Archive for October, 2009
Monday, October 26th, 2009
Are you ready to invest in Gold? Looks like the gold bullion market is heating up and some investors are expecting gold coin to increase in value to as much as $2,000 per ounce. At those prices you could actually double your money over todays gold bullion prices. With gold coins holding their value greater than many other commodities it is expected that as the dollar weakens even more people will jump into the market.
You may think the best time to invest has passed us and if you wanted to triple your money that would be the case but I’m of the opinion that doubling your moeny in a safe investment is enough for most of us. Gold is a solid investment and has never dropped dramatically. As a matter of fact gold has taken off and seems to have no end in sight to many investors. I’m no professional and this is not advice but more 0opinion and I think we should all consider the value in investing in gold.
Discuss this in the Zune Message Boards.
Tags: Community
Posted in General | No Comments »
Monday, October 26th, 2009
Looks like Zune is dragging down the Microsoft Entertainment Division with poor sales of the portable media players putting a dent in the sales of Xbox and Windows Mobile Devices. The Zune hardware lineup is rather weak at the moment and it’s understandable that sales are flat when you have basically one player on the market.
The push towards Zune mobile services is going to take some time to play out in sales of Zune Pass or Zune video services and this may be the case for another year or more. The Zune mobile devices slated for release soon are not going to boost Zune sales unless Microsoft is able to turn these into subscriptions for their Premium Content Services.
How long this takes or whether or not it actually happens remains to be seen but I expect sales at Zune will remain weak until Holidays 2010.
Microsoft Mobile sales flat
The Entertainment and Devices division – which houses Windows Mobile as well as Xbox/ games, Zune and hardware accessories – saw flat revenue. This was bad for mobile – Xbox 360 and its games enjoyed increased sales, which meant the rest of the products were down. The Microsoft statement said: “Non-gaming revenue decreased $98m or 14%”, though it insisted that the worst performers were not Windows Mobile – whose share of the smartphone market fell from 12% to under 10% in the second calendar quarter – but PC hardware products like mice, Zune and embedded device platforms.
Discuss this in the Zune Message Boards.
Tags: Microsoft, The Zune, Windows Mobile, Zune, zune mobile
Posted in Zune | No Comments »
Sunday, October 25th, 2009
FREE please completely free
Posted in Zune FAQ | 2 Comments »
Sunday, October 25th, 2009
Welcome to the Zune video Preview!
Zune video on Xbox LIVE powers your video entertainment experience on the Xbox 360. Get the selection of a video store, in the highest possible clarity, with the convenience of cable. Easily watch and enjoy the content you want, when you want it, with instant-on HD in full 1080p video and 5.1 surround sound.
Features:
* Instant On HD in full 1080p – Transform your TV into a virtual theater. With Zune on Xbox LIVE you can enjoy all your favorite films and TV shows in vivid-color with 1080p picture quality.
* Smooth Streaming – Immediately access select movies and TV shows you want to watch with smooth streaming technology.
* Party – With Video Party you can catch the latest movies and share the experience with up to 7 of your friends — even if you’re miles apart.
* Simple Search – With new enhanced search functions, get easy access to your favorite movies and TV shows with the touch of a button
* Buy Once Play on Multiple Screens (US Only) – Entertainment is now connected. With your LIVE ID, you can now purchase content and watch it from your Zune HD device, PC or on your Xbox 360 Console
Movie Night:
Welcome to the first Zune movie night. Throughout the program we will ask you to join us for a movie night. These nights will usually take place on Saturday and Sunday night. We would like to ask you to watch the streamed HD version of the movie. If you encounter problems, complete this survey to tell us about your experience.
Scenarios to Try
* Stream movies and TV using Zune video
o Rent or purchase your favorite movies and TV shows and choose Stream to watch instantly in 1080p High Definition
* Use Party to watch videos with your friends while your avatars hang out in a virtual theater
* Buy once, play anywhere! Content purchased on Zune PC Client can be also be accessed through Xbox LIVE
* Browse through content or Search to find exactly what you’re looking for
* Download videos instead of streaming
Discuss this in the Zune Message Boards.
Tags: Free Zune, Microsoft, Video, Xbox, Zune
Posted in Zune | No Comments »
Sunday, October 25th, 2009
I got my Xbox LIVE Update!! W00T!!
Welcome to the Xbox LIVE Update Preview. There are several new products we would like you to test, including Zune video, Twitter, Last.fm and Facebook.
IMPORTANT: We have already begun the process of rolling out the updates to your console. If you do not receive it right away, don’t worry, you will get it soon. If you do not receive the update by Tuesday, let us know. In the meantime, please do not submit feedback about not yet receiving the update.
Zune video brings movies and TV shows with instant on HD in full 1080p to your Xbox 360 console. You’ll find a huge selection, all with the amazing clarity and the convenience of cable. Xbox LIVE members can now enjoy a true movie theater experience from the comfort of home.. [More Info]
Facebook: Now you can compare your Xbox LIVE and Facebook friends lists, update your status to share what movie, game or entertainment you’re enjoying, find friends and view their news feeds, status and photos on the big screen – all seamlessly integrated and custom-built for Xbox 360. Requires adult Xbox LIVE Gold account.. [More Info]
Last.fm: Turn your Xbox 360 into your living room juke box with a library of more than 3.5 millions songs. Stream personalized radio stations through Xbox LIVE by skipping, “banning” or “loving” songs to tailor the radio station to your tastes – we’ve even built in “Gamer Stations” with music selected specifically for the gaming community. Requires adult Xbox LIVE Gold account.. [More Info]
Twitter Stay in the know by discovering, posting, and replying to Tweets right on your Xbox 360. You can even view friend profiles, trends and conversations, or search to see who’s Tweeting about your favorite game. Requires adult Xbox LIVE Gold account.. [More Info]
Inside Xbox News & More: A new section of the “Inside Xbox” channel, “News and More” transforms Xbox LIVE into a full-fledged media portal. With a regularly-updated stream of content from msnbc.com , The New Yorker and Dilbert, “News and More” brings the latest in current events, arts and entertainment right to your fingertips. Requires Xbox LIVE Gold account. [More Info]
Tags: Video, Xbox, Zune
Posted in Zune | No Comments »
Sunday, October 25th, 2009
I got my Xbox LIVE Update!! W00T!!
Welcome to the Xbox LIVE Update Preview. There are several new products we would like you to test, including Zune video, Twitter, Last.fm and Facebook.
IMPORTANT: We have already begun the process of rolling out the updates to your console. If you do not receive it right away, don’t worry, you will get it soon. If you do not receive the update by Tuesday, let us know. In the meantime, please do not submit feedback about not yet receiving the update.
Zune video brings movies and TV shows with instant on HD in full 1080p to your Xbox 360 console. You’ll find a huge selection, all with the amazing clarity and the convenience of cable. Xbox LIVE members can now enjoy a true movie theater experience from the comfort of home.. [More Info]
Facebook: Now you can compare your Xbox LIVE and Facebook friends lists, update your status to share what movie, game or entertainment you’re enjoying, find friends and view their news feeds, status and photos on the big screen – all seamlessly integrated and custom-built for Xbox 360. Requires adult Xbox LIVE Gold account.. [More Info]
Last.fm: Turn your Xbox 360 into your living room juke box with a library of more than 3.5 millions songs. Stream personalized radio stations through Xbox LIVE by skipping, “banning” or “loving” songs to tailor the radio station to your tastes – we’ve even built in “Gamer Stations” with music selected specifically for the gaming community. Requires adult Xbox LIVE Gold account.. [More Info]
Twitter Stay in the know by discovering, posting, and replying to Tweets right on your Xbox 360. You can even view friend profiles, trends and conversations, or search to see who’s Tweeting about your favorite game. Requires adult Xbox LIVE Gold account.. [More Info]
Inside Xbox News & More: A new section of the “Inside Xbox” channel, “News and More” transforms Xbox LIVE into a full-fledged media portal. With a regularly-updated stream of content from msnbc.com , The New Yorker and Dilbert, “News and More” brings the latest in current events, arts and entertainment right to your fingertips. Requires Xbox LIVE Gold account. [More Info]
Tags: Video, Xbox, Zune
Posted in Zune | No Comments »
Sunday, October 25th, 2009
In recent months, I’ve been intrigued by the new, very small projectors that are becoming available. Lately I’ve been looking at the P1 Pico Projector, kindly sent to me from AAXA Technologies.
This projector displays pictures and videos on a wall or screen, and it literally fits in a shirt pocket. At a mere 6 ounces, it’s definitely an easy item to carry around. And it runs quietly and coolly – its 6 lumen LED lamp is not as bright as full-size image projectors, but also avoids the loud fans and heat generation that come with those larger units.
You connect your Zune or other media player to the projector using a male-male headphone jack cable. Video output is provided through the TV-out feature. Older Zune flash players don’t have TV-out capability, but your Zune 30GB (first generation), Zune 80 or 120GB, and your Zune HD will all output to the projector.
The 12 lumen lamp projects a decent beam for such a small device, and you can in fact watch your pictures or videos passably in a partially-lighted room. Your viewing experience improves with a darkened room; you can back the projector up to display up to a five-foot-wide image on your wall, although a 15 to 30-inch diagonal projection size is recommended.
Here are some shots of the display at a size of about 24 inches:
At larger sizes, you need to darken the room for a better viewing experience. I could project a reasonable four-foot-diagonal image in a darkened room. Pretty impressive to me, for a handheld, battery-operated projector.
The projector displays the images or videos in 640×480 resolution, and in a 4:3 aspect ratio. A focus lever can be used to manually focus the lens to match your distance from the wall or screen.
The projector has a built-in Lithium-ion rechargeable battery – a thoughtful feature that enhances the Pico’s portability. It enables you to use it in a variety of settings, such as on a plane (I’ve tried that with some success) and in other places where a plug-in is not possible or convenient. You’ll get an hour of video display out of a fully-charged battery.
It also comes with 1GB of built-in memory, and slot for a Micro-SD card. You access the on-board memory by connecting a mini-USB cable from the projector to your PC; the projector appears as an external drive that you can drag files to. You can store music and videos right onboard, or on an SD card… and display them from the projector without a Zune or other device connected. The P1 Pico has controls to for navigating to the file of your choice, and providing play/pause/fast forward/reverse functionality as well as volume controls. It supports JPEG, GIF, and BMP pictures. For videos, it’s compatible with AVI, MPEG1, and other formats in 640×480 resolution.
The only other thing you could want in an ultraportable device is sound, and the P1 Pico provides this through its tiny built-in speakers. For a fuller sound, I’d recommend connecting the Pico to an external sound system with the headphone jack.
Here’s a 360-degree view of the AAXA P1 Pico projector:
I recently took the Pico on a cross-country trip, and I must admit it was fun projecting a movie from my Zune onto the seatback in front of me, on the flight out.
With the Pico Projector you get an AC adapter, an RCA adapter for video and audio input, and a comprehensive instruction manual.
At $219, the P1 Pico is a fraction of the price of full-size projectors. And, while it cannot certainly can’t match the brightness of a full-size image projector, it’s a compelling gadget if portability is a priority for you.
You can see more about the P1 Pico at the AAXA website.
Posted in General | No Comments »
Saturday, October 24th, 2009
How does the Zune music pass work that is advertised on MTV. Is it really only 14.99 a month and how does it work with apple products?
any feedback, especially from users, is greatly appreciated!
Posted in Zune FAQ | 3 Comments »
