Tag Archives: zune
Gone too Zune: We reflect on Microsoft’s failed music project
PC Gaming Company Razer Wants A Slice Of Wearables Industry With Nabu SmartBand
Xbox Video Support for Zune and Windows Phone 7 Ends in February 2014
Microsoft axing Zune Marketplace rentals and sales, recommends Xbox Video and Music
Coinciding with the impending abandonment of Microsoft Points, the ability to rent and purchase media from Zune Marketplace will also be hitting retirement come August 22nd. A recently-posted FAQ on the Xbox website details the changes, directing current users to hurry up and use their remaining points as they'll be worthless come that EOL date. For future service Microsoft is unsurprisingly pointing users to Xbox Music and Video, noting that the latter will also be accessible on Xbox One, Windows Phone 8 and browsers "later this year." Unlimited streaming will be accessible through the Xbox Music Pass as you'd expect, and your existing media will continue to function as normal. Better yet, OG Zune Music Pass subscribers will still be able to stream tunes and obtain their 10 free downloads per month. Consider it another inevitable nail in the Zune brand's coffin, while it lives on through Xbox.
Filed under: Gaming, Portable Audio/Video
Via: The Verge
Source: Xbox.com
Google’s Colorful Customized Motorola Moto X Details are Here
Xbox 360 Dashboard update hands-on (fall 2012)
Is it Fall again already? Must be time for another Xbox 360 Dashboard update. Every year Microsoft Drops the console a little bit of code to match the descending leaves, delivering new features, interface tweaks and additional content to hide behind the Xbox Live Gold paywall. Redmond's latest update isn't quite the overhaul it gave the gaming rig last year, but minor changes can have big effects. Join us after the break to see the machine's latest update, and what it means for you.
Continue reading Xbox 360 Dashboard update hands-on (fall 2012)
Filed under: Gaming, Home Entertainment, Microsoft
Xbox 360 Dashboard update hands-on (fall 2012) originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 00:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | CommentsWith the launch of Xbox Music, Zune is truly no more (update: Zune Pass users get 1,000 Microsoft point parting gift)
It's over, folks. Or at least nearly over. Write it down -- time of death: 12:01AM ET, October 16. That's when the Zune brand is officially no more, and "Xbox Music/Video" and its store replace the Zune Marketplace; the final, quiet end of a brand that's been waning for years. "Yes, the Zune brand is gone, and the Zune products are gone," Xbox Music GM Jerry Johnson told us in a meeting last week. While Zune devices will still work with Windows 7, and the Zune Pass simply becomes the Xbox Music Pass, the brand is effectively no more, joining the Kin and Microsoft Bob in the annals of MS history.
Bizarrely, the branding will continue on for Windows 7 and Windows Phone 7 users, with the Zune Marketplace mirroring Xbox Music's content. That's likely due to Xbox Music being exclusive to Windows 8 devices (which includes the Xbox 360, despite its age, and Windows Phone 8) -- Microsoft promises a continued focus on Xbox Music going forward, while Zune support drops out. In the end, though Zune was a failure for Microsoft, Johnson said it was a worthwhile learning experience for the company. "The Zune brand got associated with a device, and what we did with Xbox Music is actually turn around and say, 'Let's build something from the ground up, leveraging what we've learned from a lot of these different things.' But it's not gonna be device-centric, it's gonna be service-centric," he explained.
In Johnson's eyes, the failure of Zune as a brand is directly tied to the failure of Zune as a device -- and having the highly successful Xbox brand tied to its media offerings, he's hoping to skirt previous negative perceptions and relaunch Microsoft's place in media delivery. Whether that'll happen remains to be seen, but either way, this is the final nail in the Zune's coffin -- not just as a device, but as a thing in the world.
Update: Looks like Microsoft hasn't forgotten the loyalty of the diehards who stayed with Zune until the end, as Zune Music Pass users are getting 1,000 Microsoft Points for free along with the switch to Xbox Music.
Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Gaming, Tablets, Software, Mobile, Microsoft
With the launch of Xbox Music, Zune is truly no more (update: Zune Pass users get 1,000 Microsoft point parting gift) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 15 Oct 2012 14:30:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | CommentsUS pricing leaks for incoming Xbox Music service
Following those British-based leaks yesterday, a second mole has now offered us a glimpse at Xbox Music pricing across the Atlantic. It looks like the Zune successor will offer a longer 30-day free trial, alongside $10 per-month and $100 annual subscriptions. Surprise -- looks like Americans are getting a better deal.
Filed under: Gaming, Portable Audio/Video
US pricing leaks for incoming Xbox Music service originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 27 Sep 2012 08:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | | Email this | CommentsDashboard beta leaks new Xbox Music Pass: Cloud playlists and early pricing revealed
Appearing soon after Zune's end, we've been sent these images of what Microsoft's likely to offer in Xbox Music. Matching those early rumors, it looks like some cloud-linked features will make an appearance in the form of synchronized playlists, while the service will offer a free half-month trial alongside paid subscriptions. Prices are currently set at £8.99 ($15) for a month, while £89.90 ($146) will offer a year's unlimited access to "millions" of tracks, to stream and download across Xbox, Windows, and Windows Phone. The system's UI seems to borrow its looks from Windows' Metro tile-based style, with a very similar keyboard that appears to be navigable from your Xbox controller. Take a tour of the gallery below and expect to hear more specifics ahead of the big Windows 8 launch next month.
[Thanks Anonymous]
Filed under: Gaming, Portable Audio/Video
Dashboard beta leaks new Xbox Music Pass: Cloud playlists and early pricing revealed originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 26 Sep 2012 09:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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