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March 14, 2007 7:04 AM PDT

Teenager 1, Zune 0

by Mike Yamamoto
(Credit: Broadband Media)

Could a teenage girl undo what Microsoft hoped would be the Zune's iPod-killing feature?

Microsoft has long hoped that its MP3 player's wireless music-sharing abilities would help it gain precious ground on Apple's market leader, though that notion has hardly yielded any magic bullets. And now Kristyn Heath, a 16-year-old from the San Francisco Bay Area, has reportedly come up with the concept behind a device called "SnoopTunes" that lets iPods beam their music as well.

Moreover, unlike the Zune, "this one doesn't limit you to three days or three plays," according to Mobile Magazine. The $60 device--which itself looks something like a silver bullet, ironically--was engineered by the teenager's father at her behest. It's being sold on eBay and marketed on MySpace.

We can't help but wonder how Steve Ballmer & Company would have reacted upon hearing about SnoopTunes, though the words "insult" and "injury" come to mind. In any case, we suspect that Kristyn would be a slam dunk for an internship in either Redmond or Cupertino, if not a permanent position. But she's probably too smart for that.

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Not even close to the same thing
by jdcrave March 14, 2007 8:55 AM PDT
Come on.... This is like (is?) an RF transceiver that turns your ipod into a radio station that other people with the same gadget within a limited radius can listen to. It doesn't put the song on their ipod. They can't listen to a song any more times than you play it for them -- WHILE THEY'RE STANDING NEXT TO YOU.

This isn't even in the same CLASS as the Zune functionality. Watch the little video on that site, you'll see.
Reply to this comment
Not even close to the same thing
by jdcrave March 14, 2007 8:55 AM PDT
Come on.... This is like (is?) an RF transceiver that turns your ipod into a radio station that other people with the same gadget within a limited radius can listen to. It doesn't put the song on their ipod. They can't listen to a song any more times than you play it for them -- WHILE THEY'RE STANDING NEXT TO YOU.

This isn't even in the same CLASS as the Zune functionality. Watch the little video on that site, you'll see.
Reply to this comment
Not Yet. Very Imperfect.
by quinn123 March 14, 2007 2:33 PM PDT
You see the NSA (noestringsattached)is too big first of all & doesn't actually transfer music. If it was the size of a Nike+ iPod Adapter then I would buy it. I would share songs with my friends. I think it should also be able to purchase music through iTunes. Great for my friends who don't have PCs or Macs or anything
Reply to this comment
Not Yet. Very Imperfect.
by quinn123 March 14, 2007 2:33 PM PDT
You see the NSA (noestringsattached)is too big first of all & doesn't actually transfer music. If it was the size of a Nike+ iPod Adapter then I would buy it. I would share songs with my friends. I think it should also be able to purchase music through iTunes. Great for my friends who don't have PCs or Macs or anything
Reply to this comment
Extreamly Misleading Review
by slappie March 14, 2007 2:55 PM PDT
This is an RF Transceiver. Nothing more. You are a mini radio station and receiver for other mini stations.
Reply to this comment
Extreamly Misleading Review
by slappie March 14, 2007 2:55 PM PDT
This is an RF Transceiver. Nothing more. You are a mini radio station and receiver for other mini stations.
Reply to this comment
60 bucks...
by kneeyogi March 14, 2007 11:12 PM PDT
... seems like an awful lot for an fm transmitter
Reply to this comment
60 bucks...
by kneeyogi March 14, 2007 11:12 PM PDT
... seems like an awful lot for an fm transmitter
Reply to this comment
Teenager 2, CNET 0
by Fil0403 March 15, 2007 11:18 AM PDT
Could an unbiased person undo what CNET hoped would be a Microsoft-killing news?

CNET has too long hoped that the MP3 player from evil Microsoft would not win the war with Apple's market-leading iPod (a position I think the iPod occupies with fairness), though that is the same ideal CNET follows for any Microsoft product competing with an Apple product. And now CNET, a company known for its extreme professionalism towards Microsoft or Apple products, has turned an RF transmitter into a Wi-Fi accessory that makes Zune even more useless and its owners even more idiotic.

Moreover, unlike the Zune too, this one doesn't actually let you send any files at all to anyone, according to any unbiased person with a human brain who actually knows anything about this device (that obviously excludes CNET). The $60 device - which itself is overpriced for the simple RF transmitter it is - was engineered for the iPod, and not for Zune (that is why it is "cool", and not ridiculous). It's being freely advertised on your nearest CNET website.

What I can't help but wonder is how CNET editors would have reacted upon realizing (after their readers explained them - now that's what I call professionalism, again) this is a simple RF transmitter, not a Wi-Fi Zune-like device, though the words "ignorance" and "bias" always come to mind when I read a Microsoft story on CNET. In any case too, I suspect Kristyn would be an excellent acquisition for CNET, given how she fooled so-called professional "senior" editors. But she's probably too smart and unbiased for that too.
Reply to this comment
Well written and right on.
by jdcrave March 16, 2007 8:31 AM PDT
Excellent post Fil0403.
Teenager 2, CNET 0
by Fil0403 March 15, 2007 11:18 AM PDT
Could an unbiased person undo what CNET hoped would be a Microsoft-killing news?

CNET has too long hoped that the MP3 player from evil Microsoft would not win the war with Apple's market-leading iPod (a position I think the iPod occupies with fairness), though that is the same ideal CNET follows for any Microsoft product competing with an Apple product. And now CNET, a company known for its extreme professionalism towards Microsoft or Apple products, has turned an RF transmitter into a Wi-Fi accessory that makes Zune even more useless and its owners even more idiotic.

Moreover, unlike the Zune too, this one doesn't actually let you send any files at all to anyone, according to any unbiased person with a human brain who actually knows anything about this device (that obviously excludes CNET). The $60 device - which itself is overpriced for the simple RF transmitter it is - was engineered for the iPod, and not for Zune (that is why it is "cool", and not ridiculous). It's being freely advertised on your nearest CNET website.

What I can't help but wonder is how CNET editors would have reacted upon realizing (after their readers explained them - now that's what I call professionalism, again) this is a simple RF transmitter, not a Wi-Fi Zune-like device, though the words "ignorance" and "bias" always come to mind when I read a Microsoft story on CNET. In any case too, I suspect Kristyn would be an excellent acquisition for CNET, given how she fooled so-called professional "senior" editors. But she's probably too smart and unbiased for that too.
Reply to this comment
Well written and right on.
by jdcrave March 16, 2007 8:31 AM PDT
Excellent post Fil0403.
Regarding the FM transmiter
by vastatrix March 30, 2007 9:14 PM PDT
Well guess what not the only FM transmiter remember Itrip
http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/itripdock/ and tha one from Kensington http://us.kensington.com/html/10119.html the only diference its thats is an Fm transmiter and receiver well I think nothing new under the Water but a nice improvment...
Reply to this comment
Regarding the FM transmiter
by vastatrix March 30, 2007 9:14 PM PDT
Well guess what not the only FM transmiter remember Itrip
http://www.griffintechnology.com/products/itripdock/ and tha one from Kensington http://us.kensington.com/html/10119.html the only diference its thats is an Fm transmiter and receiver well I think nothing new under the Water but a nice improvment...
Reply to this comment
ur wrong about the price
by mimimikes April 1, 2007 7:31 PM PDT
it's $60 for TWO units. it works really well, i bought it off of ebay. it's also great cuz it fits w/in my small college-student budget.
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ur wrong about the price
by mimimikes April 1, 2007 7:31 PM PDT
it's $60 for TWO units. it works really well, i bought it off of ebay. it's also great cuz it fits w/in my small college-student budget.
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