November 11th, 2009

3D gaming comes to the Zune HD, video of all 6 new games

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 6:30 am

Categories: MP3 players, Microsoft, Mobile software, Portable gaming, Zune

Tags: 3D, Microsoft Zune, Ferrari, Games, Personal Technology, Matthew Miller

This past weekend I mentioned the Zune HD firmware 4.3 update that added predictive text and a better browsing experience. As part of that update, Microsoft announced that support for 3D games and apps was added as well and it didn’t take long for them to deliver as we now have six new games in the Zune Marketplace. You will find Project Gotham Racing: Ferrari Edition, Audiosurf Tilt, and Vans Sk8: Pool Service for 3D gaming and Checkers, Lucky Lanes Bowling, and Piano for more standard gaming. All the games are FREE, with a short ad at start up. I don’t mind the ads if the games are good and as you will soon see in the video I am shooting and will be posting below the games are pretty dang good and game play is fluid. The 3D transitions and scenery in PGR are excellent and I see no pixelating going on.

Here is a description of each of the games from Microsoft:

• Audiosurf Tilt: Audiosurf creates a rollercoaster ride from any song. Choose any song from your music collection and watch Audiosurf turn it into a unique roller coaster track for you to ride. The song you choose determines the shape, the speed, and the mood of each track. Tilt your Zune like a steering wheel to collect colored blocks and avoid speedbumps. Unlock more than 30 designs, each with its own special theme and color palette.
• Checkers: Enjoy the classic game of Checkers in a beautiful outdoor park setting. Play against the computer or against a friend.
• Lucky Lanes Bowling: Bowl in different game modes: exhibition, blackjack, golf. Play in five different bowling alleys with unique themes, all with the swipe of a finger. Choose from twenty different bowlers and twenty two different ball styles. You can play against the computer or play with up to four friends.
• Piano: Play your own tune, or play along with your favorite music on this electronic piano.
• Project Gotham Racing: Ferrari Edition: Tear through the streets of London, Tokyo, and New York in the Ferrari of your choice using multi touch controls and the built in accelerometer.
• Vans Sk8: Pool Service: From the Admiral to the old abandoned rec center pool, Bucky Lasek and Omar Hassan know a good bowl to skate. Hit the pools and put these Vans skaters to the test with all the tricks in their bag and achieve hero status once you unlock their pro model skateboards.

They also mentioned that Twitter and Facebook are still planned for a release soon.

November 7th, 2009

Zune HD firmware 4.3 adds predictive text and desktop mode

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 8:02 pm

Categories: Gadgets, MP3 players, Microsoft, Mobile software, Zune

Tags: Desktop, Mobile, Microsoft Zune, Web Browser, Firmware, Web Browsers, Keyboards, Internet, Hardware, Peripherals

I was messing around with adding devices to my GDGT list today and discovered this discussion about new Zune HD firmware. I then fired up my MSI Wind with Zune desktop software, connected my Zune HD and walked through the 4.1 (191) upgrade. A couple of the key upgrades include a much faster web browser, desktop or mobile controls in the browser and predictive text support with the keyboard.

Here are all the updates I could find people mentioning since Microsoft hasn’t posted a comprehensive list of what was upgraded:

• Faster web browser
• Option in browser for desktop or mobile sites
• Predictive text in the keyboard
• Auto capitalization
• Larger landscape keyboard
• Toggle between seek or presets for radio
• Support for future 3D games
• Other minor updates and improvements, not specifically identified

You can check out the below video for some improvements to the browser and landscape keyboard.

As I mentioned in my Zune HD browser post the mobile only support drove me nuts so I am very pleased to see the option to toggle between desktop or mobile sites. While I can now view my full ZDNet blog (not the mobile version) and go to the full YouTube site, there is still no support for Flash so you cannot watch YouTube videos on the Zune HD. I would also like to see browser history support. The browser is definitely better though and I will probably use it more for casual couch surfing than I did before.

The update may not have essential new features, but it is a worthy point upgrade and I haven’t heard any reports of issues with the update.

November 1st, 2009

Holiday Gift Guide 2009: Digital Media Players

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 9:20 pm

Categories: Apple, Gadgets, Holiday Gift Guide, MP3 players, Microsoft, Portable gaming, Sony, Zune

Tags: Device, Apple iPod, Archos, Microsoft Zune, Apple iPod Nano, Apple Inc., Video, Archos 5 Internet Tablet, Pixel Resolution, Sony X-Series Walkman

For this Digital Media Player Holiday Guide we will be taking a look at the best devices that offer a complete music playing and video watching experience. There are still some devices that specialize in one or the other, but the capability has improved in most of them so that both types of media content can be enjoyed. Last year we looked at both MP3 players and portable digital video players in two Guides, but are merging them this year since most perform both functions well. Some of these devices can be used for web browsing, 3rd party application usage, and gaming, but we will focus on the music and video support while mentioning some of these more advanced capabilities.

You will see some of the same brand names in this Holiday Guide, but you will also see that updated models continue to improve on the media experience and for the most part you can’t go wrong with these players. You will see that the Guide is arranged in order from highest price device to lowest price device since price is a major factor when you look at one of these media players to purchase.

Archos 5 Internet Tablet

The Archos 5 Internet Tablet is powered by the Google Android operating system and is focused on the media experience with Internet browsing also being a prominent feature. Archos has been know at excelling in portable video playing capability and the Archos 5 continues that tradition. You can view HD video content and photos on the 4.8 inch 800×480 pixel resolution display. The Archos 5 Internet Tablet supports the following video formats; MPEG-4 HD (up to 720p), MPEG-48, H.264, WMV, MKV, and M-JPEG. Supported audio formats include MP3, WMA, AAC+, Ogg Vorbis, and Flac. There are some optional plug-ins available to further enhance support on the Archos 5.

In addition to the various hard drive capacities, the Archos 5 has a microSD card slot with support up to 32GB, 802.11 b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.0, FM receiver with RDS, and FM transmitter. There are a couple additional accessories to extend the functionality of the device to your TV as well.

With the Google Android operating system you will find that many third party apps seen on Google Android smartphones also work on the Archos 5 Tablet.

Price: $499.99 MSRP for 500GB unit, $399.99 for 160GB, and $379.99 for 32GB Flash drive

[Check out review pages for the 500GB and 32GB models]

Go to the next page »

October 14th, 2009

Review: Zune HD & AV dock and Zune Premium Car Pack

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 5:10 am

Categories: Gadgets, MP3 players, Microsoft, Zune

Tags: Car, Microsoft Zune, Zune HD, Zune Premium Car Pack, A/V, HD FM-radio, Cable, Corporate Communications, Network Technology, Telecommunications

I purchased a regular platinum 32GB Zune HD on the 15 September launch day from Amazon and a few hours later order a Zune Originals device that just recently arrived. Along with the launch of the Zune HD, Microsoft rolled out a few Zune HD accessories. I purchased the DLO Action Jacket from Best Buy so I could go running with my Zune HD and will post some thoughts on that in a couple of weeks. Microsoft sent along a couple of other available accessories for me to try out. You can check out my extensive image gallery and full take on the Zune Premium Car Pack and Zune HD & AV dock below.

	Image Gallery:Check out these new Zune accessories that work well with the Zune HD.

Zune Premium Car Pack

I have a rather small personal music collection and thus the ability to listen to and download unlimited music to my Zune HD with the Zune subscription is quite compelling. I also use my Zune to listen to my favorite podcasts. The Zune HD has no integrated speaker or Bluetooth radio so I was looking for a way to enjoy my Zune HD content in the car when I run my daughters around to all of their activities and spend time waiting in various parking lots. I saw that Microsoft has a new FM transmitter solution for the Zune HD and was sent one to evaluate. I tested each of the available methods to connect your Zune HD to your car stereo system with two of my cars so I will comment on the setup and performance of each method below.

The Zune Premium Car Pack came in a sturdy box with the auto adapter and a small simple directions card. The main part of the unit is long, approximately 4 inches, with a cigarette lighter/DC plug adapter on one end and an indicator light on the other end. When the unit is plugged in and active a Zune logo appears in white on the end. Towards the plug end you will find a 3.5mm audio out port that is designed to let you plug in a 3.5mm cable and then plug the other end into an audio jack or cassette adapter in your car for direct audio playback without using the FM transmitter. At the indicator light end of the unit you will find a USB port designed to let you charge up a second Zune or maybe even a mobile phone.

The second part of the unit is the FM transmitter/Zune connector piece that is at the end of a 3 foot cable. The small dongle has large Read the rest of this entry »

October 13th, 2009

Almost a month later and my custom Zune Originals HD arrived

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 5:40 pm

Categories: Gadgets, MP3 players, Microsoft, Zune

Tags: Microsoft Zune, E-mail, Web Site Development, Web Technology, Online Communications, Internet, Matthew Miller

As I wrote in my Zune HD review I ordered a platinum Zune HD from Amazon and received it promptly on launch day. I was so impressed with the Zune HD hardware that I ordered a custom Zune Originals model that day from the Zune Original website. Little did I know that I would be one of 7-8 customers, out of thousands, to suffer from a major ordering glitch that had my order stuck in limbo for just about a month. I am very pleased to report that my custom blue Zune HD arrived today and have some photos below showing it off.

The order seemed to go through fine in the beginning and I promptly received my order confirmation email and order number. It then was lost in the process and my order status never changed from “Order received” the entire time. I was pretty surprised when the manager of the Zune Originals business, Jason Reindorp, stepped in and posted in the Zune Forums that they were giving early buyers a $15 Marketplace credit and that the process was getting his personal attention. This solved most everyone’s issues, but my order still was stuck in limbo. I actually received a personal email from Jason and he worked hard to get my Zune HD order processed as fast as possible. The delay for a while was due to the fact that the blue model I ordered was sold out by the time my order was found in the system. Jason went out of his way to help me out and did everything he could to get my order through the system.

My Zune HD was ordered on 15 September and arrived on 13 October. I am actually more pleased with it than I thought I would be since the blue is a better blue color than what appeared on the website. I am loading it up with all my content now and will have a review of a couple of Zune HD accessories here on the blog tomorrow.

September 23rd, 2009

Update: Microsoft responds to the Zune Originals issue

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 8:44 am

Categories: Microsoft, Zune

Tags: Microsoft Zune, Microsoft Corp., E-mail, Team Management, Blogging, Online Communications, Management, Internet, Matthew Miller

Over the past week I became quite frustrated with the Zune Originals order process and after reading the same story from many folks on the Zune forums I decided to write this blog post yesterday along with a Zune Forums post and was am EXTREMELY pleased (see UPDATE #2 below for the continuing saga) to tell you that the person from Microsoft who actually oversees the program responded in the forums with a sincere post.

The following is what JRaindrop (Zune tag) posted on the Zune Forums:

My apologies for the delays you are experiencing. We encountered several unforeseen glitches in the system last week which have caused this situation. Normally, you would have received a confirmation email just after you completed your purchase with a mechanism for tracking your order. Then you would have received a shipping notice with package tracking. For a number of customers, this obviously didn’t happen.

Later today (tomorrow morning at the latest) anyone affected by this delay will be getting an email from Zune Customer Support telling you that orders will start shipping tonight. We’re giving everyone affected a $15 Zune Marketplace token to make good on the expedited shipping you paid for. We’ve put on extra FEDEX trucks and brought more staff into the facility to clear the backlog as fast as possible. You’ll get a ship notice when your order leaves the barn.

My apologies - the ZO team has been working around the clock for the last week to get things fixed.

WOW, now this is a response I can sincerely appreciate. I really did not expect such a fast response from someone so closely related to the Zune Originals program and think they went above and beyond with the $15 Marketplace token (now how many Microsoft points is that?). As you can see, Read the rest of this entry »

September 22nd, 2009

UPDATE: Zune Originals order status & tracking system needs major work

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 4:58 am

Categories: MP3 players, Microsoft, Zune

Tags: Microsoft Zune, E-mail, Telecom & Utilities, Media Players, Online Communications, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Matthew Miller

After I received the plain platinum 32GB Zune HD from Amazon and had used it for an hour or so I went to the Zune Originals site and ordered my custom blue Zune HD with the FC Sounders logo on the back. The ordering process was straightforward with steps to select the color device and capacity you want, the art you want etched on the back, and any custom engraving you want. I completed my order that also showed me exactly what my custom device would look like and received an order number on the display. I was then sent an order confirmation and everything seemed just fine. However, that was the last I have heard regarding my Zune Originals order since I placed my order last week.

As you can see on the Zune Forums the experience I described above is exactly what just about everyone else who ordered a custom Zune HD experienced. I understand that each of these is a custom job, but in today’s world it is just unacceptable for a high tech company like Microsoft to not provide any sort of status update to those paying $300+ for a media player. Like many others, I paid extra for the expedited shipping which stated we would receive the Zune HD within 5 to 7 business days of ordering. At this time, the only thing that appears on the Zune Originals order status page is that my order has been received (see the screenshot to the left). Why can’t Microsoft tell me more about my expensive order, such as if it has been engraved or not, when it is planned to ship out to me, when it is shipped (I am supposed to receive some kind of shipment notification), and if there are any issues with the order? I know they are trying to keep the costs down and there is no additional fees for customizing your Zune HD, but still it isn’t that difficult to add a few more details and keep the customer in the loop.

One glitch I have already experienced was that my confirmation email showed I ordered the standard 10-14 business day shipping, but as you can see in the details of the order the full price for expedited shipping was paid. Unfortunately, there is NO phone number you can use to actually speak to anyone about your Zune Originals order and it took some hunting in the Zune Forums to find the proper email address (zuneorders@css.one.microsoft.com) to contact customer service. I contacted them about the shipping issue and received a response that they were looking into my order and they would respond in 24 hours. It has now been over 48 hours and I never received any kind of response.

Microsoft needs to make some significant improvements to the Zune Originals ordering and tracking (or lack thereof) system. At this time, it feels a bit risky to throw your money out there and just hope everything works out in the end. You also better make sure you have the engraving all correct because I highly doubt you would ever be able to get a hold of anyone to correct a misspelling or change the text you ordered.

I understand that we are a society of immediate satisfaction, but I am not asking for next day engraving and shipping. I just want to be in the loop a bit more about what is going on and have some expectations about my order.

Have any readers yet received a Zune HD Originals shipping notification?

UPDATE: See my new blog post where Microsoft responded and is taking care of the situation immediately. IMHO, they responded quickly and went above and beyond to fix the issues.

September 18th, 2009

Zune HD review roundup: excellent hardware and UI, apps lacking

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 8:45 am

Categories: Gadgets, MP3 players, Microsoft, Zune

Tags: Microsoft Zune, Hardware, Zune Pass, Web Browsers, Media Players, Digital Music, Corporate Communications, Digital Media, Internet, Consumer Electronics

Some sites received Zune HD review units from Microsoft (I had to buy mine), but they were not able to post their reviews since Microsoft had to flip the Zune 4.0 server switch on the 15th. We are now seeing lots of detailed reviews coming in for the Zune HD and overall the impressions are that it is a fantastic media player that is the Zune we have all been wanting from the start. It is obvious it cannot compete with the iPod touch in terms of apps, but this is just the start and that may change in the future. The Zune Pass is the really defining feature that stands out from the iPods though and if you have a limited personal music collection the Zune HD can be a killer media player.

I posted my first impressions a couple of days ago and will post my thoughts after more usage when my FC Sounders customized blue Zune Original arrives, which should be next week. Some other reviews I recommend you check out as you try to figure out if the Zune HD is for you are the following:

• Mobile Tech Review
• CNET TV (video review)
• Engadget
• Gizmodo
• David Pogue
• Andy Ihnatko
• Michael Gartenberg
• SlashGear
• PC Magazine
• WM Experts
• Brighthand
• Zune Thoughts (There are several videos on this site too.)
• Mobility Minded

As I first pointed out, and others also later picked up on, there are pre-roll still and video ads in the 7 free games. I also compared the web browser to the latest Internet Explorer Mobile 6 browser and the browser limitations were pointed out in most of the reviews.

It seemed that even die-hard Apple fans appreciated the user interface and hardware of the Zune HD, but some still don’t see the value in the Zune device.

Do you know of any other Zune reviews I should include in my list?

September 17th, 2009

MobileTechRoundup show #182, Moto CLIQ, ZuneHD, iPod nano, HP Envy

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 8:21 am

Categories: Apple, BlackBerry, MP3 players, MoTR podcast, Mobile software, Zune

Tags: MobileTechRoundup, Apple iPod, Hewlett-Packard Co., Opera Software ASA, Apple iPod Nano, Opera Mini 5 Beta, Digital Music, Digital Media, Personal Technology, Consumer Electronics

Listen here (MP3, 35.2 MB, 38:20 minutes)

Subscribe to the show with this link (RSS)

We missed recording last week due to the Mobilize 2009 event so MobileTechRoundup show #182 is a bit longer than normal as James, Kevin, and I chatted about mobile tech products. James and Kevin had a chance to play with the upcoming T-Mobile Motorola CLIQ Google Android device that will be tough for me to resist. I talked about my new Zune HD and iPod nano and then I learned about Opera 10’s Turbo Mode on a PC. Opera Mini 5 beta is out for Java-enabled phones and adds some great new features, all for FREE. James also had a chance to swing by the HP offices and play with the new Envy notebooks that have features you may envy, but at a price you may not.

September 16th, 2009

Zune HD games, sponsored by the Kia Soul

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 6:32 am

Categories: Gadgets, MP3 players, Microsoft, Zune

Tags: Kia Motors Corp., Advertisement, Microsoft Zune, Weather Utility, Games, Personal Technology, Matthew Miller

Microsoft has stated that apps like Twitter and Facebook will be released for the Zune HD before the end of the year, but at launch you will find 2 apps and 7 games available for you to download from the Zune Marketplace. These apps are not preloaded on the Zune HD so you will have to load them from the Zune via WiFi or onto your PC and then sync to your Zune HD. Microsoft has stated that the apps are free and future apps are planned to stay free, but as you can see in my video below the games available so far are all ad sponsored. This may impact the user wanting to play the games to have to sit through an ad every single time it is launched and I think people would rather pay 99 cents for the game instead.

The two available apps are a calculator and weather utility. The calculator is basic in portrait mode and then switches into a basic scientific calculator in landscape mode and I am pleased with this application. The weather utility is pretty basic and just gives you the high, low, and an icon for the condition for the week. You can setup cities you want to follow and it can work as a very basic weather indicator, but that is it.

The seven available games are as follows:

• Chess
• Goo Splat
• Hexic
• Shell Game of the Future
• Space Battle
• Sudoku
• Texas Hold ‘Em

One thing you can see in my video is that ads play when you launch each game and some of the ads are actually rather long video ads while others are just a car image. Unfortunately, you cannot bypass these ads so you have to sit through them each and every time! I would rather just pay 99 cents for the game and avoid the ads.

I run quickly through each game in my video above and play a couple so you can see what they are like. I personally liked the Space Battle game best as it reminds me a bit of Galaga and has some nice graphics and sound. In the Shell Game of the Future you actually shake the Zune HD to start each phase of the game.

I am not sure if we can expect too many more apps since there is no public SDK and all games will come through Microsoft. Sorry, as you can see my readers are much smarter than me when it comes to Zune development and there is an SDK so let’s hope we see some great things for the Zune HD.