Apple Reveals New Social Network, Sony Reveals iTunes Rival

Yesterday, Steve Jobs announced Apple’s latest — Ping, a social networking site for iTunes users to keep tabs on what their friends are listening to.

Ping users can follow their favorite artists and find out what they’re listening to. Artists will also be able to provide status updates to keep fans posted on their latest happenings.

You don’t need to be a superstar to have a Ping page, though. Friends can follow each other and share music recommendations. The site also is teamed up with LiveNation to provide information on upcoming concerts.

The announcement came at the same time as Sony unleashed Music Unlimited, its new iTunes rival. Music Unlimited will offer cloud-streaming of media libraries, meaning you can crank your tunes on any Internet-capable Sony player, including Sony TVs, Blu-Ray players and Playstation 3 consoles.

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