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    Seeing the light

Microsoft recently released the third version of their web application framework, Silverlight, which enables web developers to create fully featured rich internet experiences for web sites (For those still confused, think of it as a better version of Flash). Along side the Silverlight 3 launch came the launch of Expression Blend 3, the development tool for creating these Silverlight experiences, and inside it comes a few nice little demo applications.

One of them just happens to be a Zune Originals demo app, allowing users to rotate their Zune in 3D, whilst fully customizing it with designs, colours and personalised text. It’s a cool little experiment, and just for you guys to get a taste of it, I’ve uploaded it here for you to check out! (Requires Silverlight 3, obviously! Note that you’ll need as big a window as possible for it to work properly, no netbooks here!)

Also, slightly less news worthy is the fact that I’ve decided to take advantage of Silverlight, and if you’ve been on the site the last few days you’ll have noticed our new features box at the top of the page, with 3D transitions and such. I’ve written it from the ground up in about 3 hours following the Silverlight 3 launch, so there are still a couple of quirks I have it work out, but by and large its usable, and looks kinda nice!! Depending on what you guys think, I may transfer more meaning parts of the site into Silverlight as well to create a far more interactive user experience.
 Posted by Johnny on 25 Jul 2009 in Exclusive, Flash, Media, Site, Zune, Zune Originals

    Zune HD: Video Hands on

Shortly after Engadget posted their hands on pictures of the device, Gizmodo has come on ahead and given us a much more thorough tour of the new UI and model, complete with a video showing off the new UI goodness!

Zune HD Video Hands On from Gizmodo

Also included is a much better photo gallery showing off the devices design.

So, what do you guys think? Personally I think it’s all looking very swanky, a far better interface than iPod touch to be sure. Also, judging by the extreme smoothness, and especially in respect to how fast the image rotates when the device is rotated (not even iPod touches smooth interface can match that), one can only assume this device is packing some pretty serious hardware underneath. Nvidia Tegra? It’s looking very likely right about now.

Still, there is still something nagging at me… where are the new features guys?! Anyway, leave your impressions and thoughts in our forums!

EDIT: Seems CNET also have a video hands on of the device, so here it is below!
 Posted by Johnny on 28 May 2009 in Flash, HD, Media

    Zune Pass Now Officially Awesome, with price cuts to boot

Well, this is the week that just keeps giving for Zune owners isn’t it? Too top off earlier revelations this week, the Zune Team have announced some amazing new enhancements to the Zune Pass:

“Starting today everyone with a Zune Pass gets to keep 10 tracks from Zune Marketplace each month. These 10 tracks will be yours to keep, forever. Each month that you keep your Zune Pass current, you’ll get another 10 tracks credited to your account.  All this for the same price as your Zune Pass today: $14.99/month, or about the price of one CD per month. So each month as you discover and download new music in Zune Marketplace, you’ll be able to keep 10 of your favorite tracks. One quick note: there is no roll-over, so make sure you collect your 10 tracks each month.

Which brings up the second bit of good news: now approximately (90%) of the 4+ million tracks in Zune Marketplace are available as DRM-free MP3s. We’ve got MP3s from , Sony BMG, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group, as well as indie distributors IODA and The Orchard.”

There’s no denying right now that the Zune Pass is right now probably the best way to buy music online for serious Music listeners, and continues to leave Apple lagging behind where it counts: the music experience. And get this, those MP3’s are 320 Kbps, and the Zune Pass songs are 128 Kbps, so not only are you getting the song to keep, you’re also getting a free sound quality upgrade as well, awesome!

Hopefully this bodes well for international launches of the Zune Pass (in Canada, and hopefully one day the United Kingdom), as such an awesome subscription plan would help boost Zune’s popularity majorly.

But, that’s not all, Cesar Mendez from the Zune Team has even more good news for our American & Canadian friends, flash Zune price cuts!!

Product         New Price         Old Price         Change
Zune 4GB        $99.99            $129.99           -$30
Zune 8GB        $139.99           $149.99           -$10
Zune 16GB       $179.99           $199.99           -$20
Car Pack        $69.99            $79.99            -$10
Home/AV Pack    $59.99            $79.99            -$20
Dock Pack       $39.99            $49.99            -$10

Continue reading Zune Pass Now Officially Awesome, with price cuts to boot…
 Posted by Johnny on 20 Nov 2008 in Flash, Zune, Zune Pass

    Myth Busting: Purple Zunes

Recently there’s been a few rumours floating around the web about Purple coloured Zunes, backed up by pictures from the official Zune.net websites no less, with what at first sight appears to be a genuinely Purple coloured Zune.

But I was sceptical. Only recently I’d gone through the Zune software and found many new Zune colour combos, and yet no Purple? Surely if a Purple Zune was destined to come out soon it would join its other sibling colours in the Zune software? So I decided to do some digging around of my own and see what was really going on…

And alas, unfortunately it turns out there are no Zune’s of this awesome colour (yet), so what’s up with the pictures then?

Well, its all down to a technical colour mix up, which I’ve explained in relative detail after the break…

Continue reading Myth Busting: Purple Zunes…
 Posted by Johnny on 05 Oct 2008 in Exclusive, Flash, Rumors, Zune

    Secret Zune colours

As you all should well know by now, the new Zune 3.0 desktop software recently came out as part of Microsoft’s bi-annual Zune series update.

Of course this means that the software will have to be compatible with all the new Zune devices due to come out in the next 6 months.

So, with that in mind, I went for a little rummage around the new Zune software, and guess what? I found 7 brand new Zune colour combinations yet to be released! Keep in mind that these colour combinations should therefore be released within the next 6 months, so keep your eyes peeled guys!

Now, it is entirely possible that one or two of them maybe reserved for special events or limited issue, but I suspect all of them will come out for mass release at some point in the near future. Read on for a look at the brand new Zune colours

Continue reading Secret Zune colours…
 Posted by Johnny on 07 Sep 2008 in Exclusive, Flash, HDD, Zune



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