BBC News is reporting on the details Microsoft has released on its upcoming "Zune" music player. Microsoft hopes the promising new device will be a direct rival to Apple's iPod, and will feature wireless connectivity, a radio, video playback, a three-inch screen, and will initially have a 30GB hard drive. With the release of the player, Microsoft will also be releasing it's own downloading service to compete with Apple's iTunes store.

"This online store will allow users to choose to buy songs individually, or alternatively sign up to a subscription service to download a certain number of songs for a flat fee. The initial Zune will have a 30-gigabyte memory, but Microsoft said it could not yet provide an exact release date or price for the product, only that it would be priced "competitively" with rivals. "