In a minor update released late last night, Facebook expanded Pages support for its official Android app. Now, from your Android device you can view the full list of Pages you Like and perform some Admin duties for Pages you are in charge of. To access, hit the Search button on the top right, which will pull up a Pages tab at the bottom of your screen.

Facebook for Android v1.6.1 is available now in the Android Market.

Twitter for Android stepped up its game today with a couple of new features that users probably wish it had incorporated a long time ago.

Now, users get the option to receive Push Notifications, which are essentially real-time, automatic updates. Previously, users had to set the app to refresh at timed intervals. Now they can go into account settings and enable Automatic Refresh to get instant Status Bar notifications for Direct Messages, @Mentions, and Tweets.

Also, the updated app now supports multiple account sign-in, making it easy to switch between your social media alter egos.

The new version of Twitter for Android is available for download now in the Android Market.

You know something is good when it feels illegal. Such is the case with Spotify, the on-demand music-streaming service that seems too good to be true--or certainly, too good to be free. Yet, here it is, the "celestial jukebox" we've been dreaming of since the days of illegally gorging on the original Napster. It's called Spotify, it's finally available in the U.S., and music fans have reason to cheer.

What it does
What Spotify does is so simple and seemingly harmless, it's actually a sad comment on humanity that it counts as a groundbreaking product. As a first-time user, you install the free Spotify Mac/PC application, open it up, and watch as it automatically imports your music collection and playlists from iTunes and other music software and presents you with landing page filled with new releases, top lists, and music shared by your friends. The big trick, though, is a little search box at the top of the screen that lets you search for any reasonably popular artist, song, or album in existence and stream it immediately. You can't get The Beatles, but we had no problem finding greats like The Rolling Stones and David Bowie, as well as obscure indies such as The Ghastly Ones or Four Tet.

Put simply, you tell your computer what you want to hear, and it plays it for you...for free, and without limitations for up to 60 days. It doesn't play something similar to the song you want (like Pandora), or a 30- to 60-second clip of the song you want (like iTunes)--it plays you the whole song or album, just as if it were in your personal music collection.

Of course, there are a few other bells and whistles that make Spotify its own special thing. Facebook and Twitter integration allows you to easily share music discoveries with friends. Artist pages encourage discovery with bio pages and links out to similar artists and top hits of the decade to add context. Without any friction preventing you from jumping from one great song to the next, Spotify also provides a play queue off to the side, allowing you to stash your discoveries without interrupting the currently playing song.

And let's not forget the small but not insignificant matter of style. Spotify's polished, iTunes-like interface is as inviting to music fans as a well-stocked record bin. Each portion of the bento boxlike layout can be resized, and playback, volume, and track scrubber controls are placed neatly across the bottom. Browserlike back and forward buttons located to the left of the search box allow you to dig your way back out out of the rabbit's hole of music discovery.

The catch
Spotify's music service is uniquely generous, but it's not without limitations. Using the free version of the service, full songs can be streamed on-demand an unlimited amount for up to six months (with the occasional audio ad popping into rotation, similar to Pandora). After that time, free users can only play a given track a maximum of five times per month and are also subject to a cap of 10 hours of streaming per month. If you can cough up $5 per month, those restrictions (and ads) disappear, but you're still limited to only listening from your computer. At $10 per month, you can use Spotify on mobile devices (including iOS, Android, and Windows Phone 7), and even cache your favorite music and playlists for offline listening.

So yes, if you get addicted to Spotify and want it with you everywhere, you could be out $10 per month. That still beats many of subscription music options out there (such as Rhapsody), which run closer to $15 per month for mobile access.

Another hitch worth mentioning is Spotify's reliance on standalone software, as opposed to a browser-based player. With so many browser-based options out there (Grooveshark, Last.fm, Pandora, Rdio), the concept of downloading and updating a desktop application seems outdated.

The competition
In the years it has taken Spotify to arrive on U.S. shores, many new competitors have sprouted up while even old and familiar brands have braced for impact.

In terms of pricing and features, fans of Rdio, MOG, and Rhapsody are probably shrugging their shoulders over the Spotify news. These services have been offering all-you-can-eat browser-based and mobile streaming for some time now. What they haven't been able to offer, though, is a free version of their service. Taking a page from Pandora's playbook, Spotify is counting on rapid adoption of its free service to eventually turn into a solid base of happy, paid subscribers.

Grooveshark is Spotify's closest competitor in terms of pricing and features, and the company also offers a similar free version of the service. But while Grooveshark has its fans, its music catalog is limited and its user-uploaded music approach could prevent the kind of direct label relationships Spotify benefits from. The company has also had its mobile app yanked from the iOS catalog, which, for many users, is a deal-breaker.

Is it too late?
Spotify's strategic position among its competition doesn't mean it has a lock on success. In the three years since Spotify originally launched in Sweden, we've gone from a nation of iPod fanatics looking for the ultimate workout mix, to an app-crazed nation of smartphone users. The desire to find new and ever-more-ingenious ways to cram music in our pockets just doesn't seem as vital as it once was.

It's also important to note that if Spotify's ultimate goal is to make the subscription music model work or go broke trying, it could be just a flash in the pan. There's a trail of dead or stalled music services out there. No one has been able to ride the subscription music service to great success. Urge, Imeem, Muxtape, Napster, Rhapsody, Slacker, Zune, and dozens of others are surely looking at Spotify's U.S. debut with a skeptical eye.

Should you try it?
Absolutely. Any and all music fans are encouraged to give it a whirl. The smart people at Spotify have made the free service incredibly attractive to new users, and there's really nothing to lose. Whether you find the service important enough to upgrade for Spotify's premium options is entirely up to you, but they seem like a great value for any music fan with an insatiable appetite.

To hear five other CNET editors weigh-in on Spotify's appeal, check out our editorial roundtable.

Originally posted at Crave

Another day is upon us, and so far, there isn't any sign of Mac OS X Lion. But one rumor suggests users won't need to wait much longer.

Chinese Mac site MIC Gadget is reporting that Mac OS X Lion will launch tomorrow. The publication said that Apple stores in China are planning "overnights" tonight. Overnights are typically used for Apple to train employees on new products and refresh the store's display with updated products.

Last week, 9to5Mac had cited "overseas sources" saying that the overnights would be happening last night, and therefore the operating system would launch today.

When users finally get their hands on the OS update, they will find a host of new features, including a "resume" feature, allowing them to pick up where they left off in programs, and a Launchpad to see installed applications.

For its part, Apple has not specified an exact launch date for Mac OS X Lion, saying only that it would be made available in July. The platform will be released on the company's Mac App Store as a digital download for $29.99.

Related stories:
• First Take: Mac OS X Lion coming in July for $29.99
• Apple prepares for Lion with OS X 10.6.8 update
• Apple's basic white MacBook also getting update?

Originally posted at The Digital Home

Editors' note: Until July 22, 10 CNET personalities are showcasing their 10 personal favorite Android apps as part of the CNET 100. With each post, you can read why they hold the apps so dear and you'll get the opportunity to vote for your own favorite title. Then after the series ends, we'll collect the full list of 100 apps and announce the 10 that you, our readers, love the most.

As a senior associate editor at CNET Downloads, Seth Rosenblatt dives deep into the world of software with a particular focus on browsers, Web applications, and security. Indeed, it's safe to say that he's used about every browser imaginable (both mobile and not) and he's never met a rooted Android phone he didn't like. He's eagerly waiting for the Motorola Droid Bionic to go on sale and, in case you haven't heard, he's big in Japan.

Seth treats his phone like the well-worn tool that it is, and that means rooting and custom ROMing it. So he's collected some of the best apps for a rooted phone. You don't have to install a custom ROM to use these titles, but you absolutely must get root access. (Not sure how to do it? Here are three how-tos on rooting, custom ROMing, and restoring.) Also, note that for most of these apps you'll want to also have the Superuser app so that your rooted apps can dig deep into your Android phone.

Over the next two weeks, be sure to check back each day on Android Atlas to see app choices from Jaymar Cabebe, Antuan Goodwin, Nicole Lee, Jessica Dolcourt, and more of the CNET crew. For yesterday's list, check out the picks from Stephen Shankland.

Originally posted at Android Atlas