Microsoft provides a free upgrade firmware for its media player Zune HD this spring, and it is adding a number of features to the device that users of the desktop companion already know.

First up is Smart DJ, which like Apple’s iTunes Genius creates playlists of similar music. With a Zune Pass subscription service for music store online from Microsoft and the library, these lists will be populated not only your music library, but also catalog the Zune Marketplace, Microsoft said. If you do not have a Zune Pass subscription, Smart DJ will be withdrawn songs from his local library.

Second is Picks, another feature similar to Genius. According to the announcement Monday by Microsoft, “the Picks algorithm analyzes what you listen to and compares that to millions of other Zunes users to make personalized recommendations.” It is another feature already available in the Zune desktop software.

Third, Microsoft so that people can connect your Zune on your HDTV (via the dock) and music on the big screen. And finally, Microsoft is adding support for the video codec MPEG-4 Part 2 Advanced Simple Profile, including support for AVI and Xvid files.

Microsoft announced the update is coming “in the next few weeks.”

Dell home has dropped the Zune 32GB HD $ 240 and call it the fall in prices in the history of falling prices in Last week. We were wrong. The 32 GB and 16 GB just another drop in price is enormous.

The 32GB is now a clean $199 with the 16GB now fetching $140. You did not need a coupon code, passing secret or anything. These prices are for everyone and could indicate a Micrsoft official price cut is coming soon. Google Shopping still pegs the Zune HD 32GB at $240 everywhere else so we really don’t know what’s going on with Dell. Perhaps it is a mistake, maybe not. But $ 199 is the price that the Zune 32 GB HD should be in order to have the opportunity to fight against the iPod touch.

An Illinois man continues Microsoft, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports, saying the company has added its patented technology for Zune by not responding to his offer of licenses in March 25, 2010. Edward Yavitz, MD, said that Microsoft had infringed two patents covering a method of marking and downloading music via an FM receiver.
 
Yavitz said he wrote to Microsoft in 2006, offering to throw ideas patented in 2000 and 2002, and the company responded to his letter. In 2008, Microsoft introduced the “Buy from FM” feature on the Zune.

Yavitz’s complaint says, “Despite using Dr. Yavitz’s patented proposal and adopting it as a centerpiece of its Zune strategy, Microsoft has never responded to Mr. Yavitz and never tried to obtain a license for patents. ”

Microsoft declined the paper’s request for comment on the suit.

If you are looking for something a little more robust in terms of protection for your Zune in high definition and in terms of looks Speck PixelSkin the case of HD Zune might be something on the radar. The best way to describe the PixelSkin is a version of a military grade silicone skin simple. In terms of functionality and the setting is the same as that of a silicon skin, but much more skin so to speak and who doesn’t like to see a little more skin?

All buttons are easily accessible through the skin along with the bottom dock and headphone ports. It will also work with some docking station if you remove the dock insert. Currently using this skin with the Kicker ZK500 just by removing the dock insert.

The Speck PixelSkin can be found on Amazon for about $ 17 – very cheap investment to protect your precious HD Zune.

Microsoft long-awaited implementation of Facebook for the Zune HD can not have waited long enough. After rolling out late Monday night, users immediately reported problems with the application’s capability to pull down content, as well as a slow performance in general. The Zune team quickly acknowledged the problem and promised to investigate.

Well, I’m happy to report that the issues were apparently resolved, and it seems that problems are not entirely Microsoft’s fault.
 
A Microsoft spokesperson emailed CNET the following statement:

“Yesterday evening, the Microsoft and Facebook engineering teams worked together to fix an issue Zune HD users were experiencing with the recently released Facebook application for Zune HD. Users should now be able to access the full functionality of the Facebook application for Zune HD.”

The smoking gun in this case is the fact that the application has been determined without requiring a software update. However, regardless of who’s to blame for the botched application launch, the responsibility to properly test the Zune application before making it public HD falls squarely on the shoulders of Microsoft.

For Microsoft’s sake, we hope to nail down the process all applications before the release of Windows 7 Series Phone.