251

1 comments - Last Comment By Darksaviour69

Time for Microsoft to tell a better Zune tale

Posted By: wraggster

A lot's been made of the new Zune commercial that Microsoft aired recently. If you have haven't seen it, take a look. Now don't get me wrong. I think there's a lot that Microsoft can do with Zune, but this ad doesn't quite do it for me. What's wrong? First, it took a shot at Apple that felt silly -- after all, most consumers don't spend $30,000 to fill up their iPod (how much did it cost to fill yours?). Even if that's the case, buying a Zune Pass won't fill up an iPod either. Second, it started to make a value play that's real, but stopped short of actually making it.

The ad was interesting as it begins the discussion of the value of the Zune Pass. That's important. The power of the Zune Pass lies at the core of the differentiation of their whole business model, subscription services vs. single song downloads. Microsoft needs to go further and explain how these two models can co-exist with each other. Up until now there were only two models for music, the free and ad supported stuff on radio, or music you bought or owned (or perhaps acquired elsewhere). Zune Pass and other similar services change all that. While consumers "rent" video content all the time from theaters, cable companies, Netflix etc, there's also a lot of other stuff sold on DVD. There's no reason for this to be binary -- rent or buy -- it's just never been applied to music and when it has, it's not been explained or marketed well at all.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/22/e...ter-zune-tale/

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Is Microsoft's ZuneX Really Their Portable Xbox Phone?

Posted By: wraggster

These leaked photos of the ZuneX (ZX-1000) may or may not be Microsoft's handheld device that combines the Zune with the Xbox. But we do have specs. And it may be a phone.

Mimbee.tv's got a grainy shot from a conference that may or may not be real, a shot of a guy holding a ZuneX in his hand that looks more photoshopped than not, and a list of specs:

• 4-inch display at 640x363 resolution
• Custom Intel LV Atom DualCore 733MHz processor
• Custom Nvidia BLowFish chipset
• 128MB RAM
• 40 hour music, 14 hours of video, 9 hours of gaming and 6 hours of gaming with the wireless on
• 4 analog buttons, 2 shoulder buttons, an analog stick attachment
• 32GB flash storage
• Support for Bluetooth headphones
• SIM Card tray (it's a phone! Maybe!)
• Xbox Live Arcade Games
• ZuneX Originals
• OnLive Ready game streaming (now we're just getting a little ridiculous)
• WMV, H.264, MPEG-4 and DivX support

It's still solidly in rumor territory and will probably stay that way until at least E3. If we had to judge from the specs, it's slightly too good to be true. As if someone NOT working at Microsoft wrote up their dream specs for a handheld.

http://gizmodo.com/5261045/is-micros...ble-xbox-phone

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Microsoft xYz Combines Zune and Xbox?

Posted By: wraggster

Team Xbox claims to have sources inside Microsoft who are working on a new device that "sits somewhere in-between the Xbox and Zune platforms."

http://gizmodo.com/5255989/microsoft...-zune-and-xbox

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Zune HD (xYz) positioned to take on Apple, Sony, Nintendo and Google?

Posted By: wraggster

Sounding too good to be true, the cats at Teamxbox have posted a lengthy piece quoting multiple sources from Redmond and Santa Clara who anonymously spill the beans on what the Zune HD is and isn't. The "digital entertainment handheld," dubbed unanimously as product "xYz" by said sources to emphasize its purpose of bridging the Xbox and Zune platforms, is not a phone (that's Project Pink) but a converged "mashup" of devices like the Sony Mylo, PSP, and iPod touch. The emphasis of the device is not the hardware but the software, services, and entertainment experience if offers while remaingly primarily "a portable game console and media player." It's said to link into Microsoft's Skybox computing services for mobiles and blur the lines between Xbox Live and the Zune and Sky Marketplaces. Even the Xbox 360's NXE interface will be making its way onto the new Microsoft handheld. As Teamxbox summarizes:
Buy a song, a movie or a TV show on your Xbox, play the content later on the handheld or the other way around. Play an Xbox Live Arcade game either on your Xbox or in this handheld.
At the moment, we have no way to authenticate any of this beyond what we've brought to the table already. Honestly, having had our hopes crushed by a tepid reaction to market trends from Microsoft in the past makes it difficult to believe all these seemingly fanboi fantasy claims of specs and convergence. However, if true, if Microsoft finally breaks free from the rigid silos of its own making and delivers an integrated living room, gaming, and portable media experience along with a stable Windows 7 computing environment... well, wait this just can't be happening.

http://www.engadget.com/2009/05/15/z...do-and-google/

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Zune HD Coming In September?

Posted By: wraggster

Paul Thurrott, a guy who should know, says the Zune HD is coming to us this September. NeoWin backs this up, saying Amazon will ship the device in September. Remember that this is all vapor until the device is in your hands, so take everything here with a healthy helping of salt. Check out our other coverage of Zune HD (including rumors of an international launch and Tegra graphics) to see what all this Zune HD hooplah is all about.

http://www.zunethoughts.com/news/sho...september.html

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Zune Phone Rumor Update

Posted By: wraggster

Just talked to Brian Seitz, Group Marketing Manager of Zune, who says he just dropped a line to the Office team, and that they have no control or involvement with the twitter account that published the rumors. Not quite a denial, but a good ruse for attention, for sure.

http://gizmodo.com/5250882/zomgphone...e-rumor-update

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