Incipio Leather Flip Case for Zune 80/120 GB

(Black)

Incipio Leather Flip Case for Zune 80/120 GB (Black)

DLO Action Jacket Armband Case for Zune

30 GB (Black)

Includes Armband and Belt Clip

Invisible Shield Classic Shield Case for Zune

80/120 GB (Clear)

Belkin Acrylic Case with Kickstand for Zune 80/120

GB (Clear)

The Belkin Remix Acrylic Case for Zune offers:

Speck Dragon Toughskin Rubberized Case

for Zune 80/120

GB (Black)Fits 80GB Zune Portable Media Player exclusively

If there is anything you should know about Microsoft products like the Zune, it’s that you should download Zune updates so that your device will work in the best condition possible.  Zune update is a basically a download that will improve the firmware of the player.  Firmware is a computer program that is embedded in a hardware device, the hardware in this case being the Zune.  It is something between hardware and firmware and it can be upgraded so that it performs much better.  Firmware updates are similar to those found in many recent cellular phones as well.

How Do I know What Firmware My Zune Has?

The Basic – Every Zune unit has a basic firmware out of the box and the very first firmware was version 1.0 (193).  This is the original firmware that the Zune device had when installed in the factory for the 30 GB series.  This firmware of course was with the first generation of Zune players and the newest is now an 80 GB manifestation so it has a more advanced firmware.  To know what kind of firmware your Zune has you can do the following:

- On the Zune Home screen, select settings, and press the center of the Zune pad. – Select About, and press the center button. – Select Zune, and press the center button.

After following those steps, the firmware version should be displayed on the screen and then you can determine whether or not you need a firmware upgrade by visiting the Microsoft website to check if there are any upgrades available.

What Version Firmware Is Available So Far?

The nice thing about Microsoft is that you can actually trace the firmware updates for the Zune and there have been quite a few since they want consumers to get the best from the device.  Here are some of the versions that are available for the device and what the updates do to improve the devices performance:

Version 1.1 – Enabled Zune to Zune wireless sharing and improved overall performance.  The wireless feature is turned on by default in this update and can be deactivated by going to Settings / Wireless and then turning it off manually.

Version 1.2 – Helped to improve performance as well as stability of that performance.

Version 1.4 – Improved the shuffling behavior of the device.

Version 2.0 – The original factory version for the Zune 4GB, 8GB, and 80GB devices.

Version 2.1 – Improved functionality and performance, but this update was not widely distributed to Zune users.

Version 2.2 – Updated device functionality and improved performance, like helping to download Zune content better and faster over WIFI.

Version 2.3 – The latest update which still has the wireless feature on by default.

Firmware updates are anything but speedy.  It takes hardware and software developers a lot of time to develop these updates and they have to make sure that these updates will install properly on all devices sold to the end user.  This is the reason why there are not able to download Zune updates whenever they want but only when they are available.

By: Rashel Dan

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To meet this demand, SoundGate has come out with its popular Zune car adapter. There are a variety of reasons why a SoundGate Zune car adapter is a smart buy for just about everyone who owns a Zune, many of which will likely appeal to you and your music-loving friends.

First, the SoundGate Zune car adapter is great for long trips. Don’t listen to static on your radio anymore. Instead, listen to all the great music you’ve already got on your mp3 player. You’re likely to have a much wider variety of music to choose from in your Zune anyway, so you won’t have to listen to the same song twice, no matter how long your trip may be. Unless, of course, you want to.

Secondly, this adapter is particularly easy to use and install. For many cars, the SoundGate will require simple plug and play installation—all you have to do is attach your Zune to the adapter, and then attach another wire from the adapter into your car’s factory radio. These types of adapters offer a much higher quality of sound than the traditional cassette car adapters that often experience wire connection problems and fuzziness in a relatively short amount of time. The SoundGate will allow you to have the same great sound from your Zune come straight through from your car speakers.

In addition, the SoundGate Zune car adapter is compatible with a variety of cars. Just a few of these popular compatible brands will include Ford, Honda, Toyota, Mercury, and Acura. You must purchase the right SoundGate car adapter kit to fit the make and model of your vehicle; otherwise the device will not work. There are specific cables that come with the SoundGate that are vehicle-specific. There are more vehicles with which this adapter is compatible, and in order to determine whether or not your car is one of them, consult a car audio installation expert.

A seemingly simple, but incredibly important perk of the SoundGate is that it charges your mp3 player as you drive. Your long road trips won’t be cut short on music because of a dead Zune battery. And when you’re ready to get out of your car and start walking again, you can take your fully charged Zune right along with you.

There are a few things one much be aware of when purchasing a SoundGate Zune car adapter. First, it is not compatible with vehicles that are equipped with a rear DVD system. They are also not compatible with satellite-ready radios that offer access to high definition radio stations. There may be other items restricting your specific vehicle from being compatible with the SoundGate. For questions about your vehicle make and model, again, refer to a car audio installation expert.

By: Joel Mclaughlin

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If you are planning to buy a new Mp3 player and you are confused on which player to buy. Then wait and take a look at few of the benefits and features the Microsoft’s Zune player has to offer. And then decide which buy to go for.

Social Networking is the in thing these days and Microsoft is completely cashing in on these situations. Microsoft has incorporated the Zune player with the feature of sharing digital media with others who own Zune players. For this you have to turn on your player and then click on communities and then search for other Zune players in the surrounding locality. Then you can either send or receive file transfers with mutual consent.

With the purchase of a Zune player you will be able to download the software which helps you download songs from Zunes marketplace. There you will find a large variety of songs with a list of artists and also a small preview of their songs. The Zune’s 30 GB player can store upto 7,500 songs, 25,000 pictures or close to 100 hours of video. Now this gives us a lot of space to load our favorite music, videos or pictures. And believe me it is quite a bit of storage space. You cannot listen to 7500 songs in one go or can you?

The radio in the player is also really up to the mark. It shows the name of the song and lets you select and listen to your favorite radio station.

One of its best features is its wide screen. It has a 3-inch LCD screen which is quite larger when compared to other players of its kind. It comes in handy at many times, like when you are on the bike in the gym or if you are waiting for a connecting flight at an airport, during your travel and many other such situations. Your Zune player is also compatible with your TV set. You can connect it to the television and watch all that is in it and all you would need is just an audio/video cord.

I hope this article has given you a clear idea on what the Microsoft’s Zune player has to offer as a gizmo. There are more features and accessories that haven’t been covered in this write up, this was just a brief review of the Zune. I think this information will be quite enough for you to decide which player in the market would be the best buy.

By: davidthompson

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Gadget shopping could really surprise you. any item you go shopping for would surely have accessories within five feet from that particular product. All the retailers want to do is to sell as much as possible. And this is true for almost all kinds of products. The Zune is the most recent in the market of Mp3 players and has comparatively lesser accessories than an iPod.

It is the least of possibilities that you have a Microsoft Zune player but have no accessories to it, no one would believe you if you said so. I did a quick search at my local electronic store and I was surprised when I found almost a dozen different accessories to add to my Zune player. Would you need them? You might not need all of them. But what’s wrong in knowing about the accessories that can be added to your Zune player.

If you are interested to buy a few Zune accessories then just read through this. These are a few accessories I thought people would be interested in.

1. Zune Armband – a great add on when you want to walk, jog , run or even play a few games. And it also looks really cool.

2. Zune FM Transmitter – Bored of the music on the player just turn on the Zune radio transmitter and listen to the news, some other informative programme or some other kind of music. It is just another addition to your Zune you might need.

3. Zune Skins – I am not exactly sure how much you would want this. But this particular accessory can give a new look to your Zune player, it just peps up your Zune player a bit.

4. Zune Case – I think this add on should be on top of the list of priorities of accessories. You by all means would sure want this product to save your screen from any kind of damage. They have a variety of cases out there, it all depends on you what you would like to buy.

Buying accessories for your Zune can be real fun with all the possibilities and accessories available in the market. I have just spoken about a few common accessories that would help you gain fairly good knowledge on the Zune accessories.

By: burnslloyd

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Going up against the almighty Apple iPod is no easy task, but Microsoft is giving it all they got with its impressive line of Zune media players, with capacities ranging from 4GB all the way up to 120GB.

With a huge screen, excellent audio quality (complimented by outstanding earbuds), FM radio and support for multiple audio and video codecs, the Redmond, Wash.-based giants are hoping many will put the two competing products side-by-side and choose in favour of the Zune.

But if you know someone who already owns a Zune, you’re probably aware of the device’s attractive display, well-balanced audio and built-in radio, which is also great at the gym by listening to a TV broadcast. Oh, Zune owners can now “tag” a song they hear on the radio and purchase a CD-quality version at a later time (only in the U.S. at this time, however).

Here are a few things — and impressive ones at that — about the Zune you probably aren’t aware of.

1. Games and books, oh my!

The latest Zune software (version 3.0) now lets you play games while on the go. In fact, you’ll start with two freebies included with the latest downloadable firmware update: Hextic and Texas Hold ‘Em. The Zune will also let you multitask so you can play a game and listen to your favourite tunes, podcasts or an audiobook at the same time! Speaking of audiobooks, Zune owners can now sync books from the huge library of titles at audible.com or overdrive.com.

2. Sharing is good

When you’re in the same room as another Zune listener – and it doesn’t matter if they own a Flash- or hard drive-based model – you can wirelessly beam them a song you like, which the recipient can listen to up to three times on their Zune. This is a great way to be exposed to new music. No wonder why Microsoft’s tagline for the Zune is “welcome to the social.”

3. Wireless sync

iPod owners are used to connecting their player to a PC to transfer over media. For some, this can be a laborious process if it involves connecting a USB cord to the back of a computer (perhaps under a desk), and you might need to unplug an existing USB device first. So long as you have a wireless network, you can automatically synchronize your Zune player with your PC when you step in the door.

4. It’s in the cards

On the free Zune Social, which is Zune’s online music community, you can easily create and customize a Zune Card. What’s that, you ask? No, these aren’t Zune-branded playing cards. These online cards can be embedded on various social networking sites, such as Facebook, as well as blogs or other websites, where it will automatically update to show others what they are listening to.

5. X(box) marks the spot

Xbox 360 owners who want to change up their favourite video game’s soundtrack can play their own music stored on a connected Zune – whether it’s by attaching the media player to the console via its USB cord (included) or if you have a Wi-Fi network and a Xbox 360 wireless network adaptor, you can wirelessly configure your Zune to play on your Xbox 360 (as a soundtrack or simply to use your TV/stereo speakers).

6. All the music you can handle

While it’’s not available in Canada – yet – the Zune Marketplace is the online store to purchase music for your Zune player. Sure, you can download tracks one at a time, as you can with Apple’s iTunes, but this service also offers something called a Zune Pass ($15/month) which lets you fill up your Zune to the max with thousands of songs. In other words, you choose whether you want to consume your tunes a la carte or in an all-you-can-eat buffet style!

By: Rizky Permana

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