Microsoft is continuing to build upon the Zune service with a new software release that brings television shows to its video offerings, as well as other software enhancements. Launch your Zune software to get prompted for the new update. I'll be doing the same later today.

By the way, we are experimenting with some podcast production changes that we hope will finally allow our podcasts to be synced to Zunes.

Microsoft Corp. today announced that Zune, the company’s all-in-one digital entertainment brand, is adding new software features and content to the Zune online store, music community and Zune Pass monthly subscription service. Zune is expanding its video store to include downloads of popular television shows from COMEDY CENTRAL, FUNimation^® Entertainment, MTV, NBC Universal, Nickelodeon, Starz Media (including Manga Entertainment), Turner Broadcasting, Ultimate Fighting Championship^® (UFC) and VH1 that consumers can sync to their device and enjoy on the go. In addition, by further integrating the Zune music community into the core experience, the new software makes it easier for people to find and listen to the music they want, share it with friends, and take it with them wherever they go — whether they choose a Zune Pass or a la carte MP3 downloads. Zune Pass subscribers can now set up automatic, real-time feeds of the music their friends are listening to and add those songs to their collection or Zune device.

New updates to the Zune online music community include the following:

• Syncing Zune Cards to a device. Consumers simply drag and drop Zune Cards from friends to a Zune device and get updates on what friends are listening to every time they sync. If the song is available with Zune Pass, subscribers automatically have the full tracks on their Zune while nonsubscribers have full album information and artwork. If consumers hear something they like, they can add it to their collection with one click. Next time the user syncs his or her Zune, he or she will be asked to confirm the purchase.

• Enhanced friends search. Consumers now have the ability to add their name, location and bio to their Zune music community profile, making it easier than ever to find their friends.

• Instant friends. The true power of the Zune online music community is unlocked when friends are added and consumers can follow the music they’re listening to. Now, when new Zune owners join the Zune online music community, they’ll find the top music editors from the Zune Marketplace team already added to their friends list, giving them a head start in finding new music.

• Artist and album reviews. Inside the Zune music community, members have the ability to write and post their own reviews for artists and albums, providing another community-driven feature to support the exploration and discovery of music. The music community helps to find and recommend the best music.

• Reputation badges. Now members of the Zune community can earn badges that are displayed on their Zune Card showing they’re passionate fans or active members.

• Windows Live connections. Windows Live Messenger contacts will now be able to see what users are listening to via the Zune software. Clicking on the tracks displayed in the “Now Playing” feature will connect the Windows Live Messenger friend directly to that artist’s page on the Zune Social.

• Auto playlists. Users can create an auto playlist that updates itself automatically as new music is added.

• Browsing videos. Consumers can browse their video collection by genre and series, plus they can preview videos before they play them on full screen.

• Editing album and track information. Users are able to edit track or album information (metadata) quickly via multi-select and drag-and-drop. The advanced metadata editing features make it easy to edit multiple tracks or survey albums and artist information.

• Organizing collections. In addition to sorting by artist or album, consumers can now sort by genre. While browsing by genre they can further sort music by artist, album or release year.

• Gapless playback. Consumers will now be able to listen to an album without the brief gap between tracks, both on their Zune and in the Zune software. This is a must-have for live-concert recordings and compilation albums.

• Syncing groups. Zune software now syncs to multiple Zune players simultaneously. Users can prepare which content on their computer to sync even when their Zune isn’t connected. Consumers can create custom sync groups for music, pictures and videos.

• Zune reminders.

Steve “Chippy” Paine has been taking a look at digital TV on UMPCs and is looking ahead to what that might mean for MIDs. He’s put up a couple of posts (here and here) that chronicle his experiences and they make for some interesting reading. He’s not talking about TV over broadband but instead using a digital tuner to receive a signal. This is much more prevalent in Europe and Asia, but eventually we’ll see it begin to roll out here in the states (once all the fighting over who gets the money is settled.)

Yesterday Apple surprised no one with their announcement that they would now make new movie releases available on iTunes the same day as the DVD release. That will certainly have an impact on NetFlix and Blockbuster, not to mention the postal service. In the continuing evolution of mobile entertainment we already have witnessed the decline of the local video store. Sooner or later we’ll see DVD releases and digital releases happening the same day as films hit the theatres. I know for some watching movies on a portable device works like a charm (I only do it when I’m traveling) and others despise watching films on a small screen. I know there are quite a few folks that are using Windows Media Center and Apple TV to watch their favorite flicks on their set at home.

So here are some questions for my curious noggin. Where do you prefer to watch your movies? How do you prefer to get your content? Digitally? Physical media? Do you buy or rent? Does having a new title available digitally affect your viewing habits?

A few weeks ago Warner got excited about pico-projectors, those ultra-small projectors designed to be integrated into small devices. Although many of these pico-projectors have been demo'd at events like CES, there has been little news about productization.

Today, Display Daily reports from the Hong Kong Electronics Fair that "Sunlink International Holdings and iView Limited introduced the SunView PMP Projector (PMPP), which is believed to be the first commercially available portable product with integrated pico-projector." The SunView PMPP is basically a standard personal media player - 3.5" screen, SD card slot, battery, and runs Windows CE 5.0, including and Office viewer that can display movies, photos, and business presentations. But it adds a pico-projector that can create a useful display up to a 53 inches. The photo above from Display Daily shows the SunView PMPP projecting off one end of the unit. The size is listed at 133 × 79 x 25mm, or 5.2 x 3.1 x 0.98 inches, just a bit smaller than an OQO Model 02.

While I'm sure the battery life is abysmal when running the projector, this is still a remarkable product, at least on paper. I'd love to get my hands on one and see exactly how "useful" that 53 inch image is when showing a movie or presenting in PowerPoint. This should be the first of many products with integrated pico-projectors, which could change our views (no pun intended!) of portable imaging over the next couple of years.

No word on pricing for the SunView PMPP, although it's supposed to be available immediately, presumably in Hong Kong.

NedZad Mujcinovic’s concept for a multi-touch screen e-Book reader makes so much sense, that I would imagine companies interested in the market are already working on their own. Doing away with buttons and relying on a touch screen, especially if there is multi-touch, just seems like a no-brainer way to go. Another nice feature of Mujcinovic’s design for the Livre, is that it has a leather cover. Hmmm? I wonder how soon before he gets hired?

Via Engadget

Microsoft is once again giving Zunes away, one per day. You can head over to the Zune A Day Giveaway page for all the details. This looks to be tied into a promotion for Windows Live Hotmail Mobile, but you can also use an existing Hotmail account or Windows Live ID.

I picked this up from CrunchGear who also points out that the folks advertising and marketing still come up with some pretty wacky commercials, that for the life of me I can’t figure out. Why anyone would see this and want to buy a Zune is beyond me. To think of the money that goes into this kind of nonsense. And the chemicals. Yeesh.

We’ve talked in the past about the blurring lines (and horrible branding) when it comes to mobile devices like MIDs, UMPCs, and the like. It looks like those blurry lines are going to continue to become even more fuzzy from the Personal Media Player (PMP) sector. Electronista is reporting that Archos is readying a new PMP that includes 3G connectivity that allows access to the web using the Opera browser.

Some have already called the iPhone (yours truly included) the first MID, and some are really enjoying using the iPod Touch in the same way, when WiFi is available, (again, that’s the case here.) So media players as web browsers is nothing really new. I am increasingly thinking that the blurry lines defining these devices is largely irrelevant as far as the consumer is concerned. And it seems that those making and marketing these devices feel the same. Given that the focus for UMPC and MID development centers on consuming media and web browsing, as long as the consumer is getting what they need from a small device does it really matter?

Of course the question will come down to marketing. It always does. 

Thoughts?

Rob and I just got done talking with Pankaj Kedia with the Intel Ultra Mobility Group about the wealth of new MID devices being introduced at CES 2008. Intel has 10 partners who are announcing products here at CES, all based on the new Menlow low-power platform. In the Intel showcase there are MIDs from Aigo, ASUS, BenQ, Clarion, Compal, Digifriends, EB, Gigabyte, Lenovo, LG-E, LiteOn, Quanta, Toshiba, USI, and Willcom. We'll have a video up later which shows off the Aigo and the Lenovo devices, both aimed at the Chinese market, although the Aigo is identical to the Gigabyte which will have broader distribution. The Toshiba is pictured at the right in its docking station.

The devices on display are all very different from each other. Most include keyboards of some sort, but not all. Intel has provided samples and is working with 25 partners on new Menlow MIDs, so expect to be seeing a lot of new announcements as the year progresses. The goal is to have new announcements every month or so at events around the world. Intel is seeing the primary usage models for the new MIDs revolving around entertainment and location/GPS applications.

Intel is expecting MIDs based on the new Menlow platform to release in Q2 and Q3 of 2008. Price points will vary depending on the exact device and OEM options, but generally looking at about $500 and up for Linux based MIDs and about $600 and up for Windows based devices. (After all, Windows is decidedly not free.)

Intel also provided a sneak peak at the upcoming Moorestown platform launching in 2009-2010. Watch the upcoming video for more info on this new platform.

This has been rumored, hoped for, and forecast for some time now and it looks like it is going to come to pass. The Financial Times is reporting that Apple is going to start “renting” movies on line through its iTunes store. Apparently an announcement is scheduled for MacWorld in a few weeks, so you never know, it might not happen. But FT.com is reporting that the deal is with 20th Century Fox, and that there is also a component of this that uses Apple’s Fair Play DRM technology to allow consumers to purchase a DVD in a store and then rip it to their computer or iPod. (Like that doesn’t all ready happen.)

So, would you rent movies online?

Interesting. Very interesting. We’re seeing quite a few devices that at first glance appear to be yet another portable media player, but on digging further seem to have quite a bit more functionality, perhaps pushing them closer to MID or UMPC land. Is the Cowon Q5W one of those devices?

I’m not sure, but for a PMP it certainly packs quite a bit of functionality. Yes, it has the features you would expect of a media player. In addtiion it is running on WinCE and you can use a stylus with the onscreen keyboard to enter text on the 5 inch touchscreen. You can also hook up with WiFi and BlueTooth.

Interesting convergence or not?

Via Crave

Newsweek has more details on Amazon's Kindle device and service, which begins shipping tomorrow for $399. Looks very similar to a Tablet PC and UMPC, huh? I doubt it supports ink, but it sure would have been nice. Like Scoble, I wish Microsoft would have gotten their Tablet PC team on to this. It screams tablet. Oh well....

• 30 hours of use per charge
• Weighs 10.3 ounces
• Holds 200 books
• Purchase books via EV-DO through Whispernet - more details to come on price, if any

 I might give this one a try, just for the heck of it.

via Gizmodo

Ok, maybe you aren’t into the whole solar charging game, but you’re still looking for a more natural way to juice up your gear and save a few energy cycles. I posted this on my personal blog last night, but thought GBM Readers might want to take a look at this as well. I’m not sure how well it works with devices other than an iPod, and quite honestly, I’m not going to find out. But this video will tell you how to charge up your iPod with an Onion and a bit of Gatorade.

And if you try it out on an iPod on any other device, let us know.

Via Gizmodo

Amazon.com is gearing up to release its Kindle E-Book Reader on Monday. Seiko Epson is readying their E-Book reader and we’ve also heard news recently from CyBook. Of course not a week goes by without hearing about Sony’s reader. There is obviously a market here, but I’m not in it for a couple of reasons. I’d rather read E-Books on mobile devices that can do more than just be a reader (although some of these devices have other functions.) And, I’ve moved away from E-Books just because for one reason or the other I keep falling victim to the DRM schemes that are there to protect copyright. It’s a big turn-off to find myself with time on my hands, wanting to read a chapter or two, and then discovering I’ve got to re-activate, and be on-line, in order to do so.

I still think there is a real market there, but I think there has to be a better way to make the content more easily and readily accessible. Maybe Amazon will change that.

Check out this PBS video of pianist Christopher O'Riley playing at Carnegie Hall with three children in "From the Top". From what I can tell, he's using a Toshiba Tablet PC. Very cool! I like how he flips the screen around so the keyboard part is in the back. I do that quite a bit to take notes and make presentations.

Thanks to Hugh Sung for the link, who is quite known in these circles for evangelizing the music community with the power and flexibility of a Tablet PC.

I just got an email notification from the Microsoft Zune team that the updated Zune software will be hitting on November 13th for all of us Zune 1.0 owners. Here are more details

Beginning November 13, Zune® will be providing service and software updates for your device and your PC. The updates will be automatic, but you'll need to accept the terms of service in order to receive the latest features.

• Wireless sync
• Extended wireless sharing
• New innovative touch controls
• A built-in FM tuner
• Recorded television content to go
• And more…

Over at the Origami Project forums Kurt has an interesting blog post on how to use an Ultra Mobile PC to listen to Internet radio. The post covers everything from streaming to Codecs, to how to optimize your UMPC for listening. So if you’re looking to turn your UMPC into a portable radio you might want to check this out.

Via UltraMobile PC Tips

Talk of Mobile media and Mobile entertainment these days on the pages of GottaBeMoible.com (and elsewhere) usually centers around Apple’s iPhone and iPod Touch, the Zune, and what you can do with media on UMPCs using either the Origami Experience or Windows Media Center. But there are other mobile solutions out there that offer some intriguing alternatives.

I came across this review on ArsGeek yesterday of the Archos 605 WiFi Portable Media Player. The reviewer certainly seems to be in love with this portable media player, and from the review there looks to be good reason. While he takes pains to point out that there are a number of different options that will add even more functionality for more bucks, he also points out that the Archos offers you most of the functionality, if not more in some cases, than the players that get all the attention. And the base price is comes in around the $279 mark depending on which configuration you buy.

Speaking of configurations, the Archos 605 comes in a number of sizes (4GB Flash up to 160GB HD) and has a touch screen, and of course as the name suggests it allows you to connect via WiFi. You can browse the web, albeit with a Opera browser plug-in that costs you extra.

The review points out a lot of pros and cons, but what intrigues me is that these devices seem to be a little bit under the radar compared to the ones we usually hear about that are tied to their respective services.

Check out the review for more.

I’ve never heard of WebGuide before. It is a web based add-on for Media Center that allows you to control your Media Center remotely over the web. In this video jkkmobile demonstrates WebGuide on a UMPC. And guess what? The add-on is free.

In the wake of competition from Amazon.com and WalMart, Apple changed its tune on pricing for iTunes Plus music. iTunes Plus offered DRM-free music and higher quality audio files for $1.29 a song versus the $.99 price for those encumbered with copy protection. Now Apple is offering the Plus catalog (which now includes more Indie music) for $.99. At the moment, the only DRM-free music available on iTunes beyond the Indie selections are from the EMI label.

No word yet on how this affects the upgrade process that was put in place for those wanting to upgrade to the new format.

Via The Wall St. Journal

Want to create a tune or two while you are on the road? Steve “Chippy” Paine gives mobile music creation a go on the Raon Digital Everun and shows that it is more than possible on that mobile device.