Zune Spring update is pushed to player owners

Microsoft on Monday delivered its Zune 2.5 software, including several playback enhancements and better syncing and organizational capabilities.

Among the changes that affect the device directly is the option to select gapless playback. This eliminates the gaps that occur between electronic music tracks, and is especially useful for fans of live and electronic music.

Syncing has been improved, allowing for a user to select tracks to sync even if the device is not connected. Once the device is connected via USB or Wi-Fi, it should be synced automatically.

In addition, the software allows for users to easily find files that take up the most space, thus allowing for better management when the device is nearly full.

A feature called Sync Groups aims to work much like auto playlists, allowing for certain criteria to be set and then used to update a Zune device. When new media is added to the library that meets these criteria, it is then automatically updated.

Zune 2.5 also offers improved organization. Music collections can now be sorted by genre, and then further sorted by artist, album, or release year. Advanced metadata features are also new to the software.

"I would say that this update is in large part thanks to direct interaction and feedback from users, whether from the forums, the comments on this site, formal research and more. We listened, and we hope you like it," Caesar Menendez wrote on the Zune Insider blog on Tuesday.

In related Zune news, Microsoft said Tuesday that the Zune would be available in Canada beginning June 13. This would mark the first time that the player would be available outside the US officially since its release.

And in a surprise this afternoon, NBC was featured prominently in Microsoft's announcement of expanded content for its Zune monthly subscription service. This after the network exited its content deal with Apple's iTunes last year, expanded its shows' availability through Amazon's Unbox, and subsequently launched its own online streaming channel Hulu in conjunction with Fox.

"Partnering with Zune will allow us to develop innovative content offerings for their customers, including flexible pricing and packaging options beginning this fall," reads the citation from NBC Universal Digital Distribution President J.B. Perrette this afternoon.