Microsoft

Complete Guide to Zune 2’s Software and Firmware

Click to viewZune 2 and its batch of new features are finally upon us, bringing new players and an entirely new experience. On the device side, there’s 4/8GB flash-based and 80GB hard drive-based Zune with fancy form factors and increased storage, as well as new firmware for your old first-gen 30GB players. On the software…

Flash Zune Hardware Gallery and Test: Tight Jeans, Sizemodo, and Zunepad

The new Zune firmware is bringing new functionality to even old Zunes (which we covered in detail here), but is the new hardware special enough to be worth your purchase? Here’s a rundown of our tests on how easy it is to fit a Zune in your pocket (video above), the paint job, and the…

Dealzmodo: $20% off at Kmart Means PS3 For $319, Xbox 360 Premium For $279

The folks over at the Blu-ray.com forums found a great Kmart coupon that gives you 20% off on any one item. Being Blu-ray fans, they naturally threw their cash at the PS3, which will be $319 after said 20% discount. Not interested in the PS3? You can print out the coupon and try your hand…

Dealzmodo: 30GB Black and White Zunes for $84

Itching to get in on the Zune 2.0 action? Woot’s got both black and white 30GB Zunes for just $84.99. Yez, these Zunes are refurbished, but if you’re not too picky about using something some stranger’s handled, you can save a few bucks. And if you’re a fan of the brown Zune, like we are,…

Microsoft Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 Gussied Up for Version 2.0

Here’s a sneak preview of version 2.0 of Microsoft’s Wireless Laser Mouse 6000 that’s currently making its way through the FCC, since, after all, it is a wireless device. It’s not altogether clear exactly what’s been changed here, but aside from that flying-saucer-gold paint job with the black trim, its shape is similar to its…

Custom Zune Originals Pretty Damn Good Looking

As expected, last weekend’s rumored Zune Originals store turned out to be true. A group of 18 artists (including famous Barcelona artist Catalina Estrada) have produced 27 unique designs called the Artist Series for the Zune Originals store. In addition, the store will feature the Tattoo Series, 20 graphics that can be laser etched to…

Nigeria Settles on Mandriva Linux, Not Windows, for its Classmate PCs

The Nigerian government finally agreed to run Mandriva’s Linux build on its portion of an order of 17,000 Intel Classmate PCs. The 2GB Wi-Fi laptops were initially scheduled to have Mandriva Linux, but then Microsoft apparently got into a bidding war, offering up a low-priced Windows version. On Halloween, things turned fugly. The pot boiled…

First 6 Takes on Zune 80 (Verdict: Better Than iPod Classic?)

The $249 Zune 80 is Microsoft’s latest attempt to kick the iPod in the nuts, praying to crack Jobs’ titanium-diamond alloy cup through Wi-Fi features and a touch of divine intervention. CNET, Wired, Dean Takahashi, PCWorld and YahooTech struck first with reviews on the new device. Their verdicts? The cup has not yet been breeched,…

Zune 80 Getting Tricked Out Customer(ization)?

The guys over at Zune Scene are reporting that Microsoft intends to allow customization to all Zune 80 devices purchased via Zune.net. Apparently, the buyer will be able to make several choices concerning color, custom text (a maximum of five lines) and even opt for an etched logo from a bank of 25 preset images.…

Xbox 360 Furry Faceplates Bring the Wild to Your Living Room

Normally, Xbox 360 faceplates fail to get my attention. But in the case of these furry faceplates and controller covers, they’re so strange that I almost think they’re cool. They come in either cow print or leopard print, so your Xbox can look like a Gateway computer box or a tacky, middle-aged housewife (sans excessive…

Zune Flash Player in the Urban Jungle

Zunerama community member, ed, claims to have already purchased a new Zune flash player, days before the expected official release. Apparently, the player was acquired from an Office Depot in St. Louis. (Again, if any of you could somehow manage to get one to us before the launch, we’ll cough up for them). Ed has…

For those of you waiting for our awesome HP MediaSmart Server video, some bad news: the pre-production unit we got was a lemon. Not sure whether to blame HP or Microsoft. Oh well, we can blame both, at least for this weekend. Good thing we already reviewed the software and squeezed all the details out…

Microsoft Surface Table Delayed – Picky Customers to Blame

Unfortunately for electronic table fetishists everywhere, you won’t be able to walk into a restaurant, a casino or a retail outlet and play with a Microsoft Surface table until spring of next year. Why isn’t it surfacing until then? Partners. Partners who need Microsoft’s help to build custom apps to fit Harrah’s, Sheraton and T-Mobile…

HP MediaSmart Server Arrives Looking Hunky… Yet Chunky (Gallery)

After a very long wait, the FedEx man has finally delivered the HP MediaSmart Server. Chen gave you a look at a Windows Home Server last week, so you got a feel for the basic software package. Now we’re taking it to the consumer level: HP’s is the first fully configured official WHS product out…

DivX CEO Slips, Says DivX Possibly Heading to Xbox 360

DivX’s brand new CEO, Kevin Hell, accidentally leaked some juicy info about their Xbox 360 plans when questioned at a JP Morgan conference. An analyst questioned Hell about the new media center extenders that have DivX and Xvid compatibility and whether the same functionality was coming to Xbox. Kevin replied, “Yes! that, uh, we’re in…

Biggest BSOD of All Time?

At one of Toronto’s locations of The Bay department store, four giant screens have suffered from the infamous Blue Screen of Death for days. You’d think that someone would, I dunno, turn off the freakin’ screens. Or, at minimum, there’s gotta be some 2.4gHz nanny cam feed they could leech for at least a few…

Video: New Xbox 360 Ring of Death Is Red AND Green for Holiday Cheer

Unfortunately this isn’t a Merry Christmas loopy-loo light show designed to inspire Yuletide joy. Board speculation stakes it as a new error code for 360s stuffed with Falcon guts—whether it’s the same hardware failure deal as before but in prettier, less depressing colors or is an entirely new error is still up in the air,…

Microsoft Unveils Xbox 360 Family Timer, Starts Parents vs. Kids War

Sorry kids, but Microsoft knows that your parents are the members of the family holding the wallets. That’s why they’ve gone and given them a big, red, NO FUN button that they can hit whenever they want in the form of the Xbox 360 Family Timer. Essentially, it allows Mom and Dad to set how…

Windows Live Drops Out of Beta, @live.com Email Addresses Available

Microsoft’s Windows Live package has just dropped out of beta development. The released package contains various desktop programs for email, IM, blogging and photo sharing. The Windows Live Mail app will allow for email account convergence between most popular email providers, including Gmail and AOL. Direct Flickr photo uploads and blog writing tools are also…

Rumor Smashed: No Zune Video Share

There’s a rumor going around stemming from Microsoft’s emails last night informing people of the Zune 2 features that the upcoming players/software update will bring video sharing. We spoke with Microsoft and they told us that no, the new Zunes cannot transfer video from device to device, putting this rumor into out of commission before…