File this one under "interesting, and more than a bit dubious," but there is apparently some semi-official hinting coming out from Redmond about a big June product announcement from Microsoft surrounding the Zune product family. There have been leaks, mumblings and readings of tea leaves regarding both a Zune HD and a possible Zune phone (via a project codenamed "Pink"), and a series of tweets from @officethemovie, apparently legitimately connected to the Office 2010 team, today indicated "June 2009 will be an important month for Zune lovers." This was followed by the remarkable "New product launch, that's all I'm allowed to say. Hold off from buying an iPhone/Pre. :)"

This is very curious. Microsoft might not be quite as historically hyper-secretive as rival Apple about new product announcements, but it's downright unusual to leak what sounds like a new launch of some magnitude from an obscure and loosely-connected Twitter account. Some of the other updates from the account are eyebrow-raising as well, with claims that "Office 2010 will include Twitter, Facebook, and other social networks integrated right into Word. That's just a hint of what's to come!" 

Really?! Twitter integration with... Microsoft Word?! Is it the Zune phone coming or just the apocalypse? Could the Zune HD and the Zune phone be the same device? And if not, why would a Zune HD launch make anyone think twice about picking up a new phone? And what the heck do either of them have to do with MS Office? Is this a very cagey way to instill doubt and take a jab at the new iPhone vs. Palm Pre cage match that is going to heat up big time come June? Under any scenario, these signs seem to point to the upcoming E3 event in early June as a prime opportunity for Microsoft to tell us... absolutely anything about what the heck all this means.

[Update]: Alas, yep, it was totally real fake. 

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