Break out the maracas and fry up some tostones as the remastered works of the late Celia Cruz and other are now available in the Zune Marketplace!

REDMOND, Wash. — Sept. 29, 2008 — Today Zune, Microsoft Corp.’s end-to-end music and entertainment service, announced jointly with Fania Records the availability of a custom collection of Fania albums consisting of never-before-digitally-released productions. For the first time, the Fania collection will be digitally remastered and available exclusively on Zune Marketplace. The collection will include legendary artists such as the Fania All-Stars, Hector Lavoe, La Lupe, Celia Cruz, Ricardo Ray and Bobby Cruz, Cheo Feliciano, Mongo Santamaria, Bobby Valentin, and many more.

[SOURCE: Microsoft Press Release, Music from iconic artists Hector Lavoe, Celia Cruz, La Lupe and more will be released digitally for the first time.]

Zune is expected to undergo some maintenance as well as XBox Live.  There are rumors of additional integration between the two coming around the corner.  We'll have to wait and see.

The Zune service will be down for scheduled maintenance on Monday, September 29, 2008 from 12:01am Pacific Time, for up to 48 hours. During the downtime, Zune Social, the forums on Zune.net, and all of Zune Marketplace will be offline.

We apologize for any inconvenience this might cause you.

Please check back soon. We look forward to sharing our picks, plays, and recommendations with you in the Zune Social and in Zune Marketplace shortly!

Sincerely,

Your Friends at Zune

We need a few more color choices and here are a few.  The new Zune 120GB will be available in white and blue.

Just in case the world goes by without realizing it, Microsoft has quietly slipped in Zunes that come in new shades, including white as well as a blue Zune 120.

 

[SOURCE: Ubergizmo - Zune Gets New Colors]

[Updated: 9/18/08 - Added Zune media collection reset tool]

Hopefully everyone has smoothly gotten their Zune software to update without any issues and we are all busy spending time playing with them.  But are there any of you having problems with the Zune update?

There are a few update requirements that are needed for the new Zune software to work, such as:

• .NET
• Doctor Watson 2.0
• MS XML
• Windows Update Agent
• XMLLite
• Wireless LAN API
• Image Mastering API
• An unknown knowledge base download KB933720
• Windows Media Framework

What else can you do? Check after the break.

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So if you didn't remember or patiently waiting, the new software will be available shortly.  A good indicator would be the message 'Site Not Available The Zune Social is currently down for maintenance. Please check back soon!' displayed on Zune.net

The site went down at 9PM PST and will resume operations at who knows when.  I wasn't able to find out when the site would be back up but I do want to know when the first person gets the new update.

See you all back here shortly to share you happiness with the rest of us.

Zune 3 is all the buzz and its hard not to come across it [news] in some variation or another. One of the new features to be offered in the new version is the ability to tagged music from the radio for later download. Microsoft has been somewhat proactive in assisting with the adoption of Radio Data System / RT+ data feed by working with 9 of the major broadcasters. Hopefully, the Feds don't decide to switch radio over to HD radio as with the February 2009 television cut-over.

Users of Microsoft's Zune music device and the related service of the same name will be able to tag songs they hear on the radio and then purchase them via wireless hot spots.

Buy From FM, debuting this coming Tuesday, is the result of a partnership between Microsoft and stations from nine big radio groups: Beasley, Bonneville, CBS Radio, Citadel, Clear Channel, Cox, Emmis, Entercom, and Greater Media. Altogether, over 450 stations are participating.

Microsoft said the new service was designed to make it easier for Zune users to download new music they come across on the radio, citing a survey which found that 61% of the population discovers new music primarily through that medium.

[SOURCE: MediaPost - 9 Radio Broadcasters Tag Songs for Zune]

5 More Days and we all get to enjoy the new start screens!

If you remember back in July 2008, Hansup Yoon sold ZuneBoards for $62,000 to crowdgather and is finally getting some media attention over it.  He could have possibly held out for more cash since monthly revenue generated from the site will increase with crowdgather advertising.  Well either way its good to be young and the proprietor of a marketing transaction.

Now for the million dollar project Hansup!

SANTA ANA, Calif. - Young entrepreneur Hansup Yoon, 15, recently sold his creation ZuneBoards, an Internet forum devoted to Microsoft's Zune media player, for $62,000.

The teenager, who lives in Fullerton, Calif., created the site months before Microsoft introduced its answer to Apple's iPod in 2006.

"It was the most perfect time to start a Web site about Zune, and I was one of the first few to create a Zune-related site," he said.

[Source: Boston Herald - Zune player forum makes teen a fortune]

So the buzz is HOT over a the possibility of a new Zune device which is has been passed around the FCC and looks like some type of metal apocalyptic homage to Terminator.  Since this is most likely a black Zune that was poorly photographed, let's use our imaginations for minute as we try to image what an unboxing for the new device would be like.

If your not a creative thinker then here is a video that will help you imagine the experience (recommended:  wash your hands after opening this box)

Enjoy!

[Source: Engadget - Samsung's extraordinary i900 Omnia]

If you haven't yet seen the most technologically inclined opening ceremony of this years Beijing Olympics.  It is available for download from the Zune Marketplace for 160 points, which is the equivalent of $2.00 US for all 52 minutes of awe-inspiring glory.  The opening ceremonies consisted of dramatic uses of technology and the over-population of China to its advantage which had no repeat performers on the floor.  With so many people performing in the shows I wondered if the streets of Beijing were empty outside the stadium.

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Just received an announcement from Zune.net regarding skins available for your Zune device saving 30% on purchases.  Adding some competition for skin makers such as Decal Girl who offer unlicensed skins for $6.99  while Skinit offers fully licensed art for $14.95 so dare to compare.

So here is something to cover your $88 pink Zune you just got from Newegg.com!

Visit SkinIt.com.