Many people have been happily enjoying the current zune game lineup, created by users themselves, but finally the Zune XNA team has taken it upon themselves to release a game. And the title they released is.... Alien Game! Many people may have seen this game in one of the CTP demonstration video's, but here it is to play.

Check out our first Mini Game for Zune, Alien Game. In Alien Game, you control a tank with the sole purpose of defending the earth from an alien invasion! It's a simple yet addictive game that is both fun and educational.

Alien Game has several features that you can learn about and integrate into your game such as:

• Media Integration, which enables you to start songs directly from the game!
• Support for both Zune input types (Zune Pad and Dpad)
• Menu and state management system

From the article over at XNA

Click here to download!

There's tons of free (and legal!) music out there on the interwebs...why not fill up your Zune with some of it?

I AM FUEL, YOU ARE FRIENDS has a new song from power-pop Canadian outfit Sloan

Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie hips us to Telekinesis! on Stereogum

Gorilla vs. Bear brings us a four-some of tracks from artists playing at Monolith this year

Good Weather for Airstrikes has two from Post War Years

WonderRoot Studios has two live tracks, one from The XYZ Affair and another from Jukebox the Ghost

And Nah Right has a new one from Little Brother, produced by 9th Wonder

And what the heck, another from Nah Right, this time Usher featuring Jay-Z (I know how you kids like that hippity-hop)

Enjoy!

Samsung Plans to add 3M Mini-Projector to New Handsets

"3M has been touting its mini-projectors for some time now (along with many others), but it looks like they're now finally a bit closer to landing in an actual product, with Samsung reportedly set to begin offering them later this year. What's not clear, unfortunately, is whether the projectors will actually be built into the cellphones (and if so, which ones), or simply offered as an attachment of some sort, but either way you can apparently expect to pay between $200 and $400 for the chance to spread a bit of visual pollution."

So phones with projectors are all well and good, but what what about a full-fledged media player with one?  One like...oh I don't know, the ZUNE!?!  It just seems like a perfect fit to me(at least moreso than a phone, ya know?), and while I personally don't know how much I'd use something like this, it would make sense to put mini-projectors on a device designed to play video before a phone.  Rather than have friends crowd around your Zune screen or even a laptop to show them a video, you just throw it up on a wall for all to enjoy.  What do you guys think, would you have a use for this?  Would the lack of speakers kill it (for a phone or Zune)?  Hit us up in the comments and let us know your thoughts. 

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This is the first in a series I would like to call "2 Cent Suggestions" which I will take specific topics and suggest improvements to help make the Zune experience the best around.  Now that I have had some time to play with the Zune 2.5 Spring Update, it is a welcomed necessary update, yet there are many more features Microsoft needs to add.  There are other minor changes they did to the software, but I will focus on some of the bigger changes they did, followed by suggested software upgrades they should include in future updates.  I am happy to say that many of the features in the 2.5 spring update were originally on my suggestion list, and can now be listed as completed updates, though there could be a bit more tweaking to make them even better.

ZUNE 2.5 UPDATED SOFTWARE FEATURES

-Gap-less playback. This is essential for DJ mixes and many albums, yet there is still an ever so slight skip between the tracks so it is not completely seamless.
-MP3 Tag editing.  The previous tag editing in the Zune software was nearly unusable.  The editing in Windows Media Player is still better, but the tag editing update is a huge improvement over the previous Zune software.  The ability to drag and drop files between albums and genres is wonderful.
-Improved Social.  You can now see your and your friends Zune cards within the Zune software, as well as send short messages to each other.  Too bad I only have one other friend that has a Zune and our musical tastes are completely different.
-Auto Playlists.  I am glad to see the feature back and have it carry over to the Zune hardware, though it is lacking the ability to create an auto-playlist of recently played items.
-Browse by Genre.  Not much to say about this one, but I am glad this is here.

2 CENT ZUNE SOFTWARE SUGGESTIONS
-Background Podcast Downloading. Enable the Zune software to run as a service in the background downloading podcasts, so the program does not have to be open.
-Rating System. The "heart" rating system is lacking.  Bring back the 5 stars rating system.
-Twist Interface. The "twist" interface is great on the Zune hardware.  Why can't we have the "twist" interface for the Zune software?
-Easy Download Viewing. Add an icon in the lower-left hand side near the Zune and CD icon to display if downloads are occurring and the percentage done.  If one clicks on it, it will take them to what downloads are occurring.
-Custom Backgrounds. Make it mine?  Too bad I can only select a few backgrounds.  I want to select my own backgrounds.  Make it so when I change a background in in either my Zune Tag, Zune device or Zune software the picture is applied to the background for all.
-Past Album Art. The ability to paste album art with a right-click, not search for it on the hard drive to add it.  Windows Media Player does not have this problem.
-Automatic File Management. The ability for the software to automatically manage the library by renaming, and moving files into folders to keep things organized would be a nice optional feature.
-DivX support.  The Xbox 360 was recently updated to support DivX.  Also, the Zune software is very particular about what MP4 formats it will find and play.
-Pink Bar Fullscreen Annoyance.  When viewing video fullscreen, it always shows the bottom pink bar which is annoying and needs to be removed.
-Integration with Window Media Center. Make the Zune software sync with Windows Media Center (it claims it will in Microsoft advertising, but no one I have talked to at Microsoft knows how to do this), and make it be able to sync both standard def and high-def.  Most major shows are HDTV now, so make it sync them.  Have it auto-detect the presence of shows recorded in Windows Media Center.
-High Quality Ripping.  Ripping needs industry standard formats such as AAC and VBR MP3 with the LAME codec for high quality sound.
-Burning Data CDs with Folder Structure.  When I burn multiple podcasts/albums as a data CD, they should be burned into multiple folders.  Windows Media Player does this right.  Zune does not, it burns them all to the root directory and they are all mixed together.
-Frequent Updates.  Don't wait six months or more to release these updates, as they need to be released more frequently.

I will list suggestions on other topics such as the hardware, marketplace, social and other features in future posts.  How do you feel about the proposed software suggestions?  Do you have any suggestions for the software I may have missed that would help make the Zune software the best media player around?

The XNA 3.0 CTP release was just 7 days ago, but already some cool applications are being created. The focal point of this release is of course gaming, but developers have also focused on making some simple, but useful applications for zune devices. Sure, zune gaming is fun, but it opens up many opportunity's when developers do not limit themselves to programs only for the purpose of entertainment. As of now, there are just a few simple applications(being that the release was just a week ago), and these include a clock, a calculator, and a simple calendar. Overall, it's great to see people taking it into their own hands to create applications that the zune does not ship with. As time goes on hopefully we shall see some more complex, and handy applications.

Clock

This is a slightly newer(Beta .5) version of the previously mentioned clock, created by TipTup over at zuneboards.

Calculator

This simple calculator was developed by Nurta at zuneboards, and although still in beta stages, is alright if you just need to complete some simple problems.

Calendar

This is a fully functioning calendar, with the one drawback being you cannot currently edit/add info to specific days. However, this has only been out for about 2 days now, so this is subject to change, just like the other applications.

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...

Read the rest of this entry »

Mike sends over the word that his Zune Software Customizer has been updated to 2.5 today....

I know what you are thinking, “Hey, what happened to the versions in between?“. Well I decided to just change the numbering scheme to coincide with the Zune Software Releases. Just seemed to make more sense. Does that mean you will always have to wait for a Zune Software release before seeing changes to the Zune Software Customizer? No, I’ll just make them point releases. Anyways on to the good stuff.

Just a note before I start, because of the way I handled the custom colors last release, it will have remembered all your settings, so if you left it off on the Dark Zune Theme it will go back to that or if you left it off with DarkGray being red it’ll go back to that, etc.

Head over to learn more.

Does anyone have any experience with a Wiki? I don't, but I decided to add a Wiki for a couple of my sites at the request of one of my staff members. The problem is, I haven't a clue on how to manage a Wiki. As I am told, it's a community effort, but how do you police spammers and vandals?

The Gotzune.com ZUNE WIKI is online, but I haven't done anything yet. Anyone have any direction for me?

http://www.gotzune.com/wiki

I know this is something that would be a great asset to all and I'd like to get rolling on it soon.

ACE of ZuneBoards posted a good commentary on the Zune's upward swing in market share:

With the entire PDMP market relatively slow-going, one positive aspect (depending how you look at it) is Zune has still able to find ways to increase its market share. And not by minuscule amounts; Zune has been able to capitalize and generate 33% gains in its share of a highly competitive market. No one expected that…

That’s no small feat with the likes of the market-leader iPods being gobbled up by the millions per quarter. Sure, Zune’s 2 millionth device sold still doesn’t compare to the number of iPods or Sandisks sold, but when looking at the numbers more closely, a more accurate depiction of what’s happening will emerge.

Sandisk was only able squeak out a 10% gain as Creative lost ground by 50%. Even the mighty iPod is showing signs of losing relevance with a 1.4% slip. But that’s still not enough? What then do they expect?

Around the blogs, Zune is still given little if any respect. Tech writers drone about Zune’s flat sales when it’s apparent everyone’s sales are flat. Apparently gaining one-third of one’s market share is nothing worth noting. But that’s expected.

These days, over-priced iPods, with their smaller screens, less features, and pay-per-song model, are what pass as cool. No one likes the new kid on the block.

But heads are turning. The numbers show that. Even amidst economic hardships and a slowing of the PDMP market, Zune is still gaining ground and gaining relevance. With the new features and games on the way (officially), Zune is becoming more of a reckoning force that apparently no one wants to recognize. That’s Ok though.

What do you expect?...

It appears that a single male Zuner out in LA is looking for some hot music-swapping action on Craigslist.  Though it's listed in the "strictly platonic" section, we all know what can happen when things in The Social heat up.  It starts innocently enough, with "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "Wouldn't It Be Nice" but things escalate quickly to "My Humps" and "I Wanna Sex You Up" and soon enough you're doing the "Wild Thing".  Next thing you know, somebody's "Knocked Up".  I've seen it a million times. 

Remember kids, practice safe Zuning!

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