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...

Today we're announcing that we'll pay UMG a per device royalty for every Zune player sold – a first in the industry. Why? We're about supporting artists, and ensure they continue to prosper with the emergence of the digital music model. The distribution of digital music isn't that old, and the current method isn't really doing a lot to compensate artists fairly. We worked closely with Universal to create this revenue opportunity for artists, as the industry transitions to a time when it can fully...

Next Thursday night (11/9), you can come to LA to check out Zune and hang out with some other folks on the Zune team. We'll also have some music there: Jason Bentley and Bitter:Sweet . If you live in the area, and want to check out Zune, email me at askzune (then type the at symbol) microsoft.com. I'll be there; let me know if you want to meet up!

Greetings again from NYC. So I haven't had a second to round up all the Zune reviews, but my buddy Coops at Zuneinfo has. Go have a look . <thanks for the heads up, Coops>