This is a completely unconfirmed rumor for now, but it seems like someone with ties to Microsoft claims the Xbox 360 will get a music store of its very own. The process will be similar to the subscription model the Zune has, which is $15 a month to have access to the entire library of tracks on the Zune marketplace for renting/streaming.
What's the Zune connection? Well, it would be likely that if you've already got the subscription model on your Zune that Microsoft won't charge you twice for access to the same tracks. This could be a big tie-in to help Zune sales and increase content for the Xbox 360 at the same time. A very interesting rumor that we're going to be keeping our peepers on. – Jason Chen
RUMOR: Music Download Service Coming to Xbox 360 [Xbox eVolved via 360 Monster via Kotaku]

These photos claim to show a first gen Zune running a firmware 2.14 that can supposedly purchase and download tracks over WiFi as long as you have Microsoft points stored in your piggy bank. They come from the same friendly Zune source that sent us the first photos of Zune 2.0 that some readers thought were photoshopped because they weren't clear enough. I can't tell if this is merely a 1st gen Zune showing just an image of a firmware/download screen, or the true thing. What do you think?
The same email the photos came in says that the Flash and Zune 2 will be announced within the month. The only lead I have to kinda confirm this is a report sent to me of a casual conversation by an unnamed high ranking Microsoft employee to another source a month ago that claimed "if you like Zune, you'll love us on June 1st".
Add that to the private preview of the Zune Flash and 2.0 that went on this week, as reported by friends at iLounge, and you can tell that people are hungry for...

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops
Pop quiz: What do Microsoft and Best Buy and John Gotti and Michael Milken have in common? Surprisingly, all four have at one time or another been charged with racketeering under the 1970 RICO Act, with the former two entities facing revived charges surrounding an alleged ongoing fraud that began more than seven years ago. Specifically, San Francisco's 9th US Circuit of Appeals has "reversed and remanded" an earlier dismissal of a suit in which plaintiff James Odom claimed that Microsoft and Best Buy colluded to sign him and other unsuspecting customers up for paid MSN subscriptions when they purchased a PC at the big box retailer. Although Microsoft began doling out refunds to those whose credit cards had been illicitly charged as early as 2003, interested parties still seem keen on winning a verdict against the software giant, and were seemingly unswayed by offers of increased Hotmail storage and free Zunes -- and now, as the case heads to US Distri...

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video, Wireless

Sometimes you can never know for sure, but we've got some pretty convincing material from a Zune source which shows a beta build of firmware v1.4 (shown as 2.1.4, perhaps as an internal designation). Apparently you'll finally be able to put your WiFi to good use (other than being a part of "the social") by using open WiFi hotspots (no word on WiFi you have the key for) and Microsoft points for downloading tracks. (Sorry, no word about subscriptions, syncing, and the like.) Also up to bat in the near future, further confirmation that we can expect Zune v2 and a flash Zune in the next month or so -- perhaps just in time to remind people that Apple isn't the only game in town when the iPhone hype hits its peak. One more picture after the break.Continue reading Zune to get wireless downloads, version 2 hardware, flash player
 
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 ...

Although the announcement on Monday didn't happen publicly as we first thought, select developers did get to see the Zune behind closed doors and signed NDAs. iLounge's source tells them Microsoft demoed more than one upcoming Zune at the event.
First was the flash-based Zune which everyone was expecting, which earned a "not bad" reception thanks to its larger-than-Nano-size and lack of any great features. However, the new hard-drive based Zune (which we'll call Zune 2) will have an even larger display, bigger storage capacity, and will match the current line of iPods in terms of features. That's all their source said, but we're sure to hear more as more details are made available. – Jason Chen
About those new Zunes (yes, plural) [iLounge]

Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
< When reports of a Microsoft-hosted Zune event seemed to fizzle out the other day, other Zune blogs lost heart. But not iLounge, which originated the rumors, and says the event indeed took place as a private -- and supposedly secret -- tech preview by Microsoft to developers. iLounge purports that Microsoft wasn't terribly happy to hear about the leak, and even more displeased when iLounge noted the meeting was underway. However, perhaps even more interesting than the drama surrounding the leak is the fact that Microsoft apparently has a flash-based Zune in the works, along with a larger-screened Zune with beefier storage options. The word is the flash Zune is nothing to write home about -- bigger than a nano, and best described as "not bad" by the sources familiar. A bit more surprising is the large-screen Zune, which Microsoft might be positioning to capture folks digging the iPhone's real estate, but looking for more movie storage....

Filed under: Cellphones
Seeing as the Zune was such a hit, Microsoft decided to repeat the success and tackle the iPhone before it even gets out the gate; friends, we give you the Microsoft oFone. Not to be outdone by Apple's multi-touch keyless interface, the oFone features not one or two, but three keyboards that can all pivot about the small central screen. Need to bag some wild game for dinner? No worries, oFone can do that too, simply extend the three arms (like in the pic above) and it apparently makes a decent boomerang. We're loving where they're going with this idea -- cool and unusable, just how we like our fake phones. Check the vid after the break. Continue reading Microsoft pranks with oFone, Apple rolls eyes
 
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Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!

At 2am this morning, Xbox Live released an update, enabling allot of cool new features. One of them being support to stream mp4 videos from your PC to 360 and right onto your TV. However this will only be possible with the Zune software, as WMP does not support mp4, so if you have a [...]

So if you were watching Heroes last night you might of seen the new Zune ad, which is the first new one since the launch of the Zune 6 months ago. Not much to really say about it, but what do you guys think? better then the old ones?

Video: Zune TV SpotWe definitely like this new Zune ad from Microsoft, especially since it's the first new push since launch six months ago. The way they show off the Zune's features like picture viewing, sharing, and FM radio is smart. It may be just us, but does it look like this is a huge graveyard of Zunes? That's kinda creepy, and we're not sure it's the angle Microsoft is going for. Unless of course they're marketing towards the untapped potential of kids who hang out in graveyards and share music. We didn't major in advertising. – Jason Chen
New Zune TV Spot [Zuneinsider]