Digital music site Last.fm is like Pandora on steroids. The site allows devoted music fans from around the world to compare tastes, stream music from their favorite artists, stay up to date on local shows, download free MP3s, and create their own custom radio stations.
And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Last.fm's open API has given rise to hundreds of user-created applications, plug-ins, web tools, mash-ups and widgets. No other music site offers more tools or more features to help users connect with each other and the music they love.
Unfortunately, the deep features that makes Last.fm so appealing to hardcore music nerds, can also make the site a little intimidating to first-timers and casual listeners. Like a freshman dance, folks will often just find one comfortable corner of Last.fm and lose sight of everything else going on around them.
If you're interested in breaking out of your Last.fm rut, I've put together a quick video guide and slideshow, illustrating some ways to take your experience further.
Disclosure: Last.fm is a property of CNET parent company CBS.
After a year of daily abuse without a case, the etching on the back of my Zune 80 is showing its age. The glass screen on the front is still pristine, though, which is more than I can say for my old iPod.
(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET Networks)My Zune 80 hasn't left my side since December of 2007, after it successfully lured me from my trusty fifth-generation iPod. I invested in the Zune because I wanted to know how the other half lived (or more accurately, the other 4 percent), but the Zune's larger screen, bold user interface, podcast integration, and Zune Pass subscription service didn't hurt, either.
A few weeks passed and I was hooked on the Zune and the all-you-can-eat Zune Pass music subscription. I bought a 4GB Zune for my wife, invested in a Zune Home A/V dock to connect to my home stereo system, and even set up my PC to sync with my Zune wirelessly. Like any new romance, there were some initial hiccups--in this case, buggy software; mismatched album art; music that wouldn't delete; and broken subscription tracks. Eventually, though, I worked out the kinks, and the latest software and firmware upgrades have made life with the Zune experience much better.
There's just one thing: I'm lonely. Hundreds of iPod owners join me on the subway every day--even a few folks playing music on their Blackberries--but I seldom see a Zune. It's my job to help people decide what kind of MP3 player they should buy, but I still wonder if I made the wrong decision buying a Zune. Why can't this MP3 player get any traction?
There's no magic bullet that will make the Zune an instant success. I think Microsoft has the right idea by courting young, dedicated music fans and slowly building cult status. I just don't think they're moving fast enough to keep up with this audience or keep ahead of Apple.
Out of pure self-interest as a Zune user, I present four ideas that I think would make the Zune a better product. Feel free to add your own at the end.... Read More
The latest Zune firmware update brings new features to every generation of Zune hardware.
(Credit: Donald Bell/CNET Networks)Microsoft has just released firmware version 3.1 for all models of the Zune MP3 player, and an update to the Zune PC software. The updated firmware adds three new games: Checkers; Sudoku; and Space Battle; as well as a new multiplayer mode for the existing Texas Hold 'Em card game. The multiplayer mode takes advantage of the Zune's Wi-Fi, letting players connect to other players with Zunes. The new Zune Checkers game also supports wireless two-player gameplay.
The Zune Social online community got a refresh as well, receiving a general visual makeover and a new "like-minded listeners" option now appears up on the right, displaying the Zune cards of listeners with similar musical taste.
Also included in the update are incremental improvements to stability and performance of the Zune PC software, such as improved play count reporting and content synchronization.
To receive the free Zune software and firmware update, open up the Zune PC software, click on Settings, and select Check for Updates.
(via Zune Insider)
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Donald Bell is an electronic musician, a veteran record store employee, and a fearless hardware hacker. He's also CNET's Senior Editor for MP3 and digital audio.
Jasmine France is CNET's resident digital audio doyenne, writing and editing product reviews, crave blogs, and feature stories on all things MP3. And if you need advice on headphones, she's your girl.
