Zune

Microsoft may be thinking of hitting the market with its own Windows 8-branded tablet by the end of 2012, according to sources cited by Taiwan's DigiTimes.

If the rumor eventually holds true, the company would create the tablet by partnering with Texas Instruments and various Taiwanese equipment manufacturers to supply the hardware.

In response to CNET's request for comment on the matter, a Microsoft spokesperson said that "we have nothing more to share at this time."

The new tablet reportedly would borrow Microsoft's branding strategies from such products as the hugely successful Xbox 360, the … Read more

As Amazon, Google, and Apple appear to be leading digital music in the direction of the cloud, it seems a good time to look back at some of the most influential online music services of the past.

Some people might argue that the modern digital music era started with the launch of iTunes. Others will say the birth of Napster kicked it off. The truth is two years before Napster launched in 2000, there were plenty of companies jockeying for dominance in online CD sales as well as downloads.

They were competing in nascent Internet radio or trying to create … Read more

Back on March 14, Microsoft confirmed plans to discontinue making its Zune player, a device that arrived a little too late to be a successful challenger to Apple's iPod, but nonetheless had plenty of fans. At least enough that Microsoft still sees value in the brand and platform.

According to a statement issued to CNET by a Microsoft representative, it's "absolutely committed to providing the best movies, music, and TV show experiences through Zune on Xbox, the PC, Windows Phone 7, and Zune devices."

It was that last part about Zune devices that got me. While on the surface it could be read as "Microsoft is not going to leave Zune player owners out in the cold," it also left me wondering if a Zune tablet might be in the works. And I'm not talking about tablets from other manufacturers running a Windows OS. I mean a Zune tablet.

But, like the Zune player, is it too late for Microsoft to get in and become a leader in the category instead of a footnote? I don't think so, but it'll have to act fast. Here's what it would take to make a solid entry in the category. … Read more

There's been a rumor floating around this month that Amazon might be considering making Kindles available for free to Prime members sometime this year. Few words in the English language have a bigger fan base than "free," and as a fanboy of all things gratis myself, it seemed only natural to compile this list of other devices that could or should be complimentary some day in the near future. Click through our gallery and please feel free to concur, rebut, or add your own suggestions in the comments section.

… Read more

Apple's iPad 2 dominates the tech news headlines, even down here in Austin. America is sold out of iPads, and we're at least partly to blame. Also, no NFC for your iPhone anytime soon, Facebook gets into the Groupon game, Brian Tong and Cheezburger CEO Ben Huh compare watches, and how to carve hair into a 640-pound block of cheese. All from the Salt Lick BBQ wine cellar, the best place to have a wedding I ever did see. --Molly

Links from Tuesday's episode of Loaded:

Microsoft is said to be scrapping the Zune player, but not the Zune brand.

Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile follow AT&T's lead and drop some or all charges for calls and texts to Japanese, or connected to earthquake relief.

AT&T is about to set broadband data caps for U-verse customers.

Yahoo adds Facebook chat to its Yahoo Mail client.

AOL and T-Mobile launch Play by AOL Music for Android to stream music to your mobile phone.

T-Mobile announces a 10GB per month data plan that does not come cheap.… Read more

Reports of Zune's death may not have been greatly exaggerated.

Citing a source familiar with the decision, a Bloomberg report this afternoon echoes rumors from mid-February, saying that Microsoft plans to discontinue making its Zune player. The Zune brand, however, will live on as media player software on Windows Phone 7, and on the Xbox 360, Bloomberg says.

The apparent reason for the shelving of the device is "tepid demand."

A Microsoft representative issued the following statement to CNET:

"We're absolutely committed to providing the best movies, music, and TV show experiences through Zune on … Read more

In the news today, Apple's subscription rules raise hackles among developers, us, and possibly the Justice Department; meanwhile, Verizon iPhone sales appear to disappoint. Is Apple having a bad day? It's probably just solar flares. Also, the Motorola Xoom price is announced: not that bad. Nokia delays its Windows-based phones to sometime after October: very bad. Worse, even. And we're getting pretty worried about Anonymous, the Internet's own unstoppable secret police. Maybe Watson can save us. --Molly

Every once in a while the Microsoft news world (us included) goes into a tizzy over the imminent death of Zune, the entertainment platform that initially launched around an MP3 competitor designed to take on Apple's iPod, and that has since gone on to become the brand and software music experiences found inside the Xbox 360 and Windows Phone 7.

The reasoning behind these arguments typically centers around a combination of sales, device iteration, and software updates. The MP3 player never quite went on to offer the iPod a challenge in market share as Microsoft had seemingly intended when … Read more