The next generation of Microsoft's Zune music player, due in the fall, will have a touch screen, Web browser and an HD Radio receiver.
The new device, called the Zune HD, will also carry a high-definition video output that will let people play files through a docking station on HD televisions, Microsoft said Wednesday. And the Zune's screen will use organic light-emitting diodes, a technology that helps improve battery life and image quality. (Msnbc.com is a Microsoft-NBC Universal joint venture.)
Microsoft has managed only single-digit market share for the Zune since its 2006 debut, but the company is continuing to invest in the device as an alternative to the dominant portable music player, Apple Inc.'s iPod. Microsoft says the new Zune will be the first with a receiver for HD Radio, which lets radio stations transmit extra channels alongside their regular broadcasts.
Microsoft also plans to announce a link between the Zune music service and the Xbox video game console at the Electronic Entertainment Expo next week.
