Gadgets

Microsoft announced Thursday that its new portable media player, Zune, is expected to be released for the 2006 holiday season. The device, which rivals the market-dominant Apple iPod, is aiming to gain popularity by including features that the iPod ... lacks. Microsoft's vision for its new product is to provide "music service and a foundation for an online community that will enable music fans to discover new music." (Source: abcnews.com ) The 30GB media player will have the capability, through built-in WiFi (wireless network access), to share songs with other Zune users -- a key characteristic ... (view more)

Recently, CNET News produced a story examining the stalled popularity of the iPod. According to the article's author, a lack of hardware updates to the iPod has led to a current state of tech purgatory, a place where Apple might see its digital ... music fanbase slowly decline. Has the iPod bottomed out? We'll look at a few angles in determining the answer to that here. The iPod has seen a few different versions, from the original massive-capacity player, to the half-gig shuffle, to the most recent "Nano." The Nano did revitalize the iPod name, despite CNET News' brushing off of the product. ... (view more)

Dell announced recently that it is pulling out of the MP3 player market due to high competition from products such as Apple's iPod. Dell began producing MP3 players in 2003; in February 2006, Dell halted sales of their hard-drive based MP3 players, ... but continued to produce the lower-end "DJ Ditty," (similar to the "iPod Shuffle"). (Source: dailytech.com) Dell spokeswoman, Anne Camden confirmed that "as of last week, we did remove the DJ Ditty from our web site and we are not going to offer a follow up product." Camden also noted that the company will be tightening " ... (view more)

Recently, Infopackets brought you a few details on the Zune, along with some visuals of the new portable player. And just a few days ago, those wonderful and mischievous sneaks responsible for the underground Zune images are whispering in-depth ... details about the device's appearance, controls, and features. We've made it pretty clear in our recent coverage of the Zune that it is Microsoft's upcoming rival to the immensely popular iPod. The Zune has gone through a number of stages, from gaming peripheral with the power to run Xbox software to its current state as a WiFi music player. Still ... (view more)

Without a doubt, the one tech peripheral that has crossed cultural boundaries is the Apple iPod. But, the most recent rival to the iPod might be the strongest yet. This summer Microsoft announced it would be releasing the "Zune", a machine with ... gaming and music-playing capabilities with the hardware to trump Apple's wonder-gadget. As of today, images of the Zune are first being (unofficially) released to the public. On a recent trip to Mexico I noticed that many cab drivers -- those who charged just 5 U.S. dollars for a 15 minute ride -- owned and operated the iPod. It has become the must- ... (view more)

It seems the iPod is everywhere these days. Recently, Infopackets discussed the announcement by Ford, GM, and Mazda that Apple and its iPod would be fully integrated in many future models. However, the most reasonable and yet elusive place for the ... iPod is the cellular phone market. There are rumblings an announcement will be made by Apple in the coming months on such a product, but many insiders are skeptical about how it will work. Without a question, there is a place for an iPod phone. A significantly powerful one -- and we're talking more than 50-100 songs -- could effectively combine the ... (view more)

Not ready to upgrade to a shiny new PlayStation 3 (PS3), Xbox 360, or one of those newfangled Blu-Ray or HD-DVD players you keep hearing about? If you already own a High-Definition Television (HDTV) and a Sony PS2, Xploder may have the solution. The ... company is readying devices they claim will allow your PS2 to play games in high definition and DVDs in enhanced definition. Games Xploder's press release lists the following options: Select a HD 720p or 1080i setting to give a clearer, crisper picture quality for all PS2 games. Play games in Enhanced Definition (ED) TV 480p mode; a higher ... (view more)

As previously noted , Microsoft officially confirmed the existence of its own competitor to Apple's successful iPod portable music machine, Zune, after months of rumors and speculation. One of Microsoft's big features for Zune is reportedly the ... ability to download music and videos wirelessly. (Source: cnn.com ) That means you wouldn't first need to download the music to your PC, and then transfer it to your player. This gives Zune a true "on the go" feel. If the speculation proves accurate, the Zune player could detect what music is on other people's players nearby and automatically download ... (view more)

On Friday July 21, 2006 Microsoft executives confirmed the launch of Zune, a music software and hardware product line that will rival Apple's iPod and iTunes. In early June, Microsoft denied rumors that the company was developing a digital media ... player to compete with Apple's iPod. However, In a statement released Friday, Microsoft general manager of marketing, Chris Stephenson revealed that the "new music and entertainment project [Zune]... will deliver a family of hardware and software products, the first of which will be available this year." (Source: news.com ) What is Zune? Zune's ... (view more)

Rumor has it that Apple executives may be planning to announce a new venture of providing movie rentals for their iTunes website. Some of the major Hollywood studios include: Warner Bros., Walt Disney, Paramount Pictures, and Universal Studios. ... (Source: thinksecret.com ) Early information indicates that Apple had originally hoped to buy the rights to movies from the studios, and then sell these movies to consumers. Unfortunately Hollywood was adamant about providing the films only on a subscription or rental basis. Therefore, it is assumed that when the announcement is made, iTunes will be ... (view more)