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2008 ends with worldwide Zune crash
Latent Y2K fears manifested last week when Zune players began crashing in unprecedented numbers. The Microsoft devices have been freezing up while loading, leaving users with a picture of the Zune icon and a loading bar, according to published reports.
Zunes, particularly the 30GB version, apparently began crashing as the clock struck midnight on New Year's Eve. The problem apparently was caused by a leap-year related programming bug.
Microsoft has since posted instructions that the company says should get the Zune devices running again.
The timing of the Zune crash has some calling the glitch Z2K, according to SFGate.com. Urban Dictionary.com's Jan. 1, 2009 word of the day was Y2K9, defined as "the simultaneous worldwide crash of every 30GB Zune during the early hours of the morning on Dec. 31, 2008."
