Windows 8 Build 8306 with Zune Front and Center
Last Updated on Monday, 26 March 2012 12:57 Written by Alan Monday, 26 March 2012 12:57
There has been a lot of talk about Zune being phased out by Microsoft, fueled mostly by it’s absence from the Developer Preview and Consumer Preview versions of Windows 8. Well, as Mark Twain would have said, the rumors of Zune’s demise have been greatly exaggerated.
The latest build of Windows 8, version 8306, has been loaded onto a PC by the folks over at WinUnleaked.tk and what they found on the Metro Start screen was a surprise – “Also we can see the Video & Music apps called Microsoft.ZuneVideo & Microsoft.ZuneMusic.” The Consumer Preview version of Windows 8 simply had metro apps for “music” and “video”. That led to speculation that Microsoft was fazing out the software, as they had already done with the hardware.
It now seems that those rumors were unfounded and that the Zune brand will live on for the foreseeable future. However, it’s also possible that these apps are simply placeholders for something that Microsoft is still working on. We will know more when the next public version of Windows 8 is released in May or June of this year. Microsoft still seems to be on track to deliver the final version, or RTM, in the fall of 2012.
Zune Software Updated in Annticipation of Mango
Last Updated on Wednesday, 24 August 2011 10:13 Written by Alan Thursday, 25 August 2011 12:00
It didn’t seem to make much of a splash in the tech news today, as Mango has been know to do recently, but Microsoft announced that Zune version 4.8 is now available. This update brings Windows Phone 7.5 (Mango) support to the service. In other words, if you want update your Windows Phone, you will need to update your Zune software.
The update will support 22 languages – Brazilian Portuguese, Chinese (traditional and simplified), Czech, Danish, Dutch, English (US and UK), Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Swedish. It will be available to users in the following countries and regions – Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, United Kingdom, and the United States.
But, enough boring details, here is what Microsoft is saying about how it will improve the user experience when Mango is released:
- Progressive updates: In Zune 4.8, you only have to click the update button once for multiple updates. Once an update is finished, the software automatically checks for more and repeats the installation process until your phone is completely up to date.
- Streamlined backup: By synching media separately from other phone content, we’ve lowered the overall time it takes to back up your phone. The backup file is also more compact, so it should take up less space on your computer.
- Skip phone backup: If you don’t have enough room on your computer to store a phone backup file, you’ll now have the option to skip this step so you’re not blocked from updating your phone.
Microsoft is also claiming some improvements to the Zune service have been rolled into the version 4.8 release, including changes to movie rentals and parental controlsThe point specifically to the following:
- 48-hour movie rentals
- Parental Controls now support M-rated (Mature) content
- Option to hide purchase confirmation dialog for faster app checkout
- See what apps are compatible with the Windows Phone you own
You should see the update available the next time you open your Zune software. So far, we have seen or heard of any problems. If you have one, or just want to give an opinion, then let us know in the comments below.
Zune HD Gets Email
Last Updated on Saturday, 2 April 2011 08:51 Written by Alan Saturday, 2 April 2011 08:51
It has taken a while, but the Zune HD has finally got an email app. Of course, this should have come along a when the HD launched, but better late than never. The new app works with Gmail, Windows Live Mail, and Pop 3 mail. It allows user to both send and receive mail – as long as you have a WiFi connection of course. The app can be found now in the Zune Marketplace.
Of course, we are still waiting to see if the Zune will survive as a stand-alone device. Hopefully it will. Perhaps the next version needs a bit more Windows Phone 7 in it – more like an iPod Touch. But, the device is important to the market and deserves to live on.
