Archive for apps

New Zune Apps Leaked By Developer?

Microsoft

Our sister site ZuneBoards noticed a tweet from 2PlayMobile, who claims to have been contracted by Microsoft to develop new apps for the Zune HD. While the tweet only mentions two new games, their website, which has since been updated, referenced three titles: Bug Splatter, Tuginator, and Young Ninja. Next to nothing is known about these games, but ZuneBoards has a few theories.

Microsoft has continued to release new apps on a regular basis since the launch of the Zune HD on September 15, 2009. The most recent wave hit the Marketplace less than two weeks ago. It is unknown when, if ever, these games will be released, but it’s nice to know that Microsoft continues to support such a great device.

Source: ZuneBoards

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Patiently Waiting for Zune Apps, In the meantime…

Microsoft

In the Zune HD forums there are some frustrated Zune HD users patiently waiting for more Zune applications. I do sympathize with them since it is a little bit disparaging having such a powerful Nvidia Tegra device being limited by application releases. In the thread, Microsoft’s DaveMac-MS cannot yet offer a time table for app releases but does offer this:
“I’ll be able to tell you more about the Twitter and Facebook apps once they’re out – in the meantime, there are a number of cogs in this wheel and we’d rather stick to a quality-driven release schedule, than a date-driven one.”

The important piece of info here is “quality-driven”. The time frame is no doubt frustrating and no excuses should be made for the slow release but it is good to hear that time is being spent to get it right the first time. Too many devices recently have been rushed to store shelf unfinished and buggy. Recent examples: Archos 5, Motorola Droid, Creative Zen X-Fi2. It’s a sad trend in the device industry we see way too often.

No information on upcoming apps for the Zune HD is available at this time, but in the mean time you can check out some demo’s and proof of concepts currently being made Zune enthusiast Roguemat to get an idea of what is to come.

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abi Editor's Choice

SanDisk Sansa Clip+

The Clip+ has a fantastic little form factor; somewhat cheap in build quality but very rugged. The interface is simple and relatively straightforward. The features on the Clip are more or less average, however it supports the alternative Rockbox firmware which provides tons of additional options (gapless playback, Replaygain, playlists, Last.fm scrobbling, etc). Read the full review or go ahead and buy it.
Cowon J3

The J3 is a fantastic PMP with a very nice AMOLED screen and tons of features. It sports Cowon's trademark BBE sound enhancements, and offers a customizable user interface with strong support by our user community. You can usually find it at Amazon for the best price - and don't forget to check out our review.
Microsoft Zune HD

Sure, many of us are not big fans of the walled garden, but there are a lot of great things going on with the Zune: sturdy hardware, ultra easy to use user interface, and a media player that is worthy of Editor’s Choice. You can check out our Zune HD review or stop by our Zune forums for the latest info and gossip.
Phonak Audéo PFE

Phonak Audéo PFE offer outstanding clarity and precision; natural, dynamic mids and treble, and decent bass for a single armature in-ear phone. They handle dense, complex music very well. The PFE work well with most acoustic and some electronic music genres, but bassheads might have to look at other alternatives. They're great for sports as well, since they fit very securely. Check out our review.
Hippo VB

The Hippo VB (Variable Bass) offers a serious subwoofer for on the go, right in your head. They don’t just deliver generous quantities of punchy, textured bass, but good audio quality over the whole frequency range with decent clarity and exceptional soundstage. Exchangeable bass ports let you customize their sound to your liking. Read our in-depth Hippo VB review.
Soundmagic E10 / E30

The Soundmagic E10 and E30 are basically right in the middle between the Phonak PFE and Hippo VB - not too analytical sounding, not too bass heavy. The E10 provide a bit more bass, the E30 a bit more clarity. Both come with a very fair price tag considering the sound quality they deliver - a great choice for the audio aficionado on a budget. Read our E10 and E30 reviews for more info.