Hulu

Good news, streaming fans: Hulu announced today that Hulu Plus content will be available on Nintendo's Wii and 3DS consoles by the end of the year. The $8 a month service gives you more access to current and archived TV shows and even lets you get content the day after it has aired rather than waiting an extra week to view (as is required on the free subscription for some stations).

An update will be coming to the 3DS next month to enable streaming content from Hulu, along with the ability to record up to 10 minutes of 3D video and stop-motion animations.

Watching TV is about to get a bit more social. If you've connected your Facebook account to sites like Hulu and Netflix, you'll soon be able to watch TV and movies right in Facebook with a few links. For example, if one of your friends is watching Glee on Hulu and shares this activity on Facebook, you'll be able to click on their update and watch the same show within Facebook thanks to some new players that these companies are building with Facebook's open graph.

Fox announced yesterday that it would be restricting its content on Hulu, forcing viewers to wait a whole eight days to see the latest episode of their favorite shows, rather than getting the goods next day. Although at first it may seem like the content buffet is over, there's no reason to freak out and get cable if you've already cancelled your subscription in favor of online streaming options — you can still watch Fox shows next day if you're a Hulu Plus subscriber.

Though the implications of the Fox restriction could spell bad news for streaming services everywhere in the future, especially if other networks jump on the bandwagon, I'm sticking it out. $8 a month for Hulu Plus, and $10 a month for Netflix and the occasional purchase on Amazon or iTunes usually does the trick for mild to moderate TV watchers, even if you do have to watch shows a day later than all your friends.

Walmart announced today its streaming media service, VUDU. The company bought VUDU in 2010 and has finally integrated the HD digital media rental company into the Walmart website.

The service is accessible through the VUDU page on Walmart's website or from VUDU-enabled devices like certain HDTVs, Blu-ray players, or PlayStation 3. Customers do not sign up for a subscription, but rather pay per film viewing. Rentals begin at $3, with new releases starting at $4 and higher for HD-quality streams; many movies can be purchased for unlimited viewing for $15.

With companies like Walmart racing to produce popular streaming video service, customers have a wide range of products and pricing plans to choose from, including the following:

• Netflix — With access via gaming consoles, TVs, iPhones, and Android smartphones in addition to computers, the popular classic doesn't look to be going anywhere despite the competition and controversial new pricing structure.
• Hulu Plus — The $8 monthly subscription fee for Hulu Plus allows access to the most current episodes of TV shows and has an even larger catalog of movies available than its free Hulu counterpart. Available via iOS, Android, select gaming consoles, Samsung TVs and computer systems.
• Blockbuster Total Access — Pricing models give customers the option to rent DVDs for home delivery with a subscription plan for $10 or $15, choose to rent DVD without subscriptions, or stream films online on demand.

For those who love the freedom of choice, check out more streaming options after the break.

Being on a budget may be a way of life these days, but cutting back on expenses doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your health goals. If a gym membership isn't in the cards, the good news is you can still get a great workout in your own home. Don't think it's possible? Check out these five ways you can leave the gym behind, raise your heart rate, and stream it all on your home network.

• Netflix — More than endless movie and TV possibilities, Netflix also has a great selection of workout videos to choose from. Stream them at home, or add them to your queue, and keep them for as long as you want. For $9 a month for unlimited access, I'd say that's a steal.
• OnDemand — Ever look at your cable provider's OnDemand section? Besides new pay-per-view movies, you can get a great workout with ExerciseTV, under the Sports & Fitness category, which offers classes like yoga, kickboxing, and cardio workouts to blast fat.

See the rest after the break.

Ah, the joys of Google TV. The magic set-top box can bring the Internet to your TV, and also allow you to browse available shows and clips from around the Internet in one clean interface . . . well, that's what it was supposed to do, anyway.

It seems that not all is going well for Google's new TV system, as major cable networks are lining up to block Google TV's access to their sites. ABC, CBS, NBC, SyFy, Hulu, and now FanCast are all blocked for Google TV users, which means the simple interface that searches web, video, and cable content will come up with fewer search results. Want to watch The Office? You're out of luck if you want to use your Google TV to do so from NBC's site or Hulu. But there is a way to avoid this problem altogether. Find out how, after the break.

In an effort to generate a profit, Hulu has started a subscription service. Called Hulu Plus, the $10/month program offers current and past seasons of TV shows, many of which are not available on the ad-supported free site. For $10/month, subscribers will be able to watch every episode of shows like 30 Rock, The Office, Ally McBeal, and, yes, all 159 episodes of Law & Order: SVU. Subscribers can also access Hulu on the go with their iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad, with support for more mobile devices coming soon. Or, watch on your TV with Internet-enabled Samsung TVs and Blu-ray players. Support for Sony and Vizio TVs and Blu-ray players is coming soon. Also coming soon: Hulu Plus on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

Currently, Hulu Plus is available by invitation only; to sign up, visit hulu.com/plus.

• Viacom pulling The Daily Show and The Colbert Report from Hulu — Switched
• The Fail Whale speaks! — Urlesque
• How to DIY your own LED desk lamp — Unplggd
• Augmented reality app Layar is back in the iTunes store — Gizmodo
• World's largest solar-powered boat uses 5,000 panels — Dvice
• Nokia Neuron coming to T-Mobile for $70 — Crave
• Topeka, Kansas renamed themselves Google, Kansas in order to woo Google's high-speed fiberoptics — The Social

One thing that is notably missing from the iPad is Flash support. Some may argue that Flash is on its way out, therefore it's not needed. However, one of the touted benefits of the iPad is its portability, and your ability to watch movies and TV from anywhere . . . as long as you consume the content the way Apple wants you to consume it — through iTunes. Hulu for example (along with a ton of my favorite websites), is Flash-based, so leaving that out of my iPad experience makes me a little less excited to rush out and pick one up on launch day.

Thankfully, there is a silver lining to this flash-free cloud: Hulu is rumored to be whipping up a work-around to bring the content site to the iPad by March. This could be in the form of an HTML5 web app (the same technology that finally brought Google Voice to the iPhone), and by converting their video files to something that the iPad can read. Fingers crossed that we can all enjoy what Hulu has to offer on our new Apple tablets. What do you think — is Flash (and websites like Hulu) important enough not to buy an iPad?