iHome ZN9 Zune Clock Radio Review

Before I share some info about this review over at Anything But iPod, let me tell you about my only experience with an iHome product. Simply put, I returned the iHome Alarm clock for the iPod the next day. The alarm functions were week, the audio from the speakers weren’t very dynamic, and there was little to no bass response. I wanted this to work for my wife’s ipod so she could listen to her music and I could use the alarm clock. Both functions were not ideal for us after trying them. I ended up getting her a JBL Dock and I got a cheap alarm clock from Wal Mart that works fantastic.

Graham Skee over at ABI reviews the iHome dock for the Zune and he didn’t seem to care much for this alarm clock docking solution…

Pros

• Easy to see if the alarm is on
• Two alarms
• 2 / 5 / 7 day alarm settings

Cons

• Dock inserts are hard to change
• Remote not included $20 extra
• Poor build quality
• Zune remote does not work with the dock

Head over to ABI to read the entire review…

Video of Some more Incipio Cases to Review

3 Months ago, I shot some video of a few cases from Incipio for the second generation of the Zunes. For some reason or another, I have a whole new batch of Incipio cases, so I decided why not do another video. This time I have 7 Zune 80 Cases and 5 Flash Zune cases to show you. These can all be purchased from Incipio at MyIncipio.com

Some of these cases have even been reviewed at GotZune already too…

• [Review] theDUKE Raw Leather Wallet Case - Incipio
• [Review] Butter cream ORION Sleeve Case

Read on for the videos and check back for reviews on several of these, I have one coming soon myself.

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Win a Zune

Zune, I have to say this

I love my Zune but I hate so much the Zune software in my computer that I’m not using my mp3 player as often as I should. I use to criticize iTune software for heavy and resource sucker but Zune Software is today the champion of all the champions. On top of that, it’s a software that was from the beginning - I’m talking about the second version of it which replaced the one based in WMP. The most popular options such like Smart List were removed from it. Now they put it back but again… It’s buggy! Come on! Does not the Zune team have a group of MVP helping them to tune their program? I really do not understand.

And I really get frustrated when I see a good product being treated with such lack of… lack of… lack of… brain.

iTune uses a lot of resources but it works, every single time it works. I do have there songs removed and added from my iPod without any apparently reason and I do not get duplicated play list every time I sync. I have more than 20 play lists in my Zune when I’m supposed to have only 5! The play list creation screen sucks… I had to get help in a forum to find how I can select two categories in one play list - The whole Ctrl+Mouse Click Idea was just fantastic… they just forgot to mention about it on that screen in somewhere.

And my main problem with all this is this question:

Why consumers have to work as beta testers of a product that should just be doing what it’s supposed to do out of the box? And don’t come to me saying that it does it because it plays music because the music does not get into the player because Mandrake the Magician puts it in there.

I have gave Microsoft Zune team a lot of time… but things are not getting anywhere better… it’s all the same old s…. (you know).

Well… Now that I said it here, in public, I feel a lot better.

Want games on your Zune?

Here is a neat “how to” that Steve Hughes did that gives you a simple way to get games on your Zune. 

It’s actually pretty easy and the guide is all in pictures for a fast way to see how it is done.  Thanks Steve!

Check it out here at the BostonPocketPC

Microsoft Zune Mac Support?

It’s amazing how much speculation can be pulled from within a single one minute video. A couple weeks ago, a video promo for Microsoft showcasing Live Mesh popped up online. In this video, many noticed that a HTC Touch was featured in the video. This Touch had what many suspect to be WIndows Mobile 7. It’s a short clip around the 32 second mark of the video.

Well, that’s not why I am posting today. One of the GotZune.com readers, Jaxim, saw something else odd. I noticed the Zune in the video the couple times I watched it, but didn’t notice what it appears to be hooked up to. Read on for the video and the screen grabs…

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Get Games on your Zune Now!?…

You know they are coming, you’ve seen the videos, some of us have actually played with them, and now everyone can. (with a bit of work)

For info on how to do this, head over to Zune Boards.

“Music is life”

You need to check this out!

It is a lesser known feature of the Zune media player to revive small animals using the hybrid headphone defibrillator, which this following beautifully crafted spec commercial dutifully demonstrates.

Check it out here at istartedsomething

Zune 2.5, It’s Here! Video Store, Auto Playlists, etc!

This release that should go live tommorow morning will include a ton of new features, Fixes, etc… Most of the in the Social, but some big ones that you all have been asking for. Video Store, Gapless Playback, and Auto Playlists.

Here are some feature highlights…

• Auto playlists.
• Browsing videos.
• Editing album and track information.
• Organizing collections.
• Gapless playback.
• Syncing groups.
• Zune reminders.

There are tons of new Social Features today too…

• Syncing Zune Cards to a device.
• Enhanced friends search.
• Instant friends.
• Artist and album reviews.
• Reputation badges.
• Windows Live connections.

Hang tight, I have more info coming soon. I had a chance to see this in action last month and it’s nice so far.

Head over to Gotzune.com for some more info in the coming days…

Canada to get the Zune Soon? Yeah, we knew that eh.

So, we’ve known for quite some time that the Canadians would get a Zune launch eventually. Now it seem that it’s getting closer though. Engadget today posted a story about jobs that came up on craigslist Canada and a link to a promo page on Microsoft Canada. They are calling this launch potentially a “limited lineup”. I don’t really understand that considering that the Red Zune was just announced as going to retail and the Zune 30 is an old legacy gen 1 device. It’s still a good Zune, but I don’t think they are in production anymore.

 
Screen grab from Engadget of the Microsoft Canada Promo Page.

Just hold on a little while longer, Canadian Zune-lovers — it seems that your wait is almost over. A job listing just popped up on the Vancouver Craigslist, looking for a “Microsoft Zune Program Coordinator” who will “represent our client Microsoft on their launch of Zune in the Canadian marketplace.” The job calls for applicants to be available between May 12 and June 20, so if it’s legit — and we hope it is, just because we prefer to believe no one is sad enough to fake this — it looks like the Zune will finally roll into Canada in just a few weeks.

Go Canada, at least you know they are coming!

Get YouTube Videos on your Zune

Ok, here is a little demo showing how to get Youtube videos on your Zune or your Pocket PC or whatever…

Read on for more info…

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Video 1st Look - Incipio Cases for Zune 4, 8, and 80

There has been quite the absence of quality Zune 80 cases out there, but the flash Zunes ( Zune 4 and Zune 8 ) have had quite a few releases. Anyhow, I was quite excited to hear that Incipio was finally throwing down some Zune 80 cases. I have 3 Zune 80 and 3 Flash Zune cases to look at and I have recorded a couple videos to show them all to you!

Here are the cases I am taking a look at today:

• Butter Creme ORION Sleeve Case for Zune 4GB 8GB
• theDUKE Raw Leather Wallet Case for Microsoft Zune 4GB 8GB
• White Leather Flip Case for Microsoft Zune 4GB 8GB
• Black Leather Kickstand Case for Microsoft Zune 80GB
• Brown Leather Flip Case for Microsoft Zune 80GB
• VERTIGO Black Leather Holster Case for Microsoft Zune 80GB

Read on to check the videos out!

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Red Zune Now Available on Zune Originals, Again.

Microsoft dropped a nice Red Zune 80 for Valentines Day and they sold well. Then they were gone. Just yesterday, I replied to a reader that wanted to buy a red one but couldn’t find anywhere to buy. Other than winning one in our contest, I had no suggestions aside from Ebay.

Well, good news freinds and neighbors, the Red Zune has returned to Zune Originals. I just got a note via PM from Cesar letting us know. Yeah!!!

Head over to Zune Originals to Order.

Games on the Zune

The folks at Engadget got a chance to look at some games that were made for the Zune and had some interesting comments. 

• For starters, first-gen Zunes don’t appear to be ruled out by any means, but it’s going to be dependent on the game controls. Zauri, the sample space shooter game demoed today, uses the Zunepad, thus wouldn’t work (as well) on a Zune 30. Nothing has been decided as to whether games will universally require 2nd-gen Zunes, though.
• Use of the Zunepad in Zauri was as a trackpad and omnidirectional — it wasn’t just up / down / left / right, as in the menus.
• Right now the system partitions a mere 16MB for storing games, although this might change.
• Right now there isn’t a professional-grade SDK to announce; all titles should initially be done up in XNA Studio.
• Means of distribution (i.e. games loaded through an installer, through the Zune desktop app, or through Zune Marketplace?) has not yet been decided.
• The first beta development tools will be out this Spring.
• There are no plans for Zune game sharing (yet), so to play with a friend wirelessly you both must have the game on your Zune.

You can see a gallery of pictures here at Engadget.com

Windows Live Zune a Day Giveaway

You could win a Zune every day until March 31, 2008

1. Select “Hotmail” on your mobile phone menu, or to make it even easier, click here and enter your mobile number — we’ll send you a text with the link.
2. Sign in to Hotmail with your existing Passport or Windows Live ID.
3. Send an e-mail to WINAZUNE@live.com with “Go Zune” in the
   subject line.

For more information visit Windows Live Hotmail

Source: Windows Live Hotmail