Gearfuse

Back in 2007 we had the opportunity to review the iMainGo Portable iPod Speaker System, which at the time, sent ripples of excitement though the MacWorld crowd. No more did we have to lug around a clunky pair of speakers just so we could hear some tunes somewhere other than inside our own homes.

iMainGo was nice enough to ship us their new iMainGo 2 which now offers compatibility with the iPhone, iPod Touch and Zune devices. The design remains similar to the original. albiet a little room added to compensate for the iPhone’s size, as does the overall great sound quality for such a compact device (I’m authentically blown away by the powerful sound supplied from such a compact device, literally transportable by hand) and no worries, it still offers the massive 30 hours of battery life.

Hit the jump for pics from our unboxing.

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Personally, as a Mac user, I could give two shits about Microsoft’s latest incarnation of its failed digital audio player. But alas, Gizmodo’s Brian Lam got his paws on the Zune HD and says it’s quite the improvement. In fact, he seems to like it more than Apple’s ultra-popular iPod Touch, save for the lack of apps available. Check out the video above. You’ll get to see the animations and the entire UI.

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Hey! You! Yes! All five of you! Come here. I have some good news for you. So remember when you guys all went and bought 30GB Zunes awhile back? Well I know they’re out of warranty now and all, but I just got this great tip from a friend. It seems Microsoft is going to let you trade in that old, defunct Zune for a newer 120GB, 80GB, 16GB or 8GB version. Prices will vary but you’ll receive a significant discount by trading in your old unit. The five of you Zune owners should grab a beer together and celebrate.

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Thanks to a shitty economy and the greater powers that be, we’re not going to CES this year. For me, it’s a nice break from an outdated technology show full of nothing but crap. However, it’s also a decent time for a company to announce something big and Microsoft might be doing just that. An analyst at Global Equities Research is claiming that Steve Ballmer will launch a Zune phone during CES 2009. The phone will rip off both the iPhone and the Danger Sidekick that T-Mobile offers. It’ll feature a slide out keyboard similar to that of the G1 and I have no doubt in my mind that Microsoft will find a way to fuck it all up.

Just sayin’.

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Love it or hate it, the Zune isn’t the hit Microsoft hoped that it would be. The current $14.95 a month Zune Pass subscription model hasn’t been attracting enough subscribers, so in an effort to generate more revenue, Microsoft will offer subscribers 10 free tracks to keep each month. 10 free songs a month isn’t a bad idea, but it’s not enough to really lure in a whole new audience. Says Adam Sohn of Microsoft:

Microsoft marketing director Adam Sohn said that Microsoft saw some boost when it targeted its advertising specifically around subscriptions but said that the total number of subscribers is less than the company would like.

“It’s not grown as fast as we’d like it so we think this will give it a shot in the arm,” Sohn said, declining to say how many Zune Pass subscribers Microsoft currently has.

I give the Zune another 12 to 16 months before Microsoft pulls the plug. What say you?

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Zune fans are PHAT. Yes, PHAT – pretty hot and tempting. They also have a vivid imagination when it comes to their own fan-made advertising. We think YouTube user ButternutJelly is a Zune fan, but we’re not so sure.

Clearly drawing inspiration from Tubgirl, he made this short film for Microsoft’s Zune. If it didn’t include a disclaimer, I’d have thought it was from Microsoft’s advertising team. Warning: it’s quite disturbing.

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Not that it mattered, but Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has gone on the record stating that the company has no plans to build a phone Zune or otherwise. Instead, Microsoft is going to focus on it’s Windows Mobile platform which makes perfect sense. He also mentioned that the Zune software will be ported to other devices, including Windows. Does anyone care? Most likely not. Move along, folks. There’s other news to be had.

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I can sum this post up in a riddle. Everyone loves riddles, especially Joker.

Here it goes:

If McDonalds gives Zune users WiFi for a few years for free, does anyone care?

Didn’t think so. Move it along, folks.

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Later today, you’re going to feel the ground shake a little and possible open up in some areas. Don’t worry. It’s just the sound of the earth moving around furiously over news of this 120GB Zune. What’s a Zune? A strange MP3 player from Microsoft that still hasn’t died and a 120GB is due out next week.

Now about that earth moving around. That’s because some dude in Hotlanta, GA bought a 120GB Zune early at a Fry’s Electronics. It’s not the first time a product has been available for purchase early. Want a CD a week or so before it comes out? Find a (very) local CD retailer and check in with them every day. That’s how I got my Dashboard Confessional albums, which in turn I ripped to my Zune which in turn made me want to kill myself. $250 and your pride.

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You’ve gotta be one fat fucking loser to want to tattoo “Wel-come to the social” on your shoulder. It looks like some five-year old tattoo artist did it, or at least thought up the idea. It’s bad enough it’s the Zune slogan, but even worse: it’s a terrible slogan. Considering no one bought the Zune except this guy and four other people leaves little to be desired in regards to being welcomed to the social. Thanks for welcoming me, now where’s the exit?

Long time Zune fanatic Mszunefan is not the only one looking for the exit. He posted on Zunescene:

“I am done. I have had the Zune since day 1 and have noticed little improvement. I have tried my best to support them every step of the way but the recent Xbox Live announcement at E3 made me lose it. To not include Zune Marketplace or the ability to load videos from Xbox Live to your Zune made me finally give up. I am in the works of figuring the best way to get a new tattoo to cover the logo on my arm. Thanks for all the harsh comments and you will see very little of me anymore.”

Note to self: never tattoo a lousy corporate logo and a terrible slogan to match, onto my skin. I’ll only cover them up later with the latest Microsoft OS logo.

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