You asked for it, and we listened. Beginning next week when we roll out our new software, services and devices, your listening badges will be permanent. Plus, we've redesigned the icons, and I have to say, they're really cool! When we first launched the badge concept, we decided they'd be earned based on a rolling 28-day cycle - which meant that if your listening habits changed, you'd lose some badges and earn others. The idea was that the badges could serve as a snapshot of your...

As you’ve seen, some Zune bits and pieces have been hitting the interwebs…especially the great finds from our fans! Today I’m very excited to admit announce the Zune 3.0 fall update, available for download September 16. In short, we’re adding new enhancements to the entire Zune ecosystem that will undoubtedly continue to make it the best place to discover music whether on your PC or on the go. Whether you’ve been with us since day one with a Zune 30 or are just heading...

Another week, another Zune Insider podcast! This week, we're talking to Javier Farfan in multicultural marketing about our efforts in Hispanic culture. And, as always, we'll be taking your questions. So here's your chance: what do you want to know? Drop a comment. Hopefully last week's podcast with Jessica answered a good deal of questions, specifically around the software development process here at Zune, why we only do major releases vs. a every 2 weeks, how long-term is our planning...

In this week's podcast, we're going to be interviewing our buddy Jessica from the Zune team. Jessica is a program manager on the Zune Social, so here's your chance to ask questions about Zune software dev and the process by which we design, develop and release features. What would you like to know? Drop a comment! Edit: Ok! The podcast is recorded! Thanks for your questions, and stay tuned tomorrow for the release!