May 16, 2007 | Filed Under Community News, News, community, link time | No Comments
Time to share with you what’s going on in the community!
let’s go!
Zune factories in China. It think they are making Zune’s there! I would never have guessed that.
I got to see the Halo 3 Zune in person, but here is a video for it here!
find out what Craig Eisler is doing with the Zune.
On your Zune Webcast is in development!
Pics of Gates visiting his Zune kids. Who cares? Some people LOVE Gates, what cha’ gonna do.
January 26, 2007 | Filed Under Community News, News, Zune Community Interviews, community | 2 Comments
If you havent noticed, I am pushing to have an interview every Friday. So far im in a roll! This week we have Harvey from Zunerama.com. Find out more about his startings, the site and whats to come, here on G! True Zune stories! ( jokes jokes)
Tell us a bit about yourself?
Sure! I grew up in a small town in British Columbia, and went to university in Vancouver, BC. I live in Bellingham, Washington which is about 100 miles north of Seattle. I’m married and have three daughters:16, 9 and 9. My “real job” is as a project manager and systems analyst, primarily for state government computer systems.
Wow, big title! how can you fit that into a business card?! How did you first hear about the zune?
Well, I had heard vague news stories about Microsoft’s digital player project early last year. I have always been an admirer of Apple and iPod, and I thought what an interesting battle this could be, if a company with the reach and depth of Microsoft took a serious run at this. It was intriguing, because I’m crazy about gadgets - and technology in general.
Since when has Zunerama been around and why did you want to make a site?
I started the site in July, a few days after the Zune name was revealed. I really had no grand plan for the site at that time, but thought it would be a fun outlet for my interest in technology and music. I also knew I
would get a lot of personal satisfaction out of running a daily blog. I appreciate tight writing, and enjoy the challenge of crafting original material that is hopefully interesting or, on a good day, maybe even compelling.
Another interest I have is photography, and the site has also become an outlet for that. I post a lot of pictures in my accessory reviews and other pages in the site.
What is currently playing on your Zune?
I have a lot of new stuff now, thanks to my Zune Pass! I had never been exposed much to Leonard Cohen, and recently downloaded several of his old albums. A friend just introduced me to Joe Satriani; I’m listening to some
of his earlier albums now and his guitar playing is amazing. I have a lot of classic rock. I’ve recently rediscovered Van Morrison; love that stuff. Some current country too - I like the Dixie Chick’s latest album, and Carrie Underwood’s too. My wife got me started listening to those. Bob Seger, Bruce Springsteen, Bruce Cockburn, and Bonnie Raitt are some others rattling around in my playlists.
I have observed your family is very involved with the Zune! who else have
you shown the zune experience to? Reactions?
Yes, it has been wonderful having my family involved with Zunerama. They’ve been willing models for me in a lot of the pictures that I’ve run, and each of my three girls has conducted video reviews of Zune accessories.
Outside my family, I do of course talk up Zune with friends, other family members, and people I work with. Most of them had negative ideas about Zune based on the media reports out there, and are pleasantly delighted when they actually get a chance to play with one.
What does Zunerama offer to the community?
You know, I am so indebted to our 2,000 members that I would have to turn that question around. It’s our community that has offered so much to Zunerama, with their curiosity, ingenuity, and humor that have added so much to the site. Zunerama itself offers many resources that are in line with the goal of being a one-stop center for Zune owners. This includes a comprehensive FAQ - it’s database-driven and searchable, and we keep it up to date. We have a Zune documentation library. We create and publish detailed accessory reviews - photo reviews as well as video reviews. The daily blog, of course - it has an archive of over 150 stories. Tutorials and How-To pages. A buyer’s guide, and an online store. A giveaways board, where we’ve given away over sixty Zune accessories to our members, in various contests and giveaways.
Another thing I have tried to do is to have a real voice and presence throughout the site. When I started the forums, I didn’t want to be an absentee landlord; I wanted to be part of the community. I really enjoy the interaction, and particularly like helping new Zuners when they have troubleshooting needs. I’ve got great moderators too (you being one of them!), and we are all consistent in our belief that everybody should be treated courteously and respectfully in the forums. We make a point of being noob-friendly, while still addressing the needs for our more experienced users.
I feel pretty good about the info we have available for Zune users. That being said, I have a notebook full of plans I have for the site. I can see so many ways that I want to expand it, to be more helpful and useful for
our members. I think with the momentum the site has, I have an opportunity to really provide a unique resource center for Zune owners. I want it to be the best it can possibly be.
Highlights of past year?
The site started small back in July, and at first I was basically writing for my own enjoyment. We had some big days early on, that helped establish Zunerama as a credible Zune site. This included being the first site to publish a Zune vs Video iPod comparison chart (the day that the 30GB video iPod was announced); and the first site to publish the dimensions and weight of the Zune player. Other highlights include getting to know some of our regular forum members, and meeting some members of Microsoft’s Zune team. The Zune preview events in Los Angeles and Seattle were very exciting.
Accessory makers have really supported the site; our partnerships with them have been great, for giveaways and promotions. I really appreciate that, and they seem to get a lot out of having the exposure to our community.
It has been really rewarding to see the site grow. Since Christmas the site has had over 3,000 unique visitors each day, and we recently recorded our one millionth page view. It’s amazing to me, and nice to see it continuing to grow each month.
what is in store for Zunerama this year?
One major thing that I haven’t announced before (here’s a scoop for ya!) is Zunerama’s Zune Guide. This is a picture-filled owner’s manual for Zune owners, and includes both a primer for new users, and advanced tips and
techniques for experienced users. I’m really excited about it. I’ve been working on it for several weeks. It’ll be a free download from Zunerama.com.
I also expect our “Recommended by Zunerama” program to grow. As we publish review of Zune accessories, we give our “Recommended” designation to selected accessories, which the manufacturers can then note on their sites.
I’ve got other plans for the site - lots of improvements and new features -that’ll roll out over the course of the year. And, of course… more giveaways!!
January 19, 2007 | Filed Under Community News, News, Uncategorized, issues | No Comments
Zunerama posted an article about this issues. He tried to send songs to his Wife’s Zune and 29 out of the 50 songs were sent. Mind you these where all bought at the Zune Marketplace. This is not an unknown issue. I have come across this as well. I just did not know if it was an issue at all. I have a bunch of songs from my CD’S which are not protected. I sent countless songs that where not protected. The first time i tried to send my boyfriend a song i had just downloaded on the Marketplace, I said it was not able to be sent because right restrictions. I just figured you where not able to send songs with restrictions.
Some tips :
More content providers need to get with the program. Labels need to embrace wireless sharing. With the Zune’s copy protection controls, any perceived risks are surely outweighed by the benefits of sharing as an easy way to get music spread around to potential buyers.
Songs that can’t be shared wirelessly should be flagged. This really should be addressed through a firmware update. As it is now, users go through wireless negotiation - searching for nearby Zunes, sending a “send music” message, having the other Zune accept the send - without knowing until that point whether the song can be sent. An upfront warning message is needed, along the lines of: “One or more of the songs you’ve selected can’t be sent wirelessly. Continue?”.
You can read more at Zunerama
