Great video here from Engadget. The Zune HD really looks slim, definitely a better portable multimedia companion than the iPod Touch. Everyone used to complain about the lack of pixels on the OLED screen. If you’re still complaining after looking at the video, you should quickly see your shrink.

[via engadget]

“So sick, so much better battery life, graphics acceleration. This thing is like a mini laptop in your hand, right, it’s so awesome.”

Well, we’ve known from the beginning the Zune HD is going to be something special. According to the podcat, if you want to know more about Nvidia Tegra, go to Bing.com. All right, you can Google it, too or just go to Wikipedia.

[buy via crunchgear]

Now we know, Apple will have to refresh the iPod Touch this year. Zune HD is better than we expected, fully Internet-capable and a gorgeous OLED screen. Now a Zune forum has a more specific launch date for Zune HD. by September 5, the OLED and high-definition goodness from Microsoft could be yours for a yet unannounced price tag. I think the least Apple could do is switch to OLED too.

[via engadget]

Look who’s got a real iPod competitor. I have to say that Microsoft has exceeded my expectation for the Zune HD. It’s still unmistakably Zune-like but the PMP in all its touchscreen glory fits in a normal-sized hand in a much more likable way than iPod Touch. Yes, form-factor-wise, the Zune HD tops iPod Touch. According to Gizmodo, the screen orientation is smoother on the Zune HD and the UI, my God, is actually better. This from Gizmodo! To see how sleek the hardware and software of Zune HD, go to the video after the break…

Zune HD Video Hands On from Gizmodo on Vimeo.

It’s time to say, yes, we believe the ZuneHD will come, but if you’re wondering if it’s going to be a one-word or two-word name, it’s probably going to be the latter. Microsoft will also unveil the details of the Zune HD at the upcoming E3 next week. Chris Stephenson, general manager of global marketing for Microsoft Zune, also confirmed the Zune HD will be a straight rival to the iPod Touch. No Xbox on Zune, however, but this will come eventually as Zune Marketplace will eventually replace Xbox Live. The Zune service should be available in North America and key European territories immediately. Microsoft also recognizes that Zune’s FM radio is a very popular feature and now with HD Radio, it will set itself apart from Apple offerings. For now, we don’t know if Zune HD will a full-fledged gaming. A mobile version of Internet Explorer (multi-touch controlled) also means that Zune HD WiFi is full Internet capable, unlike past Zunes. Besides that, it’s OLED, which should get more oomph put of battery life, not to mention better for viewing even if you think the 480 x 272 resolution is too low.

The Zune HD in the Fall will be the flash version. Microsoft is planning to release a hard drive larger-capacity Zune HD with QWERTY keyboard. This should be worth waiting for as well and we’ll see how the Zune’s focus on content match with the iPod Touch and its embarrassment of features.

Also, no Zune Phone.

[source]

The design of the alleged leaked Microsoft device does not help in keeping the suspicions away that this isn’t a fake, and a grainy shot of a supposed unveiling conference of ZuneX is obviously fake, even for a photographic dilettante. But imagine if Microsoft can make a similar, if differently designed device, with the same specs:

• 4-inch 640 x 363 screen
• Intel LV Atom dual core 733MHz (that’s just like 1.4Ghz!)
• Nvidia Blowfish
• 128 MB RAM (trying to lower the specs to make the fake more convincing?)
• WMV, H.264, MPEG-4 and DivX videos
• 32GB storage
• headset Bluetooth support
• OnLive game streaming, ZuneX Originals, Xbox Live Arcade Games
• No price or availability for this fake

The doctored conference photo of the ZuneX unveiling after the break.

[via gizmodo]

One of these days, I swear the Window Mobile/Zune rumor mill is going to collapse under the pressure of pumping out such enormous amounts of speculation. The first time I can remember the mention of Zune Mobile was over a year ago in April 2008. Zune Mobile doesn’t refer to a Zune phone, which I still believe is unlikely (at least in its pure form), nor does it refer to the all-but-confirmed touch-enabled Zune HD, with its rumored specifications and upcoming September release date.

But then if Zune Mobile isn’t the same as Zune phone, then what is it? Protalinski believes it is nothing more than software, a “Zune experience.” Well, if you ask followers of the Microsoft PMP, there’s a lot that is endearing about the Zune but as an experience, it hasn’t really carved out a niche. Keep reading for the Zune Mobile job posting.

[source]

Do you love building great user experiences? … are you a big fan of mobile phones ? …always exploring that cool new feature on your iPhone or Windows Mobile Phone? If you’re a developer looking to have a big impact on a major Microsoft initiative then this could be the role you’ve been waiting for! The Windows Mobile Phone team part of the Entertainment and Device division is one of Microsoft’s fastest growing; most cutting edge businesses. The Windows Mobile Phone Entertainment team is looking for a Software Development Engineer to help us through our next big release.
We are looking for an experienced UI developer to work on the next-generation of Windows Phone products.
Responsibilities will include (but are not limited to) developing features for the phone that drive the joy and fun of using the device. Everything from Zune Mobile experiences to killer photo capture and sharing experiences to winning application marketplaces showcasing both applications and casual games. Feature development includes designing, coding and unit testing for one of the technical areas as well as ensuing that the end to end solution is complete and fantastic.
If you feel that mobile computing is the future for our industry - come help us win!!
Qualifications: Strong analytical, design and C++ programming/debugging, Win32 UI, and COM required, Mobile (CE) development skills are desired as well as XAML experience. Candidates must also possess solid cross team collaboration and engineering practice skills in addition to in-depth experience developing commercial products through the entire ship cycle. A BS degree in Computer Science or related discipline and 3+ years experience in software development is required.

The most awaited PMP this year has not been officially announced yet by its maker, but there’s been some pretty convincing rumors  and leaks that ZuneHD it will be launched this year, this latest one the most convincing of all. Not only that, from the same source we get details of a June Zune, most likely a Zune Phone. The Zune HD will be officialized September and I see no let up yet to the rumors that it’s going to be nothing short of amazing.

[via arstechnica]

[found at dapreview]