jkOnTheRun

Zune software update: TV content, more sharing, autoplaylists

Microsoft gave the Zune audio player a little love with the announcement of a software update, bringing the Zune to version 2.5. Way back when, I clamored for native television content and the Zune takes a step in the right direction with Zune Marketplace content available from a number of providers like NBC Universal, MTV, COMEDY CENTRAL and more. From a social aspect, the Zune Card makes it to the desktop and your friends can see what you're listening to in real-time. You can also send messages and share songs over the web this way. The new autoplay list feature compares to the iTunes Smart Playlist functionality, something I use in iTunes all the time to auto-create playlists based on Genres, Artists and more.

All in all, good updates for the Zune but many of these features are an attempt to "catch up" to the competition. For the Zune ecosystem to be truly successful, I think we need to see features that leap-frog the competition. Still, good updates for Zune owners.

Slacker Portable player now connects to protected WiFi hotspots

Mari Silbey has been enjoying her Slacker Portable player for six weeks or so and today she shares her impressions. I read her thoughts with interest, not just because she's local to me, but also because the Slacker device offers a music experience that my Apple iPhone doesn't. I personally like a wide variation of music, so purchasing it is a second-best option for me. For a year, I enjoyed the $15, all-you-can-eat ZunePass subscription service. Now I tend to flip between Pandora and Internet radio stations on iTunes when not listening to tunes on the iPhone.

Slacker offers customizable "radio stations" online and if you buy the portable player starting at $199 for 15 stations and 2 GB of memory, your stations will automatically be downloaded to the Slacker Portable. You'll hear ads unless you opt for a premium plan at $7.50 a month. The portable device has a beautiful screen and integrated WiFi, so you can listen to fresh music where there's a wireless signal. I originally shied away from the Slacker because the device could only use open hotspots; reading Mari's article, I see that the device now supports connections to protected hotspots, making it that much more appealing. That's probably because I'm in the local Starbucks right now which, by the way, has already made the switch to AT&T for WiFi. Have to get that Starbucks card for my 2-hours of free Wifi, which would give my EV-DO modem a break!

Retro-tech: cassette shell plays MP3s from SD card

My recent twenty-year high school reunion brought back some great memories: cutting class at the local Dunkin' Donuts, late night arcade runs with pockets full of quarters, and a classmate's first new car. I'll never forget that low-cost Hyundai Excel, the only option being a cassette deck to play the latest Kylie Minogue tune. I hear she's making quite a comeback, although I don't think you can buy a cassette tape of her new tunes.

You could drop $40 for this cassette-formed MP3 player from ThinkGeek though. It has an SD slot where you can load up to 2 GB worth of MP3 files for playback through some 'phones. Or you could pop it in the cassette deck of that ol' Hyundai and jam on the road. Sorry folks from the thirty-year reunion: I don't see an 8-track version although there's bound to be one out there eventually.

(via CrunchGear)

Nokia's "Comes with Music" offering adds Sony BMG

Sony BMG now stands with Universal as the supporting lables behind Nokia's "Comes with Music" plan. To rehash: the music plan will be a free bundle included with a new Nokia device. I say "free", but it's more likely that at least some of the music cost is built in to the compatible device. The nice part is: you can download catalog music to your heart's content for a year. The tracks do have DRM-protection, but even after the year, you can listen to them or transfer them to a new Nokia device or computer. Nokia expects to launch the service with devices in the second of half of 2008.

It all sounds good on paper, but I'd like to see how the implementation goes from a end-user perspective before making any judgments. If the price of the device was only increased marginally, say 10-15% at most, would you say this is a good deal? What's the tipping point for you?

Sounds like Audible compatibility is coming to Zune

We haven't heard much on the Zune horizon of late, so here's a nice pre-announcement. Paul Thurrott got a tip that the Microsoft Zune player would be certified as AudibleReady! so he reached out to the Audible team to confirm. Looks like it's the real deal although there aren't any details to share.

Word is that Zune compatibility should appear by year end; my suspicion is that the hold up is likely on the business side of the house, not so much on the technical side. I'd keep an eye on the list of compatible devices for now; the Zune would complement other portable audio players like the iPod, Zen, Sansa and more. Of course, you can always listen to Audible content on your PC or Mac as well in the meantime.

(via Zune Thoughts)

Stream 90 free audio channels to iPhone, iPod Touch with FlyTunes

I tucked away this little Geek.com review of FlyTunes for a spare moment and I'm glad I didn't lose track of it. FlyTunes is a currently free web service for your iPhone or iPod Touch; it offers audio streaming of 90 different channels. I spent some quality time with the service this morning and came away very impressed. The user interface is simple and lets you hop around different music genres quickly and easily. Bear in mind that the streaming won't happen in Safari, but in QuickTime which will open automatically. The 90 channels are listed on the FlyTunes site and there's an indicator of which offerings play nice with EDGE thanks to lower bit-rate streams. There's definitely something for everyone in the genres as they range from Rock, Pop, and Country to Weather, Sports, Talk and more.

Definitely a handy web service if you just don't feel like listening to what's stored on your device. Interested but don't want to sign up for yet another service just to try it? No prob: hit up the FlyTunes simulator in your web browser. Or you can nav to that link on your iPhone or Touch to give it a sample. I noticed during the registration process, they ask if you live in the United States, so I can't vouch for this service outside of the U.S.

Get, listen to podcasts on the iPhone without synching

The iPhone is a great media player, but requires that the vast majority of your content be synchronized over from a PC or Mac. There are exceptions that take advantage of the device's wireless capability but by and large, most of what you listen to or watch came over from a computer. Wouldn't it be great if you could leverage the iPhone's connectivity to pull down and listen to podcasts? With the Podcaster web application, you can.

I gave Podcaster a try this morning and was able to add our podcast by searching for it with no problem. Listening to the podcast worked well over WiFi, but I gave it a try over EDGE as well since Podcaster actually streams the file to your iPhone. I let the file buffer-up for about a minute, just to be safe and had no hiccups in the playback over EDGE. Your mileage may vary based on your signal strength and the bitrate used by the podcast. This is a nice web app that frees your iPhone from the confines of the iPhone dock and also saves space since the files are streamed right in Safari. Although I didn't try this function, Podcaster can apparently now import an iTunes podcast playlist; useful for when you can't find what you're looking for in the directory.

(via Palm-Mac)

32 GB iPod Touch reviewed- is it worth the high price?

I will be the first to admit I love my iPod Touch but am already up against the 16 GB of memory mine has.  I cannot even put all of the videos I'd like to carry with me because I'm up against the memory limit.  The newest iPod Touch with that 32 GB of flash memory would certainly ease my troubles but at $499 the question as always is if it's worth the big bucks?  Dwight Silverman has reviewed the new iPod Touch for the Houston Chronicle and as always his POV is right on the money.  Check out the entire review to see what I mean.  Meanwhile here's a teaser:

Overall, I think the 32-GB iPod Touch is the best media player in its class, as well as the best hand-held Web-access device. It's not, however, the best value. I'll stick to my current iPod for now.

My take on the Touch is the same as Dwight's which shows you how good a device Apple has created.  It's not only the "best media player in its class" but also the "best hand-held Web-access device".  That observation is spot on with my take on the iPod Touch.

Clean up after your Zune, reclaim gigs of PC storage

Since we don't all have 500 GB hard drives in our mobile computing devices, this tip from Zune Boards will help us eek out a little storage capacity when using a Zune. Apparently, when the Zune software converts video files, it leaves a temporary copy on your hard drive that just sits there until you wipe it out. The simple trick to clean out these space-wasters is to view the properties of your hard drive and choose the "Disk Cleanup" option. Along with the usual suspects of temporary files, offline web pages and such, you'll see a selection for "Zune temporary converted files". Looks like they're not too temporary if they keep hanging around!

If you'd rather just remove these in the Zune software, click the Device Settings menu and look for the Conversion Settings option. Here you can set the folder location for the temp files and clear them out with the "clear history" button. Some Zune owners on the Zune Board site indicated that these left-overs were taking up 6 Gigabytes or more on their hard drive. Sounds to me like these should automatically disappear on a regular basis by design...

(via Zune Thoughts)

Win a Zune a day until March 31st

I may not be using my Zune but I do think the generation 2 Zune is a very nice media player.  If you would love a chance to get a brand new Zune for free then head over and check out the current promotion going on at Windows Live.  They are giving a Zune away every day through March 31 which is a lot of Zunes.  Here's all you have to do to enter for a chance to win a Zune:

You could win a Zune every day until March 31, 2008 —
here's how**:
1.    Select "Hotmail" on your mobile phone menu,
2.    Sign in to Hotmail with your existing Passport or Windows Live ID.
3.    Send an e-mail to WINAZUNE@live.com with "Go Zune" in the
subject line.

That's it, couldn't be easier.

What headphones are good for noise cancellation?

Got a reader question from Bob, who asks what headphones James and I use when we're out traveling or just hitting the local Starbucks. When my original iPhone headset broke, I opted to go with a set of Shure SE210s because they seemed to be a quality set that was within my price range. Shure offers higher-end products in the same line, but the SE210s fit my budget. Since they sit in the ear canal, they isolate the outside sound to a large degree; it's not total noise cancellation and it's not an active method, but they work quite well. I've enjoyed them on several airline flights recently and during the summer they work great when I'm on the tractor cutting the lawn for two or more hours. Hmm... I just realized why I like winter so much.

Anyway, give Bob a hand and tell him what you're using and why. He tried a Bose set, but they didn't cut it on a flight for him. He's also considering this set of Sony 'phones with active noise cancellation, so if you've tried them, give a shout!

iPod Nano wins over the Zune

I gave my wife a Zune player for Christmas two years ago right after they were released and she used it for a year.  Last year she saw the new iPod Nano and asked for one for Christmas so I got her one and I should report she is loving the iPod much better than the Zune.  She primarily buys CDs and rips them herself so she's not missing the Zune subscription downloads at all and she is quite happy with the Nano.  The main things she likes about the Nano over the Zune is how easy to use it is and the small size which makes it easier to take to the gym when she works out.  She has no regrets about losing the Zune and is very happy with the iPod Nano.

Free MP3 metatag editor and 800 x 800 Zune album art

When I was using my original Zune, I was frustrated over how difficult it was to edit metatag data on the content files. Actually, it seems like this simple task became logarithmically more challenging around the time WMP11 entered the music scene, but maybe it's just me. If you've been frustrated too, you might want to check out Mp3tag, a free universal tag editor that's in beta.

There's also word of 800 x 800 resolution album art now in the Zune Marketplace backend: yowza! To get at it, check out the Marketplace zip file put together by Shawn Oster. He indicates you can grab the high-res album art even for tracks you didn't purchase on the Zune Marketplace. While you check these two freebies out, I'm going to cross of "lograrithmically" from my list of challenging words to use in a post list.

(via Zune Thoughts)

iPod Touch update- it lives!

It's been dead for a few days now and resisted numerous attempts to revive it but I am happy to say that threatening to take it to the Genius Bar persuaded my iPod Touch to wake up from the dead.  I was able to successfully restore it to factory condition while attached to the HP Windows PC, and even though I had tried that several times before it actually worked a little while ago.  I was able to purchase and install the update for email and the other apps and right now it's syncing my music collection from scratch.  I wonder why the thought of those geniuses scared it into submission?  The MacBook Pro is still not cooperating though so I guess it's not scared enough.

UPDATE:  scratch that, while halfway through syncing my music it took itself down and hung up with the Apple logo on-screen.  I'm really starting to hate that logo with all the hangups and rebooting I've been doing.

UPDATE 2: the iPod finally restarted after a minute and is now continuing the syncing.  Sheesh.

iPod Touch Update- Apple removed the carrier from the iPhone

I love my iPod Touch, I know I must be on record somewhere saying that I picked up an iPod Touch because it's an iPhone without the phone part.  That wasn't entirely true although Apple did put the "real Internet" on the Touch just like the iPhone.  The newly announced update for the iPod Touch addresses the most significant shortage in features that the Touch had over the iPhone in my opinion and while some folks seem to be upset that they have to pay $20 for them I for one am quite happy to do so.  I haven't been able to yet due to the problems with my MacBook Pro that manifested themselves while updating my iPod Touch's firmware thus leaving me with a brick that will be fixed shortly I hope. 

The major additional feature this update provides iPod Touch owners is the addition of email support, at least for me.  The real Internet can only be better if I can do email handily on the Touch too and that's the major feature I am jonesing for.  Throw in better Google Maps, a few widgets and note-taking capability and the update will be well worth it for me.  Having an iPod Touch with largely the same functionality of the iPhone proves to me how savvy Apply is about this stuff.  They will have effectively removed the carrier, something that no company such as Apple likes to play ball with, from the iPhone in the iPod Touch.  Sure you won't have all of that Edge goodness in the US, but you don't have AT&T to worry about either.  Jobs is so crafty.

WeBot: media streaming from computer to iPhone, Nokia Internet Tablet

I'll have to add this on my "to do after CES" list because there's just no time to play right now. My busy schedule doesn't mean you can't give WeBot a try though. It's a free beta and works similar to Orb in that it can stream your digital media from a computer to your iPhone or Nokia Internet Tablet through a web browser. Tunes are 128 kbps stereo and it appears to be MP3 support only for now. Based on the set bitrate, you'll likely have issues using EDGE on the iPhone for this, so WiFi is the much safer bet.

To use WeBot, you first have to install the Java-based WeBot on your computer for Windows, Mac or Linux. After that, you'll pick and choose what content you want to share and that's about it. Since the content is shared through a web-browser interface, you can placeshift your media to a full computer as well. Depending on browser support, I wonder if it works on Symbian, Windows Mobile and Palm?

(via IntoMobile)

Amazon nets Warner for DRM-free tunes. Are we at the tipping point yet?

Amazon scored another win for themselves and for consumers today with the announcement that Warner tunes will be DRM-free on the Amazon MP3 site. Although I have an iPhone and use iTunes with it, I haven't succumbed to spending hundreds of dollars in music downloads. I used the Zune Pass subscription service for a year, but once Amazon opened up their DRM-free store, I cancelled my music subscription from Microsoft.

That was the tipping point for me because I knew Amazon had the staying power and clout to make a music store without DRM work. Of course, no content store is worth its salt without... well... content. (duh!) With the addition of Warner Music joining Universal & EMI in the Amazon store, I'm thinking we're at or nearing the tipping point for a faster move away from DRM for music. I can often find the same DRM-free tracks for less at Amazon as opposed to iTunes or other stores and I don't have to go through the hassle of burning my tunes to CD only to later rip them for various devices in the house like iPods, Windows Mobile handhelds, PCs and Macs.

While I can appreciate the need for artists and labels to make money for their content, I'm firmly convinced you shouldn't have to buy the same content for different devices. The same goes for book content on eBook readers, but I won't go there just now. Yes, I've purchased the same book on different platforms and yes, I'm bitter about it. ;) Have you "tipped" towards the Amazon MP3 store yet?

XM podcasts appearing in iTunes

Ironic timing on this news as I decided to take a rare break from Pandora (through Pandora Boy) this morning. I've been streaming XM Radio all morning for a change of pace: channel 45, which is Starbucks XM Cafe; it goes well with my WaWa coffee even if it sounds sacrilegious.

Orbitcast noted that XM recently appeared in the Podcasts section of iTunes and sure enough, I see nine shows currently available for download. Now most of them aren't music, although I see Artist Confidential there, which is a great show that I listen to regularly in one of its Country renditions. Opie & Anthony, James Carville, Barry Switzer and the illustrious Coach K. are all appearing for comedic talk and sports fans alike. Now if we can just get Apple to work a deal with XM to add just a few of their stations to the iTunes Internet Radio section. Doubtful, but a music junkie can hope, can't he?

(via Zatz Not Funny!)

Stream satellite radio to your BlackBerry over the web

Most of us wouldn't classify a BlackBerry as a media-centric handheld, but these instructions to stream satellite radio via to the web to your 'Berry might help change the perception a little. Standard computing devices have long enjoyed XM and Sirius content over the Internet, but smaller devices have required plug-ins and workarounds. The solution outlined here is no different and uses an old streaming standby: Orb.

In addition to Orb, you need a host PC and potentially a small add-on application to serve up your satellite radio, but once you have those, you can stream away on a bunch of mobile devices. It definitely works on the BlackBerry Pearl 8130 as shown by this video demonstration; folks with other models will have to try it out and report back. This has me thinking back to the Orb streaming I was doing on my iPhone this past summer. I wonder if this solution will net me some satellite radio on the iPhone too? I'll update if time permits...

(via Gear Diary)

The Tablet PC2 Holiday List is live

Linda Epstein of the Tablet PC2 has a great holiday list each year and this year's guide has gone live with some very cool stuff making Linda's list.  The goodies cover a wide breadth of gadgets and such and they have been categorized thoughtfully for our convenience.  Take a gander at these categories and you'll see how much stuff Linda has put on the list:

• Tablet PC
• UMPC
• Fun & Entertaining
• For Your Listening Pleasure
• It's a Digital World
• Accessories Galore
• Cell Phones & Everything Bluetooth
• Battery Power
• Software for Everyone

As usual Linda's list is not only a good gift guide but also a great overview of the major products available in each category.  Well done, Linda!

PandoraBoy for Mac: more mature than PandoraMan?

Long time readers know that I thrive on music throughout the day and that my favorite free music service is Pandora. Rather than streaming tunes through my web browser, I like to use a standalone client for Pandora that we've previously covered: PandoraMan. It works great although you have to hide the application rather than minimize it: minimizing causes the stream to stop playing the next song.

Today I read about PandoraBoy over at TidBITS and I've just "downgraded" from PandoraMan to PandoraBoy. The two free clients are nearly identical in look and feel as expected since both are built on WebKit. The difference lies in additional features since PandoraBoy offers a bit more. It offers customizable buttons for controlling the app, supports commands from an Apple Remote and integrates nicely with Growl. I especially like the Growl bit since when I hide the app, I can't see what song is playing. As each new song starts, I'm seeing a Growl notification complete with album art, artist name and song title as shown above.

Zune and Media Center sounds great... if you can hear it

As a big Media Center fan, I was always disappointed in the lack of MCE support with the original Zune. Adding this functionality in the next generation Zune is a huge plus in my book, but of course, that's because I'm constantly recording content and want to take it along. Since I record digital and high-definition programming, Craig Pringle's recent Zune observation perked up my ears while leaving his wanting for sound. Turns out his high-def recordings played fine visually on his Zune after synching the content, but there was no audio. Apparently, the Dolby Digital audio streams aren't yet supported so only his standard definition programming had audio playback. Hopefully, this gets researched or resolved since part of the "HD experience" is the high quality sound that goes with the video. While I don't expect the Zune to support 5.1 surround sound, I'd happily take a standard stereo track for video in my pocket.

HTC Advantage as a mobile entertainment device

Jenn Lee at pocketables recently took a 5 hour flight and used her HTC Advantage for the duration of the flight to fight off boredom.  Jenn has a detailed post with lots of photos showing how she used the Advantage as an ebook reader, music player, movie machine and game console for the duration of the flight.  It's a great look at how capable the Advantage is in the right hands and the coolest part about Jenn's post is that I read it while web surfing on my own Advantage.  The Advantage is my ebook reader of choice, at least not having a Kindle in my hands yet, and Jenn shows how good eReader looks on the HTC.  Nice post and worth checking out.  Note that I have my Advantage under a long-term evaluation provided by HTC.

James Patterson rocks!

jkOnTheRun video- hands on with iPod Touch

I scored an iPod Touch this week and have been having a blast with it.  This video overview shows why I like the iPod Touch so much, from the music player to the web browsing experience.  You'll see the music player, video player, YouTube player, photo player and of course, that best mobile browser in the world, Safari.  Take a look and feel the music in you.

Nokia Audiobook software beta for S60 available

Here's a nice little freebie if you're a fan of audiobooks and have a Symbian S60 device: Nokia has a beta Audiobook application ready and waiting for you to download. Bear in mind it is a beta and will have some limitations right from the get go. First and foremost is the audiobook file support: you have your choice of either AMR-WB or AMR-WB, meaning, you don't have a choice. The Nokia Audiobook Manager software for PC will help you convert from .wav or .mp3 (with the optional LAME encoder), but this won't help you with protected content from Audible for example. Nokia is trying to balance sound quality with file size and AMR-WB is a well used standard for mobile phones, so I can understand this limitation.

According to the Nokia Beta Labs, the software should work with all S60 3rd edition devices and was tested with Nokia N73, N76, N80, N93, N91, E70, E65, E62, E60, 5500 sport, and 3250.

(via Darla Mack)

Early video look at the Zune 2 interface, wireless syncing

It's not that early since the new Zune launches tomorrow, but if you can't wait to see it, you don't have to. Jason Dunn offers up two brief videos showing both the hardware and software UI of the newest Zune on his 8 GB flash model. Part one is here and part two is here.

I like the new dual-mode hardware button: you can press it like a directional pad or you can simply slide your finger across it for navigation. Anyone buying a new Zune or do you consider this just a feeble attempt to wrest away market share from the iPod juggernaut? Before you decide, you might want to get a look at how well the Wireless Sync feature works; Jason has video of that too! While it seems to work well, I agree with Jason: it would be nice to see a wireless sync progress meter on the Zune rather than on the host PC. Maybe something we'll see in the next firmware upgrade?

Pocket Tunes for Palm updated to 4.05

With the newest version just released, all Palm devices can run the same version of Pocket Tunes. Remember that Pocket Tunes was bundled with the Palm Centro upon launch; turns out that version was slightly different from the one on other Palm devices. Version 4.05 levels the playing field across all supported Palms and offers up a good fifty or so bug fixes along with a handful of enhancements like:

• Faster startup time
• Improved MTP transfer speed with some SD cards
• Run installer on Palm automatically when needed
• When a WMA file contains an "Album Artist" tag use it as the Artist

The full list of features, enhancement and bug fixes are available on the Pocket Tunes history page while a free trial can be found right here.

(via Palm InfoCenter)

AT&T offers Pandora music streaming on select handsets

While it's a given that my iPhone isn't one of the supported handsets, this is still good news for both Pandora and AT&T customers. I'm assuming you don't mind ponying up $8.99 a month after the five-day free trial, that is. Oh, and don't forget the data plan too! Folks who have these handsets can hit the music icon: Samsung SYNC, a717 and a737, Motorola V3xx and RAZR 2, LG trax and existing LG CU400 and CU405 models.

I'm happy for Pandora to have another revenue stream because I listen to their streaming service daily. If you haven't tried it, just point your browser to Pandora.com and then enter an artist or song that you like. Pandora will start to play tracks based on the musical attributes of the tunes you like; you just tell 'em when they're wrong and soon you'll never hear bad music again.

Don't forget the Starbucks free Song of the Day

I know I have mentioned the iTunes free Song of the Day(SOD) when you visit Starbucks coffee shops but not everybody loves SBUX like I do.  You should be aware that the Song of the Day is a cool freebie though and a great way to get exposed to artists that you aren't familiar with.  Maybe you don't want to go into Starbucks each day just to get one free song, I understand that, but maybe this will convince you to go once.  Yesterday I dropped into my local shop and while I don't go every day I go often enough that I've downloaded quite a few free songs.  What I found in the shop, and now have confirmed that a lot of the locations are doing the same thing, is a basket with all the extra SOD cards.  Two minutes in the basket while waiting for my drink and even though I go frequently and have a lot of songs already I found six cards for songs I have missed.  There's no limit to the number of songs you can download with the proper codes (on the back of the cards) so I grabbed them and downloaded all of them.  It might be worth a visit to your local Starbucks to see if they have such a basket with dozens of free songs in them, at least if you use iTunes.

Tritton's new Bluetooth headset breaks the mold

It won't be announced until tomorrow but the Tritton folks have given us an advance look at their new cool headset that is coming.  If you have been looking for a Bluetooth headset that works with both your cell phone and your Mac or PC for audio playback there are several choices but none that are small and light and as functional as the new AX BlueStream Stereo Headset by Tritton.  These guys take the best earbud design and use a unique lapel clip to house the Bluetooth radio for working with the mobile device.  This keeps the entire headset very tiny, comfortable and functional as you can see in this photo:

The BlueStream will retail for $80 wherever Tritton products are sold.  This looks like a sweet setup and one that won't attract too much unwanted attention.  It weighs less than an ounce and the lapel clip puts all the cell phone controls in a convenient place within easy reach.  Full press release after the jump.

New Zune software to support one-click podcast subscriptions

This is a bit of a "catch-up" move, but a good one nonetheless. Zune Insider reports that the new Zune Marketplace software will support one-click podcast subscriptions, similar to iTunes. You've probably seen the iTunes chicklet on a podcast home page; if you click it, it opens up iTunes and automatically subscribes you to the podcast. We have one for the MobileTechRoundup show due to that ease of use and because iTunes is among the biggest podcast directories around. The same concept will apply with the Zune chicklet; click it and Zune Marketplace will open to add the podcast to your subscription list.

Maybe the Zune phone already exists. Enter Windows Mobile?

I'll say it right up front: the original source article has magically disappeared from the web and I couldn't even see it in Google's cache of the site. However, the idea has merit to it, so rumor-disclosure aside, here you go.

Zune Thoughts came across an interesting piece that indicates a possible revamp of the MSN Music service with a tie-in to the Zune Marketplace and access via Windows Mobile. If true, this could allow for Marketplace purchases or Zune Pass streaming to a non-Zune device; something you can already do with a Windows PC of course, but what about Windows Mobile devices? On one hand it makes sense if you think about it. I've read that a Windows Mobile 6.1 update could be seen early next year (I have no confirmation) and that could be a compelling feature upgrade that builds upon the hundreds of thousands of handhelds running WinMo out there. It could expand the Zune brand as a music store by leaps and bounds and attempt to counter the iTunes WiFi store.

The potential downside is that it could cannibalize sales of Zune hardware as well, but still, an interesting play if true. Again, the source story is gone, so take from this what you will. Maybe people have been focusing too much on adding phone capabilities to a new Zune that they're missing possible Zune functions added to an old phone?

Zune 2 gets something right that very few have

I finally got around to catching Todd Bishop's intro piece on the new Zune players over at the Seattle P-I and while I'll likely stick with the audio player I have, I must give credit to Microsoft for getting one thing right that very few have. In fact, the feature I'm thinking of hasn't been done right on many devices, not just digital audio players. What is it? If you catch the video overview of the new Zune UI, you'll see the new Zune Pad. I like how you can tap it, tap and hold, or swipe your finger across it to navigate; very nice indeed, but that's not what I'm talking about. When you watch video on the device, it plays in landscape, just like the original Zune. However, the Zune Pad controls rotate along with the device and you can probably count on one hand how many devices actually do that. A small thing but oh so useful and much too often overlooked by device manufacturers!

Social.FM launches new Windows Mobile, Symbian client for audio streaming

We told you it was coming and it's here: Social.FM just released their newest streaming audio client for Windows Mobile (PDF) and now Symbian as well (PDF), shown here. Social.FM is the company formerly known as Mercora, which is not to be confused with the artist formerly known as Prince. Well, unless they come up with some archaic he / she sign to represent the new name. The new client is free to download and use during a trial period through the end of November; after that it's $19.95 a year to access remotely music on your home PC or a friend's collection, listen to digital radio, or podcasts. Microsoft employees get a special benefit as they all get free subscriptions, bypassing the $19.95 yearly fee.

When I last tried the service, I found it to work quite well, even over EDGE. Now that there's a Symbian client, I'll have to pop out my iPhone SIM and give Social.FM a shot with a Nokia handheld.

iTunes Plus tracks subtract DRM-free tax: $.99 tunes coming?

Think that the DRM-free music store that Amazon recently launched went unnoticed by *cough* Apple *cough*, I mean competing online music retailers? Word out of Infinite Loop, the blog not the place, is that iTunes Plus is about to drop the DRM-free, single track price from $1.29 to $.99, which is the same price as the DRM protected tracks. Come to think of it: why is it called iTunes Plus when it technically doesn't add anything but really subtracts the DRM? I guess iTunes Minus didn't cut the mustard with the marketing folks... anyway: DRM and DRM-free tracks at the same price is all good to me. No truth to the rumors that Dollar Stores everywhere will carry digital downloads, but hey, that's a million dollar marketing idea, no?

Zoom H2, a portable recording studio

While you might not use the Zoom H2 for recording an album, it should be pretty handy for podcasters and people that attend meeting after boring meeting. If you're one of the latter, you have my sympathy. The $200 device has four built-in microphones and records straight to an SD card that fits into the bottom. You can save recordings as 64- to 320-kbps MP3 files or go uncompressed with 24 bit PCM files in WAV format. Two AA batteries power the H2 and it also offers a USB 2.0 interface for direct recording or for use as a computer mic. Actually, the more I look at the advanced features like 360-degree recording, auto-gain settings and 2- or 4-channel surround sound, maybe you would record an album with this. I only play air guitar, so I think I just saved myself $200.

(via ubergizmo)

Replug would have saved my earphones last week for Shure

Yup, if I had a Replug last week, I wouldn't have had to buy new earphones for my iPhone this week. Replug is an innovative 3.5mm jack that can save your 'phones and your device. The jack magnetically attaches so it can break away if your cord gets caught on a car as you walk by. Well, that's what I did anyway; they should work in many more situations too. After a break-away situation, you simply re-attach the two parts via the magnet and you're listening to tunes again, not staring at frayed copper like I was. Replug says we'll see the product this fall, but they haven't announced a price yet. Has to be cheaper than a new set of ear-cans though. Oh and thanks for the recommendations for my replacement earphones, BTW; I went with Shure SE210s for now. Lucky I had that cheap but useful iPhone earphone adapter we mentioned. It arrived in the mail the day I bought the Shures.

(via OhGizmo!)

Zune 2 steps in the right direction

Sometimes I wonder if we're secretly making things happen in the tech world. It seems like every time we complain about a product, it magically gets better in a few days. ;) Just last week I pulled the plug on my Zune, mainly because we didn't see any anticipated new functionality or extensions of the current hardware. Lo and  behold, the second coming of Zune is here and some of my personal qualms are rectified.

Zune 2 debut tomorrow. What will be the differentiators?

Just in time since I figuratively pulled the plug on my Zune and then literally pulled the plug on my iPhone. BetaNews shares word of a Microsoft event expected tomorrow that will unveil the second generation of Zune hardware. Flash based devices figure to play into the announcement for sure, but I'm more interested in the device capabilities. There's sure to be WiFi (unless that approach is completely abandoned), so the announcement of a WiFi Zune Marketplace would be welcome. I still say that the Zune should have (or have had) a wireless headset as that would be another iPod differentiator. Any guesses on the new product attributes aside from what's already been floating out on the web? Perhaps podcast downloads via WiFi?

iTunes WiFi store: the last nail in my Zune's coffin

You can't say I didn't give my Zune a fair shake. I bought it not long after launch, last November. Honestly, it's a nice player but in reality, all music players...play music. I bought it for what I call the "differentiators": the features that other players don't have. Two come to mind: the relatively larger 320 x 240 screen and the integrated WiFi. It's been nearly a year and what's happened: other devices have even larger screens with higher resolution. The iPhone screen is nearly twice the size and offers 480 x 320 resolution, for example. And the WiFi in the Zune? All I can say is: I had hoped by now it would be usable for music purchases, but no such luck.

Late last night, I hit up the iTunes store on my iPhone and bought an album. I can't remember the last time I bought an iTunes album, but the experience last night was seamless, simple and quick. Demo tracks played instantly and when I finally decided on an album (James Blunt's "All the Lost Souls"), it was a few quick taps and that was it. The songs transferred over my WiFi network in 10 to 15 seconds each. As a consumer, my patience for hoped Zune updates is long past. I gave it plenty of time, but I'm pulling the plug. Off to eBay goes one Black Zune. Hey, it does have WiFi; should I put that in the eBay item description or not?

Amazon opens beta of DRM-free music store. Are you buying?

Not that we didn't know it was coming, but Amazon opened up their DRM-free music store to the public in beta today. The 2-million song catalog doesn't rival other online stores in terms of breadth, but there's none of that DRM stuff to deal with like there is in iTunes, Zune Marketplace and such. To be fair, iTunes does offer some DRM-free tunes but those can cost more. In contract, Amazon MP3 is selling the same quality (256 kbps) music without DRM for less: expect to pay 89- or 99-cents per tune with half of the catalog at the lower price. Anybody buying?

For consumers new to this DRM or Digital Rights Management world we live in: the Amazon music can be transferred and used on practically any digital audio or MP3 player. DRM-protected tunes typically are locked down to a device or set of devices, thus restricting your freedom to listen to purchased music on the device of your choice. Purchases from the Amazon music store can be played on an iPod, computer and in many cases, a phone.

Mercora now Social.FM, mobile client coming this quarter

We've mentioned Mercora in past and I've used the service to stream tunes to my smartphones while out and about. Just got word direct from the company that Mercora is re-branding: the new company is called Social.FM. The new branding looks to capitalize on the social network and music recommendation approach: as I write this, I'm streaming a high-quality Keith Urban tune shared by a DJ / member of the site. Looks like anyone can be a be Social.FM DJ, which gives you a MySpace-like profile page and the ability to queue up your favorite tunes for other members to hear. While you don't have to, you can share music you legally own through the service. Looks like quite a few have jumped on the bandwagon as there are over 3.5 million tunes available. Looks like it's all on the up and up based on my interpretation of the Social.FM legal page.

On the mobile side of the house, this quarter will see the introduction of the Social.FM Mobile service, which I expect will be based on the prior mobile functionality I enjoyed with Mercora as shown. No details yet on the mobile service but I expect we'll hear more soon and I've got a note in to my contacts at the company. For now, there's a free Windows XP / Vista desktop client or you can stream right through your PC web browser.

Plantronics Voyager 855: mono or stereo Bluetooth headset, your choice

I've always been a fan of the Plantronics headset line. In fact for the past three years, I've been recording podcasts with one of their DSP 'sets and I believe that's one reason the sound quality of the show is high. Today, Plantronics introduced their Voyager 855 Bluetooth headset for voice and music at an MSRP of $149.99. What's unique about this headset is that you can use just one earpiece for mono voice conversation or use the detachable cable to add a second earpiece and stereo support. The 855 supports the A2DP profile so you can seamlessly switch from stereo music listening back to mono voice as needed. If you only want the mono capabilities, the Voyager 815 will save you $20 by not including the stereo cable.

The earpieces are sound isolating and Plantronics rates the battery life at 6-hours talk time, 160 hours of standby. Watch for both the 855 and 815 at retailers in October.

Thoughts on the Apple iPod announcements, where's my $200 iPhone rebate check?

I've been following through the great live-blogging over at Engadget. Some interesting news which I'll summarize in case you missed it and provide a thought or two in italics.

• Ringtones: Available for the iPhone direct through iTunes. $0.99 for a 30-second song selection. I'm less than thrilled here as you have to pay for the song first and then pay again for the ringtone. That's lame in my book. You're paying for the simplicity of the solution of course, but you're also paying for the same content twice.
• iPod Shuffle: New colors. Nothing new here unless I missed it.
• iPod Nano: Shorter and with a QVGA screen for CoverFlow, video and game playback. Battery life: 24 hours of audio, five for video. 4 GB = $149, 8 GB = $199. It might get tiring to watch vids on this small screen; the pixel density appears very high but I have to see the screen dimensions to be sure. Kudos to Apple for stellar battery life and for reasonable 8 GB price over the 4 GB. I predict 8 GB units to outsell the 4 GB by a factor of 3 to 1.
• iPod Classic: Thinner and more storage. 80 GB = $249, 160 GB = $349. Unless you want to carry dozens of movies, 160 GB seems like overkill to me. Still, great battery life at 40 hours of audio and seven hours of video.
• iPod Touch: The iPhone without the phone. 8GB = $299, 16 GB = $399. WiFi and all other iPhone features minus the phone. Until I heard the final announcement of the show, I thought these prices would kill iPhone sales. Remember the $599 justification for the iPhone was it's an iPod and a phone. If the iPod features are $299, is the phone part worth $300? No and you'll see in a minute that Apple agrees.
• WiFi iTunes store: Purchase tracks directly on your iPod Touch or iPhone via WiFi. What took so long? When will the Zune have this? This could be a nail on the coffin of other online music retailers.
• Starbucks music: Walk in to a Starbucks with your iPod Touch or iPhone and you can buy the track that's playing in the store over free WiFi. I don't see a huge consumer benefit here; I would have rather heard about free WiFi in all Starbucks for these devices to browse with.
• iPhone price cut: 8 GB iPhone now $399. I'm all for risking more dollars as an early adopter, but this is a huge price cut. I'm running out to the mailbox now to see if my $200 iPhone rebate check is there. I suspect there will be many ticked off early adopters. $50...that I could swallow. 33% of what was paid recently? Not a great way to treat a customer.

8 ways to listen to XM satellite radio without the satellite radio

When I'm not listening to tunes on my iPhone or from my Zune Pass subscription service you can pretty much bet I've got some satellite radio going on. As I tuned in to the Audio Visions channel on XM this morning for some blogging background music, it hit me that there's quite a few ways to get satellite radio without a physical satellite radio. Many of these are old hat to some of you, but for new-ish XM addicts you might want to check these options. Most, but not all of these appraoches do require an active satellite radio subscription account and of course most require an Internet connection. Here's a quick list of the top of my head; please add any I've missed or methods for Sirius in the comments.

Olympus V-41: part voice recorder, part Tetris brick

I don't do much voice recording on the run, but if I did, I'd be looking at the Olympus V-41 that's available in Japan. It's not the 512 MB of flash memory for storage that gets me. SRS stereo recording and playback of WMA/MP3 files? Nope, that's not it either. It's the way the Olympus V-41 comes apart into two Tetris-like bricks (one with a USB port for file transfer) that really gets me. Only 16,000 Japanese yen or around $141 U.S. and you too can grab one of these multi-functional puzzle pieces. Too bad they couldn't include a Tetris game on the little LCD; the D-Pad and buttons look like they would work for hours of fun...

(via SlashGear)

Jabra BT8030: Bluetooth headset transforms to small speaker system

I don't see these on the Jabra U.S. site yet, but FarEastGizmos is showing off the Jabra BT8030 headset. What's unique about this Bluetooth device is the transforming ability: you wear the headset for your mobile phone calls, but you unfold the headset for use as a mini-speaker system. At nearly $250, it might be cheaper to purchase two separate devices instead of an all-in-one, but when space is at a premium in the gadget bag, converged devices go a long way.

FarEastGizmos claims 32-hours of talk time, 26 hours for music through the speakers and 600 hours of standby. Stellar battery performance, but I'd like to hear music through the speakers as a sound check before buying. At least they don't have the humongous blue rights of light that James is showing off with his new cans. ;) He's got a short video over at the jkOTR Facebook readers group, which I'm sure we'll see here on the main site soon.

(via Engadget)

SanDisk slashes Sansa Connect price

Just got an e-mail from SanDisk and while I'm not interested in purchasing another digital audio player, the deal is too good to pass up. This is not a referral deal for us, just a great deal for anyone that wants the SanDisk Sansa Connect player. Normal price is $249.99 direct, but SanDisk just slashed the price by $100, bringing the device down to $149.99. I've seen slightly lower prices from on-line retailers but they're not always in stock.

The Sansa Connect is the WiFi-enabled DAP; you can tune in to Internet radio stations directly with the device when in range of a wireless network. Yahoo! Music Unlimited subscribers can pull content directly and you can also view your Flickr photos on the 2.2-inch screen. This is a 4 GB model with a microSD slot for additional storage needs.

Sirius Stiletto 2 announced with WiFi and microSD

With the merger between XM and Sirius still pending, I don't think I'd buy any new satellite radio equipment just yet. If I was in the market, I'd be all over the new Sirius Stiletto 2 just announced today. The device is about 25% smaller than its predecessor and offers up a new feature set. First off is the inclusion of 802.11b/g for WiFi access of Sirius content. This is fantastic for indoor listening when you can't get a satellite signal; Plan B is to outfit your home with skylights throughout, so I like Plan A better. Also included is a microSD slot for storing live content as well as tunes from your digital library, making this more of an all-in-one device. Watch for it this fall at an MSRP of $349.99; maybe we'll have some progress on the merger by then.

Coffee break- maxing out the Advantage