Now that Microsoft has announced a September 25 release for its much anticipated “Halo 3″ PS3/Wii killer, Gamestop is offering a piece of crack right now for all the Halo-ites that can’t wait that long.

The online video game store is selling an exclusive branded “Halo 3″ Zune that comes preloaded with a ton of Master Chief goodness. Those that buck up the $249 will get three “Halo 3″ making of documentary videos, the 2006 E3 trailer, the “Starry Night” commercial, the “Halo 2″ theatrical trailer, the first six episodes of “Red vs. Blue” as well as a custom made episode just for the Zuners. You also get the first two games’ original soundtrack (three in all counting the two volumes made for “Halo 2″) and over 120 different pieces of concept art, paintings and production designs from the games’ development.

What’s not included is …

Crunchgear got a tip yesterday that a Zune Phone from Microsoft is in the works, and as far as tips go they seem to think this is a pretty solid one. According to the tip, executives from Microsoft are currently working out details of the product and its release.

The gadget site states a number of “known” details about the rumored Zune Phone and it’s launch. First, the new mobile phone would be a smart device that interfaces with the existing Zune product but will not run Windows Mobile, despite being a Microsoft product.

The Zune cell phone will have connectivity to sync up with the Xbox 360 to stream media content through a wireless connection. This sounds pretty cool, but we’re just not sure how practical that would be. Transferring movies from the Xbox to the mobile media player …

Reuters has recently reported that the Zune, Microsoft’s media player which launched in the US in November, could be launching for European customers before the end of 2007 but Microsoft is not ready to make the announcement official quite yet.

According to Jason Reindorp, Zune marketing director at Microsoft, they understand the competition they are up against with the Apple iPod, and ready to face the challenges. “You couldn’t get a more entrenched competitor,” he said at the annual music industry Midem Net conference in France. “But we feel really good about the first steps that we’ve taken.”

The Zune from Microsoft is a 30 GB digital media player that features some wireless functionality to share pictures, music, and video between devices, as well as a built in FM-tuner.

“The industry moves in this sort of Christmas …

Today was the opening day of Consumer Electronics Show 2007 (CES). As you’ve no doubt noticed we’ve been bringing you coverage and news from the show.

The three day event hosts close to 3,000 companies and about 150,000 people. The show is centered at the Las Vegas Convention Center but it also spills over into surrounding casinos.

The event features speeches by notables such as Michael Dell and Bill Gates. Gates, Microsoft Chairman, gave a keynote that sounded to some like a late night infomercial for Vista, the Zune and its partnership with Ford. Microsoft has positioned Vista to be the center of a home entertainment web that includes Zune and the Xbox 360 which will get the ability to download and and record Television shows.

Microsoft is eying the juicy entertainment section just like its arch rival Apple Computer. …

The Logitech X-240 speaker system includes an integrated, stow-away cradle for an iPod, PDA, or mobile phone. The cradle makes it easier for people to charge, sync and play their portable device with their PC.

The X-240 Control Center Cradle includes audio controls for a PC or Mac that provides digital music enthusiasts with “convenience and flexibility” when using iPod or Zune with a PC. The plug-and-play cradle allows people to dock their digital device to charge it, sync it, or just play music. The cradle has specialized trays for the iPod and Microsoft Zune and can be stored flush with the control pod when not in use.

Keep in mind, the X-240 isn’t just a fancy iPod cradle; it is a quality speaker system too. Dynamic, real-time bass equalization maximizes bass response from the down-firing subwoofer while …

Belkin has announced the availability of some new accessories for the Zune digital media player. The accessories include an FM transmitter, backup battery pack, and a variety of different cases. The accessories take full advantage of the Zune player’s landscape viewing mode to give you hands-free viewing of your Zune.

The TuneBase FM Transmitter for Zune ($79.99) features a built-in FM transmitter with three programmable memory presets. The transmitter allows you to wirelessly connect to your car stereo on FM channels 88.1 MHz - 107.9MHz. The transmitter includes an LCD display with backlight that displays FM frequency and memory selection. The TuneBase will also position the Zune in either portrait or landscape mode.

The TunePower for Zune ($59.99) is a battery pack that extends the playtime of your Zune by up to 6 hours. The fold-out kickstand gives you hands-free viewing and the protective-case design prevents …

While no one can accurately predict how the Zune will fare this holiday season, one can guarantee that it will take a piece of the considerable market share now enjoyed by the iPod.

Microsoft is currently in the midst of celebrating the U.S. launch of the Zune digital media player and Zune Marketplace music service. The celebration consists of six free concerts in public parks and plazas in urban centers across the country.

At the inaugural concert in Seattle, Gates outlined the Zune vision of creating new ways for people to connect, discover and share music. Gates demonstrated that through Zune-to-Zune managed wireless sharing, consumers are empowered to promote and sample tracks, thus increasing exposure for artists. The service logs the music that people have shared, making it easier to purchase the songs they like the next time they synch up their player. Consumers …

Microsoft has announced the price and launch date for its Zune digital music player and service. The new player will be available in the US on November 14th and will be priced at $249 (USD). Microsoft also announced that the monthly subscription to its new music service would cost $14.99 or 79 points per track using Microsoft’s point system.

You won’t be empty handed as the Zune will also come pre-loaded with a variety of songs and music videos. The audio tracks include: Band of Horses, “Wicked Gil” (Sub Pop Records), Bitter:Sweet, “The Mating Game” (Quango Music Group), CSS, “Alala (Microsoft edit)” (Sub Pop Records), Darkel, “At The End of The Sky (edit)” (Astralwerks), Every Move a Picture, “Signs of Life” (V2), Small Sins, “Stay” (Astralwerks), The Adored, “Tell Me Tell Me” (V2), The Rakes, “Open Book” (V2), The Thermals, “A Pillar of …

Microsoft recently announced the most information yet on its upcoming Zune digital music player and service. The latest information focused on the Zune’s capabilities that let users share music with friends. The Zune can store and display video and pictures, comes with a 3-inch liquid-crystal display screen, a 30-GB hard drive, FM tuner, and will be available in three different colors: black, white, and brown.

Microsoft also plans to debut the Zune Marketplace into the Zune ecosystem. The Zune Marketplace is an online music store where customers can import existing music, pictures and videos in many popular formats and purchase millions of songs. The service will offer the standard features such as genre browsing, top songs, albums, artists, new releases, and featured items. Microsoft will also offer Zune Pass, which is an online subscription that allows users to download …

Microsoft has released new information on its Zune wireless MP3 player on Thursday. The release included more details which describe how the business model will work. Microsoft has previously confirmed that the player will be manufactured by Toshiba and will contain a 30GB hard drive with wireless capabilities, a 3-inch screen, and a FM tuner.

The release did not divulge the Zune’s price only saying that it will ship during the holiday season 2006.

Microsoft has positioned Zune as a direct competitor to the iPod. Apple’s recent launch of upgraded iPods and the new iTV product make this an interesting battle.

Zune Release [ABC News]