Editorial Correction: Chuck is aired on NBC not CBS (thanks Edge0).

So if you are a watcher of the NBC television series Chuck, a show where a regular Joe (in this case Chuck who works in a Buy More variation of Best Buy) gets entangled into acquiring the database of national secrets in his head.

In Episode 113: Chuck Versus the Marlin there are so many shots of the Zune 30GB's Brown box with pink and orange trim.  I couldn't seem to keep up with the number of times the boxes where shown in the background of each scenes.  It was shown so many times that I was unable to even see if there were any competitors displayed.

How many times do you think they displayed the boxed Zune? Watch the entire episode online and see if you can spot how many times they are displayed.

Yeah, I got a little giddy.  Yeah Zune, and Yeah Chuck for sending us subliminal messages.

I don't endorse this, but hey... This guys provides us with 2 videos detailing how to remove the 30gb drive and replace it with a 60gb model.

If you love the chances to score a Zune free, here's another.

You can get tickets playing games at Live Search Club, a Microsoft website. With these tickets, you can choose from a ton of prizes including music downloads, a ZUNE 30, accessories, and more. I don't know how long it would take, but Heatwave is working on racking them up.

"I thought that I let you know that you can get FREE Zune items along with other goodies merely by playing Microsoft games on their website. To get the FREE Zune black leather case, simply get 1,900 tickets. To get the FREE Zune 30, just get 20,000 tickets. All you need is a Hotmail account and lots of time. I have gotten a FREE t-shirt & a Microsoft LifeChat LX-3000 Headset so far.

PS. Not one of you told my friend Judie that I sent ya!

Live Search Club

Nice Woot today... Altec Lansing M604 Powered Audio System for Zune for only $39.99

Features:

• High-Definition Audio – Digital amplification delivers powerful sound from a compact system.
• Clean, Crisp Sound – Four specially engineered full-range neodymium speakers smoothly deliver a full spectrum of pure, distinct sound.
• Surprisingly Deep Bass – XdB bass-enhancement technology creates deep bass without a subwoofer.
• Wireless Remote and Built-in Controls – Zune and speaker functions (play, forward, back, volume, bass, treble, and stand-by) are at your fingertips. Just sit back and enjoy!
• Easy to Use – Built-in universal dock allows data transfer and recharges Zune.
• Elegant, Wall-mountable Design – Looks great in your living room or mounted on wall.
• Composite Video Output for Zune video – Enables you to play your Zune videos on most TVs (cable not included.)
• Universal MP3 Cradle – Allows you to place other MP3 players front and center (cable included.)
• Headphone Jack – For private listening.

Specifications:

• Sound pressure level (SPL): 100 dB
• Total continuous power: 60 Watts RMS
• System response: 60 Hz – 20 kHz (-10 dB)
• Signal to noise ratio: @ 1kHz input: > 70 dB
• Drivers: Two 3â€� full-range drivers and two silkdome 1â€� tweeters.

Dimensions:

• 14â€� (W) x 5.4â€� (D) x 8.2â€� (H)
• (354 mm (W) x 137 mm (D) x 208 mm (H))

In the box:

• M604 Speaker System
• Wireless remote
• Universal MP3 cradle
• 3.5mm stereo cable
• Power supply
• User’s guide and quick connect

Woot : One Day, One Deal (SM)

Here is another special edition pink Zune for all of you. This isn't as nice as the Ford Pink Zune, but it's purdy either way.

Nylon Magazine has worked out a deal with Microsoft to offer a limited run of Pink Zunes. This run is limited to 1000.  It also come preloaded with 77 Nylon Magazine covers for backgrounds as well as a couple songs preloaded.

I love how Microsoft offers these special edition models. I am still on the hunt for an Orange Zune 30 and the Yellow Zune 8. Help me out folks!

Nylon Magazine has tuned your Zune! Yes, the style-makers at Nylon have put their own spin on a super limited edition Zune player, available only at Urban Outfitters! Limited to a run of 1000 pieces, this collectible pretty in pink 30GB Nylon Magazine Zune Digital Media Player is silk-screened with graphic bling designed by Nylon Factory Girl Dani Stahl and comes pre-loaded with totally exclusive content. You'll get Nylon TV videos, special mp3s and music videos and a whole library of Nylon cover art! And underneath the customized exterior is the same Zune you know and love, capable of playing music and videos, displaying images, and, unlike other digital media devices, receiving FM radio so you can stay on top of local news, sports, traffic and programming. 30GB of storage means you'll hold 7,500 songs, 25,000 pictures or 100 hours of video, all easily enjoyed on a bright 3 inch full-color screen. Even cooler, because Zunes were designed with connectivity in mind, your Zune can wirelessly communicate with other Zune devices (within 30 feet) to share songs and pictures. The Zune experience is powered by software that allows you to manage files on the player, rip audio CDs, and buy from a wide selection of music and videos at the Zune Marketplace. It's easy to navigate, easy to use, and unlike anything else out there! Comes packaged with everything you need to get started, all wrapped up in a special Nylon edition gift box. Exclusive content includes:

Source : UrbanOutfitters via GeekSugar

Well, you could already skin your original Zunes, but now a couple companies are coming out with skins already for the next gen Zunes.

Me personally, I hate these things, but like my daughter, there are many that love the ability to customize. The low cost of these skins make it easy to change up the pace often.

On the left you have a Decal Girl Sample and on the right, one from the WraptorSkinz series from TuneTattooz. Over at Mobilitysite a few months back, I tried out one of the Skin iZi skins for an iPod Nano. They are cute, but not for me. Skin iZi only makes these for the iPods, it's good to know that other companies are getting on board with Zune.

So, right now, if you have a Flash Zune 2 or a Zune 30, both of these companies have skins for you. Unfortunately neither of them have Zune 80 skins yet, but it appears that they are coming soon...

• Decal Girl
• TuneTattooz

Zunerama has published a demo of the Tune Tattoo skins for the Zune 30 and Flash Zunes too.

It seems that some folks are having issues with their Zune 30s that have been updated to the new firmware.

A few people on the official forums have issues with battery life after updating their Zune 30s to v2 Firmware. Zune doesn't charge correctly and although it says its fully charged after a few hours the battery dies. I don't think its a very common issue but if you have it see how you can try to fix it...

Zune-Online.com has posted  found someone that has a fix for this. It seems too simple really and leaves me wondering if there really is a problem, but there have been other complaints of this in the Zune.net forums too.

I was pissed. mad Looking for a fix, I read the Zune forums and some mailing lists which lead me to this solution: Drain your Zune 30 completely of battery life until you get the exclamation point of death. Fully charge your Zune 30, overnight even. Reset it. You do this by simultaneously pressing UP on the directional pad and the BACK button.

Thanks DirtyDogStink for the tip!

ABC ran a bit as part of a Christmas Buyer's Guide about Stocking Stuffers and them getting all high-tech and stuff. Guess who made it into the stocking? I wouldn't be posting it if it wasn't a Zune huh?

Microsoft Zune

Microsoft's new 80GB Zune music player seems to be outselling the Apple iPod Nano, at least for the moment. A Thanksgiving week report noted a shortage of the new Zune media players ($249) on the Web and in retail stores, suggesting it gave Apple a little run for consumer's money. Don't expect it to last though.

Zunes should be back on retail and virtual shelves very soon, so these sleek-looking Wi-Fi enabled music players are an option for your stocking if you're ready to fork over some big bucks.

ABC News: Stocking Stuffers Go High-Tech

Watsh, a reader of GotZune, has discovered that Dell is also blowing out the Brown Zune 30 Players too.

This is a $100 instant savings to give you the Zune 30 in brown for $96.00, no rebates, no gimmicks, just brown Zunes! The other color players are not discounted at all.

Get it at Dell

Microsoft's numbers say up to 4 hours on each of the Zunes, we got real close to 4 on both as well.

• Round 1 - Zune 80 - 3:40 | Zune 30 - 3:15
• Round 1 - Zune 80 - 4:10 | Zune 30 - 3:48

I didn't change a thing on the two tests. I can only suspect that the disparity is due to the actual charge times.

I will charge them back up and run a couple more times before I move to the new MP3 full drain test again.

Both devices are fully charged and have been on their cradles for more than 5 hours. The only video on each of the Zunes is Linkin Park, Live in Texas. I ripped this video from my DVD at 25 fps @ 320×240 using SPB Mobile DVD. This is a program I have been using at this resolution on my Pocket PCs and Phones.

Both Zunes have headphones plugged in. The volume is at 10 out of 20 and the brightness is set to high. Since I have only this one video file on the Zunes ( 1:15 Minute Concert ), I will check them on the hour and restart the movie each time.