So what’s been going on? Well let’s see…

• The web speculates that MyBlogLog is in acquisition talks…
• Apple updated, well, everything in their line yet again
• I have left my position with FuJ Tech, and will continue to work on freelance projects
• I recently learned that MediaTemple’s Grid service is actually not a grid. So much for that idea.
• Sony’s PS3 has about as many issues as the Xbox360 had at launch, but with almost double the initial pricetag
• The Nintendo Wii is selling like crazy, as predicted, and I for one will be buying one once I raise some funds.
• Windows Vista is practically out, and Acer is saying not to bother with the ‘Basic’ version.

Did I miss anything? Oh well, check the Digg section or my ma.gnolia for daily link updates and news stories.

More on the history, and philosophy after the jump.

What does this have to do with the Zune, and the iPod you say? Well, let’s backtrack a little… The iPod was a stylish, distinct and quite unique device which served as a status symbol for quite awhile before hitting the mass market like a hurricane hits Florida. Before the mass market propaganda hit the streets, these things were the crème of the crop. I mean, if you had one, you were cool. Sure, that sounds really lame. Fanboys and Apple bashers alike can agree to that point. Why was the iPod “cool” for so long? Well, up until now there was nothing else which would allow you to share your taste in music so very easily, and with style.

So what does the Zune have to do with this already?! Think about it. What did MySpace do for the web? It gave the everyman the ability to change the way the world perceived them. It gave them a chance to splash their paint on the canvas of the web. The Zune, if marketed correctly, and properly pushed by Microsoft, could in fact win the next generation of listeners into the fold. The Zune dares to be the odd child in a sea of flash players, and iPod look alikes. As per the video posted on Engadget recently, it comes in new colors, the colors of indie (brown, black, ad nauseum) and will allow the user to “fully personalize” the device with backgrounds, and all that MySpace-esque filth. They’re tagline, “Welcome to the social.”, is pushing the sharing portion of the device, and not necessarily the device itself. Why would Microsoft release this, and why now? What just exploded on the web? Social networking. What is MySpace? You’re catching on. Good.

What can we learn from this? Well, first off it doesn’t matter if the device looks like a brick or a finely carved diamond, it will sell if and only if it can be distinguished from everything else. The Zune is ugly enough, feature filled enough, and downright indie enough to pull it off. I’m not saying Apple is going to suffer at all. Not a chance. The target market here will be those who absolutely despise conformity. Yes, the independent crowd who first picked up the iPod, before it became the monstrosity of white headphones that we know today.

Just for the record, I am an Apple fanboy at heart, own an iPod nano, and an Apple iBook. I work in the Web Development industry on a Windows XP based platform, and have worked in an environment based solely on Red Hat Linux. Information wants to be free, and so do my music files. So I welcome our new indie centric animated background overlords. Just please, no animated GIFs.

• Qwerty Keyboard
• Instant Messaging
• Internet Phone/Voice Chat
• A battery that can last a real work/use day
• Built in memory
• Video, Audio, and a decent browser. Yes, Opera.
• WiFi Streaming between players

I’m happy to see devices like this sprouting up. I would keep an eye on Microsoft’s Zune, as well as this project and of course the Nokia 770. These devices are the future. The handheld market has been slow recently, but with these new additions there’s no telling where we are going.

Oh, and if you’d like to buy me one you can send a donation to me. Hey, my birthday is coming up give me a break!

Sony Mylo™ Specs
Sony Mylo™ Learning Center
Pictures
Video

Update:
The thing runs linux!