Pre-Order your Zune HD now‏!

Portable perfection
The new Zune HD wireless media player connects you to a new world of entertainment. With built-in HD Radio & trade; receiver, HD-compatible video, multi-touch navigation, OLED screen, and games, Zune HD delivers the next level in music and video experiences.

Reasons to buy

* HD-compatible video: Play high quality video on the go or on your HDTV. Watch supported 720p HD movies, TV shows, and videos in high definition on your HDTV through the Zune HD AV Dock (sold separately).
* OLED touchscreen: Get instant access to your content with multi-touch navigation. With a 3.3-inch size and vivid 16:9 display (480 x 272 resolution), truer and brighter entertainment is at your fingertips.
* Internet browsing: Surf the Web anytime, anywhere you have a Wi-Fi connection. Check email, traffic, and news with a full-featured optimized Web browser, including a touchscreen QWERTY keyboard.

* HD Radio: Get more stations and better sound, without fees. The new Zune HD gives you access to many local HD Radio stations for more sports, news, and music with crystal-clear digital sound at no extra cost.
* Wireless: Buy, stream, and update your music – and download free games – wirelessly via a Wi-Fi connection. You can also wirelessly sync your Zune HD to your home PC via your home network.
* Quickplay: Cut through the clutter and get instant access to your content with shortcuts to favorites, recently downloaded or played music, videos, and more.

Will Microsoft Release a Blu-ray Player for Xbox 360…

It feels like this happened long ago, in a galaxy far far away, but it was until last year that Sony and Toshiba were fighting in a war to impose their own formats to store high-definition movies in optical discs. Unlike the VHS vs. Betamax battle, this time Sony won the battle and Blu-ray Disc emerged as the sole standard for next-generation optical discs.

What happened to Toshiba? The Japanese corporation announced its exit of the HD DVD business and now, a year and half later, it is completely admitting the success of Blu-ray Disc by announcing plans to manufacture and sell Blu-ray Disc players. Toshiba plans to sell Blu-ray Disc players by the end of the year and will consider the production of Blu-ray Disc recorders.

Why is this consumer electronics’ talk of interest to our readers?

Because Sony used the PlayStation 3 as a Trojan horse for Blu-ray Disc and as you’d expect, Microsoft backed up the competition. That’s why Bill Gates announced during his keynote speech at CES 2006 that an external HD DVD drive would be released for the Xbox 360 that year. At E3 2006, Microsoft officially presented the Xbox 360 HD DVD Player.

With Blu-ray Disc winning the war, a few days later after Toshiba announced its decision to discontinue all HD DVD players, Microsoft also announced the HD DVD drive for Xbox 360 will be discontinued, with efforts to deliver high-definition movies now focused on Xbox Live.

Now that Toshiba is forced to manufacture Blu-ray Disc players because of the growth of that market, will Microsoft release a Blu-ray Disc drive for the Xbox 360?

Microsoft is betting on online distribution with the upcoming Zune Video marketplace and Netflix support, but even if such way to deliver digital content is the way of the future, the current spike in Blu-ray Disc sales can’t be ignored. A recent report from the Digital Entertainment Group revealed that sales of Blu-ray movies went up 91% to $407M during the first six months of the year. This also caused sales of Blu-ray Disc players to increase 25% to 2 million units in the same period—a figure that must have forced Toshiba to enter the Blu-ray Disc market.

Let’s not forget we are in the middle of a recession. With signs of economic recovery coming from different indicators, Blu-ray Disc could be the preferred way for consumers to buy and rent Blu-ray Disc movies until the majority of broadband connections can download a 50GB file in minutes, instead of hours.

In a potential scenario in which Blu-ray Disc effectively replaces DVD, will Microsoft release an external Blu-ray Disc drive for the Xbox 360? I think Microsoft could be forced by the market to do so. With the conditions mentioned above, if Microsoft stays out of the Blu-ray Disc business (it already supports the format in the upcoming Windows 7), it could create a niche for the PlayStation 3 video game system that would allow Sony to close the gap in system sales with the Xbox 360.

Peter Moore left the door open once. Microsoft has denied a Blu-ray Disc drive several times. Following Toshiba’s announcement, we contacted Microsoft just to find out if they changed their mind. A Microsoft spokesperson provided the following statement:

“As we have stated before, we have no plans to introduce a Blu-ray drive for Xbox 360. We have a long-standing high definition strategy that runs across gaming and premium content, and it’s a strategy that continues to pay off for us. Today, we offer the largest library of blockbuster games and offer a growing library of nearly 20,000 movies and TV episodes on Xbox LIVE Video Marketplace (more than 5,000 in HD). In addition, people have access to 12,000 films and TV episodes on Netflix Instant watch. And coming this fall, Xbox LIVE will launch digital movies with instant on 1080p HD streaming so you can experience the best video quality with no disc, no download and no delay.

So there you have it. There won’t be a Blu-ray Disc player for the Xbox 360.

Microsoft to Launch Streaming Music Service

The Telegraph has the scoop on Microsoft’s plans to launch a music streaming service by the end of July. So far, the British newspaper confirmed the launch of such service in the United Kingdom, but as you’d expect from a global software company, this could be a testing ground for Microsoft to try the service before launching it worldwide.

“Music is an important area for Microsoft. We are looking at launching a music streaming service imminently.” Peter Bale, executive producer of MSN, told The Telegraph. “It will be a similar principle to Spotify but we are still examining how the business model will work.”

We wouldn’t report this upcoming service if it wasn’t for the fact that the Microsoft exec hinted the service could make its way to the Xbox 360. Bale refused to provide more details of how such partnership would work.

Non-purchasable Facebook & Twitter branded Xbox 360 consoles

Xbox Director of Programming, Major Nelson sent a tweet (Twitter message) today showing off four Xbox 360 consoles that we the consumer will not be able to buy.

Though no doubt there are plenty who would buy up such neatly colored boxes, they were made specifically for the companies that Xbox 360 had announced partnership with during their E3 conference.

I do not usually agree with analyst Michael Pachter, but as the saying goes, even a broken clock is right twice a day. He calls the integration of Facebook, Twitter, Last.fm, and Sky, “a glimpse into the future of the Xbox 360 as a home media/internet hub. I think that this announcement was far and away the most important one of the show, and think that the media completely missed its importance.”

The final date has yet to be announced on when the company crossovers will take effect. For now, enjoy some promotional screens of the services implemented on the system:

*NO SKY PICTURE YET HAS BEEN RELEASED*

Google’s Chrome OS: What It Means To Microsoft, Intel, Apple, And You

Google is grabbing all the headlines in the tech-nerd world with its announcement of Chrome OS. Initially aimed at the netbook market, this lightweight operating system relies heavily on “cloud computing”. Since a great deal of the processing will be executed on the server side, hardware manufacturers should be able to release inexpensive netbooks that are full featured, thanks to a variety of Google products. The announcement has all kinds of implications for consumers and large corporations. I’m going to take a look at how Chrome OS impacts some major players.

Microsoft: The Redmond giant is the most obvious target for Chrome OS. Windows XP is, by far, the most popular operating system for netbooks. Although there are several capable Linux variants available, consumers greatly prefer the familiarity and compatibility of Windows. Chrome OS (which runs on top of a Linux kernel) can succeed where other Linux builds failed. Netbooks using Chrome will presumably feature heavy Gmail, Google Docs, and Google Chrome (the browser) implementation. And since the OS will be free, consumers will be getting netbooks — with built in office functionality — that are cheaper than ones using Windows. Currently, the price difference between netbooks using Linux and those using Windows XP is around $50. The projected difference on future, more powerful models using Windows 7 is expected to be even more. Chrome OS gives netbook manufacturers a way to keep prices down as Microsoft continues to raise them.

Intel: Google stated that Chrome will be able to run on ARM processors as well as x86 processors (Intel/AMD/VIA). At this time, Windows 7 will only support the latter. A lot of netbook makers are interested in ARM chips, due to their low power consumption and the performance they delivers per watt, but the lack of a familiar OS is a deal breaker for many. Chrome OS coupled with an ARM chip looks like a winning proposition that should have Intel worried. Remember, Intel chips come at a premium price, next year’s netbooks running Chrome with an ARM chip should be cheaper than those using an Intel chip with Windows 7.

Google’s Chrome OS: What It Means To Microsoft, Intel, Apple, And YouOn the software side, Intel has been shifting a lot of resources towards its Moblin OS, which is also aimed at the netbook market. While Intel has released a lot of great silicon over the years, it has never been known for its software or use friendliness. Google has a much better reputation in that area. While consumers certainly know both brands, I’d bet that most of them think of Google as the more user-friendly company, thanks to products like Gmail, Picassa, Blogger, Google Docs, Google Maps, and more.

Apple: Industry pundits expect Apple to eventually enter the netbook space. While many are expecting an Apple tablet, they’re all sure that at some point in the near future, Apple will release an inexpensive product that will compete with netbooks. Can’t you see a more robust version of iPhone OS running on a bigger device? I can, and Chrome OS would definitely be competing with it.

Where it gets really interesting is on the corporate side. Google CEO Eric Schmidt currently sits on Apple’s board of directors. When Google was purely about web services, the arrangement made sense. Things look a lot different in 2009 than they did in 2006, when Schmidt was elected to the board. Apple and Google are competing in more and more areas; Chrome OS just adds another log to the fire. Will it be a matter of time before Schmidt is asked to leave Apple’s board? Are there too many conflicts of interest now?

Consumers: As Captain Planet said, “The power is yours!” Chrome OS is great for consumers. It will make the netbook market more competitive by giving consumers more choices, which should help keep prices down. Personally, I love the idea of a Chrome OS netbook with a capable ARM processor. I can get a lot of work done with Gmail, Google Docs, and the Chrome browser. Other Google services, like Google Maps and Blogger, are great for general productivity and entertainment. If the retooled Google Voice is good enough to replace Skype, which I rely heavily on, then Chrome OS netbooks will offer me an all-in-one solution for office work, communication, and the countless hours of entertainment I can get from web browsing.

Of course, this is all in theory. While I expect Chrome OS to be a good product, I wonder if it will have the smooth start and hype that Gmail enjoyed or the bumpy path that Android is on. Whatever the case, Google’s announcement has made the netbook market terribly interesting…and I’m not just saying that because the Chrome logo looks like a Pokeball.

What do you think of my analysis? Do you think Chrome OS will make a splash in 2010? What companies will it hurt the most? Leave a comment and let me know (please)!

Google Aims At Windows: Launching Chrome Operating System

I wonder if people are freaking out at Microsoft this morning: Google announced they are launching an operating system, putting them in direct competition with Microsoft Windows — it’s a little like one pirate ship firing a cannonball across the bow of another, only the pirate ships are multi-billion dollar tech corporations. It’s also a little like David Vs. Goliath, given how monolithic Microsoft is in the operating system space.

According to Google:

Google Chrome OS is an open source, lightweight operating system that will initially be targeted at netbooks.

Google’s strategy to take on the eight-million pound OS gorilla of Windows is obvious: “Lightweight and open source” is, basically, the exact opposite of Vista’s throw-in-everything vibe, so Google seems to be pitching an operating system that addresses and destroys the common problems caused by (or at least not solved by) Microsoft’s Vista. It’s hard to read this description of Chrome and not see it as shots at common problems with Windows:

People want to get to their email instantly, without wasting time waiting for their computers to boot and browsers to start up. They want their computers to always run as fast as when they first bought them. They want their data to be accessible to them wherever they are and not have to worry about losing their computer or forgetting to back up files. Even more importantly, they don’t want to spend hours configuring their computers to work with every new piece of hardware, or have to worry about constant software updates. And any time our users have a better computing experience, Google benefits as well by having happier users who are more likely to spend time on the Internet..

In other words: “This OS won’t perform like Windows.”

When combined with Google’s mobile OS, it looks like the company is making a serious play to take over every shiny, rectangular tech surface on earth. But whether they’ll end up successful is anyone’s guess. Google’s Chrome browser, while excellent, hasn’t gained much market share since it launched. IE remains the most popular web-browser by far–maybe simply because people are used to it–so it’s hard to imagine too many people lining up to change their operating system at the drop of hat. Open-source Linux-based netbooks have been available for a while now, and it’s not like everyone (or, really anyone) uses them. Chrome OS has got to come out swinging pretty hard to capture the market beyond the tech-heads who love anything new.

We’ll all find out in the second half of 2010, when the first Chrome OS equipped netbooks hit market.

Source

Dell rolls out Adamo, exquisite $1999 laptop ships March 26

Dell’s been teasing us with its beautiful Adamo laptop for the past two months, and finally the thin and stylish laptop is revealed in all its glory. This 13-inch notebook rolls out in the U.S. and 24 other countries on March 26th, and its price of a buck shy of $2000 might scare away bargain hunters, but not the style-conscious.

The first in a planned line of fancy laptops (we hear there’s a nine-incher on the way), this first Adamo has mostly respectable but not astonishing specs, including a 128GB solid-state drive, 2GB of memory, integrated Intel X4500 graphics, but a weak 1.2GHz Intel Core 2 Duo U9300 processor. The solidly built, slim unit weighs four pounds.

The real story is the way this baby looks and feels. We’ve held both the aluminum and black Adamo laptops in our hands and can tell you that these are uniquely designed and high-quality PCs, which we immediately coveted at first sight in an early-January secret demo. Slim, shiny, all solid-state — it’s the laptop of the year so far. Get a good look at both models in the gallery below, and for details, read the press release after the Continue jump.

ROUND ROCK, Texas, March 17, 2009 – Style-minded people who place a premium on precision craftsmanship and design can now add Adamo to their list of must-have items for 2009. Dell today unveiled the world’s thinnest laptop as a kick off to the new Adamo by Dell brand.

Adamo, derived from the Latin word meaning “to fall in love,” will serve as a flagship in a line of products created to disrupt the personal computing space with the combination of new design, aesthetics, personalization choices and sought-after technologies.

The News:

Adamo is the pinnacle of craftsmanship and design and features:

· A chassis milled from a single piece of aluminum featuring precision detailing and a scalloped backlit keyboard

· Striking high definition edge-to-edge glass display

· Fully connected with WiFi, Bluetooth(tm) and optional integrated mobile broadband* and full complement of connectivity ports with no compromises

· Cool, quiet and robust solid state drives

· Available in Onyx and Pearl colors with a broad range of complementary accessories

· Price starting at $1999

Quotes:

“Great design needs to be timeless and evoke emotion in people”, said Alex Gruzen, senior vice president of Dell’s consumer products. “While a premium computing experience was assumed for Adamo, the intent was for people to see, touch and explore Adamo and be rewarded by the select materials and craftsmanship you would expect in a fine watch.”

“Dell continues to signal a commitment to design and personalization across its entire product line and has made significant strides forward in the past year,” said Rob Enderle, Principal Analyst, Enderle Group. “The Adamo laptop is a showcase for this commitment and a flagship product that will draw buyers to the brand.”

People who choose Adamo will be offered a unique color matched collection of Adamo by Dell branded peripherals and accessories including, in the U.S. an exclusive line of bags from TUMI. Choices will include:

· External storage option with 250GB** or 500GB** external hard drive.

· External DVD+/-RW or Blu-ray disc drive.

· 8GB** USB drive.

· Connectors and cables including DisplayPort to HDMI, DVI, and VGA.

· Adamo Premium Service (US Only):

· 24/7 access to Dell’s best trained technicians

· Consistent communication with a dedicated personal team

The Adamo by Dell brand is being supported by innovative and new approaches to marketing and promotion for Dell. Designed to challenge people’s perceptions of what a computer is, the Adamo by Dell brand was inspired by fashion, luxury brands and timeless design.

Dell has looked beyond traditional approaches to reaching computer shoppers and launched a provocative campaign featuring:

· A stylish worldwide print campaign shot by acclaimed British-based photographer Nadav Kandar and featuring high-fashion models that reinforces the “fall in love” positioning. Kander, whose work is celebrated in galleries worldwide, also shot the moving portfolio, “Obama’s People,” which appeared in The New York Times Magazine earlier this year.

· AdamoByDell.com, the centerpiece of the campaign and a highly stylized site where viewers can learn about Adamo, register for updates and, beginning today, place orders. Since its launch last month, AdamoByDell.com has attracted nearly 800,000 unique visitors from around the world and more than 1 million page views.

· Artful packaging in which the product arrives “floating” in a clear box with minimal clutter – a beautiful experience for a sophisticated product.

Product Specifications:

· Intel® Core 2 Duo processors with Intel® Centrino ® technology

· DDR3 system memory

· 13.4-inch 16:9 HD display

· Draft-Wireless N

· High-performance solid state drives standard

· Bluetooth 2.1

· Mobile Broadband* option

· Up to 5+ hours of battery life (preliminary)***

· 2 USB ports, 1 USB/eSATA combo port, Display Port, RJ-45 port

· Genuine Windows Vista® Home Premium Edition SP1, 64-bit

Available for pre-order today at www.adamobydell.com and shipping worldwide starting March 26, 2009, Adamo will be available online for purchase in 24 countries including U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, U.K. France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland, UAE, ANZ, China, Honk Kong, India, Korea, Malaysia/Singapore, Japan, and Indonesia.

Adamo by Dell

Apple previews iPhone OS 3.0, featuring cut, copy and paste

Apple announced an update to the iPhone operating system at one of its love feasts in Cupertino today. The update will be available this summer as a free upgrade for the iPhone 3G, and for $9.95 for the iPod touch.

Top of the wish list was fulfilled with Cut/Copy and Paste, finally streamlining the OS with a feature that’s been in Windows and Macintosh since their beginnings. The system will work by double-tapping or dragging across text, selecting cut, copy or paste in the bubble above it, and then using a similar routine to paste it into another place, or across applications.

What else is new in the upcoming iPhone OS 3.0?

Search: Last year Apple added search for contacts, and now there will be the ability to search your email, calendars, iTunes, and notes. Also added will be Spotlight, letting you search across the iPhone for a keyword.

MMS: the widely adopted Multimedia Messaging System will now work on the iPhone, letting you attach photos to text messages for instant, you-are-there fun. You can also forward and delete messages.

Stereo Bluetooth: Inexplicably missing on the iPhone, now you’ll be able to listen to stereo music over Bluetooth. Still missing: wireless synching via Bluetooth. The bad news? This stereo Bluetooth goodness and MMS won’t work on iPhone 1.0.

Landscape typing in Apple Apps: Now you can turn your iPhone on its side and type with a larger touchscreen keyboards, a feature that was available in some situations but not in email. Finally.

Voice Memo: Record yourself a voice message, play it back easily.

Modified Google Maps application: now lets developers use Google Maps in their apps. But the big news is this will allow “turn-by-turn” applications, bringing GPS navigation to the iPhone. However, because of licensing issues, developers will be required to provide the maps.

Multiplayer connectivity: The iPhone will automagically discover other iPhones running the same app, and you can play games with them. Welcome to the social.

Accessories communication: Apps will be allowed to communicate with external accessories, such as a blood pressure cuff, FM tuner, or equalization for a docked speaker.

Push Notification: While Apple promised one-way background functionality (“push notification”) last year but never delivered, Apple’s SVP of iPhone software Scott Forstall says he means it this time.

No Background Processing: Apple tried running background processes on the iPhone, but the battery life was reduced by 80%, and there was a significat performance hit. That’s why they’re going with push notification, a one-way process that lets you know when you’ve received a message but requires you to open the application to respond.

New Apps: ESPN showed a streaming video application that also takes advantage of the iPhone’s push capability, notifying users of sports scores. Electronic Arts demonstrated its The Sims 3 game, flaunting the iPhone’s clean playback and animation capabilities. And, you can buy stuff within apps.

What’s Missing: Still no support for Flash video and applications in Safari. No tethering, the ability to use the iPhone’s 3G connection to get online with your laptop. Even though Apple says it’s “supporting tethering on the client side,” its providers aren’t playing ball just yet. No video recording.

Apple Press Release