Yesterday I had a meeting w/ James, the Zune release manager and he spilled the beans on the next firmware update. In March, we’re going to release Zune Firmware Update 1.3. Here’s what’s in the update: We’re fixing the skipping problem that some users were experiencing – that is, content acquired from Zune Marketplace will no longer skip when played on the device. Improved device and software reliability, when it comes to device detection, and improved sync'ing. We’ve made some changes to the FM...

On behalf of the Zune team at Microsoft, I’d like to issue an apology to the residents of Ludlow Street (between Stanton and Houston) for the loud noise at 3:00 AM last Sunday (24 Feb). For what it’s worth, this was not a planned or Zune-sanctioned PR event, a stunt, or any intentional marketing activity. And we’ve taken steps to make sure this won’t happen again. To those folks woken up by the sounds of the vehicle, we apologize.

First, thanks to everyone who's providing firmware thoughts . Heads-up that the Zune Outdoor Photo Contest ends tomorrow - get your entries posted ASAP!

Some (very vocal) folks are wondering about firmware updates. Or at least the communication around them.I had actually chimed in a previous post . But it's worth updating/restating here: As far as the silence around firmware updates. I feel your pain, and I understand how frustrating the silence is. Honestly though, just because there's no word from the me/team, doesn't mean we're not listening, and that the dev team isn't working hard. Right now they'd rather be heads down and make improvements...