Official Zune Insider Blog

Zune Insider Podcast 60: Windows 7 Libraries, CTIA and MIX WinPhone 7 Announcements

2010-03-19T07:10:00Z

Episode 60 dated March 19th, 2010 of the Zune Insider Audio Podcast is now live and is hosted by Matt Akers (skipdeez) and Jessica Zahn (jetherealz).

Show notes:
We have no material for this podcast! (0:00 – 3:30 ); “Pro” themed Jessica stuff (3:31 – 10:00); Old Zunes we have loved (10:01 – 10:44); Announcement at MIX (MIX10 Video Podcast) (10:45 – 12:00); Matt is working on awesome stuff for the software (12:01 – 15:00); Windows 7 library integration (15:01 – 16:47); Zune at CTIA (16:48 – 17:39); Albums that should be listened to all the way through (17:50 – 21:52); Shout-outs! (21:53 – 23:35); Matt’s inbox, live! (23:36 – 31:42); We have to do video now! (31:43 – 33:39).

The mp3 file is 23 MB and runs for a 34 minutes. Subscribe to the podcast in Zune 4.2 software here. Download the audio file directly here - Stream it

Zune Insider Podcast 59: Zune HD and Windows Phone 7 Series Discussion

2010-03-13T02:01:00Z

Episode 59 dated March 12th, 2010 of the Zune Insider Audio Podcast is now live and is hosted by Matt Akers (skipdeez) and Jessica Zahn (jetherealz).

Show notes:
Jessica’s Zune tag is hard to spell and Matt is poignant! (0:00 – 4:04); Did you know that Matt was on the Debate Team in High School? (4:06 – 6:10); BT interview was awesome, what an insightful fellow! (6:45 – 11:50); Listening to albums all the way through, it’s for the artists man… (11:55 – 15:23); Usage and flipping bits! (15:25 – 17:30); Zune HD and WP7S discussion (18:40 – 22:20); You ARE they! (22:21 – 22:35); Platform Biased Podcast #34 is out, starring… us! (22:36 – 24:16); Music! (24:18 – 25:35); Shouts out! (25:36 –33:37); Video Marketplace action and tiny dresses! (33:38 – end).

The mp3 file is 27 MB and runs for a 37 minutes. Subscribe to the podcast in Zune 4.2 software here. Download the audio file directly here - Stream it

Zune Insider Podcast 58: Jessica is back and FOX is in the Marketplace

2010-03-06T01:41:00Z

Episode 58 dated March 5th, 2010 of the Zune Insider Audio Podcast is now live and is hosted by Matt Akers (skipdeez) and Jessica Zahn (jetherealz).

Show notes:
Matt and Jessica talk about Jessica’s trip to Paris (0:00 – 3:40); Jessica talks about last week’s guest Peter (3:41 – 4:46); Comparing Method Man to BT and the nerd community (4:47 – 6:30); Interview with music artist and composer BT!(6:31 – 38:29); Matt makes fun of Jessica for being a Stan and a dork (38:30 – 40:12); BT’s guilty pleasure and its relation to Matt (40:13 – 40:52); We like the telephone (40:53 – 41:45); The Zune Facebook app (41:46 – 43:10); Discussion about the new Zune "Trailer Vault" and "New Movie Trailer" podcasts (43:11- 44:45); Fox in the Marketplace and Jessica’s broken TV tuner (44:46 -45:15); Matt gets his own office with a door! (45:16 – 48:50); Shout-outs and music (48:51 – 55:52)

The mp3 file is 39 MB and runs for a 56 minutes. Subscribe to the podcast in Zune 4.2 software here. Download the audio file directly here - Stream it

ENTER TO WIN TICKETS TO SEE SETH MACFARLANE AT PALEYFEST IN LA

2010-03-05T13:56:00Z

Hey Zune Nation, here's your chance to win tickets to see Seth MacFarlane, Mila Kunis and the producers from the show Family Guy, American Dad, and The Cleveland Show in Los Angeles next week during PaleyFest 2010.

The Paley Center for Media will present the twenty-seventh annual PaleyFest: William S. Paley Television Festival (PaleyFest2010) from February 26 to March 14, 2010, at its new location, the historic Saban Theatre (formerly the Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills) in Beverly Hills, California. PaleyFest2010 is an extraordinary interactive pop culture event, connecting fans with the casts and creators of their favorite series as well as the icons who have changed or are changing the face of media. During each PaleyFest evening, the audience views episodes or highlights of the featured work followed by a panel discussion with the cast and creative team and then has the opportunity to ask questions of those involved in its production.

Microsoft Zune is a sponsor for the event, and we have a pair of tickets to giveaway for one lucky winner to attend A Night With Seth MacFarlane and Friends on March 9th, 2010. All you have to do to enter is:

- Follow @Zune on Twitter

- Reply to @Zune and tweet your favorite quote from the show Family Guy

One lucky winner will be selected on Monday, March 8th, 2010. So what are you waiting for? Enter now!

MICROSOFT “Win Paley Fest Tickets” SWEEPSTAKES

OFFICIAL RULES

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY.

COMMON TERMS USED IN THESE RULES:

These are the official rules that govern how the Microsoft ”Win Paley Fest Tickets” sweepstakes promotion will operate. This promotion will be simply referred to as the “Sweepstakes” throughout the rest of these rules. In these rules, “we,” “our,” and “us” refer to Microsoft Corporation, the sponsor of the Sweepstakes. “You” refers to an eligible Sweepstakes entrant.

WHAT ARE THE START AND END DATES?

This Sweepstakes starts at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time (PT) on March 4, 2010 and ends at 11:59 p.m. PT on March 7, 2010 (“Entry Period”). Entries must be received within the Entry Period to be eligible.

CAN I ENTER?

You are eligible to enter this Sweepstakes if you meet the following requirements at time of entry:

· You are a legal resident of the 50 United States and District of Columbia, and are 18 years of age or older.

o If you are 18 of age or older, but are considered a minor in your place of residence, you should ask your parent’s or legal guardian’s permission prior to submitting an entry into this Sweepstakes; and

· You are NOT an employee of Microsoft Corporation or an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary; and

· You are NOT involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Sweepstakes; and

· You are NOT an immediate family (parent, sibling, spouse, child) or household member of a Microsoft employee, an employee of a Microsoft subsidiary, or a person involved in any part of the administration and execution of this Sweepstakes.

This Sweepstakes is void outside of the geographic area described above and wherever else prohibited by law.

HOW DO I ENTER?

To enter, you must do all of the following:

Sign in to your Twitter account. If you do not have an account, visit www.twitter.com to create one. Twitter accounts are free.

Once logged into your Twitter account, follow the links and instructions to become a follower of Zune at http://twitter.com/ZUNE From your own account, tweet your favorite quote from the television show “Family Guy” to @zune.

By posting this tweet, you will automatically receive one (1) entry into the sweepstakes drawing.

We will only accept one (1) entry per entrant. We are not responsible for entries that we do not receive for any reason, or for entries that we receive but are not decipherable for any reason.

We will automatically disqualify:

· Any incomplete or illegible entry; and

· Any entries that we receive from you that are in excess of the entry limit described above.

WINNER SELECTION AND PRIZES

On or around the close of the Entry Period, we will randomly select one winner to receive two General Admission Tickets to Seth MacFarland and Friends Event at PaleyFest on Tuesday, March 9, 2010 at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. The prize consists of event tickets only; winner and guest are solely responsible for any and all costs associated with travelleing to and attending the event. Approximate Retail Value $150.00

If you are a potential winner, we will notify you by sending a direct message to the Twitter account provided at time of entry within twenty four (24) hours following the random drawing. If the notification that we send is returned as undeliverable, or you are otherwise unreachable for any reason, we may award the prize to an alternate, randomly selected winner.

If there is a dispute as to who is the potential winner, we will consider the potential winner to be the authorized account holder of the e-mail address used to enter the Sweepstakes . If you are a potential winner, we may require you to sign an Affidavit of Eligibility, Liability/Publicity Release and a W-9 tax form or W-8 BEN tax form within 10 days of notification. If you are a potential winner and you are 18 or older, but are considered a minor in your place of legal residence, we may require your parent or legal guardian to sign all required forms on your behalf. If you do not complete the required forms as instructed and/or return the required forms within the time period listed on the winner notification message, we may disqualify you and select an alternate, randomly selected winner.

If you are confirmed as a winner of this Sweepstakes:

You may not exchange your prize for cash or any other merchandise or services. However, if for any reason an advertised prize is unavailable, we reserve the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value; and

You may not designate someone else as the winner. If you are unable or unwilling to accept your prize, we will award it to an alternate potential winner; and

If you accept a prize, you will be solely responsible for all applicable taxes related to accepting the prize; and

If you are otherwise eligible for this Sweepstakes, but are considered a minor in your place of residence, we may award the prize to your parent/legal guardian on your behalf; and

Unless otherwise noted, all prizes are subject to their manufacturer’s warranty and / or terms and conditions.

WHAT ARE YOUR ODDS OF WINNING?

Your odds of winning this Sweepstakes depend on the number of eligible entries we receive.

WHAT OTHER CONDITIONS ARE YOU AGREEING TO BY ENTERING THIS SWEEPSTAKES?

By entering this Sweepstakes you agree:

To abide by these Official Rules; and

To release and hold harmless Microsoft,and its respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, employees and agents from any and all liability or any injury, loss or damage of any kind arising from or in connection with this Sweepstakes or any prize won; and

That Microsoft’s decisions will be final and binding on all matters related to this Sweepstakes; and

That by accepting a prize, Microsoft may use of your proper name and state of residence online and in print, or in any other media, in connection with this Sweepstakes, without payment or compensation to you, except where prohibited by law.

WHAT LAWS GOVERN THE WAY THIS SWEEPSTAKES IS EXECUTED AND ADMINISTRATED?

This Sweepstakes will be governed by the laws of the State of Washington, and you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the courts of the State of Washington for any disputes arising out of this Sweepstakes.

WHAT IF SOMETHING UNEXPECTED HAPPENS AND THE SWEEPSTAKES CAN’T RUN AS PLANNED?

If cheating, a virus, bug, catastrophic event, or any other unforeseen or unexpected event that cannot be reasonably anticipated or controlled, (also referred to as force majeure) affects the fairness and / or integrity of this Sweepstakes, we reserve the right to cancel, change or suspend this Sweepstakes. This right is reserved whether the event is due to human or technical error. If a solution cannot be found to restore the integrity of the Sweepstakes, we reserve the right to select winners from among all eligible entries received before we had to cancel, change or suspend the Sweepstakes.

If you attempt to compromise the integrity or the legitimate operation of this Sweepstakes by hacking or by cheating or committing fraud in ANY way, we may seek damages from you to the fullest extent permitted by law. Further, we may ban you from participating in any of our future Sweepstakes, so please play fairly.

HOW CAN YOU FIND OUT WHO WON?

We will post the names of winners who received a prize worth $25.00 or more online at http://www.zuneinsider.com. This list will remain posted one month after winner selection.

WHO IS SPONSORING THIS SWEEPSTAKES?

Microsoft Corporation

One Microsoft Way

Redmond, WA 98052

It's here - Facebook app for Zune HD!

2010-03-01T20:15:00Z

Update: The recently released Facebook application for Zune HD is experiencing some issues accessing data. We are investigating and will provide an update on the status as soon as possible.

Thanks for your patience. We are rolling out the Facebook app for Zune HD right now. It might take a bit to make it through the servers, so look for it shortly.

Zune Insider Podcast 57: Where's Jessica and Who is this Sean Dude?

2010-02-27T01:17:00Z

Episode 57 dated Feb 26th, 2010 of the Zune Insider Audio Podcast is now live and is hosted by Matt Akers (skipdeez) and Sean Neumann (neux).

Show notes:
Guest host Sean in the house! (0:00 – 1:30); Jessica is in Paris! (1:30 – 3:40) Developer extraordinaire (and Sean’s boss) Peter Rosser in the house! (4:30 – 20:15); Chat about Windows Phone action and where the name 7 series came from! (20:30 – 28:00); Shout outs from Matt’s inbox (28:10 – 33:40); Sean breaks down his recent music listening habits! (33:41 – 35:55); New videos in the Marketplace! (36:00 – end).

The mp3 file is 27 MB and runs for a 39 minutes. Subscribe to the podcast in Zune 4.2 software here. Download the audio file directly here - Stream it

Zune Insider Podcast 56: Windows Phone 7 Series and Zune MVP's

2010-02-20T00:30:00Z

Episode 56 dated Feb 19th, 2010 of the Zune Insider Audio Podcast is now live and is hosted by Matt Akers (skipdeez) and Jessica Zahn (jetherealz).

Show notes:
We talk about the Windows Phone 7 Series name (0:00 – 1:30); Michael Yaeger introduces the Microsoft MVP program (1:31 – 3:55); The Great Room – and bathrooms (3:56 – 5:00); Introducing the Zune MVP's (5:01 – 14:30); Solar257 talks about the forums (14:31 – 16:12); Zune MVP's talk about not talking about cool stuff and the Summit (16:13 – 25:53) What got the MVP's interested in Zune? (25:54 – 32:18); The Music Zune MVP's like – and their guilty pleasures (32:19 – 47:11).

The mp3 file is 33 MB and runs for a 47 minutes. Subscribe to the podcast in Zune 4.2 software here. Download the audio file directly here - Stream it

Zune Tune Community Playlist: Best Metal Songs of All Time

2010-02-18T00:19:00Z

Thank you everyone that participated in the last Zune Tune, we had a great response and compiled your feedback into a playlist filled with R&B hits that can be found here. We also included the names of the people that had made the suggestions of the songs in our playlist, so go check out the Zune Marketplace, download the playlist, and see if you were one of the contributors. And if you dont have a Zune Pass, what are you waiting for? Sign up for a 14-day Zune Pass trial right now for free!

This time around, our third Zune Tune is focused on bringing you the best Metal songs of all time. Let us know what songs you think should make the list. Reply to us on Twitter @zune with your favorite Metal songs and use the hashtag #zunetune. We'll create a playlist based on your suggestions and shout out all Zune community members that contributed to the final list!

Zune Insider Podcast 55: Future Excitement and Wifi Marketplace in Real Life

2010-02-12T20:12:00Z

Episode 55 dated Feb 12th, 2010 of the Zune Insider Audio Podcast is now live and is hosted by Matt Akers (skipdeez) and Jessica Zahn (jetherealz).

Show notes:
This podcast is dedicated to the late Captain Phil Harris… (0:00 – 2:15); Jam packed whiteboard and how we do this… (2:22 – 3:00); Meeting madness and how to cope… (3:05 – 5:55); Future excitement! (6:40 – 8:00); Wifi Marketplace scenarios in real life! (8:05 – 11:11); Inside info on content coming to Marketplace! (11:25 – 13:00); Skipdeez and Simpsons blasphemy! (13:00 – 15:10); Zune Pass is still awesome! (15:45 - 20:45); Usage oddities and we are listening! (20:50 – 25:12); MVP’s are coming to town! (25:13 – 26:55); Jessica leaves Matt hanging to go to Paris! (26:59 – 27:46); Music and video chat and shouts out! (27:47 – end).

The mp3 file is 27 MB and runs for a 39 minutes. Subscribe to the podcast in Zune 4.2 software here. Download the audio file directly here - Stream it

Zune Tune Community Playlist: R&B

2010-02-10T01:13:00Z

Hey Zune Nation, Zune Tune is back and we are curious as to what your favorite R&B songs are of all time? We are looking for what R&B songs you love and we will create a special Zune Tune R&B playlist with your suggestions that we’ll publish in the Zune Marketplace on 2/16/10.

So what are you waiting for? Reply to us on Twitter (@zune) with what your favorite R&B songs are using the hashtag #zunetune. We’ll compile a list of your suggestions to be placed in the Zune Marketplace and also will shout out the Zune community members that contributed by publishing your Twitter handle in the playlist!

Zune Insider Podcast 54: New Stuff in Zune on Xbox, Valentine's Day Movies and Music

2010-02-06T01:28:00Z

Episode 54 dated Feb 5th, 2010 of the Zune Insider Audio Podcast is now live and is hosted by Matt Akers (skipdeez) and Jessica Zahn (jetherealz).

Show notes:
Jess and Matt talk about their online handles (00:00 to 1:30); Matt’s birthday and a weekend of celebrations! (1:40 – 4:40); Shout out to Phil and his listening party for BT’s new album (4:40 – 6:19); Interview with the Platform Biased team from Xbox (6:20 – 32:50); Matt’s gargantuan inbox and shout outs (32:51 – 37:05); New stuff in Zune on Xbox! (37:06 – 37:45); Coming up for Valentine’s Day – and other movies we love (37:46 – 39:42); Valentine’s Day – and Anti-Valentine’s Day music, and what we’re listening to (39:43 – 46:25).

The mp3 file is 33 MB and runs for a 46 minutes. Subscribe to the podcast in Zune 4.2 software here. Download the audio file directly here - Stream it

Slamdance Film Festival Screenings

2010-01-27T19:48:00Z

Zune and the Slamdance Film Festival are offering users an exclusive chance to rent some of the same films being shown at the festival on the same day they are being screened in Park City.

The Zune team has always supported up-and-coming artists and we are continuing this tradition by working with Slamdance to make a select number of films from the festival available for rental on your PC, Zune HD or Xbox LIVE.

Learn more about the films on Zune.net:

In addition to the Festival films, we'll be bringing more content from Slamdance for rent or download in the coming months.

Still coming soon…FB for Zune HD update.

2010-01-27T00:08:00Z

We know many of you are anxiously waiting for the Facebook for Zune HD app, and have been very patient. Thank you. However, we need to ask a small favor… just hold on a little longer. I know we said by the end of January, but we want to deliver the best app to you and it is going to take a little bit more time. Again thanks for understanding.

Back on!

2010-01-26T20:01:00Z

The team rocked it and got the maintenance finished well under the expected "up to 24 hours." If you run into any issues resulting from the update, contact Zune Support.

Zune service downtime - Monday, January 25, 10:00 p.m. PST

2010-01-22T22:04:00Z

The Zune service (Zune Pass, Zune Marketplace, Zune.net streaming and Zune video on Xbox LIVE) will be unavailable due to scheduled maintenance. The Zune service will be offline for up to 24 hours starting at 10:00 p.m. PST on Monday, January 25.

As with previous service updates, we recommend you download any new music, video rentals or purchases and sync Zune Pass content prior to the downtime. Content that is stored on your PC or Xbox 360 HDD will remain available during the downtime.

Once the Zune service is restored, you will be prompted to update the Zune PC software. Additionally, older Zune device firmware (4, 8, 16, 30, 80, 120 GB) will need to be updated to allow continued connection to the Zune service. Zune HD owners will not have to update the device firmware.

Monday’s update is focused on maintenance of the Zune service. Smart DJ on HD and AVI/XVID video are coming later this Spring.

Thanks for your patience!