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Just after Lady Gaga made headlines by releasing her full album for less than a buck on Amazon’s new Cloud Player, a community member began to wonder if this service was something he should be using. He asked the question on our Q&A site, and the answers surprised me. Nearly everyone claimed they do not plan to use the new Cloud Player – unless some big changes are made.

Yes, I plan to use it. I have several GB worth of music stored in the Cloud Player. However, I listen to another service to listen to music. I pay to access music subscriptions through services such as Pandora and Rhapsody. I happen to feel it’s important to support artists by paying for what I listen to.

I prefer to consume my music without having to manage it locally. It’s just easier that way. I’d rather just subscribe to something instead of having to buy an album outright. I like being able to rent it indefinitely. I can listen to pretty much anything that might be available in those libraries at any given time.

The Amazon Cloud Player is good for remote storage. I plan to move all of my MP3s there, but I might hold on until they offer a bit more. I want the ability to tag my stuff and sort it in the way I want. Yes, I can dump it all in there and let it import, but it’s just not for me. Not even iTunes is for me. Heck, I’m not even happy with Google’s newest offering at this point.

What do you think? Are you a fan of services such as this? I gotta admit: if I have to choose, I’m going to go with subscription services… for audio and video. I love being able to listen to a huge variety of things without having to burn a disc.

I will use Amazon Cloud Storage – but it will never be my music home.

Are You a Fan of Amazon Cloud Player?

The BBC soon plans to launch the long-awaited global version of its iPlayer TV service on a subscription-only basis – only for the iPad. The service, carrying BBC shows like Doctor Who on-demand, will likely be very popular in the U.S. Don’t get too excited yet, though. The service will only be available in select markets at first, and it won’t show up until sometime next summer. No pricing model has been announced as of yet.

The iPlayer has only been available in the UK for about three years now, but is extremely popular. It was pushing out 100 million downloads per month at the beginning of 2010 – and saw more than 140 million in the month of October. “That makes it more popular than Hulu, which clocked 260 million requests but which includes shows from at least three broadcasters and which operates in a market whose population is five times larger.”

But, just as Hulu is available only in North America, the TV industry’s dependence on temporal and territorial windows means the license fee-funded, non-profit BBC can host shows on iPlayer only within the UK and only for a week, before rights revert to producers for exploitation.

What are your thoughts? Do you plan to subscribe to the iPlayer if – and when – it is available for your iPad?

BBC iPlayer Coming to the United States

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Will you become a Hulu Plus subscriber, or will you stick to the Hulu experience you’ve known to this point? If not, why not – and if so, why so? Some people are upset over the way Hulu decided to support the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad – but the other alternative seems just as expensive (either with media ala-carte spending or time spent on converting illegally-attained videos). It certainly works – no doubt about that. If you don’t like what they’re doing, you can vote with your feet – but complaining about it in a YouTube comment probably won’t get you very far.

There are more than thirty currently popular television shows (from ABC, NBC and FOX) available to watch in their current season via Hulu Plus. In addition, you can catch up with hundreds of your favorite shows’ past seasons and episodes. There are more than 120 seasons and 2,000 episodes of rich library content—that’s thousands of hours of entertainment.

You can use your Hulu Plus subscription on several devices – not just your Apple ones. You can use certain Samsung televisions, your Xbox 360 and more. They’re accessible anywhere you can get to your account, so you can watch these easily on the road.

If you do plan on getting a subscription, know that you’re going to sit through commercials. Commercials on Hulu aren’t intrusive in my opinion. Only you can decide if paying for Hulu is worth it to you. It’s definitely worth my money – and time.

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Is a Hulu Plus Subscription Worth Paying For?

I’m betting one of the biggest reasons you’re a Hulu fan would be the fact that consumption doesn’t cost you anything. It looks as though the company will soon be switching over to a paid model much like you’d find with Netflix. They are also looking to expand the service onto devices such as the Xbox 360 and iPad.

Hulu, which generated an estimated $100 million in advertising revenue last year, will continue to offer newer episodes of shows like Fox’s “Glee” free of charge, but it will also charge viewers a monthly fee to see older episodes and other content, two of the sources said.

Hulu gained about $100 million in advertising revenue last year. They will reportedly continue to offer new episodes of your favorite shows free of charge. Watching older episodes and other content will likely require a monthly fee. Advertising is what has allowed the service to remain free up until this point. Competition in this market is fierce, and Hulu is stepping up its game in order to be one of the top dogs in consumption services.

Will you pay a fee to catch up on your shows, or will you look elsewhere for them?

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You don’t have to pay a monthly fee to gain access to all of the hottest software and apps for all of your machines and devices.

Will You Pay for Hulu?

We’ve been busy this week reporting some major news stories. A lot has been going on in the tech world and our brains are nearly fried from having to get to the bottom of the information and get it to you as quickly as possible. Therefore, I decided tonight’s roundup post would be something fun.

It’s quite simple. What would you do if you woke up tomorrow a million dollars richer? I know many of you will likely give me answers such as “pay all of my bills” and “buy a house.” Some of you will talk of charities and other noble causes. Instead of these stock answers, I want you to really think. Pretend you don’t have any bills to pay off. You already own a nice house. What would you do with that money? Be creative, and let’s see what you come up with.

Thank you to everyone in the community who has been working hard and posting content on our various sites. Your contributions are always much appreciated. I hope you also take time out to read what others are up to.

• Is your Facebook account for sale?
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• Hey Hulu cheapskates – there is no free lunch.
• What are the most depressing nursery rhymes?
• OCZ has joined the stock market.
• Bank trojan Zues takes direct aim at Firefox.
• Why would an LAN connection be disabled every time a computer is rebooted?
• Facebook is NOT a threat to Google.
• A lethal fungus has crossed the border from Canada to the U.S.
• Is it safe to use financial management software?
• AT&T reports that Wi-Fi connections hit 53 million.
• Are you a re-gifter?
• AMD is keeping the pressure on.
• Why are allergies increasing?

It won’t take a million bucks to grab the latest software for your computers and mobile devices.

What Would You Do With a Million Dollars?

I was recently featured on CNN live website, along with my buddies Pete Cashmore (from Mashable) and Brian Chen (from Wired). We had a great time discussing things like Windows 7 and the announcement of Hulu subscriptions. It’s an interesting roundtable from the three of us self-avowed “Mac” guys, who all have extensive Windows experience.

As I stated during the discussion, I believe the operating system is becoming irrelevant in the days where everyone logs in to their computer, and immediately opens a web browser.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you feel as we tune more and more into the Web that things such as actual operating systems will become more irrelevant?

CNN Blogger Bunch: Windows 7 and Hulu Subscriptions

I read an article on TechCrunch earlier today, discussing how Twitter will soon dominate the Internet, replacing even Google as the king. This made me stop and think for a bit. I mean, come on… Google is, well… Google! Do we honestly believe that anything could topple it from its undeniable reign at the top of the Internet ladder? The answer is a resounding YES.

I blather on about Twitter all of the time. Hell, half the World talks about Twitter, and with good reason. Twitter isn’t just some hot new fad where people talk about what they ate for lunch. Sure, we post silly things in our tweet stream. But Twitter is so much more than that, and it’s time more people accept that fact – and embrace it!

Twitter is one of the fastest and most accurate news sources out there. It may not have been intended by the creators to serve as such, but that is exactly what it is doing. When news happens, you can find it on Twitter within literal seconds. People who are on the scene of accidents post immediate updates as soon as they know them. Anyone in the vicinity of where there is something newsworthy happening whip their phones out and tweet faster than you can blink your eyes.

Twitter is also fast becoming an amazing way for businesses to connect with their customers, just as Frank Eliason discussed at Gnomedex recently. Your customers are on Twitter, so your business better be there, as well.

What are your thoughts? Do you think Twitter will soon replace Google as the Internet King? Have you read any other interesting tidbits today? If so, I’d love a link to them. I’m always looking for something new and thought-provoking to read, other than what we find on both Geeks and Lockergnome every day!

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• Not everyone is on cloud 9 when using Windows 7. At least one of our bloggers is living in Windows Hell right now.
• Is it possible to make the Macs more affordable for the general population?
• MultiTouch is here – now.
• Do you even realize that Windows 7 was not the only important piece of software released today?

Are you looking for discounts on the hottest and newest software that is available? We have a team putting deals together every day for every platform you can think of: mobile apps, windows software, mac apps, and more!

Who Will Dominate the Internet?

Earlier tonight, I put up a blog post discussing the possible trouble you can run into by using generic ink cartridges. Just a few days ago, I talked in another post about what a great deal they can be – for some people. This is why I always caution you to do your research. Not every deal is going to be a good one for every person. Not every brand will work for you. What is “awesome” for one person, may very well be a disaster for you.

It doesn’t matter if you’re buying print cartridges, a new television or computer, or even whether you’re in the market for a new house. Do your research. Find out what others are saying. Know what the strengths and weaknesses are of whatever it is you’re looking at purchasing or investing in. Don’t buy something only because so-and-so told you that you should, even if that so-and-so was me. Buy whatever is going to fit your needs – and your budget – the best.

One great way to find out what is good, and what is not so good, is to read what people are saying on Lockergnome and Geeks.

• Google is supporting web adoption of Scalable Vector Graphics.
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• The power of silence can be a beautiful thing.
• Is Intel slowly moving its operation overseas?
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• Apple is doing away with the mouse ball – say WHAT?
• Deny those Denial of Service attack attempts.
• Could there be evil lurking behind closed doors at Google?
• Are you a fan of Weird Al Yankovich like I am?
• Do you have a fun or unique event coming up? Why not promote it on Geeks?
• What are some of the most useful services and websites that you rely on every day?

If you’re in the market for new software of any type – mobile platforms included – be sure to keep an eye on the deals and discounts we pass on to you every day!

Do Your Research – on Every Topic

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Who doesn’t love Hulu? No doubt you’ve heard about it. It’s a place where you can watch all of your favorite television programs. Hulu is not going away. If you have a broadband connection, you’re crazy if you’re not on the site. Today, Hulu announced Hulu Desktop – for both Windows and OS X! The software is easy to navigate, and looks great!

Hulu Desktop is a great-looking and easy-to-use viewing experience for your computer. It has a sleek look that is optimized for use with standard Windows Media Center remote controls – or Apple remotes! This lets you surf your way through Hulu’s library with just six buttons. For people who don’t have a remote, you can use your keyboard and mouse.

I’m not kidding… if you aren’t already using Hulu, you’re an insane person. How else can you easily catch up with your favorite shows – at your own pace and time? I use it to watch things I enjoy but am not able to catch during normal “air time”. It’s easy, and it’s fun!

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Do You Hulu?