Ten techs for the digital living room

The digital living room is finally becoming a reality for millions of people as technologies become cheaper and easier to use.

Here, the BBC News website picks some of the key technologies on offer at the Consumer Electronics Show for grabbing, watching and listening to music, television and films anytime and anywhere in the home.

A TOUR AROUND THE DIGITAL HOME

Digital home

Many of the technologies on show at CES are designed to live alongside people in their homes or make a house easier to manage.

Network control panels, TVs linked throughout the house - is this the digital home of the future?

BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones took a tour of type of house we could soon be living in in the digital age.

Home servers are now affordable

As the prices of storage has tumbled home server technology has become a practical reality.

The boxes are often designed to be tucked away under the stairs and can hold terabytes of data.

The networked devices can be used to store movie, film and music downloads that can be accessed by any computer on the home network.

On display at CES were boxes from Promise Technology and Buffalo. Some come packaged with media players that can be plugged into the TV to access the content directly.

Microsoft is also pushing its Home Server software at the show. The program allows users to backup and store files from multiple machines on to a home server.

The centrally stored content can then be accessed by any networked machine anywhere in the house or in the world.

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The device includes a remote control

For those people baffled by home networking, companies like SanDisk have come up with a solution for moving TV around the home.

The firm's Sansa Take TV looks like a USB memory stick but also includes an infra red remote and media player.

Downloaded files can be dragged and dropped on to the device from a PC.

The 4GB or 8GB gadgets can then be plugged into a cradle that connects directly to the television.

The remote control allows the user to browse and watch files.

Like other hardware manufacturers SanDisk has struck content deals with film and TV studios.

Programmes for the mini media player can be downloaded from the company's website Fanfare.

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The alliance aims to make the digital living room a reality

One problem with the digital future is that there are so many different wireless standards and proprietary systems that many devices are incompatible.

But now a consortium of companies hopes to change that.

The Digital Living Network Alliance (DNLA) is made up of more than 250 companies and is trying to standardise wireless and wired networking.

Products that are certified by DLNA will communicate and share content with each other regardless of who made them.

A DLNA certified camera for example will automatically be able to talk to a certified television, printer, picture frame or media player.

Already there are products from the likes of Sony, Nokia and JVC that conform to the standards.

The alliance is also trying to negotiate standards for digital rights management (DRM) systems so that copyrighted content can be moved between different devices.

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The viewer can watch Tv and download real time feeds

Smart televisions that connect directly to the internet were on display at CES.

Sharp for example showed off a range of televisions that have an Ethernet port on the rear.

The televisions connect directly to a service the firm has called AQUOSnet.

The facility allows users to download widgets that appear as small windows at the side of the screen that can display sports scores or weather information, for example.

Sharp says it will also offer customer support over the internet link.

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The device plugs into a hi-fi system

For those people who want to listen to music through a stereo but have a large music collection stored on their PC, help is at hand.

The Slim Squeezebox has offered a solution for a number of years.

Now owned by Logitech the firm's latest offering is the Squeezebox Duet, a device that plugs into a standard hi-fi.

The wireless box automatically detects music stored on networked computers and allows it to be played through the stereo.

A remote control with an LCD display allows users to browse their music collection using a scroll wheel. It can be used with multiple receivers.

The box also allows users to tune in to internet radio providers such as Rhapsody and Pandora.

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Projectors are becoming smarter

For those people that want a big screen experience without splashing out on a large screen television, projectors offer one solution.

At this year's CES, Toshiba showed off its latest wireless projector.

The device is able to create a massive 60in image from less than one metre away for a wall.

It can project a bright 120in image from less than two metres away.

As it is wireless, it can pick up streaming content from a networked PC and also has inputs that allow it to connect to an Xbox 360 or DVD player.

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3D TV can have other uses

With more and more choice of television and films, conflicts over what to watch on the living room TV naturally arise.

But dual screen TVs could offer a solution.

At this year's show, Samsung showed off a 3D plasma television that used polarised glasses.

And, according to the company, the same system could be used to show different images to different people at the same time.

The drawback is that both would have to wear spectacles to watch their favourite show.

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Universal remotes do away with clunky keyboards

As the PC moves into the living room and connects to the TV, manufacturers are looking to do away with the clunky keyboard and mouse normally used to control them.

One product that allows users to do this is the Logitech diNovo Mini, a handheld keyboard and remote.

The palm sized clamshell device has a backlit keyboard, so that it can be used in the dark, and media control keys.

A circular touchpad can also be used as a cursor for navigating through menus.

The device uses Bluetooth to control the action from up to 10m away and comes complete with rechargeable batteries.

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Digital picture frames are becoming more affordable

On of the problems with digital photography is that to display them around the home, a person would need to print out the image.

But increasingly the humble picture frame is going digital and becoming smarter.

At this year's CES there were frames with slots for memory cards; wireless frames that would stream pictures from the nearest networked PC and others that contained near field communication (NFC) technologies.

If the user had snapped a picture on their mobile phone it could be instantly uploaded to the frame by putting the two in range of each other.

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The Life Wall is a prototype

Although probably still many years away from commercial televisions, several companies are starting to talk about facial recognition for the living room,

Panasonic showed off its Life wall - a huge interactive display - which incorporated the technology for what it called "stay-with-me-TV".

The technology would use facial recognition to follow a persons movement around the room and optimise the size of the display depending on their position and distance from the screen.

Other companies, such as Sony, talked about using the technology to automatically switch on parental controls if a child was viewing the set.

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In pictures Fighting back Human sacrifice

Source from: news.bbc.co.uk

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The best gadgets of CES 2008

More than 20,000 new gadgets and technologies from more than 2,700 companies will be on display at the Consumer Electronics Show.

We will be writing about the devices and gadgets that catch the eye throughout the show.

The device joins a crowded market of portable media players

Finding new music is always one of life's joys and web services like Slacker have helped. But now you can get access to undiscovered tunes on a portable device.

Slacker is releasing a portable media player which uses a wi-fi connection to help you discover new bands and musicians. It's being touted as the world's first personalised portable radio player.

It works by downloading new songs to your player, based on your music listening preferences, each time you enter a wi-fi hotspot or connect the device to your computer.

You can have 40 different "radio stations", holding up to 4,000 songs, on the player, which comes in 500MB, 1.5GB and 4GB flavours.

The service and player are only available in the US at the moment and is expected to be released at the end of January.

SMART GPS

The device has two-way internet connectivity

No longer content with simply providing directions from point to point, manufacturers are starting to pack more and more features into in-car GPS devices.

Those on show at CES include the ability to download movie times, find a parking spot and avoid the traffic.

One company, Dash Navigation, has launched a unit called the Dash Express which aims to harness the power of its community to avoid traffic jams.

The unit has the ability to receive real-time traffic data from different sources, including units belonging to other owners.

In effect, each unit works as a traffic sensor sending a user's speed and location over a permanent internet connection.

Back at Dash HQ, the company calculates up-to-the-minute traffic conditions and suggests alternative routes if there is a traffic snarl ahead.

In theory, the device should get better as more Dash users hit the roads.

The device has been developed in collaboration with Yahoo and allows the users to conduct web searches for locations or even the cheapest fuel.

The US service costs from $10 a month.

WIRELESS MEMORIES

The card can automatically upload photos to the web

But for those people who do not want to invest in a new device help is at hand.

A company called Eye-Fi have developed a series of memory cards with built in wi-fi that automatically convert your camera into a wireless device.

The 2GB cards automatically connect to a wi-fi network and can dump photos to a folder on a PC or upload them to social networks or photo-sharing sites.

The firm has done deals with the likes of Flickr, Photobucket and Facebook.

The associated software takes care of log-ins and passwords and can even automatically resize pictures if the site requires it.

To send them to a computer the PC must be turned on and running the companies photo managing software.

Currently they are only available in the US but should be on sale in Europe later this year.

AIR GUITAR

There have been three versions of the Guitar Hero game

The battery operated toy is the first licensed product not associated with the popular PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 game.

The setup allows players to rock out anytime, anywhere.

When the pick is waved in front of the buckle a guitar chord is unleashed. The tempo of the music is controlled by how quickly the player strums the pick in front of the buckle.

It consists of a battery operated guitar pick, belt buckle and wearable mini amplifier.

The amp comes preloaded with tracks from Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Motorhead, Van Halen and Boston.

The $29.99 (17) toy will be available later this year.

Eee GOES WIMAX

The Eee PC is getting wi-fi on steroids

It has won admirers for its four gigabyte solid state drive, small form factor and attractive price. It runs the Linux operating system, but can also run Windows XP.

The company has now announced new models - 7, 8 and 9 inch - but crucially, they will have Wimax built in - giving it increased wireless capabilities.

In truth, there are not that many Wimax-enabled areas anywhere in the world, although 70 different countries are running pilots.

But Intel is betting heavily on Wimax as the winning next generation wireless network and so Asus has taken the plunge - at least, in North America.

The entry level Eee with Wimax will cost about $999, according to reports, though Asus has so far remained tight-lipped on exact prices.

FEEL THE FORCE

The vest is packed with air bladders that can rapidly inflate

TN games has designed a wardrobe for gamers that recreate on screen action in the real world.

The vests are based on technology that was originally designed for use by doctors to remotely examine patients.

The vests, connected to the computer by USB, consist of a light weight air compressor that pumps air into bladders.

A version designed for first person shooters contains eight cells that are able to recreate the direction and force of bullet fire.

Another version recreate the G-forces felt whilst driving and flying.

When the player accelerates, the cells inflate in the chest. Faster acceleration causes the cells to inflate quicker, whilst braking causes the back cells to activate.

The firm has also designed sleeves, leg covers and a helmet that plug into the vests to deliver what it says is a "full body gaming experience".

AD REMOVER

The software also includes video editing tools

The same is now true of programmes recorded digitally through a TV tuner in a PC.

But a company called VideoReDo has developed a piece of software that automatically strips out the adverts.

A trial download of the TV suite software which includes the ad remover is available for free.

It works by looking for clues from what is on screen- such as the black screen between adverts - before cutting out the relevant section.

The original version of the software - which includes a video editing suite - is nearly three years old.

But the newest version incorporates useful features such as the ability to record the edited programmes to DVD.

According to the firm the next version, out later this year, will let users encode the video to a format suitable for viewing on iPods.

ROBOT TOYS

The robot can be controlled from a mobile phone

Woowee, the company behind the best selling Robosapian robot, launched a series of robots packed with gadgetry.

Its wi-fi enabled Rovio robot packs an omni-directional webcam which can be controlled remotely using any web accessible device, such as a cell phone, PC or games console.

The company has also launched a new version of Robosapien.

Tribot is a three wheeled machine controlled by a tilt sensor that is able to tell jokes, read stories and play games.

The firm's line-up also included machines that dumped the cold, hard exteriors normally associated with robots in favour of fur and cute expressions.

Known as the Woowee Alive series, the cute animals, which include pandas, polar bears and tigers all feature animated faces, and realistic noises activated by touch and tilt sensors.

The lion cub also has other lifelike behaviours - leave it on its own for five minutes and the cub purrs itself to sleep. Pick it up by the scruff of the neck and its legs go limp.

Other hi-tech toys included a flying robot packed with infra red sensors to allow it to fly autonomously.

RADIO FOR DEAF PEOPLE

Radio demonstration

But a new initiative by National Public Radio, technology firm Harris Corporation and Towson University aims to change that.

The consortium is developing radio for deaf people, a counter-intuitive sounding system that translates speech radio into text in real time.

At the moment the voice to text conversion has to be done by typists but could one day be automatic.

The information is then broadcast alongside the voice transmission and displayed on a screen on the radio.

The consortium will transmit the first live broadcast at CES using a prototype radio that has a screen large enough to display big swathes of text.

They expect the first commercial radios to be available towards the end of this year.

WIRELESS HDTV

The TV is able to receive the signal from several metres away

LCD TV manufacturer Westinghouse, working with networking firm Pulse-Link, have shown off what they say is the world's first integrated wireless HDTV.

The 47-inch television looks like any other but has an in-built receiver that takes a signal from an ultra wideband transmitter plugged into a high definition DVD player.

The setup at CES was streaming the James Bond film Casino Royale from a Samsung Blu-ray player.

The firm claims that the secure connection has no lag and is able to stream a range of high definition formats including the highest resolution TV format available today, known as 1080p.

The first sets are aimed at business, but the technology will soon make it into the home when it becomes cheaper.

MOBILE HOME

The mobile standards are already used in Japan

The P2P Universal Computing Consortium (PUCC) has developed a set of networking standards that allow mobiles to remotely control domestic appliances from afar.

At CES the consortium showed off an iPhone application that allowed a user to control a flat in Tokyo.

The user could switch lights on and off, control the air conditioning and even turn the washing machine on.

The technology is already available in Japan where users of the NTT DoCoMo network can keep an eye on their home from afar.

The consortium has also shown off healthcare applications including a wireless nappy for use by bedridden patients and a heart monitor that allows a doctor to monitor a patient from afar.

Later this year the group will release software that will allow anybody to build applications using the standards.

In pictures Fighting back Human sacrifice

Source from: news.bbc.co.uk

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Review: Wireless sync, podcast integration give Zune an edge

(CNET.com) -- Having survived its freshman hazing, the Zune is back for its sophomore revenge, and the iPod has every reason to be frightened. The Zune 4 (4GB, $149) and Zune 8 (8GB, $199) offer a leaner, lighter version of Microsoft's full-size Zune 80 MP3 player (80GB, $249).

With a new hardware and software design, wireless sync capability, subscription music compatibility, and integrated support for audio and video podcasts, the Zune 4 and Zune 8 are poised to compete directly with the third-generation Apple iPod Nano.

Design

The Zune 4 and Zune 8 are Microsoft's first foray into smaller, flash memory-based MP3 players. Zune 4 and Zune are identical to one another in every way but storage capacity, and both come in red, black, green, and pink. Measuring a slight 3.6 inches by 1.6 inches by 0.33 inch, the flash-based Zunes are considerably slimmer than their 80GB hard-drive-based sibling. In the overcrowded marketplace of flash-based MP3 players, however, the dimensions of the Zune 4 and 8 are hardly noteworthy. That said, the Zune 4 and Zune 8 have a nice shape, which feels reminiscent of the first-generation iPod Nano.

One design feature that distinguishes the Zune 4 and Zune 8 from the competition is Microsoft's decision to use a glass-covered LCD instead of plastic. The 1.8-inch glass screen not only lends the device a sophisticated feel, it also provides a more scratch-resistant surface with less optical distortion than the ubiquitous plastic variety. Although the 1.8-inch screen seems minuscule compared with the opulent 3.2-inch screen on the 80GB Zune, the oversized font on the main menu affords a legibility rarely found on pint-size MP3 players.

Another unique design feature is a completely new navigation control that Microsoft dubs the Zune Pad. Think of the Zune Pad as a cross between a standard four-direction navigation pad and a laptop's touchpad. With the Zune Pad, users can navigate menus by either pressing or sliding their finger in four directions and select items by clicking the middle of the pad. We were initially skeptical about the Zune Pad's usability compared to the tried-and-true click pad of the first-generation Zune, but after just a few minutes we found the Zune's old interface to be positively archaic. Navigating lengthy song lists is a breeze, especially with an accelerated scroll kicking in when the pad is held down. The new Zune Pad interface also lets you skip through songs, photos, and radio stations with just a light brush of the finger. Buttons for play/pause and menu still flank each side of the Zune's control pad, and behave exactly as they did in the first-generation Zune. It's hard to say whether the Zune Pad interface is actually better than Apple's patented iPod wheel navigation, but it is certainly comparable. We found the Zune Pad made scrolling long lists of artists much easier than using a scroll wheel, but the iPod's center select button is more reliable than the ambiguously defined button found on the Zune.

The entire Zune product line uses a new graphic user interface that no longer looks like a rehash of the Portable Media Center operating system found on the Toshiba Gigabeat S. While the critically beloved "twist" interface of first-generation Zune remains, the main menu has been replaced with stunning, oversized text that takes readability to the next level. You can customize this same main menu with a background image from your digital photo collection. Existing Zune loyalists will be happy to know that Microsoft is offering the new Zune operating system as a free upgrade to all first-generation Zune owners.

We're also happy to see that the back of the Zune covered with rugged, matte-finished aluminum, etched with the Zune logo. Microsoft has also partnered with a handful of graphic artists to create custom-etched versions of the 4, 8, and 80GB Zunes, which can be ordered directly from Microsoft at ZuneOriginals.net.

Features With subscription music support, video playback, Wi-Fi music sharing, a high-quality photo viewer, an RBDS-enabled FM radio, and composite video output, the features on the first-generation Zune were already impressive. The second-generation Zunes maintain all of the compelling features of the original and also includes new features such as audio and video podcast support and a unique ability to automatically sync content over a home's wireless network.

Ever since Apple rolled podcast support into its iPod and iTunes products back in 2005, no one has been able to match their seamless integration of audio and video podcast discovery, subscription, and management tools (although Creative's Zencast alternative gets close). With the latest refresh of the Zune PC software, first- and second-generation Zune owners can now enjoy audio and video podcasts with the same ease as their iPod contemporaries. Podcasts now have their own directory within the main menu of the Zune, which is subdivided between audio and video podcasts.

The Zune PC software also includes a new podcast tab that allows users to browse through a growing library of podcasts. If your favorite podcast can't be found in the directory, the software lets you both recommend the podcast for inclusion and lets you add the podcast manually by copying and pasting its URL into the Zune software. In the end, podcast downloads, auto-sync preferences, and subscription management match that of iTunes. In fact, Microsoft takes podcast integration a step further by allowing users to unsubscribe from podcasts directly on their Zune -- a great feature for podcast junkies who want to tidy up their subscriptions on the go. (Editors' note: Microsoft removed the podcast unsubscribe feature from the Zune's initial firmware release due to instability. Microsoft plans to reintroduce the feature in its next firmware update.) We're also happy to see that the Zune includes a playback resume option that automatically bookmarks your place in a podcast when you can't listen to it all in one sitting.

The Zune 4 and Zune 8's piece de resistance is their ability to wirelessly sync content from your PC over your home Wi-Fi network. The feature requires a one-time setup to familiarize the Zune with your home network, after which it will remember to look for the network automatically each time you plug it in for a recharge. If you're within range of your wireless network but don't feel like recharging your player to trigger the wireless sync, you can also initiate the sync manually by digging through the Zune's settings. Of course, you can always connect the Zune directly to your computer using the included proprietary USB cable, but the wireless option is a neat trick.

The Zune 4's and Zune 8's audio, video, photo, and radio features are largely unchanged from the first generation--not a bad thing, really. The Zune's music player supports MP3, WMA, protected-WMA (Zune Marketplace only), WMA Lossless, and AAC music file formats. The continued support for AAC opens the door for iPod converts, although you won't be able to transfer DRM-protected iTunes purchases or Windows' older DRM-9 files.

The Zune supports WMV, MPEG-4, and H.264 video formats natively at a DVD-quality 30 frames per second rate. Windows Media Center users will be happy to know that the Zune also imports DVR-MS recorded video content. Although the Zune's screen displays at a 320x240 resolution, video files stored on the Zune can be as large as 720x480. Unfortunately, the Zune 4 and 8 do not share the same TV output feature included on the 80GB Zune, so the support for 720x480 files is pointless.

The Zune 4 and 8 display RBDS (Radio Broadcast Data System) station information, distinguishing their FM radio as one of the best on a handheld device. Depending on the broadcaster, the Zune's FM radio displays a station's call letters, genre, and occasionally shows the currently playing artist and song information. Users can also switch between European, North American, and Japanese radio bands from the Zune's radio settings menu. The Zune's radio depends on a connected pair of headphones (any will do) to act as an antenna, however, so don't be surprised when the radio doesn't work while the Zune is connected to an AV dock.

Aside from its wireless sync capability, the little Zunes' most notable feature is their ability to share music and photos between users. With the latest version of the Zune PC software, the social aspect of recommending music and showing off your music interests can now reach beyond Zune users who are within range of your Wi-Fi antenna. Zune users are now encouraged to set up their Zune Card, a Last.FM-style Web page that reveals your listening habits and favorite songs to the world, and opens up the opportunity to discover and recommend new music through interaction with other Zune users. The new Zune Card online community may be a bit much for some people, but plans to integrate the Zune Card for use with larger social-networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace may provide an automatic way to update your friends on your musical tastes.

While the Zune is one of the more full-featured MP3 players on the market, it lacks some competitive features. If you're looking for a voice recorder, line-input recorder, or FM radio recorder, you'll need to look elsewhere. Without support for Audible audio books or audio file bookmarking, the Zune is also not our first choice for book lovers. Considering the restrictive capacity of the Zune 4 and 8, we would have liked an SD memory card expansion slot as well. Still, far and away the most shocking feature omission in the latest crop of Zunes is an audio EQ control.

Software

Using the Zune also means using the Zune's PC-only software. The Zune software has seen a major overhaul from its earliest days, with a shockingly clean and bright interface. New icons lining the bottom edge of the software make playlist creation and content syncing much more intuitive. Fans of Windows Media Player will definitely need some time to adjust to the new file and category organization, but we believe the new system is more intuitive.

As with iTunes, the main benefit of the Zune's dedicated software is the ability to integrate an online music store (Zune Marketplace) alongside your own music library. The Zune Marketplace is also seeing a refresh, with added DRM-free download content, more attractive artist pages, better genre-based editorial content, a podcast directory, and more granular subcategories within genres. The Zune Marketplace is still missing the TV and movie content found through competitors such as iTunes, but it does offer music videos. Expect Microsoft to make another big push for its all-you-can-eat Zune Pass music subscription service to coincide with the launch of their MP3 players.

Performance

The Zune's Achilles' heel is its built-in Wi-Fi antenna. As any laptop owner knows, a Wi-Fi antenna sucks a lot of juice and can wreck battery performance. To optimize the Zune's battery life in spite of its Wi-Fi capabilities, Microsoft decided to ditch the built-in audio equalizer found on the first-generation Zune. While one can argue that EQ presets are simply a Band-Aid for poor quality earbuds, there's just no way to feel good about having a perfectly good feature ripped away from a product. We cut Microsoft a little slack on excluding EQ from the 80GB Zune because they bundled it with high-quality dynamic driver earphones. Unfortunately, the basic earbuds that come with the Zune 4 and Zune 8 just don't compare. Listening on our full-sized Ultrasone HFI-700 headphones, we were more than satisfied with the Zune's fidelity (especially considering its support for the WMA Lossless audio format). That said, bass addicts, control freaks, and people with partial hearing loss will certainly be disappointed with the Zune's lack of sound enhancement.

The 1.8-inch screen used on the Zune 4 and 8 is adequate for short video podcast content, but nowhere close to the luxurious, movie-worthy 3.2-inch screen found on the 80GB version. With flash-based MP3 players such as the Creative Zen and Sansa View offering larger screens along with memory expansion and EQ, the value of the Zune 4 and 8 is not as cut-and-dried as its high-capacity kin. Despite its size, however, the Zune's glass-covered, 320x240 LCD presents excellent viewing angles, with above-average clarity and color. Zune's support for Windows Media Center DVR content is a bonus, but you probably won't want to watch an entire TV show on such a small screen.

The battery life of the 4 and 8GB Zune is about average for this type of device, but we expected much better. With the Wi-Fi feature turned off, Microsoft rates the 4 and 8GB Zune's battery life at 24 hours for audio, and 4 hours for video. Those numbers aren't bad, but we doubt many users will think to turn off the Wi-Fi feature. Once testing is complete, we'll update this review with results from our CNET Labs.

Final thoughts

With every MP3 player manufacturer coming out with their own takes on the video-capable, flash-based MP3 player, Microsoft's spin on the theme is somewhat predictable. Wireless sync and podcast integration give the Zune an edge over its competition, however. Still, we're much more enthusiastic about Microsoft's high-capacity 80GB Zune.

Source from: edition.cnn.com

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Review: Wireless sync, podcast integration give Zune an edge

(CNET.com) -- Having survived its freshman hazing, the Zune is back for its sophomore revenge, and the iPod has every reason to be frightened. The Zune 4 (4GB, $149) and Zune 8 (8GB, $199) offer a leaner, lighter version of Microsoft's full-size Zune 80 MP3 player (80GB, $249).

With a new hardware and software design, wireless sync capability, subscription music compatibility, and integrated support for audio and video podcasts, the Zune 4 and Zune 8 are poised to compete directly with the third-generation Apple iPod Nano.

Design

The Zune 4 and Zune 8 are Microsoft's first foray into smaller, flash memory-based MP3 players. Zune 4 and Zune are identical to one another in every way but storage capacity, and both come in red, black, green, and pink. Measuring a slight 3.6 inches by 1.6 inches by 0.33 inch, the flash-based Zunes are considerably slimmer than their 80GB hard-drive-based sibling. In the overcrowded marketplace of flash-based MP3 players, however, the dimensions of the Zune 4 and 8 are hardly noteworthy. That said, the Zune 4 and Zune 8 have a nice shape, which feels reminiscent of the first-generation iPod Nano.

One design feature that distinguishes the Zune 4 and Zune 8 from the competition is Microsoft's decision to use a glass-covered LCD instead of plastic. The 1.8-inch glass screen not only lends the device a sophisticated feel, it also provides a more scratch-resistant surface with less optical distortion than the ubiquitous plastic variety. Although the 1.8-inch screen seems minuscule compared with the opulent 3.2-inch screen on the 80GB Zune, the oversized font on the main menu affords a legibility rarely found on pint-size MP3 players.

Another unique design feature is a completely new navigation control that Microsoft dubs the Zune Pad. Think of the Zune Pad as a cross between a standard four-direction navigation pad and a laptop's touchpad. With the Zune Pad, users can navigate menus by either pressing or sliding their finger in four directions and select items by clicking the middle of the pad. We were initially skeptical about the Zune Pad's usability compared to the tried-and-true click pad of the first-generation Zune, but after just a few minutes we found the Zune's old interface to be positively archaic. Navigating lengthy song lists is a breeze, especially with an accelerated scroll kicking in when the pad is held down. The new Zune Pad interface also lets you skip through songs, photos, and radio stations with just a light brush of the finger. Buttons for play/pause and menu still flank each side of the Zune's control pad, and behave exactly as they did in the first-generation Zune. It's hard to say whether the Zune Pad interface is actually better than Apple's patented iPod wheel navigation, but it is certainly comparable. We found the Zune Pad made scrolling long lists of artists much easier than using a scroll wheel, but the iPod's center select button is more reliable than the ambiguously defined button found on the Zune.

The entire Zune product line uses a new graphic user interface that no longer looks like a rehash of the Portable Media Center operating system found on the Toshiba Gigabeat S. While the critically beloved "twist" interface of first-generation Zune remains, the main menu has been replaced with stunning, oversized text that takes readability to the next level. You can customize this same main menu with a background image from your digital photo collection. Existing Zune loyalists will be happy to know that Microsoft is offering the new Zune operating system as a free upgrade to all first-generation Zune owners.

We're also happy to see that the back of the Zune covered with rugged, matte-finished aluminum, etched with the Zune logo. Microsoft has also partnered with a handful of graphic artists to create custom-etched versions of the 4, 8, and 80GB Zunes, which can be ordered directly from Microsoft at ZuneOriginals.net.

Features With subscription music support, video playback, Wi-Fi music sharing, a high-quality photo viewer, an RBDS-enabled FM radio, and composite video output, the features on the first-generation Zune were already impressive. The second-generation Zunes maintain all of the compelling features of the original and also includes new features such as audio and video podcast support and a unique ability to automatically sync content over a home's wireless network.

Ever since Apple rolled podcast support into its iPod and iTunes products back in 2005, no one has been able to match their seamless integration of audio and video podcast discovery, subscription, and management tools (although Creative's Zencast alternative gets close). With the latest refresh of the Zune PC software, first- and second-generation Zune owners can now enjoy audio and video podcasts with the same ease as their iPod contemporaries. Podcasts now have their own directory within the main menu of the Zune, which is subdivided between audio and video podcasts.

The Zune PC software also includes a new podcast tab that allows users to browse through a growing library of podcasts. If your favorite podcast can't be found in the directory, the software lets you both recommend the podcast for inclusion and lets you add the podcast manually by copying and pasting its URL into the Zune software. In the end, podcast downloads, auto-sync preferences, and subscription management match that of iTunes. In fact, Microsoft takes podcast integration a step further by allowing users to unsubscribe from podcasts directly on their Zune -- a great feature for podcast junkies who want to tidy up their subscriptions on the go. (Editors' note: Microsoft removed the podcast unsubscribe feature from the Zune's initial firmware release due to instability. Microsoft plans to reintroduce the feature in its next firmware update.) We're also happy to see that the Zune includes a playback resume option that automatically bookmarks your place in a podcast when you can't listen to it all in one sitting.

The Zune 4 and Zune 8's piece de resistance is their ability to wirelessly sync content from your PC over your home Wi-Fi network. The feature requires a one-time setup to familiarize the Zune with your home network, after which it will remember to look for the network automatically each time you plug it in for a recharge. If you're within range of your wireless network but don't feel like recharging your player to trigger the wireless sync, you can also initiate the sync manually by digging through the Zune's settings. Of course, you can always connect the Zune directly to your computer using the included proprietary USB cable, but the wireless option is a neat trick.

The Zune 4's and Zune 8's audio, video, photo, and radio features are largely unchanged from the first generation--not a bad thing, really. The Zune's music player supports MP3, WMA, protected-WMA (Zune Marketplace only), WMA Lossless, and AAC music file formats. The continued support for AAC opens the door for iPod converts, although you won't be able to transfer DRM-protected iTunes purchases or Windows' older DRM-9 files.

The Zune supports WMV, MPEG-4, and H.264 video formats natively at a DVD-quality 30 frames per second rate. Windows Media Center users will be happy to know that the Zune also imports DVR-MS recorded video content. Although the Zune's screen displays at a 320x240 resolution, video files stored on the Zune can be as large as 720x480. Unfortunately, the Zune 4 and 8 do not share the same TV output feature included on the 80GB Zune, so the support for 720x480 files is pointless.

The Zune 4 and 8 display RBDS (Radio Broadcast Data System) station information, distinguishing their FM radio as one of the best on a handheld device. Depending on the broadcaster, the Zune's FM radio displays a station's call letters, genre, and occasionally shows the currently playing artist and song information. Users can also switch between European, North American, and Japanese radio bands from the Zune's radio settings menu. The Zune's radio depends on a connected pair of headphones (any will do) to act as an antenna, however, so don't be surprised when the radio doesn't work while the Zune is connected to an AV dock.

Aside from its wireless sync capability, the little Zunes' most notable feature is their ability to share music and photos between users. With the latest version of the Zune PC software, the social aspect of recommending music and showing off your music interests can now reach beyond Zune users who are within range of your Wi-Fi antenna. Zune users are now encouraged to set up their Zune Card, a Last.FM-style Web page that reveals your listening habits and favorite songs to the world, and opens up the opportunity to discover and recommend new music through interaction with other Zune users. The new Zune Card online community may be a bit much for some people, but plans to integrate the Zune Card for use with larger social-networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace may provide an automatic way to update your friends on your musical tastes.

While the Zune is one of the more full-featured MP3 players on the market, it lacks some competitive features. If you're looking for a voice recorder, line-input recorder, or FM radio recorder, you'll need to look elsewhere. Without support for Audible audio books or audio file bookmarking, the Zune is also not our first choice for book lovers. Considering the restrictive capacity of the Zune 4 and 8, we would have liked an SD memory card expansion slot as well. Still, far and away the most shocking feature omission in the latest crop of Zunes is an audio EQ control.

Software

Using the Zune also means using the Zune's PC-only software. The Zune software has seen a major overhaul from its earliest days, with a shockingly clean and bright interface. New icons lining the bottom edge of the software make playlist creation and content syncing much more intuitive. Fans of Windows Media Player will definitely need some time to adjust to the new file and category organization, but we believe the new system is more intuitive.

As with iTunes, the main benefit of the Zune's dedicated software is the ability to integrate an online music store (Zune Marketplace) alongside your own music library. The Zune Marketplace is also seeing a refresh, with added DRM-free download content, more attractive artist pages, better genre-based editorial content, a podcast directory, and more granular subcategories within genres. The Zune Marketplace is still missing the TV and movie content found through competitors such as iTunes, but it does offer music videos. Expect Microsoft to make another big push for its all-you-can-eat Zune Pass music subscription service to coincide with the launch of their MP3 players.

Performance

The Zune's Achilles' heel is its built-in Wi-Fi antenna. As any laptop owner knows, a Wi-Fi antenna sucks a lot of juice and can wreck battery performance. To optimize the Zune's battery life in spite of its Wi-Fi capabilities, Microsoft decided to ditch the built-in audio equalizer found on the first-generation Zune. While one can argue that EQ presets are simply a Band-Aid for poor quality earbuds, there's just no way to feel good about having a perfectly good feature ripped away from a product. We cut Microsoft a little slack on excluding EQ from the 80GB Zune because they bundled it with high-quality dynamic driver earphones. Unfortunately, the basic earbuds that come with the Zune 4 and Zune 8 just don't compare. Listening on our full-sized Ultrasone HFI-700 headphones, we were more than satisfied with the Zune's fidelity (especially considering its support for the WMA Lossless audio format). That said, bass addicts, control freaks, and people with partial hearing loss will certainly be disappointed with the Zune's lack of sound enhancement.

The 1.8-inch screen used on the Zune 4 and 8 is adequate for short video podcast content, but nowhere close to the luxurious, movie-worthy 3.2-inch screen found on the 80GB version. With flash-based MP3 players such as the Creative Zen and Sansa View offering larger screens along with memory expansion and EQ, the value of the Zune 4 and 8 is not as cut-and-dried as its high-capacity kin. Despite its size, however, the Zune's glass-covered, 320x240 LCD presents excellent viewing angles, with above-average clarity and color. Zune's support for Windows Media Center DVR content is a bonus, but you probably won't want to watch an entire TV show on such a small screen.

The battery life of the 4 and 8GB Zune is about average for this type of device, but we expected much better. With the Wi-Fi feature turned off, Microsoft rates the 4 and 8GB Zune's battery life at 24 hours for audio, and 4 hours for video. Those numbers aren't bad, but we doubt many users will think to turn off the Wi-Fi feature. Once testing is complete, we'll update this review with results from our CNET Labs.

Final thoughts

With every MP3 player manufacturer coming out with their own takes on the video-capable, flash-based MP3 player, Microsoft's spin on the theme is somewhat predictable. Wireless sync and podcast integration give the Zune an edge over its competition, however. Still, we're much more enthusiastic about Microsoft's high-capacity 80GB Zune.

Source from: edition.cnn.com

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