Zune Insider

If you watched Heroes last night* perhaps you saw the new Zune 3.0 TV spot. Miss it? Check it here. The TV spot, besides showcasing the Zune software and mixview, certainly gave me a new appreciation for Afrika Bambaataa!

You can also catch the spot this week during NFL games (next Sunday and Monday), and then on MTV, MTV2, Comedy Central, Adult Swim, and other networks. And for a little more context, check out this story by Jessica Mintz from the AP

*If you did see it, don’t tell me what happens; I’m a heroes fanboy and haven’t seen it yet.

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The team has been doing a little extra work heading into the holiday season; in fact this week is a busy one. You are going to see some pretty cool things coming for Zune that we thinks you’ll enjoy…Aside from the sweet Common commercial – Afrika Bambaataa!

Starting today, Zune gets a little update which will bring a handful of free games, a refresh to Zune Social and incremental improvements to the software.

On the games front, we are giving away three new additions, Checkers, Sudoku and Space Battle, plus a new multiplayer mode and single player difficulty levels for Texas Hold’em.

The team also did some great work the Zune Social visual refresh to make it easier to navigate, as well as adding a new feature called “like minded listeners,” which will let you see how compatible your music tastes are with other listeners and friends.

On the more techie side we focused on improving overall stability and performance in the Zune PC software and device firmware, such as improved play count reporting and content synchronization between the Zune software and the Zune device.

To get the new update, use the PC software, just click settings: check for updates.

If you’re new to Zune, you can download the software for free at www.zune.net.

Enjoy and stay tuned! I’ll leave you with some screenshots:

(sudoku)

(Hold ‘em)

(Checkers)

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I sat down with our buddy Max at Channel 8 to talk about Band of Horses, and I give a quick demo of two features that I use most in the software: Mixview and Tour Dates. Check the video!
Cesar the Zune Insider on the 3.0 update… and Dance Move #3!!!

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I know some of you have been seeing stale play count data as of late…To make a long story short, as we started to collect more data for the “Picks” and “Channels” features we launched in 3.0, traffic was happily heavier than expected, however we’re experiencing a slight issue with the database machines. This resulted in the play count getting stuck.  We just wanted everyone to know there’s a team of people working around the clock to resolve the issues as soon as possible.

A super important note: We don’t expect anyone to lose play data and your play count will update once when we’re back online. In the meantime, we really appreciate both your patience and your keen interest in play counts.

Ok, I’ll keep everyone informed on this as it develops!   Thanks.

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When you log into Zune Marketplace after the Fall Update Tomorrow, one of the new area you’ll see is Picks.

Picks takes note of the music that you’re playing on your Zune and will suggest artists, albums and songs to you that you might like. Built on powerful algorithms that pay attention not only to your listening habits, but to those of the Zune online music community. Whereas Mixview will pivot based on a specific song, album, or Zunecard, Picks is a collection of recommendations that will map closely to your listening habits.

Picks are updated for you in Zune Marketplace each week, so you’ll continually get fresh music. Both picks and mixview are free enhancements of Zune 3.0 software – and you don’t need to buy a Zune device to get these features. Just download the software (or the software update) tomorrow and watch your collection get (even more) awesome!

Please note that if you’re new to Zune, you might not see Picks light up until the Zune software has enough of your listening habits to make intelligent recommendations. Until then, just keep playing your music!

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