PlayStation Plus adds monthly subscription option for $10, discounts Music Unlimited to $42

PlayStation Plus adds monthly subscription option for $10, discounts Music Unlimited to $42 data = {blogUrl: "www.engadget.com",v: 315};when = {jquery: lab.scriptBs("jquery"),plugins: lab.scriptBs("plugins"),eng: lab.scriptBs("eng")}; var s265prop9 = ('20613068' !== '') ? 'bsd:20613068' : ''; var postID = '20613068'; var modalMNo = '93319229', modalVideoMNo = '93320648', modalGalleryMNo = '93304207'; when.eng("eng.omni.init", {pfxID:"weg",pageName:document.title,server:"acp-ld39.websys.aol.com",channel:"us.engadget", s_account: "aolwbengadget,aolsvc", short_url: "",pageType:"",linkInternalFilters:"javascript:,",prop1:"article",prop2:"gaming",prop9:s265prop9,prop12:document.location,prop17:"",prop18:"",prop19:"",prop20:"", prop22:"sharif-sakr", prop54:"blogsmith",mmxgo: true }); adSendTerms('1')adSetMOAT('1');adSetAdURL('/_uac/adpagem.html');lab._script("http://o.aolcdn.com/os/ads/adhesion/js/adhads-min.js").wait(function(){var floatingAd = new AdhesiveAd("348-14-15-14d",{hideOnSwipe:true});}); onBreak({980: function () { adSetType("F");htmlAdWH("93319229", "LB", "LB"); adSetType("");}}); EngadgetMenu NewsReviews Features Galleries VideosEventsPodcasts Engadget ShowTopics Buyers Guides Sagas Store HD Mobile Alt Announcements Cameras Cellphones Desktops Displays Gaming GPS Handhelds Home Entertainment Household Internet Laptops Meta Misc Networking Peripherals Podcasts Robots Portable Audio/Video Science Software Storage Tablets Transportation Wearables Wireless Acer Amazon AMD Apple ASUS AT&T Blackberry Canon Dell Facebook Google HP HTC Intel Lenovo LG Microsoft Nikon Nintendo Nokia NVIDIA Samsung Sony Sprint T-Mobile Verizon About UsSubscribeLike Engadget@engadgettip uswhen.eng("eng.nav.init")when.eng("eng.tips.init") onBreak({980: function () {htmlAdWH("93308280", "215", "35",'AJAX','ajaxsponsor');}});PlayStation Plus adds monthly subscription option for $10, discounts Music Unlimited to $42BySharif SakrpostedJun 11th, 2013 at 3:20 AM 0

PlayStation Plus offers do come around every now and then, but Sony has just announced a more permanent addition to the service: the option of a $10 (or 7 euro) monthly membership to supplement the regular 90-day and annual subscriptions. The lack of commitment comes at quite a price, given that the longer contracts bring the the effective monthly cost down to $6 and $4 respectively, but it may still make sense for flighty types. Anyway, once you're in, you'll find a secondary, time-limited offer: an annual Music Unlimited Premium subscription for $42 (42 euros), which is okay, but nowhere near the discount offered in 2012. Those who remain outside of Sony's inner circle can also temporarily get 12 months of Music Unlimited for $60, or half of the usual cost. Lastly, a few more E3 crumbs: the PlayStation Network is now officially called "PSN", which is pretty much what we called it anyway, and PlayStation Plus also gets a new logo (shown after the break, not that it's especially shocking.), reflecting reflect its heightened status in the PS4 era

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Source: Sony (PDF)

Tags: discount, musicunlimited, playstationplus, psn, sony, subscription

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Windows 8.1 May Include a 'Boot to Desktop' Option

Pete Pachal2013-04-15 15:02:55 UTC

The most recent numbers show PC sales dropping like a rock, with many blaming the radical changes in Windows 8 for scaring away customers. A new rumor suggests the drop has prompted Microsoft to consider reversing course on at least one aspect of the new user interface.

Microsoft may introduce a "Boot to Desktop" mode in the next major update to Windows, called either Windows 8.1 or Windows Blue, according to a post on WinBeta. A version of the update leaked out last month, and someone who examined the code discovered that it includes a line of code for suppressing the Start screen.

Even before Windows 8 launched last October, many felt that throwing users into the new Windows UI at startup might not be the best solution for all customers, particularly those focused on productivity (i.e. office workers). Also, since the number of apps created for the new environment was relatively few (even the new Microsoft Office runs as a Desktop app), the benefits of always starting in the new UI were questionable.

Microsoft told Mashable it wouldn't comment on the rumor, but its position has generally been that the new UI and the traditional desktop work in conjunction with each other; they're not walled-off environments. The Charms menu, for example, is still accessible from the Desktop, and the two versions of Internet Explorer in fact share a lot of functionality on the back end, even thouhg they appear to be completely different apps.

Nonetheless, surveys suggest an option to suppress the Start screen could alleviate some users' fears of upgrading. However, the less time those users spend in the "proper" Windows 8 environment, the less developers will be interested in creating apps for that environment — the most likely reason Microsoft has been reluctant to include the Boot to Desktop option.

But if users are rejecting Windows 8 outright (as the PC sales numbers suggest), then Microsoft obviously needs to re-examine its approach. Will that include Boot to Desktop in Windows 8.1? We should find out for sure at the Microsoft BUILD developer conference in June.

Photo by Nina Frazier, Mashable

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Facebook Finally Adds 'Reply' Option to Comments

Samantha Murphy2013-03-25 18:55:59 UTC

Facebook announced on Monday it is rolling out a new feature so users can reply directly to comments left on their page. Finally.

Followings months of testing, the social network aims to make navigating through conversation threads easier with the new Replies feature. This means that, instead of having to leave a response to a friend's comment way after new ones have been added, you will be able to address each individual comment. Responses will be posted under the original comment too.

The site is also prioritizing comments based on engagement — the most active and popular ones will surface to the top of your posts. This will be especially helpful for pages with thousands of followers.

"You and your readers will have the ability to reply directly to comments left on your Page content and start conversation threads, which will make it easier for you to interact directly with individual readers and keep relevant conversations connected," said Vadim Lavrusik, Facebook's journalism program manager, in an official blog post. "Also, the most active and engaging conversations among your readers will be surfaced at the top of your posts ensuring that people who visit your Page will see the best conversations."

For now, threaded replies will be automatically applied to profiles with more than 10,000 followers and opt in for brand Pages until July 10, 2013. To opt in, visit the Replies option through the Page admin panel.

"At launch, this feature will only be available on desktop and we plan to make it available in the Graph API and mobile in the future," Lavrusik added.

Mashable composite, Images via iStockphoto, crossroadscreative, and logo courtesy of Facebook

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