08-May-07 13:12:00
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
Microsoft, you've really got to let us in on these kinds of things. We knew when the Zune was announced that the writing was on the wall for Portable Media Center. After a couple of years of flops running the XP-esque embedded OS, we knew it wasn't long for this world. And it was especially clear that PMC was the media device OS which seemed to provide the foundation for the Zune; then all those next-gen PMC devices stopped trickling out. In fact, you could say we're still haunted by the memory of the Gigabeat S, the one truly amazing PMC device that literally provided the Zune hardware framework -- but all that's legacy now. Finally officially confirmed by a Microsoft employee, the story goes that last year Redmond sent out a letter to hardware partners that was heretofore unbeknownst to us, the jist being PMC 2.0 is the last version you're gonna see, so wrap up your devices now, we're not supporting it anymore. We'll de...
Microsoft, you've really got to let us in on these kinds of things. We knew when the Zune was announced that the writing was on the wall for Portable Media Center. After a couple of years of flops running the XP-esque embedded OS, we knew it wasn't long for this world. And it was especially clear that PMC was the media device OS which seemed to provide the foundation for the Zune; then all those next-gen PMC devices stopped trickling out. In fact, you could say we're still haunted by the memory of the Gigabeat S, the one truly amazing PMC device that literally provided the Zune hardware framework -- but all that's legacy now. Finally officially confirmed by a Microsoft employee, the story goes that last year Redmond sent out a letter to hardware partners that was heretofore unbeknownst to us, the jist being PMC 2.0 is the last version you're gonna see, so wrap up your devices now, we're not supporting it anymore. We'll de...
Source: Engadget
07-May-07 23:17:56
I had a feeling I'd learn a lot from The Startup Project hosted by Amazon.com a few weeks ago in a funky loft on Capitol Hill. It was the first of several events the company is holding to introduce its services to developers and entrepreneurs.
The room had more startup buzz than a month of TechCrunch. Everywhere I turned there was somebody starting a cool new company, way more than I could include in today's column.
I ended up sitting next to Josh Juster, who had left Microsoft to start a new company three days earlier. Juster, who worked on Zune and MSN, said the company is tentatively called Nightify and will be like "evite meets CitySearch."
They weren't all using Amazon Web Services, but it sounds like they'll have to consider them if they're seeking venture funding. Apparently, VCs are becoming major evangelists for services like S3 storage and Elastic Computing on-demand processing, since they can dramatically cut the cost of launching a Web business.
Andr...
The room had more startup buzz than a month of TechCrunch. Everywhere I turned there was somebody starting a cool new company, way more than I could include in today's column.
I ended up sitting next to Josh Juster, who had left Microsoft to start a new company three days earlier. Juster, who worked on Zune and MSN, said the company is tentatively called Nightify and will be like "evite meets CitySearch."
They weren't all using Amazon Web Services, but it sounds like they'll have to consider them if they're seeking venture funding. Apparently, VCs are becoming major evangelists for services like S3 storage and Elastic Computing on-demand processing, since they can dramatically cut the cost of launching a Web business.
Andr...
Source: Brier Dudley's Blog
07-May-07 19:50:00
Filed under: Features, Portable Audio
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:
When Microsoft released the first Zune late last year, the company sought to highlight its main differentiator, limited sharing of music tracks to other Zunes. The viral effect of music sharing would be hard to build, though, starting from scratch in such competitive market with a $250 device. As I wrote shortly after the Zune's debut, "the place to encourage music sharing should be in software or on web sites that can easily reach millions overnight, as Napster and Rhapsody have done."
Others expressed frustration that Microsoft wasn't using the Zune's WiFi capabilities for more pedestrian tasks such as wireless syncing or wireless access of Zune Marketplace's catalog via subscription. These limitations overshadowed discussion of the value of WiFi in a digital audio player.
But not for long. Just a few mont...
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment:
When Microsoft released the first Zune late last year, the company sought to highlight its main differentiator, limited sharing of music tracks to other Zunes. The viral effect of music sharing would be hard to build, though, starting from scratch in such competitive market with a $250 device. As I wrote shortly after the Zune's debut, "the place to encourage music sharing should be in software or on web sites that can easily reach millions overnight, as Napster and Rhapsody have done."
Others expressed frustration that Microsoft wasn't using the Zune's WiFi capabilities for more pedestrian tasks such as wireless syncing or wireless access of Zune Marketplace's catalog via subscription. These limitations overshadowed discussion of the value of WiFi in a digital audio player.
But not for long. Just a few mont...
Source: Engadget
07-May-07 19:39:49
It's official: no Zune announcement today. We were all duped. – Jason Chen
Fool us once [Gizmodo]
Fool us once [Gizmodo]
Source: Gizmodo
07-May-07 15:00:54
I know I said we were soulmates...whatever that meant. But nothing makes sense anymore. And I find myself asking...myself...why?
On a lighter note, I hope you were reading Gizmodo last weekend. They had a few stories that you just cannot miss...as much as you miss me.
We saw our first terapixel boob.
Booster Blades seem to work.
This guy is better looking than you, and he's rendered realtime.
Apple may be sued over bad iBook G4s.
You may hear more about a new Zune today.
There is so much more I'd like to tell you, but now I must go. Maybe we will cross paths again—next weekend.
XOXO
- Mom
On a lighter note, I hope you were reading Gizmodo last weekend. They had a few stories that you just cannot miss...as much as you miss me.
We saw our first terapixel boob.
Booster Blades seem to work.
This guy is better looking than you, and he's rendered realtime.
Apple may be sued over bad iBook G4s.
You may hear more about a new Zune today.
There is so much more I'd like to tell you, but now I must go. Maybe we will cross paths again—next weekend.
XOXO
- Mom
Source: Gizmodo
06-May-07 18:03:00
Filed under: Gaming
It's fairly safe to assume that Microsoft as a whole ain't hurtin' in the wallet, but for its Xbox platform, the positive cash flow is (possibly) just around the corner. According to an interview with Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, the firm's gaming business "will be profitable next year," which will certainly be a breath of fresh air considering how much loot it has been losing for years in the arena. Still, it's not like any major competitors aren't suffering through the same pains, and while the Big N is smiling all the way to the bank with the profits it makes on every Wii sold, we're glad that at least a few consoles are offering up high-definition and true online play regardless of the cost. Obviously, the continual decrease in component costs are making the consoles cheaper to produce, but Bach went so far as to point out that (overpriced) peripherals, an increased user base on Xbox Live, and software sal...
It's fairly safe to assume that Microsoft as a whole ain't hurtin' in the wallet, but for its Xbox platform, the positive cash flow is (possibly) just around the corner. According to an interview with Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices Division, the firm's gaming business "will be profitable next year," which will certainly be a breath of fresh air considering how much loot it has been losing for years in the arena. Still, it's not like any major competitors aren't suffering through the same pains, and while the Big N is smiling all the way to the bank with the profits it makes on every Wii sold, we're glad that at least a few consoles are offering up high-definition and true online play regardless of the cost. Obviously, the continual decrease in component costs are making the consoles cheaper to produce, but Bach went so far as to point out that (overpriced) peripherals, an increased user base on Xbox Live, and software sal...
Source: Engadget
06-May-07 08:30:52
Finally ready to announce! Cesar has the semi-official blogosphere anouncement...
http://zuneinsider.com/
Huge thanks to everyone for you patience on skipping zune marketplace content. Just...a...little...longer...
Source: Zunester
05-May-07 21:05:22
iLounge, of all people, has heard that Microsoft's holding an event on Monday to announce (or preview) a new Zune. It's a bit early for Zune 2.0 or Zune Phone, so we're thinking this should be the flash-based Zune. It's likely they want to get that one out before the second-gen Zune hits. More details as we get it. – Jason Chen
New Zune on Monday? [iLounge]
New Zune on Monday? [iLounge]
Source: Gizmodo
05-May-07 19:33:00
Filed under: Portable Audio, Portable Video
It sounds as if Microsoft is planning to announce something Zune related on Monday, with iLounge reporting that the company is planning an event which will be centered around the announcement of an entirely new Zune. Since there's no other information we'll lapse into wild rumor mode and say that it could be anything from a free with subscription flash-based model in a new form factor, to a simple tweak on the current model that dumps the DRM, adds support for useful WiFi, podcasts, and more codecs, and drops the price (we wish.) Let's just hope it's not anything as trivial as a new color: we'll see on Monday.
[Via Cliczune]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
It sounds as if Microsoft is planning to announce something Zune related on Monday, with iLounge reporting that the company is planning an event which will be centered around the announcement of an entirely new Zune. Since there's no other information we'll lapse into wild rumor mode and say that it could be anything from a free with subscription flash-based model in a new form factor, to a simple tweak on the current model that dumps the DRM, adds support for useful WiFi, podcasts, and more codecs, and drops the price (we wish.) Let's just hope it's not anything as trivial as a new color: we'll see on Monday.
[Via Cliczune]
Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life!
Source: Engadget
04-May-07 16:40:00
Filed under: Misc. Gadgets
In what would be one of the biggest business deals to go down -- well, ever -- Microsoft is rumored to once again be in talks to buy Yahoo after being rebuffed numerous times in past years. The New York Post is citing unnamed sources in reporting that Goldman Sachs is helping Team Redmond make a play for the web's perennial "number two," and arguing that an acquisition or merger would make sense for both companies. Microsoft would get a stronger online advertising presence -- something it clearly desires, as evidenced by its battle with Google for DoubleClick -- along with as an audience whose demographic supposedly skews younger and content that it could offer with Zunes, Xboxes, and the like. Yahoo would also serve to benefit, goes the argument, by picking up some of the much-needed technical expertise and financial backing required to dethrone the big G. Still, these two rivals have done the mating dance several times before without anything substantia...
In what would be one of the biggest business deals to go down -- well, ever -- Microsoft is rumored to once again be in talks to buy Yahoo after being rebuffed numerous times in past years. The New York Post is citing unnamed sources in reporting that Goldman Sachs is helping Team Redmond make a play for the web's perennial "number two," and arguing that an acquisition or merger would make sense for both companies. Microsoft would get a stronger online advertising presence -- something it clearly desires, as evidenced by its battle with Google for DoubleClick -- along with as an audience whose demographic supposedly skews younger and content that it could offer with Zunes, Xboxes, and the like. Yahoo would also serve to benefit, goes the argument, by picking up some of the much-needed technical expertise and financial backing required to dethrone the big G. Still, these two rivals have done the mating dance several times before without anything substantia...
Source: Engadget
