Zune

Apple rejects Wi-Fi sync app

To paraphrase the Soup Nazi: No Wi-Fi sync for you!

A couple of weeks ago we brought you the tantalizing news of an app called, simply enough, Wi-Fi Sync. Its promise: to wirelessly sync your iPhone, iPod, or iPad.

Late Thursday I received word from developer Greg Hughes on the app's sad (but not entirely unexpected) fate:

Wi-Fi Sync was rejected by Apple, and will therefore not appear on the official App Store. I'm obviously disappointed by their decision, but being a student I have neither the time nor the resources to pursue the matter further. It's … Read more

This week in Crave: The kith and Kin edition

This week has been a pretty hopping one here at Crave, for a few reasons. Besides helping you get ready for Mother's Day, we've been been helping you use gadgets and social media to find love (not that I know anything about that).

We also talked about many things iPad, including a case that turns it into a laptop and stats showing it might already be affecting the Netbook market. We dug down a little and looked at Microsoft's Kin phone and wondered why Verizon doesn't bundle it with Zune Pass.

The PS3 Slim got turned into a laptop, … Read more

Why isn't Verizon selling Zune Pass with Kin?

Earlier today, Verizon Wireless began online sales of the Kin, the first phone to feature a built-in version of Microsoft's Zune player. But I think the companies missed a historic opportunity to sell the first phone in the United States with a bundled on-demand music service.

The phone itself is getting mixed reviews, with praise focusing on its music and social-networking features, and criticism for its sluggish performance and feature omissions, like the lack of a calendar and the inability to send photos or direct messages to Twitter.

The price also seems high: the larger Kin Two, which costs $… Read more

The 404 575: Where true love smells like Jasmine (podcast)

Today we celebrate the anniversary of Jasmine France's first visit to The 404 studios. This time around we've given her a few days to recover from her flight to New York, but if you don't remember what happened last year, we've got a hilarious clip at the start of the show to refresh your memory.

Jasmine is CNET's senior associate editor for MP3s and digital audio, but she joins us today to talk about her new Tech Dos and Don'ts column on the MP3 Insider blog and the social politics of finding love on Facebook.

Social networks like Facebook and Twitter encourage users to share interests and connect with friends new and old, so it makes perfect sense that some will inevitably use them for romance.

In fact, Jasmine suggests that many users actually prefer Facebook to spark a flame instead of going to dedicated online dating sites like OKCupid or Match.com that practically force you into an uncomfortable situation. On Facebook, it's easy to hit that "like" button or add a comment to show common interest.

We have our own suggestions for online loveseekers as well. For example, stop with the poking already. Seriously, 86 percent of FBers don't even know that exists, and even if they do happen to notice it much later, the gesture remains just as meaningless if not slightly creepy and confusing, so stick with the "like" button... UNLESS your object of lust just changed their relationship status to single, in which case you should definitely send the "Heyyyyy couldn't help but notice..." message. OK, I'm joking, but now you see now why Jasmine's tips are so crucial.

Another tip we didn't get to address on the show is the question on every single person's mind: what is the appropriate amount of time to wait before adding "someone of interest" on Facebook? The answer is easy: you simply update the same rules that previous applied to the first-date phone call. Three days seems to be the consensus and gives the other person enough time to digest your initial meeting--friending in less than three days makes you come off (at best) overly accessible or (at worst) a genuine Internet stalker. At the end of the day, you're really just trying to dodge that "ignore" button, because once the relationship enters Facebook request purgatory, you might as well just delete your account and try your luck with Make Out Club.

Jasmine's got plenty more tips on how to comport yourself in an online dating environment, so check out today's show and let us know YOUR thoughts--leave a comment, send us an e-mail at the404(at)cnet[dot]com, or you can leave a voice-mail for our daily Calls From the Public segment at 1-866-404-CNET (2638)!

EPISODE 575 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

Three new Zune HD apps trickle into the wild

Slowly but surely, Microsoft has been checking off any lingering complaints over the Zune HD. Users want a 64GB model--done. Lower prices? Sure. Broader video format support? Here you go.

But one deafening request from Zune HD owners has remained largely unanswered: "Give us more apps!"

To help pacify some of the demand, Microsoft pushed out three new apps Tuesday for the Zune HD, giving the device a nice, round total of 20 available apps.

The new offerings include a stopwatch utility, a game of Solitaire, and a Labyrinth puzzle. None of the new apps are likely … Read more

iPhone Wi-Fi sync app is real, but will Apple approve?

This is what wireless iPhone syncing looks like:

Too bad you probably won't get to enjoy it.

Earlier this month, just ahead of Apple's iPhone OS 4 announcement, I posted a poll asking what new feature you wanted the most. Though multitasking was the clear winner with 36 percent of the vote, nearly 10 percent of voters named "syncing over Wi-Fi" as their top pick.

Needless to say, those folks didn't get their wish.

Despite the fact that Microsoft's Zune player has offered Wi-Fi syncing since 2007, Apple is either unwilling or unable to bestow it upon iPad, iPod, and iPhone users. Well, probably not unable, but obviously unwilling--which is why the new Wi-Fi Sync app will likely get rejected by Apple's App Store overlords.… Read more

MP3 Insider 190: Blood in the water (podcast)

This week, the MP3 Insiders discuss the rumored next-gen iPhone, which appears to be the most legit report on an unannounced Apple product in recent memory. Also, hackers break into the Zune; Apple admits to faulty Shuffle headphones; and ZDNet offers an excellent comparison of popular online music stores.

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MP3 Insider 189: Gonna make you sweat (podcast)

Everybody dance now! Or, you know, do any other type of workout that appeals to you, though dancing definitely wouldn't be a stretch with Sony's latest W-Series Walkman. This week, Jasmine and Donald discuss the usefulness of this sweat-resistant MP3-player-cum-headphones as well as the expeditious availability of the new 64GB Zune. Also, join us for a brief rant about the first two phones set to run the Zune music player software.

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Kin music experience will include Mac sync

This morning, I got a close look at Kin, the forthcoming phone from Microsoft and Sharp that's focused on social networking and multimedia playback. (CNET's Ina Fried has more details on what Kin is and is not.)

The Kin is the outgrowth of the much-discussed "Project Pink," which was first rumored to be a "Zune phone" back in 2007. There's some truth to that: the music interface is a lot like the Zune HD, organized around horizontal and vertical menus, and the phones will be able to stream music over the air to … Read more