Technofile: At last we have the facts about the much-speculated upon Microsoft Zune - the so-called iPod killer. The Zune will come in just one 30GB size, it will be black, white or brown, have a three-inch screen, built-in FM radio, and will be compatible with Zune Marketplace, Microsoft's equivalent of the iTunes Music Store. With Wi-Fi built in, Zune users will be able to transfer songs between the Zune and their PC over the air, as well as share music with other Zune listeners.
It will also come with pre-loaded video and music content, but we still don't have a European release date.
As you might have guessed, Microsoft's Zune digital media player won't be compatible with Macs or iTunes at launch, which figures, given the mutual antipathy between the two firms. (okay, the iPod is PC-compatible, but then PCs are 90 per cent of the market so to ignore them would have been suicide for Apple).
•Better news is that Zune will be compatible with many of the major non-iTunes stores, including Napster. But before you rush out and buy one in November, you may like to double check whether it will play the "protected" versions of songs from your preferred digital music store. Just in case.
•Following the recent news that Europe will have to wait until March 2007 for the PlayStation 3, word comes that Japan will get first dibs on the high- definition (HD) DVD add-on for the XBox 360. According to a back of the envelope calculation, this should make it come in at around €160-€200. Not bad, if that's what it ends up costing on this side of the planet. There is also news that a software update will mean the Xbox 360 will therefore be able to output in full-blown HD to compatible with HD TVs. These are two announcements likely to put the PlayStation camp into something of a giant sulk - until they come up with the goods.
•Meanwhile IBM's old laptop arm, which was spun out to become Lenovo, keeps churning out the model updates. This time it's the N100 from their 3000 series range, which has been given a new Merom ship, a mobile version of the Core 2 chip. The N100 comes with a WiFi option, a 14.1 or 15.4-inch widescreen LCD, and an option for a built-in webcam.
•Nokia's new 6288 3G slider phone is the latest model to hit the mobile market. It comes in black or white and features advanced video capabilities, such as video ringtones, should you need them. The two megapixel camera also shoots video along with dedicated camera and zoom buttons, Bluetooth and a 512MB memory card are included. It should be out in the autumn for around €325.
•Budget-conscious consumers looking for a basic digital camera might like to take a look at Polaroid's new a 520 model which sports five megapixels, 16MB of built-in storage, and will take up to 1GB in extra SD card memory. But without an optical zoom (only digital), you'll find it pretty limited in everyday use, although the price will probably end up reflecting this.
