Wondering what ever happened to Microsoft's original plan for Live Anywhere? For some, it's been taking the company a while to fully finish the integration of the service across many platforms. Xbox Live Executive John Schappert said that the service is till going to push through. Know more after the jump!

Here's another program for those who are keen on converting videos and uploading them on their preferred gadgets: Called Universal Video Converter. This application is currently on version 6.0.2, and was created by Victorious from DivxTurka.Net

Know more about this program via the "read more" link below.

Download: Universal Video Converter v6.0.2

If you consider yourself an audiophile that lives outside the US, acquiring music online can sometimes be a bummer. Now, the latest offering of Amazon could probably help you out.

They have released an announcement that they will be launching Amazon Mp3 this year giving access to music lovers to one of the biggest collection of online songs. Details in the full article.

After Sony had its big ad campaign for the PlayStation 3, it's about time that Microsoft followed suit as well. The software and gaming mogul is said to be setting aside a hefty US$ 300 million in advertising most of its wares. More details in the full article.

Today the Xbox, tomorrow the world... well, the rest of the Microsoft products. In a recent interview with J Allard, Corporate Vice President of Microsoft - you may remember him from making a bet concerning dreadlocks - he explains that eventually Microsoft's online services will merge - like Zune and Xbox Live - and become one big network packaged in different forms of services (which is already true for most of their services anyway). Read more about it in the full article.

The folks from Redmond are going to hold an event on Tuesday, October 2, 2007, to announce the next iteration of the Zune. Insider sources say that Microsoft chairman Bill Gates and design chief J Allard will be attending the said event to commemorate the announcement.

The new Zune would include the first flash memory-based gadget of the initial 2.4 million-unit product line, a strategy that Microsoft eyed significantly for the company. Microsoft currently holds a 10% share of the HDD player market and hopes to turn a profit from its share with the release of the flash-based Zune. 

The "Zune 2," as it's unofficially coined, is claimed to be similar in design, only thinner in profile. BetaNews reports that the new Zune will come in dimensions of 3 inches by 1.25 inches, and will look similar to the iPod nano. Video playback capability seems to be a feature confirmed for the next-generation Zune, though the claims of Wi-Fi inter-connectivity and larger in-house storage still remain unconfirmed.

While over two million units of new Zunes will be in production by the holiday season of 2007, about a third will take the form of the flash-memory based player. The first batch should be available by November, coupled with a Beta launch of a new Zune community site. There are also reports of first-party accessories for the product, though full details

If the iPod can make the transition to the iPhone (and the reverse could be said for its new line), can the Zune make the transition to the mobile industry? Microsoft Chief Financial Officer Mindy Mount says that it's not unreasonable. Not a yes, but definitely not a no. The comment was made during a global technology conference held by Citigroup.

A Zune phone is not unfamiliar. Around the same time last year, Microsoft was all thumbs up for the idea saying that "a Zune phone is definitely part of the future of this brand." Also, an FCC filing earlier this year was filed by Microsoft (and others) that indicates a "Zune derivative" phone. Perhaps they have changed their minds with the arrival of the iPhone?

Rumors have been circling around that Microsoft may buy the company who makes the Blackberry phone line, Research in Motion (RIM). Microsoft denies this though, saying that their strategy is to integrate the Windows Mobile into its products while RIM  (according to Microsoft) focuses only on its handsets.

But to clear up any confusing notion, Mount's complete quote ran like this: "It wouldn't be unreasonable to think at some point there might [be] some integrated thing." It's probably not hinting at anything and might have only been said as a passing comment. However, it does mean the Microsoft is not closed to the idea, and there's still the FCC filing, so it could still be something.

If you're looking for some games to play on your iPhone, Jason Merchant has a couple of interesting ones up for download. If you like fish and you've got issues with Microsoft's Zune, you'll love these.

Aquarium v1 is a simple application where you can watch fish swim around, then feed them if you wish to do so. It's actually very relaxing to do this, and will probably kill a minute or two when you're stuck in traffic.

A more heart-pumping application is the Shoot the Zune wherein you play the role of the iPhone and launch missiles at hapless Zune MP3 players across the screen.

Please be reminded that you'll have to Jailbreak your iPhone first before these can be installed. They're written in objective C. Tweaks have been made from previous versions of the apps.

Seems like a lot of people are having quite a riot over this rather ingenious anti-theft accessory. And we at QJ also think that humorous posts make for good leisurely reading in the weekend, especially after a torrential luge of E3 news. But moving on...

The Anti-Social has released an accessory that could prevent your precious iPod from getting stolen. And what better way to deter thieves than by showing them that all you've got... is a Zune. Hence, the Hide-a-Pod was born. It acts as a case to store your iPod, the case here being a mock-Zune skin.

We've linked the product page below via our Read link, and through there, you can check out the many features that the Hide-a-Pod has. There's an FAQ section as well, explaining other details regarding compatibility, custom colors, and whatnot. For example: "Can I choose my Zune color? Sorry, no. We only use brown Zunes for the maximum anti-theft protection." They've even extended the accessory to have an iPhone counterpart. You wouldn't want it to be stolen now, would you?

Now here's the catch. People should learn to read the fine print too, y'know. At the bottom of the website is a little caveat:

iPod and iPhone are trademarks of Apple and Zune is a trademark of Microsoft. We are are not associated with them in any way. This is all just a big gag and you couldn't order a Hide-a-Pod if you wanted to. So there.

Aaaw. It was fun while it lasted. If you check out the page, it's riddled with a lot of humor as well. A dash of wit, a pinch of LOL, and a healthy dose of Easter Egg giggles. But for those who aren't Apple fanboys, look on the bright side. "Imitation is the best form of flattery." Or maybe it's just... Oh. Snap.

Click the Read link to check out the Hide-a-Pod website.

An analysis of the patent granted to Microsoft by the US Patent and Trademark Office published on the 12th of April, 2007 indicates that the Zune Phone's main battle cry may very well be ease of use. The patent granted seems to hint that a less cluttered screen may be the key for mainstream users to catch on to the product when it finally ships.

It's still unclear whether the Zune Phone intends to give Apple's iPhone a run for its money. The only thing certain at the moment is the fact that other than mobile communications, the Zune Phone will offer a multifunctional core design. That is, it's likely that this gadget will have the qualities of a mobile phone, a PDA, and maybe even a mini-media player.

One of the more intriguing properties described by Microsoft is that the product will enable users to monitor content and data coming in simply by watching the GUI. Much of the patent's contents are still pretty vague, and we all know that the final product often has a lot more to it than what the papers describe. On that note, we'll update you as soon as new details on the Zune Phone is forthcoming.