11-18-2008, 05:00 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Zune 3.1 Firmware and Software Released Today
<p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/zt/auto/1227022699.usr1.jpg" border="1" /></p><p>Today, the Zune 3.1 release come out - and for a .1 release, it's looking pretty big! The most obvious change is that there are now <a href="http://www.zune.net/en-us/discover/games/default.htm" target="_blank">three new games</a>, bringing the total to five. There are three new games - Checkers, Sudoku, and Space Battle - along with a multi-player enhancement to Texas Hold 'Em. The three new games, and their descriptions are as follows:</p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/zt/auto/1227023331.usr1.jpg" border="1" /></p><p><strong>Checkers:</strong> <em>"Checkers - the eternal strategy challenge you can learn in minutes and play for life. Play the classic game or try suicide mode, in which the first to lose all their pieces wins."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/zt/auto/1227023389.usr1.jpg" border="1" /></p><p><strong>SuDoKu:</strong> <em>"Solve Sudoku by filling in all nine rows and columns with the numerals 1 through 9. Each numeral can only be placed once in a given row or column. Play the classic 9×9 or a quick 6×6 game."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/zt/auto/1227023435.usr1.jpg" border="1" /></p><p><strong>Space Battle:</strong> <em>"Survive as long as you can against increasingly aggressive waves of alien attackers! Customize your ship and add weapons to your armory as you progress through the game."</em></p><p><img src="http://images.thoughtsmedia.com/resizer/thumbs/size/600/zt/auto/1227023498.usr1.jpg" border="1" /></p><p>Texas Hold 'Em is enhanced with new multiplayer optons. I don't have any details about this, but I presume it's for local WiFi play with nearby Zunes. There are also new single-player difficulty levels for you Texas Hold 'Em pros out there.</p><p>Other enhancements with this 3.1 release include:</p><ul><li>Zune Social enhancements include a visual refresh to make things easier to navigate, and a new feature called "Like Minded Listeners" that will let you see how compatible your music tastes are with friends and other listeners.</li><li>There's improved stability and performance in both the device firmware and desktop software. One the device they've improved the play count reporting and content synchronization, especially channels and wireless purchases from the device. The device side firmware should also eliminate some of the lag we sometimes see.</li></ul><p>Want to snag this 3.1 release? Just sync your Zune and sometime within the next few hours you should see the 3.1 update pop up. Enjoy, and let us know what you think!</p>
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11-18-2008, 05:31 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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All the software updates are live, so you should be seeing 3.1 come your way...damn the device update is taking a long time though!  |
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11-18-2008, 06:15 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
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How do these Zune updates normally go? I come from the Windows Mobile side of things, and updating ActiveSync, WMDC and/or the ROM on the device are best left to days when you have 3-4 hrs to trouble-shoot, curse, perform system restores and all manner of upgrade nightmares.
When I got my Zune 8, it must have had 2.x on it and the upgrade to 3.0 was pleasant, but I had no data on the device, no DRM lock with Audible or anything else to get munged. Is it pretty painless, or should I refuse the upgrade until the weekend when I have time to deal with it?
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11-18-2008, 06:20 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 30
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Awesome... too bad I'm at work. Will have to wait till I get home.
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11-18-2008, 06:21 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
How do these Zune updates normally go?
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They're on par with the iPhone/iPod update experience, as in, the exact opposite of the way it works in the Windows Mobile world.
The upgrade takes about 4 minutes, give or take, and after the update everything should be as it was previously. It just works. 
Oh yeah...and I'm listening to music with the Zune desktop software while it runs the update. Slick.  |
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11-18-2008, 07:01 PM
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Pupil
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 26
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Awesome. Man I love how the entire Zune lineup gets the new functionality.
Jason, send Ian a short rundown of the update to include on the next "Media Center Show"
Love his show and you always do a great job explaining the Zune world
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11-18-2008, 07:10 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,053
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Can't wait till I get home!
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11-18-2008, 10:12 PM
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Banned
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 372
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and still no UNICODE support. they could figure out how to cram 3 more games on there, but they couldn't provide a simple font or two for asian characters.
keeping failing MS.
Last edited by inteller; 11-18-2008 at 10:14 PM..
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11-18-2008, 10:54 PM
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Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Sep 2006
Posts: 1,053
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I'm surprised it took you this long to complain. 
Honestly, I can't imagine MS would even think about this until it launches outside of the US & Canada |
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11-18-2008, 10:57 PM
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Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
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Quote:
Originally Posted by David Tucker
Honestly, I can't imagine MS would even think about this until it launches outside of the US & Canada
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Well, FWIW, I'm bringing up with issue with them on a regular basis - it has very little to do with launching other countries, and everything to do with supporting the needs of users in the US and Canada who happen to have content in Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc. That's a big group of people and the Zune team is doing them a huge disservice by ignoring them. |
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