Today is the release date for the brand new Microsoft Zune, but it seems that many of us have found a cheaper way to enjoy the new Zune experience: purchase an old Zune and upgrade the software. It is so popular that the first generation Zune is now the top selling MP3 player on Amazon.

From first-hand experience we can tell you that the new Zune software is a significant improvement from the first generation. The device comes with the original software but you can choose to upgrade software from the main menu (once the PC software is updated, you can upgrade the device firmware.

If you want to give it a shot, you can get the brown 30GB Zune for under $90 at Amazon. It is a great deal for a 30GB MP3 player.

Here are the latest featured deals from J&R:

	Samsung BD-P1400 Blu-Ray Player $419.88 Receive 5 free Blu-Ray Disc Movies with MIR (exp. 1-31-08)
	Panasonic DMP-BD10AK BlueRay Component BD and DVD Player $489.88 FREE Shipping plus Get 10 FREE Movies! 5 in the Box and 5 with coupon! (exp. 1-31-08)
	Sony BDP-S300 Blu-Ray High Definition Disc Player Home Theater Component $499.99 FREE Shipping Receive 5 free Blu-Ray Disc Movies with MIR (exp. 1-31-08)
	Microsoft Zune 30GB Digital Media Player (Brown) $99.99
	Apple iPod classic – 80GB – Black $249.00
	Apple iPod touch – 16GB $399.00
	Memorex 3202-5732 8x DVD+R Double Layer 50 Pack Spindle $39.99 after IR (exp. 11-24-07)
	ASUS EEE PC 4G Ultra 7″ Linux Notebook – Pearl White $399.99
	ASUS EEEPC Ultra 7″ Linux Notebook – Black $399.99 (pre-order)
	Trendnet TEW-631BRP 300Mbps Wireless N-Draft Firewall Router $29.99 after $30 MIR (exp. 11-30-07)
	Nikon D40 6.1 Megapixel SLR Digital Camera Kit – 18-55mm AF-S Lens $479.99
	Sony DCR-DVD108 DVD Handycam Camcorder $349.00 plus FREE Shipping

Palm has just introduced its highly anticipated $99 Palm Centro smartphone and now you can be first one on your block to own one. This new smartphone, initially available on the Sprint network, comes in red or black (aka Ruby or Onyx) and features Palm OS 5.4.9, Dual-band CDMA2000 EvDO, a 320×320 color touchscreen, 64MB of availble storage, bluetooth, microSD expansion, and a 1.3 megapixel camera. Palm is now accepting pre-orders and is also offering a free car charger and free shipping.

Links:  

• Palm Centro smartphone for $99 pre-order at palm.com
• Buy a Palm Centro smartphone and get a free Vehicle Power Charger ($29.99 value) (expires 10/31/2007)
• Free shipping on the new Palm Centro smartphone available for pre-order now at palm.com

Great deal on the innovative SanDisk Sansa Connect. For the next few days (expiring 9/28), Dell is offering $32 off this CES Best of Show winner, bringing it to $117.00. As we’ve previously mentioned, the Sansa Connect is the first Wi-Fi enabled music player that leverages all the benefits of Wi-Fi to stream internet radio, download music directly to your device, share music with friends, and even view Flickr photos.

Link:  $32 off SanDisk Sansa Connect. To redeem, click here and use coupon code F0B2FX74Q$WC2F. (Expires 9/28)

Good news for all you iPhone users. Apple has finally posted a page for you to request your $100 store credit. If you don’t know, after Apple cut the price of the iPhone by $200, many users who paid $600 just a few weeks ago felt cheated. Apple immediately responded to this problem by offering a $100 store credit.

Bottom line is that if you bought your iPhone before 8/22/07, go to this link and provide them with your phone id. They will then send you an SMS message with a code which you will enter on this page to redeem your credit.

Link:  $100 Apple Store Credit for Existing iPhone Customers

As Apple grows its iPod lineup, the old iPod Video has now been renamed the iPod Classic. The newly redesigned iPod Classic now comes in 80GB and 120GB capacity and yet is still thinner than the previous models! Like the iPod Nano, the iPod Classic sports a metal finish and an upgraded user interface featuring cover flow.

Links:  

• iPod Classic on Apple
• iPod Classic on Amazon

It’s thin… really thin.

Apple has completely redefined its iPod Nano with a very thin square look, 2-inch screen, and metal finish. It has also upgraded the user interface to include cover flow and even games. Still available in 4GB and 8GB, the iPod Nano is now available in blue, metal, green, purple, and PRODUCT (RED).

Links:  

• iPod Nano on Apple
• iPod Nano on Amazon

Leading off the updated Apple product lineup is the refreshed iPod Shuffle. Still a small clip on music player with 1GB capacity, the iPod Shuffle is now available in blue, metal, green, purple, and now also in PRODUCT (RED). You can pick one up at Apple for $79 or save a few cents on Amazon.

Links:  

• iPod Shuffle on Apple
• iPod Shuffle on Amazon

Amazon has just discounted the Xbox 360 Premium (that’s the Xbox with a 20GB Hard Drive) to $329.99. Just this week, Microsoft reduced the price to $349.99 and now Amazon is discounting it another $20.

Link:  Xbox 360 Console Including 20GB Hard Drive

We’ve all been waiting for this one.

TiVo has finally released a 180-hour HD DVR for cable users. Priced at $299, this new box can hold up to 20 hours of HD recordings (up to 180 hours in SD) and it comes with two HD tuners. Like other TiVo boxes, this one includes the great and easy-to-use TiVo interface and functionality including online scheduling. This box supports analog and HDTV signal through an over-the-air antenna or through your cable provider (two CableCARD slots included for decoding from your cable company). Video output is available in 480i, 480p, 720p, and 1080i.

The bad news is that you’ll still need to buy a TiVo service plan which, depending on length of contract, costs $12.95 to $16.95 per month (or $179 to $299 annually).

Link:  New TiVo 180-Hour HD DVR