If you happen to be rocking a Zune HD, you’ll be happy to hear that firmware version 4.5 has been dished out to address a few quibbles and improve your overall experience. One of the more interesting additions in the new firmware update is something called Smart DJ Mix. This provides you with a “quick and dynamic way to launch instant mixes… based on any album, artist, or song in your collection.” Smart DJ automatically finds other songs in your collection to make a new mix. You’ll also find improved support for more video codecs.

To go through the update process on your Zune HD, what you’ll need to do is download and install the update using the desktop software that accompanies your Zune. Then, you’ll go through the usual sync process and your Zune should be updated accordingly. Naturally, the new firmware is free too.

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The Zune HD hasn’t been quite as popular as Microsoft had hoped, since the iPod touch still outsells it as far as I know, but it does represent a nice step forward for the company. It’s so much more than just a regular media player.

The Zune HD Twitter app can be found through the regular marketplace for the Zune and it seems to be reasonably attractive, letting you see profile pictures and the like. Unfortunately, it seems to be “distressingly laggy” for some users, stalling “several times just scrolling through a list of tweets.”

Oh, and if you happen to cuss (or you follow people who do), the Zune HD Twitter app will automatically censor your potty mouths. All “naughty words” get whitewashed with random punctuation marks. Does this make it more family-friendly?

Source: Engadget

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As you may recall, the new Zune HD has Windows CE at its core, but you wouldn’t know it from the sleek user interface. It gets an Nvidia Tegra APX with 8 independent processors, a 3.3-inch (16:9 aspect ratio) OLED capacitive touchscreen display with multi-touch, accelerometer, Wi-Fi, a web browser, games, and more.

Even though it has HD in its name, the Zune HD doesn’t really do HD video on its own. Instead, you’ll need to use the HDMI output to send your 720p videos to your HDTV. There is an additional dock required for that. You can also enjoy the HD radio tuner for an enhanced FM radio experience.

The 16GB Zune HD comes in black for $220, whereas the 32GB Zune HD comes in platinum for $290. You can also take the Zune Originals path for custom colors and designs.

Are you disappointed by the lack of a camera on the new iPod touch? Have you fallen out of favor with Apple? Microsoft will welcome you with open arms into Redmond… and it seems that you won’t be alone either, if this video is to be believed.

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Daring Fireball’s John Grubar is saying that not only will Apple come forward with an updated iPod touch, but Apple will also be pricing it very aggressively against the Zune HD. Not only that, but they’re going to pack it full of storage capacity too.

Based on this report, a new 16GB iPod touch could come with a very affordable MSRP of just $199. The larger 32GB variant, by extrapolation, would go for about $299. Continuing with this scheme, Gruber is saying that a massive 64GB iPod touch will also be made available and it’ll list at the $399 price point.

Not surprisingly, noone at Apple is going to confirm any of these rumors, but this prediction does follow in line with what the company has done with the previous two generations and what it has done with most of the iPod lineup in general. You usually see a “free” capacity bump. The price for the old 8GB becomes the price for the new 16GB, for instance.

Is Gruber right? We’ll find out soon enough.

Source: i4u

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The Microsoft Zune HD went all official this week and the player itself already seems like a pretty exciting proposition. It comes with HD radio, a great touchscreen display, and a revamped user interface. However, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Check out what happens when you connect it to your TV.

Sure, you may have seen some of those AV docks designed for the iPod and other similar devices, but they don’t really translate as well to be a portable home theatre device as the new Zune HD. With those iPod docks, you still have to look at the iPod to navigate the menu. Such is not the case here.

Instead, the entirety of the Zune HD user interface is perfectly adapted to the big screen when you slot the PMP into its media dock. You can then navigate your way through the menu using the provided remote, watching videos, listening to music, and even going to the radio stations from the comfort of your couch.

In this way, the Zune HD really has become a very versatile and multi-function device. You can carry it with you as a portable entertainment machine and then you can dock it at home as a powerful media player, not unlike the WDTV or even the Apple TV. Sort of. It’s not as zippy as a Windows Media Center HTPC, but it’s a heck of a lot more portable.

Check out the pair of videos below to get a better sense of what to expect. It looks like Microsoft could have a real winner here… until the guys in Cupertino attempt to one-up them in a few months.

Source: Gizmodo

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