Archive for October, 2007

Today we’re announcing the retail availability of new accessories for Zune, both first and third party. You can get the full press release here, but I’ll just sum up the high points:

• We’re working directly with 23 accessory partners. 




• The list of licensed Zune accessory partners: Agent 18, Altec Lansing Technologies Inc., Belkin International Inc., Case-mate, Digital Lifestyle Outfitters (DLO), Directed Electronics Inc. (Polk Audio), Digital Products International Inc., Dual Electronics Corp., GPX, Griffin Technology Inc., Golla, iHome, Incipio Technologies, Integrated Mobile Electronics Corp., Kicker, mStation Corp., Memorex Electronics, Monster Cable Products Inc., Skinit, Speck, Targus Group International Inc., VAF Research and Vaja Corp.


• New Zune accessories from partners include:




• Speaker docks from Altec Lansing, iHome, and Kicker


• Cases from Belkin, Case-mate, DLO, Incipio and Speck


• Cables, FM transmitters and car kits from Belkin, DLO, Monster and Kicker


• These 8 new Zune accesories are available from Microsoft this fall:  




• The Zune Home A/V Pack. Power your home stereo with your Zune. Pack includes Home Dock with three faceplates to accommodate each Zune device, a wireless remote, an AC adapter and composite audio-video output cable. (ERP $99.99)


• Zune Dock Pack. Give your Zune a convenient home when it’s connected to your computer or charging. Home Dock with three faceplates to accommodate each Zune device and AC adapter. (ERP $49.99)


• Zune Car Pack. Take your music with you on the road. Redesigned FM transmitter/charger and dashboard grip pad. (ERP $79.99)


• Zune Cable Pack. Get connected to your computer, your stereo or your TV. Sync cable, composite AV output cable and audio cable. (ERP $39.99)


• Zune Premium Headphones. Take your listening experience up a notch with these high-quality headphones. Included with the Zune 80GB device. (ERP $39.99)


• Zune Leather Case. Dress for success and protect your Zune in the process. (ERP $39.99 and $49.99)


• Zune Sync Cable (ERP $19.99)


• Zune AC Adapter (ERP $29.99) 

A quick snapshot:

 
You can view more images at the accessories page on Zune.net

There are still some details emerging on the new Zune players as we approach the November 13th introduction (I can’t wait, can you?). One relates to the double shot effect. This is the cool lighter color that lights up along…

That’s good news! If you’re a Zune marketplace customer (and you are, don’t you?), you’ll be happy to know that it looks like album arts from the Zune marketplace are being replaced with album arts of at least 800×800 pixels….

Lots of folks have asked me “hey, what happened to the double-shot?” Short answer: we still have a double-shot, but this year’s implementation is different from last year’s.

For the long answer, I checked with our design team - here’s what I heard back from Steve Kaneko, our design director. Here’s what he told me:

We have maintained the double-shot plastic for this year’s devices. The surprise this year is that we used a light inside color and a tinted outside shot that carries the hue.  The effect of the new double-shot: darkening the edges instead of lightening them (like last year’s treatment).  We think this not only creates an interesting colored bottle effect, but it also give the colors more range.  So depending on your lighting situation, you will see the colors move to being more or less vibrant.  This effect is most obvious with the red unit between inside and outside lighting conditions. 

We also decided to use a metal back, so as to ensure we reduce the thickness of the overall device, making it a bit easier to carry around.  This effect, along with the matte finish, extends our line of low maintenance, smudge resistant products. However, with the Red Zune 4GB and Zune 8 GB, we made an exception and went with a glossy finish. These, quite frankly, needed to be glossy and luscious in color.

Curious, I asked why the design team chose to go with a glossy finish for the new Red Zune 4, and Zune 8:

As a design team, we need to be able to make decisions like going with glossy vs matte for red, doing what’s right for the appeal of the color, vs locking  ourselves into an inflexible and rigid design philosophy.

So there you have it. Hope everybody had a great weekend!

You know what’s awesome? Free cupcakes. You know what else is awesome? Free music for your Zune. Ready?

• First up this week, Dodge at MOKB posts an MP3 from Spoon and one from Galactic feat. Lyrics Born.


• Forepac Sam has a track by Sam Cooke (one of my favorite artists).


• If you’re in a dancing mood, like remixes, and like awesome, you’re in luck: Stereogum has a remix of D.A.N.C.E.


• Music for Robots has a cool remix of the Rapture.


• And Chromewaves has a Johnossi MP3 and one from Shout Out Louds. Sweet.


• Representing Ballard, WA (awesome) Kate Tucker & The Sons Of Sweden has an MP3 posted by Jax from Rockinsider


• Fans of IDM, go check out this Ben Benjamin track at scissorkick. And if you don’t know what IDM is, go check out this Ben Benjamin track at scissorkick


• Prefix has Giant Drag covering Madonna. Um. . . well. . . um.


• Arjan Writes says: “It is dark and obscure. It is powerful and uplifting. It is InnerPartySystem’s “Don’t Stop.” Go get it here.


• Spinner has five MP3s for you. Sweet.


• 3Hive posts a John K Samson mp3, saying “Samson is like our own (Canadian) Woody Guthrie, a social activist lyric genius.”


• GorillavsBear drops 3 MP3s from a couple of promising Montreal Bands.


• And last but certainly not not-awesome, You Ain’t No Picasso posts an LCD Soundsystem track.

Ok friends, enjoy the free music and have a great weekend!