Tag: music

Zune 2 Almost Here

Here we are about a year from the inaugural release of the Zune media player platform and brand, and they are releases the next batch.  Here’s the kicker…and completely new to the media player world…almost all of the features for the new generation release are just a software upgrade away from original Zune owners.  Try that with an iPod.  🙂

The new hardware, though, is definitely worth a look.  There are two new flash based players (4GB and 8GB).  With no hard drive, these flash players are great for running or other workouts, or other activities where the device will be jostled and bumped constantly.  With no moving parts, there is nothing to break or skip from all the movement.  These devices still support full video, etc., and are pretty small.  The new hard drive based player is a whopping 80GB, is smaller than the original Zune, but has a bigger screen.  The new “squircle” is click or touch sensitive, so take your pick on how to control it.  Here’s a picture of the new lineup and a link to the Zune site.

This picture shows, from left to right, the new flash based Zune, The new Zune80, and the Zune30 (original Zune).

So, everyone knows this, right?  Well check this out.  Engadget has a story about Zune Originals…you’ve got to check this out.  They’re beautiful.

Tomorrow is the day.  If your an original Zune owner, synching tomorrow will bring you a nice surprise!  Enjoy.



Sticking it to the RIAA

So, the group Barenaked Ladies (BnL), whose music is very decent, are joining what seems to be a trend these days…self publishing albums.  They’ve released their latest studio release album, “Barenaked Ladies Are Me”, for download on their website.  Not very unique, right?  Well, here is the kicker…there are two types of downloads…mp3 at 192kbs, or for a couple dollars more, lossless FLAC.  Also, there is no DRM at all.  Rumor has it that they are selling a lot of these while going around the RIAA, Apple, and the other Juggernauts in the DRM space.  Here is the link to the shopping page to buy this album, and if you look around, you can even get a whole bunch of live performances, not just the studio releases, since they are recording their shows and making the tracks available.  Great job, BnL!  Don’t get me wrong…I’m all for protecting intellectual property, it’s just nice to see some of the content owners trust their fans a little bit, and give them a good consumer experience in the process.

And, for good measure, here is a fan-produced video for “Wind it Up”.