Just a quick note to let everyone know that version 2.1 of Network Dashboard has passed certification and has been published to the Windows Phone Marketplace. It usually takes about 24 hours from this point until it’s available to everyone.

For more information on what’s included in this update, see this post.

Microsoft just sent out an email to Zune Pass subscribers announcing plan changes that will go into effect October 3. They will be discontinuing the current $14.99 a month plan in favor of a $9.99 a month plan. The downside is that the $9.99 a month plan no longer includes the 10 song credits per month. The upside? Existing Zune Pass subscribers get to keep their current plan if they choose, so long as they remain a subscriber.

Microsoft recently began providing some details of the engineering process surrounding Windows 8 at the Building Windows 8 blog. Steven Sinofsky, President of the Windows Division at Microsoft kicked off the blog with a Welcome post on August 15th.

After a couple of housekeeping posts, Mr. Sinofsky provided a post that introduced the Windows 8 team, listing 35 different teams that are building various features of Windows 8. Many of the teams are similar to those from the Windows 7 days, but there are a number of teams that provide some hints about features to come, such as the App Store that has been speculated to arrive with the new version.

The most recent two posts on Building Windows 8 detail the new file copy and conflict resolution functionality in Windows 8. In the first post, Microsoft shows off the new design of the file actions dialog, noting that all file operations will now be displayed in a single window. Additionally, the conflict resolution has been streamlined to make it easier for users to determine which file to keep. The second post goes into detail on the design process of these features, showing various iterations that were tested.

The Building Windows 8 blog is sure to be the place to watch, at least until the Build conference next month where Microsoft has stated they will reveal much more about Windows 8.

As of July 1, 2011, Microsoft has discontinued its Zune Originals line of customized Zune HD hardware. The Zune Originals program allowed people to purchase Zune HD media players with custom etched art on the back.

This is just another sign that Microsoft will be killing off the Zune brand, likely folding their media properties into the Xbox brand (Xbox Music, Xbox Video, etc.).

I happened upon the following merchandising display at my local Best Buy store today and thought it was interesting and kind of cool. For clarity’s sake, that is a monitor with a looping video in the center of the display.