subscriptions

Facebook is about to get a whole lot creepier. A small group of users are beta-testing a new "subscribe" button located under users' profile pictures that could make Facebook stalking as simple as a single click.

The button is a lot like "following" someone on Twitter and here's how it works: If you click the "subscribe" button, all of that user's activities, from new pictures to status updates to videos and links, will show up in your notifications. Few details have been released so far, but we're interested in knowing if the service will show you who's stalking your profile or if you can subscribe to non-friends, which would take the creep factor up to a solid 10.

Moving on to another creepy story, a school zone in West Vancouver is testing a rather extreme measure to force drivers to slow down in their vehicles.

The experiment places a 3D hologram of a young girl chasing a ball in the middle of the street that drivers will see about 100 feet away, giving them plenty of time to slow down...or have a heart attack and veer off the road. We can see the utility in a 3D cop on the side of the road or a flashing light to alert drivers entering school zones, but this is a little nuts.

To Jeff's delight and Wilson's girlfriend's dislike, Angry Birds is now available on the Android operating system. Granted, it's a "Lite" version in beta and many users (including Jeff) are experiencing random restarts and freezes, but it should tie over your addiction until the official version finally drops. For all the iPhone players out there, don't forget that the Angry Birds Expansion Pack is also available.

Finally, we have a handful of voicemail messages that we haven't gotten to play all week, and today's batch inquires about the infamous "Cheese Stands Alone" episode, voicemail phone numbers, and a rare appearance from everyone's favorite Verbose Asian Guy! Set it on repeat, guys--it ain't happening again! :)

Sony has apparently dusted itself off and is ready to take another crack at Apple's iTunes.

Sony has plans to launch a music and video subscription service, according to a report in The Financial Times. The Japanese conglomerate is expected to announce the service Wednesday at a technology show in Berlin, just ahead of Apple's media event in San Francisco.

According to the FT, "Sony would use its [Web-connected] PlayStation games consoles as the starting point for a new service that users will be able to use across a range of other Internet-connected devices. That could include … Read more

Amazon is talking to major media companies to create a new subscription service to deliver movies and TV shows over the Internet, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

The service, which would be accessible via Web browser and devices such as Internet-connected TVs, Blu-ray players, and the Xbox game console, has been pitched to media giants News Corp., Time Warner, Viacom, and NBC Universal, according to the Journal. Amazon's Video on Demand service offers digital downloads of movies and individual TV episodes, but the new service would focus on offering older content in a model similar … Read more

It was fun while it lasted. I had wondered how Grooveshark could charge just $3 a month for unlimited on-demand music streams to your iPhone while other companies charge more than three times as much.

Turns out, it can't.

Earlier this month, the Grooveshark iPhone app appeared in Apple's App Store. On Monday, Apple pulled the app. According to Grooveshark's blog, Apple received a complaint from Universal Music Group UK.

This isn't exactly a surprise, given that Universal Music filed a lawsuit against the upstart subscription music service earlier this year. In a statement, Apple confirmed … Read more

It's been more than a year (!) since I first tested an early alpha version of the Grooveshark app for iPhone, and now the company has finally jumped through the necessary hoops to get it into the App Store.

Grooveshark's Web site has for several years offered on-demand streaming of just about any song in existence, and it remains one of my favorite destinations. The iPhone app is also free, and it gives you a 30-day free trial, after which you'll have to sign up for a VIP subscription. Still, that subscription costs only $3 a month or $… Read more

Music subscription service Rdio first gained attention back in June when Kazaa founders originally announced it as their latest foray into the digital music space. Now, the service has come flying out of private beta and is tempting residents of the U.S. and Canada with tiered subscription pricing that allows unlimited streaming from a catalog containing more than 7 million tracks (compared to more than 10 million for Rhapsody).

Rdio's pricing is on par with Rhapsody, although there is a lower cost option for those who don't need on-the-go use. $4.99 per month will get you … Read more

I've been cable-TV-free for the better part of a year and a half. First, the idea was to save money. Second, the idea of watching TV via the Internet and on my assorted devices--iPad, iPhone, PS3, laptop--is an appealing and, honestly, preferable way of dealing with content at this point, especially since the TV is usually out of bounds in our household, since our sleeping child dictates silence. Though I feel like my idea was personally motivated, it's increasingly becoming part of a cable-cutting trend that many are adopting. (For more advice, see Maggie Reardon's tips on cutting cable for online video.)

Admittedly, we're not really off-grid at all. We still use the cable provider's Internet service. We also subscribe to Netflix, a virtual necessity when off-grid. Hulu has always offered a good selection of current shows on many networks, acting as a decent stand-in for a DVR.

Hulu Plus, with its promise of a larger library and an ability to work on the iPad, iPhone, and game consoles, got my attention when it was launched. Its price--$9.99 a month--did, too, for all the wrong reasons. Still, when I received my e-mail inviting me to sign up for the "preview," I ponied up my credit card. Is it worth it? And can it really help fulfill my wishes to watch TV off the grid without spending a fortune in iTunes? Well, that depends.

Content surprises Hulu Plus offers no free trial period other than a few free shows on its app, unlike Netflix which gives new users 30 days to try the service. Users have to discover for themselves what Hulu Plus' library actually consists of, which at the moment has its ups and downs. Some people on forums I've read seem confused as to whether the "Hulu Plus Preview" is currently free, or costs money. Hulu doesn't make the distinction clear of what a "preview" really even means, since this looks like a final product. And, yes, it costs money right now.… Read more

I've been testing the iPhone version of MOG, a subscription on-demand music service that I blogged about in December, for the last few days. While it performs adequately, I haven't seen anything that really makes it stand out from the other competitors I've looked at recently, like Rhapsody, Thumbplay, and the still-in-beta Rdio.

First, the positives. Sound quality was excellent when streaming over a 3G connection and you can download any song to store in a local cache, so you can play it even when you're offline (like Rhapsody and the BlackBerry version of Thumbplay). You … Read more

MySpace Music, that long slumbering music unit of the struggling social network, is considering whether to begin charging users, according to a source close to the negotiations.

The source said Wednesday that MySpace Music execs have spoken to some of the top labels about creating a subscription service. This apparently confirms a report published Tuesday by the Web site of Side-Line, a music magazine. Citing sources close to News Corp., parent company of MySpace, the publication said it wants to move MySpace Music to a paid model and that it's burning through a lot of money each month.

MySpace … Read more