News 

The filing made by Toshiba reveals that the Zune - here referred to as the 1089 - is equipped with a high quality FM tuner with RDBS, a three inch TFT LCD screen, a 30GB hard disk drive, wireless 802.11 b/g support, and USB 2.0 support.

Diagrams that accompany the filing suggest an iPod like rectangular device with a large screen dominating the front - larger than the equivalent

ADVERTISEMENT

Apple product. However, it also seems to have an iPod style press pad circular control panel underneath with similar functions such as On/Off, volume, rewind/fast forward, Previous Menu and Reset.

A code name Pyxis in the documentation seems to refer to a short range wireless network available to Zune users, rather like the short range wireless 'chat room' feature on the Nintendo DS. Using the wireless setting, according to the submission, users will be able to 'send and received photos and promotional copies of songs, albums and play lists from other Pyxis users'. The DJing feature allows the owner to 'stream' music to up to four other Zune devices.

Meanwhile a code-name Argo appears to relate to a 'friends' network. The filing does suggest that you can use the Pyxis network to invite other 'Argo' users to a buddy list.

Until now, the features of the Zune have remained a closely guarded secret. However, now that many of the details have been uncovered, Toshiba and Microsoft are likely to come clean with an official announcement about the so-called 'iPod killer' slated to hit the shelves in time for the Christmas buying period.