Microsoft's new Zunes have been tested and should have the same audio performance as their equivalent iPod models but run lower in terms of video, according to an update from Zune marketer Cesar Menendez. Both the Zune 4 and Zune 8 flash players will manage up to 24 hours of continuous music playback using 128Kbps Windows Media files, but a shorte...

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Microsoft sees the youthful audience for the Zune wireless-sharing MP3 player (which allows music sharing for three days or three plays, then gives users a chance to buy it) and associated downloading service as more than just a target market, said industry analysts: It also sees it as an ally in its quest to topple the king-of-the-hill Apple iPod/iTunes.

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72andSunny and Goldfrapp give us Meltdown for the Zune. It takes place in the desert with an ice cream cone and two cobras, which share the sweet instead of fighting for it. At some point their scales get all...

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Anyways, I’ve seen a good amount of speculation about a blue Zune - with lots of folks taking it with a grain of salt. That’s a good call.

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Microsoft could be preparing one last special color for the Zune before it’s replaced with a new model, an image in Target’s weekly flyer suggests. The September 9-15 issue of the ad shows a cobalt-like blue version of the 30GB player in the same design as previous models, complete with a lighter blue double-shot trim similar to the black model.

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ZuneBoards has achieved the feat of getting the Zune to support Korean and Chinese languages, using a hack that could open the door for many new interesting hacks for the thoroughly uninteresting player.

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A guide to the leading DRM systems, designed to protect both music and film, which have been cracked.

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The ongoing game of cat and mouse played out between industry and hackers over Digital Rights Management technology.

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"Halo 3" is turning into a merchandising machine. ... Microsoft has come out with the Halo 3 Zune, its portable music player. In addition to the original black version, Microsoft said last week that it's releasing a limited Zune Halo 3 Military Edition, in brown, to be sold at a discount to U.S. military personnel at Navy and Marine Corps commissaries and other military retail outlets.

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You've probably got home videos stored on your computer. And video is proliferating on the Internet. You can download movies, television shows and more online.

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