Although we haven't received any new Windows 11 builds this week, the last 7 days brought plenty of news. It is time to recap the most interesting and noteworthy stories from the world of Microsoft.
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The 8 GB Microsoft Zune player is being given away to help promote Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which features the defunct media MP3 player in a very prominent role.
Microsoft is helping to promote Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which features its discontinued Zune media player. It's also helping to promote STEM efforts in schools.
Microsoft is hoping to entice more people to buy its music subscriptions. In addition to a free 30-day trial, it's offering new Groove Music Pass subscribers a further three months of service free.
From Bing reimagined and Lumia launches, to Windows Phone's 1.7%, PS2 on PS4, Anonymous v ISIS, Black Friday buildup, and Jolla in 'death valley', it's our regular roundup of the week's top tech news.
Nearly ten years after launch, Microsoft is formally retiring Zune services as of today. Existing Zune Music Pass subscriptions will be converted to Groove Music Pass subscriptions.
From Microsoft's DVD-saster and Rockstar's "bollocks", to buggy fruit, Android delights, a Dislike for Facebook, and Snapchat's pay-to-replay, it's our regular roundup of the week's top tech news.
Microsoft has decided to retire Zune music services, on devices and PCs, asking users to transition to Groove Music.
Microsoft has sent out an email informing the remaining Zune Marketplace users that they won't be able to purchase or rent content, or even browse movies and TV shows, as early as Nov. 22.
Microsoft has announced that it plans to end Xbox Video support for Windows Phone 7 devices, Zune media players and the Zune desktop software, from late February 2014.
Microsoft is sending out emails to the remaining users of Zune and the Zune Marketplace, telling them that rentals and purchases of music and video will cease on the Zune Marketplace after August 22nd
Improved Windows Phone App for desktop released. We ask if Microsoft have finally bested their previous sync champion the venerable Zune. Expanded podcast support and flexibility, we dive in!
Microsoft announced the current Xbox 360 console just over eight years ago. Between that day and today's next Xbox reveal, the company has released a ton of new products in other divisions.
Microsoft's Zune brand may be dead, but it's still often the brunt of many pop-culture jokes. But why? The Zune music players were well received, yet for some reason the public hates the Zune name.
Microsoft has now officially shut down its long running Zune.net website. Visitors who go to that URL are now redirected to the Xbox Music page located at Xbox.com.
Check out Trivia Tuesday's awesome infographic pedigree of Microsoft operating systems, from MS-DOS and OS/2 all the way up to Windows 8, and everything in between. Yes, even Zune.
The history behind the demise of Zune is a long winding tale and emotions and awkward delivery of information. To help Zune heres adapt to Xbox Music, Microsoft is giving away 1k MS points.
During its annual "Treehouse of Horror" episode last night, The Simpsons poked fun at Microsoft's Zune brand, equating it to garbage in one of the episode's segments.
Microsoft looks like its removing its Microsoft Points system as a method of payment in later builds of Windows 8. One can only wonder whether this change will show itself on the Zune and Xbox.
A few leaks have surfaced that show off the pricing of Microsoft's new Xbox Music service, and as you might expect, the prices are exactly the same as for the Zune Pass.
A rumor claims that Nokia is planning to launch yet another Windows Phone 8 device, this one codenamed "Zeal", packing mid-range specs and a design similar to Microsoft's Zune devices.
Microsoft has sent an email to the remaining Zune Music subscribers, revealing that the company will be shutting down a number of its features after Friday, August 31st.
Microsoft's Zune Insider blog has not been updated for the past few weeks, and it's likely that Microsoft has shut down updates to the blog in advance of the closing of the Zune brand itself.
Microsoft hopes to sell "a few million" new Surface tablets, but tech market analysts Canalys believe the new devices will be a market failure, drawing comparisons with Microsoft's Zune music players.
Information from sources inside Microsoft seems to indicate that the company is attempting to reduce the usage of the word 'Metro', which has become synonymous with their modern design.
Microsoft's Xbox Live and Zune online services are experiencing some extended downtime today, with Microsoft saying they are "working to resolve the issue."
More rumors about what Microsoft has planned for its previously announced Xbox Music service have been posted to the Internet, including word of both download and streaming plans.
A mystery Microsoft event that was announced today seems to point to the unveiling of Xbox Music/Video, days ahead of the Windows Phone Apollo release to set the stage for a huge overhaul in WP8.
Amid all of the excitement today surrounding Microsoft's E3 announcement, one service did not come out on the other-side fair so well. The Zune branding is now confirmed dead but the spirit lives on.
Microsoft (sort of) took the wraps off its new Xbox Music service, showing off its sleek new Metro interface and social features in a teaser at today's E3 press conference.
It's been a long time coming, but we finally have confirmation that the Zune branding will be officially retired this year, in favor of the Xbox branding in Windows 8 and more.
Robbie Bach, the former head of Microsoft's Entertainment and Devices division, had admitted that in hindsight, the company should not have launched Zune as a hardware media player device.
Following endless rumors of its impending demise, Microsoft is reportedly set to finally drop its Zune software, with the company revealing a replacement service at the E3 expo this June.
Microsoft has announced it will soon remove the option to purchase Windows Phone apps from the Zune software. Windows Phone users will also have to upgrade to Windows Phone 7.5 to access apps.
Nokia has now released the promised software update for the Lumia 900, which hopefully will fix the data connectivity issues that some users of the smartphone are experiencing.
According to a recent report Microsoft will be killing off their Windows Live and Zune brands for Windows 8; including replacing the Windows Live ID branding for "Microsoft Account"
A new rumor claims that Microsoft is in talks with the major music companies about a launch of a new music service for the Xbox 360 and Windows Phone, even though it already has Zune Music Pass.
Zune and Windows Phone owners rejoice! It appears Microsoft isn't killing the Zune service in favour of a new one after all, with Microsoft's latest post showing off Zune in the Windows Store.
The scourge of Microsoft Points - the confusing and inconsistently applied digital currency system - will soon be over, as plans are revealed to replace them with cash payments by the end of 2012.
Despite worldwide music revenues growing faster last year than in 2010, a new industry report indicates that music piracy is increasing too - 1 in 4 global web users acquired music illegally in 2011.
