News from the Tokyo Game Show includes Microsoft’s formal announcement about their Xbox 360 holiday bundles. As part of their new Xbox Experience, the Arcade comes with Sega Superstars Tennis (plus bonus games) for $199.99, and the Pro at $299.99 includes LEGO Indiana Jones and Kung Fu Panda. Go for the deluxe Elite at $399.99 and get the same two games. From the titles chosen it appears obvious that they are aimed at the younger crowd that have yet to discover the “experience.”

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So, you know that follow-up to Windows Vista that Microsoft has been working on for the past couple of years? They’ve been calling it Windows 7 for a while now, but we just thought that was going to be its codename. As it turns out, Microsoft just announced a few hours ago that Windows 7 is the official name of the next version of their operating system. Why not go with another cutesy name like Windows ME, XP, or Vista? Well, they say this is the seventh release of Windows, and that it “just makes sense.” Well, we guess it does. If you’ll be at WinHEC or PDC, you can plan on getting Windows 7 pre-beta code from Microsoft to play with.

Read More | Windows Vista Team Blog

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Microsoft and Washington’s Attorney General Rob McKenna have filed suit against two Texas businesses that scare people into buying a Registry Cleaner XP service for $39.95. The action has been filed under the Computer Spyware Act. The Branch Software and Alpha Red messages resemble system warnings. McKenna is hoping that the lawsuit will make the “spyware purveyors” to cease the practice and pay customer restitution.

McKenna says the action “has yanked the fear factor dial out of the hands of businesses that use scareware as a marketing tool and have spun it toward them.”

Read More | Space Mart

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Remember when Halo 3 was on the horizon, and Microsoft hit us with a Halo 3 Zune? Well, they’re doing it again, but this time with the Gear of War franchise. Gears of War 2 is set for release early next month, and to capitalize on the hype, Microsoft is bringing you a special edition Gears of War 2 branded Zune.  This Zune 120 is laser-etched with a “Crimson Omen” on the back, and comes pre-loaded with 244 pieces of GoW2 content - we are talking soundtrack, concept art, behind-the-scenes videos...the works. If you’re a Gears fan, and you are in the market for a Zune, you may just want to wait for this one to land. So, when will it be available? On Gears of War 2 launch day, of course. You can pick it up, alongside the game, on November 7 for $280.

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Thank goodness Microsoft realized how silly their latest Seinfeld/Gates TV ads are and have moved on to the next phase of “Life Without Walls” in new ads, billboards, and other media sources. The company will also be launching Web and TV ads called the “Real PC,” using both celebs and “little people” who declare “I’m a PC.” We certainly hope that this commercial blitz is more successful. By the way, we just caught one. No Seinfeld, just Gates. Take your last look.

Read More | I4U News

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Now that you know about the new Zune and are thinking about grabbing one, here’s another reason. Microsoft and Wayport, the network provider of McDonald’s, have made a deal to give Zune owners free WiFi over the next three years. You may not be able to check your email, but you can order tunes to go with your fries. This works on pre-existing Zunes as well. Sony’s Mylo COM-2 and Zipit Wireless Messenger Z2 can also receive the WiFi.

Read More | Gearlog

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Okay, we’ve been hitting you with snippets of Zune news all day, especially as it pertains to the hardware. Now it’s time to break down all the changes that the Zune 3.0 software is bringing, both from the hardware side of things, as well as the software client side of things. On the hardware side of things, we are seeing new features like support for games, the ability to buy songs tagged while using the FM radio, and the ability to browse and download from the Zune Marketplace directly from the device itself. Over on software, we see a bunch of improvements to the client that are all focused on music discovery and helping you experience your music library in a whole new way. A lot of the changes seem geared towards Zune Pass subscribers (which, by the way, we think is the best deal in music). Click on through for an in-depth look at all the important changes that Zune 3.0 brings.

Click to continue reading Zune 3.0: All the details

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Okay, so the new Zune 3.0 software is live, and we have new Zune hardware to go along with it. We figured we’d bring you a look at the Zune 120 and Zune 16 that just came out, as compared to last years Zune 80 and Zune 8. The changes in the hardware are all cosmetic, which to us meant that the best way to show it to you guys was in a gallery. As you will see, this years Zune are focused on gloss and sheen, as opposed to last years matte two-tone look. Hit the Zune comparison gallery for all the shots.

Read More | Zune 120 and 16 vs Zune 80 and 8

Gallery: Zune 120, 80, 16, and 8 comparison gallery

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For all you Zune fans out there, you will be pleased to know that the Zune 3.0 software went live this morning, and is ready for your consumption. The update brings a slew of new features to the table, with a lot of them being firsts in the industry (we’re looking at you, iTunes). What you’ve got is the desktop software update, alongside a firmware update for the actual Zune devices as well. And just like last year, the updates work on all previous generation Zunes as well - at no cost to you (we’re looking at you iPod touch!).

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Running Windows in OS X is still cool, even if software like Parallels, VMware Fusion, and Boot Camp have been around for a while. Now though, Fusion has hit 2.0, which is a nice milestone. Performance improvements, better multi-monitor support, and more robust Unity features (that’s the feature that lets you “erase” the Windows desktop, so that your Windows programs appear right next to your OS X ones) make this a worthy upgrade. Here are the details:

• More Seamless with Unity 2.0: Application Sharing, Link Handling, Mirrored Folders, Driverless Printing, True Multiple Display Support, and Custom Keyboard Mapping
• Safer Windows on Mac experience with AutoProtect automated snapshots and a 12-month complimentary subscription to McAfee VirusScan Plus security software for Windows XP and Vista
• More Power with DirectX 9.0c with Shader Model 2 3D graphics, 1080p HD video playback, Multiple Snapshots, 4-way vSMP, and Better Linux Support (Unity & Easy Install)
• More Mac-like, More Mac-friendly with all new Welcome Screen, Virtual Machine Library and Virtual Machine Settings, Cover Flow and Quick Look integration, and Apple Help
• Mac OS X Leopard Server now is supported in a virtual machine on Mac hardware

If you already have a copy of Fusion 1.x running, you’ll be happy to know that this is a free upgrade. Otherwise, you can pick up Fusion 2.0 for $79.

Read More | Fusion product page

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