While we still have yet to get any meaningful list of the “500 New Features” coming to Windows Phone, we’ve still got the next best thing: A blog post detailing the changes made to the Music + Videos hub (or as it should be called Zune on Windows Phone).

New features include podcasts support on the device (U.S. Only), Smart DJ Playlists, Improved Marketplace Search, and the ability to create playlists.. They’ve also detailed a long list of improvements they’ve made to the Music + Videos hub including, more discoverable playback options, improved “History” and “New” areas, better mini-playback controls, better artist images, more playback information, better data management, and full-screen video options, and scrubbing.

Source: Windows Phone Team Blog via enConnected

We won’t attempt to be anything but DC Comics fans, and while we loved The CW’s take on Superman with it’s “Smallville” series, we’ve lost touch with it over the last few years. For us and all those who’ve also let their Clark watching go by the wayside Microsoft has you covered with all nine the first nine seasons available for 1,830 Microsoft Points. That’s 22.50 in your American dollars.

Source enConnected

Communities around the Zune ecosystem are gearing up for an epic battle, of whit. A test of gall! Join the editors of InsidetheCircle, AnythingButiPod, ZuneInsider hosts Matt Akers and Jessica Zahn, and yours truly for a Community Playdate on May 6th at 8pm ET. We’ll be playing “Full House Poker” on Windows Phone and Xbox Live Arcade until 11pm.  You can find out more at Xbox.com

We don’t file news stories much in our ‘speculation’ hats so forgive us if we’re a little rusty but here it goes. According to the description of Microsoft’s topics during the MIX conference, we may be mere months away from some kind of announcement on “forthcoming generations of Windows phones and Zune devices”. Yep, we thought that would get your attention.

Source: ZuneSpring & ClubDirthill on Twitter

Just a few weeks ago we bragged about how we’d again caught up in reviewing current applications for the Zune HD, remind us to never make that statement ever again.

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When you ask any Zune user what first attracted them to Microsoft’s entertainment platform they’ll tell you a few different things. Some were snagged by Redmond’s promises to treat music like an art form and less like some spreadsheet with music files attached. Some will tell you that it’s the platform’s flagship Zune Pass music service that first brought them into the fold. These would both be valid answers, but what I find is that most users were attracted to is the dream of just having their stuff work over multiple devices. In 2006 that was a pipe dream, in 2008 it was a no-brainer, and with Zune Music on XBOX, in 2010 it’s reality. Microsoft has finally delivered on a perk of the Zune ecosystem they should have delivered from Day One, and I won’t lie to you folks, I don’t even care that it wasn’t released four years ago. Why? It may have been well worth the wait.

Starting today you can um,  truth be told I have absolutely no idea what it does. It sounds music related, I think.

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Just in time to get the penny stock trader within you excited, last night Microsoft unleashed it’s new MSN Money application for the Zune HD. Features include the ability to of course monitor stocks, get detailed information on past trends, and gather information on the company straight from your Zune HD. At the same time Microsoft has also pulled the covers off of a new game called Animalgrams. As always both are free and available right now in the Zune App Marketplace.

We love to get see pictures of your Zune, headphones, and home stereo setup. Post yours here!

It would seem that after I went to bed last night we all got a little bit of news. For the next 24 hours Zune.net, & the Zune Marketplace are down. We’ll pass on more once we have it.

Update: Looks like we’re back to business. All Zune services are back online. Yep, just as I reasoned there are no changes from what I can tell.

Note: A few of you have written in asking if there may be an update coming. The email sent out via every users Zune.net account mentions the service being down for routine maintenance. I’m sure it’s nothing more then that.