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.
Paramount Releasing 10 Digital Movies Exclusive to Windows Phone 7
Last Updated on Friday, 20 May 2011 05:51 Written by Alan Saturday, 21 May 2011 07:00
Paramount Digital Entertainment has announced that 10 of their titles will be coming to the Zune Marketplace and will be exclusive to Windows Phone 7 as part of Silverlight Enhanced Movies. Users will not only be able to watch the movies, but also will have the ability to bookmark, create and share clips, and search for people and products in the films. There is even a trivia game which will allow users to share results with each other over social networking sites.
So far, two movies are already available – Mean Girls and School of Rock. Coming soon will be True Grit, The Curious Cast of Benjamin Button, Waiting for Superman, The Last Airbender, Zoolander, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Beowulf, and The Italian Job. Hopefully more titles will be added in the future.
