Microsoft plans to extend the wireless capability of its new Zune devices to PCs and the company’s Xbox 360 game console, according to Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates. Zune, Microsoft’s competitor to the iPod, shipped with the capability for users to share photos, videos and music between Zune devices. However, Gates said Tuesday that eventually Microsoft will connect Zune to other Microsoft products that serve as content and entertainment platforms. Microsoft Zune “We will take it even further or connecting the Zune to the Windows PC or Xbox,” he said during the company’s annual shareholder meeting on Tuesday. “There is a lot more coming there.”Gates said that Zune’s wireless connectivity is just one way Microsoft is changing how people enjoy and share various multimedia. “We’re changing entertainment from something you do in isolation to connected entertainment,” he said. Zune players cost US$249.99, the same amount as Apple Computer’s current generation of video iPods. Like iPods, the Zune has 30GB of storage, plays videos and music and can display photos. But Zune players also have wireless connectivity and an FM receiver, two features that differentiate them from iPods. Microsoft hopes these features will help it win market share against Apple’s tremendously successful media player.Zune players are now available in more than 30,000 retail outlets in the United States. Zune Marketplace—an online music purchasing and download service through which users can buy monthly subscriptions or individual songs or videos—is also now available. Connecting Zune with its Xbox 360 console seems like a logical next step for Microsoft, as the company is promoting both as devices to serve up a variety of multimedia content. Later this month, Microsoft will allow customers to download movies and television programs to their Xbox 360 gaming consoles through the Xbox Live Marketplace, an online store where Xbox users already can purchase game updates and other content. To facilitate the Xbox video-downloading service, Microsoft signed a deal that allows it to sell or rent an initial 1,000 hours of programming from various broadcasting companies, such as CBS Broadcasting, Viacom’s MTV Networks and Paramount Pictures, and Turner Broadcasting System. The company signed similar deals with record labels such as Sub Pop Records to provide some of the initial media on its Zune devices.-Elizabeth Montalbano, IDG News Service (New York Bureau)Related Links: Microsoft Zune: iPod Rival or Just Another MP3 Player? Apple CEO Jobs: Microsoft Zune No iPod Threat Microsoft Zune 30GB to Sell for $250, Songs for $1This article is posted on our Microsoft Informer page. For more news on the Redmond, Wash.-based powerhouse, keep checking in.Check out our CIO News Alerts and Tech Informer pages for more updated news coverage. Related content feature Expedia poised to take flight with generative AI CTO Rathi Murthy sees the online travel service’s vast troves of data and AI expertise fueling a two-pronged transformation strategy aimed at growing the company by bringing more of the travel industry online. By Paula Rooney Jun 02, 2023 7 mins Travel and Hospitality Industry Digital Transformation Artificial Intelligence case study Deoleo doubles down on sustainability through digital transformation The Spanish multinational olive oil processing company is immersed in a digital transformation journey to achieve operational efficiency and contribute to the company's sustainability strategy. By Nuria Cordon Jun 02, 2023 6 mins CIO Supply Chain Digital Transformation brandpost Resilient data backup and recovery is critical to enterprise success As global data volumes rise, business must prioritize their resiliency strategies. By Neal Weinberg Jun 01, 2023 4 mins Security brandpost Democratizing HPC with multicloud to accelerate engineering innovations Cloud for HPC is facilitating broader access to high performance computing and accelerating innovations and opportunities for all types of organizations. By Tanya O'Hara Jun 01, 2023 6 mins Multi Cloud Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe