Microsoft Corporate Vice President J Allard trash-talks the iPod as part of his press tour to officially announce the Zune.

“Ipod is the Pong of digital music,” said Allard. “Let’s take it to the next level. And connected is what its all about.”

Microsoft is positioning the Zune as the first step towards creating a platform that encompasses the same territory as Apple’s iPod/iTunes, but also expands upon it.

“With Zune, we are not simply delivering a portable device, we are introducing a new platform that helps bring artists closer to their audiences and helps people find new music and develop new social connections,” said J Allard, vice president, design and development, at Microsoft.

With Apple’s new nano iPods, Apple has quietly added a feature that will be important to podcasters – the ability to record.

There are a variety of add-ons for iPods that let 5G iPod owners record at two quality settings – High (44.1KHz stereo) and Low (22.050KHz mono). Both options capture audio with very usable quality and can let you record hours of audio.

According to iLounge, “the new iPod nano works almost seamlessly with these recorders – in some ways, better than with the 5G iPod. Menus are the same as the 5G iPod‚Äôs: a Voice Memos option is available from Extras, and transforms the nano‚Äôs screen into a large recording clock with pause and stop/save options.”

nano iPods also have no hard drives, which makes them quieter for recording, and provides longer battery life.

Earlier this week, Apple introduced a new lineup of iPods. As part of the introduction, Apple announced that it would be selling a selection of games for iPods, including Bejeweled, Cubis 2, Mah-Jong, Mini-Golf, Pac-Man, Tetris, Texas Holdem, Vortex and Zuma.

“The setup and execution of gaming on the iPod is very high-quality, with smooth graphics, great features, short load times, and the ability to work flawlessly with music playback,” reports PlayFeed.

Here’s a quick demo of PacMan running on an iPod….

UNESCO, The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, is launching a call for submissions of video podcast proposals for a series of production grants. UNESCO plans grants of up to $3000 to support the UN video podcasts.

The organization wishes to produce and distribute a series of video podcasts for all audiences, but especially young adults (20-35), aimed at increasing understanding of the development and societal issues identified as priority fields by UNESCO, namely:

• Human Rights;
• Peace;
• Tolerance;
• Fight against discrimination, based on race, gender or other issues (e.g. HIV status);
• Millennium Development Goals, particularly poverty-alleviation and gender equality and women empowerment;
• Freedom of Expression;
• Intercultural communication.

Drew Olanoff, Adam Plante and Paul Fleming, the hosts of The Best Damn Tech Show Period (BDTSP) audio and video podcasts, have announced a POLARiTV, a new podcast network.

POLARiTV plans to run their network like a TV studio, a la NBC and ABC, with a program schedule for their shows. But unlike other studios, the shows are produced and run by average people.

“The Digital Revolution is upon us,” said Olanoff. “Current networks treat audiences like numbers, POLARiTV will treat audiences like people.”

Olanoff, Plante and Fleming see a need for a central source that allows people to follow their favorite online broadcasts. According to Olanoff, POLARiTV “fills this void and gives entertainment fans a totally new and totally revolutionary outlet.”

Starbucks is the latest company to misstep with their initial attempt at corporate podcasting. Their podcast, Starbucks Coffee Conversations, is striking many as hard to swallow.

The first episode, Coffee 101 (MP3), features a discussion with coffee farmers and a taste-testing expert.

“All the things that give podcasting flavor — natural tone, passion, spontaneity, good music — have been brewed out of it,” says The Chicago Tribune’s Steve Johnson. “All that’s left are the soggy grinds of a PR-vetted promotional piece.”

Johnson’s reaction appears to be typical. The podcast comes across as overly scripted, lacking the spontanaeity and excitement of the best podcasts.

Starbucks will need to spend some time listening to successfull podcasts, and be willing to take some risks, if they want their podcast to become as addictive as their beverages.

The Pearl Harbor Memorial Fund has launched The Pearl Harbor Survivors Project, an initiative to share the stories of survivors as told by their loved ones and to engage and educate future generations about the critical role that the attack on Pearl Harbor played in America’s history.

The site is looking for oral histories of survivors’ experiences at Pearl Harbor.

“We have reached the end of an era,” said Daniel Martinez, National Park Service Chief Historian at the USS Arizona Memorial Park. “Our youngest survivors are now in their eighties and fewer and fewer return to Pearl Harbor each year. It’s up to us now — the historians, the children, the spouses and grandchildren — to pull out the scrapbooks, upload the photos and write or call in to share the survivors’ stories today.”

The latest episode of the Vallejo, CA Times Herald podcast features a discussion with Isabella Lamb (MP3), described as “the first candidate to unofficially enter the 2040 presidential race.” Lamb is planning to run on the platform “Make Cupcakes, Not War”.
Isabella plans to run on kindergarten values, as detailed on her Web site, such as play nice, don’t cheat, don’t fight and don’t lie. The first-grader launched her campaign last month, complete with an Internet blog, bumper stickers, pins – and plenty of cupcakes.

NASA is making space shuttle launch footage available as a video podcast for the first time. Complete video of the STS-115 shuttle launch (MP4) is included in a recent NASAcast.

NASA plans to offer video podcasts for future launches.

Other recent episode include footage of Atlantis performing a flip for the cameras before docking with the International Space Station, and a discussion with NASA Astronaut Stephen Robinson about STS-115’s mission to install the P3/P4 solar panel truss on the International Space Station.

Harman Kardon has introduced two new products, the Harman Kardon Go + Play portable iPod sound station (above) and the HK 700 Series in-ear noise-isolating earphones.

The Harman Kardon Go + Play features a stylish stainless-steel handle, touch volume and mute controls, and an RF remote. The remote effortlessly controls volume, track selection and iPod menu controls at a range of up to 30 feet, even through walls, making it the ultimate portable sound system. The unit’s design allows the iPod to lie flat, keeping it secure.

Combining bi-amped digital amplification, DSP (digital sound processing) and Ridge and Atlas transducers, Harman Kardon Go + Play produces powerful bass and clean treble. Eight D batteries allow the user to bring the Harman Kardon Go + Play virtually anywhere, and to enjoy favorite tunes for up to 18 hours of continuous playback.

The Harman Kardon Go + Play provides an S-video connection, letting users connect it to a TV or monitor to watch podcasts from an iPod.