I've heard...

That Microsoft is working on a Zune phone that will allow you to record something and send it to someone else with a Zune phone. But they'll only be able to listen to it for three days unless you pay Universal Music Group a dollar.

This new product will be called the "Zone". Microsoft's marketing message will be "Welcome to the Zone".

This "record and recall" feature should be added to the Zune within a year, but look for C|Net to buck the trend and to annoint the "Zone" it an "iPhone killer" for the next six months.

Also, the Zone is slated to be compatible with Windows XP SR2 and Windows Vista only.