A new version of Rdio’s iPhone app is available, and if you’re a fan of the music streaming service, you should download it immediately. If you haven’t yet turned the corner on subscription-based streaming, this update makes it worth a look.

Some of Rdio’s best tools for discovering new music were previously only available on the website, but the new app now includes these tools, vastly improving the mobile experience. It’s also more stable and easier to use.

For those of you new to Rdio (“ar-dee-o”), here’s the deal: It’s an on-demand, cloud-based jukebox. You search for an artist, an album name or a song title, and you can click on one of the results and start listening immediately. The service has around 8 million songs available for streaming. Sure, there are some holes in Rdio’s library, and other services go deeper. But no service has everything, and Rdio is deep enough for almost everyone. You can hook up with your Facebook and Twitter friends and see what they’re listening to, and you can share playlists with each other.

For $5 a month, you can listen through your desktop browser. For $10 a month, you can also listen through your iPhone, BlackBerry, Android phone, Windows 7 phone, a desktop client or a Sonos system if you have one. The $10 plan also enables you sync tracks to your mobile phone for offline listening. Whether Apple’s new subscription policy will change Rdio’s pricing is still a question mark.

Full disclosure: I’ve been an Rdiohead for the last six months or so. I have the website pinned as an App Tab in my browser at the office and at home, and I log at least two or three hours of streaming per day. I also have the app installed on my old iPhone 3G, which is Velcroed to the wall in the kitchen. I stream through my Jambox while flambéing my crêpe suzette.

This level of devotion comes from the same guy who only a year ago was constantly arguing that subscription-based streaming, rental, and other cloud-based jukebox horse pucky would never, ever work. I was strictly a “if I can’t download the files, I won’t pay a dime” person.

I tried them all. To me, MOG is meh, though others love it. Spotify is interesting, but it’s too flaky for me here in the states. Too many hoops.

Now, I give Rdio $10 a month. The things that really turned me around were Rdio’s discovery tools on its website — the social aspect lets me see what my friends are listening to, the recommendations are surprisingly decent, and the New Releases tab in the web app lets me stream just about every new album the same day it hits the stores. Yes, calling up your faves instantly from the search box is a big draw, but these little darkened corners — browsing the automated recommendations and checking out new releases — are where I spend the bulk of my time on Rdio. For me, it takes all the pain out of discovery and all the risk out of buying new music.

And this is why I’m excited about the new iPhone update — Rdio has finally baked those extra features into the app.

The old iPhone app, which the company launched with, wasn’t much to talk about. It was difficult to navigate and it was buggy. It did let me see what my friends were listening to, but the recommendations weren’t there and the new releases were harder to dig out.

This week’s update, which appeared in the iTunes Store on Wednesday, changes all that. There’s a new dashboard that looks like the Facebook app’s dashboard. It lets you jump into New Releases or Recommendations with a tap. There’s a big search box at the top. Icons can be trashed or re-arranged. There’s also a new icon to browse Top Charts, but (surprise!) the wider Rdio community has the same terrible taste in music as the general populace. I’ll stick to my friends, thank you.

I was given the opportunity to test the app on my iPhone 4, and I spent the last couple of days listening to full albums both over Wi-Fi and over AT&T’s 3G network in San Francisco. The sound quality on 3G is still good — a little crunchy during the delicate bits, but overall quite decent. Wi-Fi sounds stellar.

General usability is better too. The coolest new item is the persistent player widget at the bottom of the app. If you wanted to get to your current selection in the old app, you’d have to dance through the menus. Now, you just drag the player up from the bottom of the screen from anywhere within the app.

Lastly, the update is iPhone only, so if you’re a Droid or a Dell Venue Pro user, you’re stuck with the old code for now.

So if you’re not yet an Rdio person, strike while the iron is hot. And if you’re a fan — and an iPhone user — this update will make you happy.

WIRED New interface puts the best of the website’s discovery tools into the app. Not nearly as buggy as the old app. Persistent player is a plus. All those jams beamed from space, instantly.

TIRED New app is iPhone only. The library is deep but don’t have everything, so you’ll have to be adventurous. Only works in the U.S. and Canada for now. Some think $10 a month is steep.

Photos by Jim Merithew/Wired.com

Soundgarden bassist Ben Shepherd is homeless, despite the group's recent reunion.

Although the 90s grunge group reunited in April, the bass player admits he still technically has no home since he split up with his girlfriend and moved out of their house in Seattle in February.

When asked where he lives, Ben told Spin Magazine: "Nowhere. Literally. I've been sleeping on studio couches and at friends' houses. I'm totally broke."

Ben also told how after the band broke up in 1997 his life spiraled out of control and he lapsed into pain killer addiction after breaking three ribs and became a "total rock'n'roll cliche".

However, he has since overcome his problems to reunite with singer Chris Cornell, guitarist Kim Thayil and drummer Matt Cameron and the reformed band are releasing a new best of album 'Telephantism', which will including an unreleased track.

Frontman Chris Cornell insists that since the group originally split, there has been no tension between the constituent members of the group and that they still retain the same energy as they had in the 90s.

He said: "The one thing about Soundgarden most people don't get is that we always got along.

"A lot of times bands re-form, and people have changed in ways that might be negative, and you're just fighting to be able to play the music with some degree of efficiency. We're not that."

'Telephantism' is scheduled for release at the end of this month.

Royksopp don't know how to play their new album live.

The Norwegian dance pop duo are currently preparing for the release of their new LP 'Senior' and admit they are unsure how well the record's "introspective, dark" sound would translate in a live environment.

Svein Berge said: "We don't know how to approach touring because it's a hard thing to bring to the stage.

"I think the audience would have to be sat down in a dark room, preferably with an opium pipe in their hand for it to work, so we'd have to be clever.

"It's not one we could expect to bring to somewhere like Glastonbury and have people going off their heads."

Although the duo are happy with their new album, they don't want to stay introspective for the rest of their career - which could potentially run for several more decades.

Svein added to BBC 6 Music: "We don't want to become so profound that we become artistes or pretentious -we're not 98 and dying and sitting in an old people's home.

"I would consider making a techno thing when I'm 90."

'Senior' is released on September 13.

Lady Gaga's producer has promised her next album will be "shocking".

RedOne - who was behind Gaga's biggest hits 'Just Dance', 'Poker Face' and 'Bad Romance' - has worked on two new tracks for the singer's forthcoming third album, and claims the new songs will go against people's expectations.

RedOne - real name Nadir Khayat - told Billboard.com: "It's going to be shocking, shocking, shocking!

"You never want to go too far from your brand - people love you for a reason. But we still want to give them something with a kick, something that makes them say, 'Oh my God! We didn't expect this!"

He added he encouraged Gaga to work with other producers on her album - which is set for release next year - although he wouldn't confirm who has been involved in the project.

RedOne added: "I got a sound out of her, and that made it easier for other producers. Her sound is so defined that no matter what people can follow it. That sound belongs to her."

Lady Gaga has previously described the new album as: "My absolute greatest work I've ever done: The message, the melodies, the direction, the meaning. It is utter liberation."

Gaga has already previewed one new track, 'You and I', from the record, on her current 'The Monster Ball' tour.

Gaga has also vowed to release the title of the album at midnight on New Year's Eve in typically spectacular style, saying: "I think I'm gonna get the album title tattooed on me and put out the photo."

Noel Gallagher is deliberately hiding from his brother and ex-Oasis bandmate, Liam.

Since Oasis split last August due to tensions between the guitarist and the volatile frontman, Noel said he's been going to great lengths to avoid a confrontation between them.

When asked why he wears his shoes at home by Talksport radio, Noel joked: "Well, I could have to run off at a moment's notice. Our kid might be passing. I might have to jump over the back fence and nip out through the local pub."

Noel - who is set to release a solo album, while Liam works on a new band - also revealed he is returning to the studio this week, to play drums for a mystery collaborator.

Although he wouldn't reveal the identity of the musician he's working with, he claimed to have "thrown up with him" in the past.

He told Talksport radio: "I'm playing drums this week on a session for someone else. I've thrown up with him at someone else's house."

The 42-year-old musician also said he's looking forward to comedian Russell Brand's upcoming wedding to pop star Katy Perry.

He said: "I have been invited and I'm going out on the stag do but I'm not going to be a best man or an usher.

"I believe he's going to come down the aisle on a flying carpet and the prenup is going to be brought in on an elephant."

New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys are set to create the "Ultimate Ladies' Night Out".

Following a successful joint appearance by the two 90s boybands in New York earlier this summer, the two groups are now hoping to create a full tour together.

A source told the E! News service: "The idea is to recreate the boy band phenomenon. It will be the ultimate ladies' night out."

The bands are said to be in talks with promoters Live Nation about staging a tour across the US as early as next March.

The initial meeting of two groups was at a New Kids show at Radio City Music Hall in June, where they sang Backstreet Boys' hit 'I Want It That Way' to the amazement of fans.

After the show New Kids On The Block singer Donnie Wahlberg wrote on twitter: "As for tonight's Concert...Backstreet Boys got my respect forever!"

There are also rumours managers for the two groups are in talks for them to collaborate on recording a single ahead of the tour. No details as to whether the tour could come to Europe have been released at this time.

Courtney Love has settled a legal battle over money earned from Nirvana songs.

Courtney - the widow of Nirvana's frontman Kurt Cobain - inherited most of the band's publishing rights upon his death in 1994.

She had become embroiled in a legal battle with management company London and Co two years ago, when they sued her for $1 million, claiming Courtney failed to share her earnings from selling a portion of the rights.

It is estimated Courtney's earnings from the sale was nearly $20 million.

However, London And Co has now told a Los Angeles court the case has been settled, which has been confirmed by Courtney's lawyer, James Janowitz - though no further details have been given.

Despite Kurt Cobain presently being the world's highest earning dead musician, Courtney has made repeated claims she has been defrauded out of all the singer's money, and at one point was too poor to afford even shoes for her and daughter Frances.

She said last year: "Why did I have no money? The simple answer to that is because I'm a widow and because I'm a woman.

"I get exploited. Not when I'm playing music. But financially, very much so."

Kurt Cobain took his own life in 1994 after battling heroin addiction.

Katherine Jenkins, Alesha Dixon and Enrique Iglesias have joined the line up for September's 'Heroes' charity concert in London.

The concert - which will also feature Robbie Williams and James Blunt, among others - will raise money for Help for Heroes, a charity which aids British Armed Forces serving in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Katherine said: "I'm really proud to be a part of what is going to be the most amazing day in honour of our troops.

"The troops have always been very close to my heart having visited them overseas many times.

"It's fantastic that so many artists are coming together to raise awareness and show support of all that they do."

Other artists confirmed for the show include Pixie Lott, Plan B, The Saturdays and new boyband The Wanted, while comedians including Jack Dee, Rhod Gilbert, Peter Kay, Jason Manford and Michael McIntyre will introduce the acts.

Alesha said of joining the lineup: "Our troops have been through so much for us and to give just a little bit back is a real honour."

The one-off concert will take place at Twickenham rugby stadium in London, on September 12, and tickets are available now from www.livenation.co.uk, www.heroesconcert.com and www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

Kings Of Leon are worried about getting showered with human excrement when they go on tour.

The rock group caused uproar earlier this summer when they were forced to abandon a show in the US because pigeons kept defecating on them - leaving them worried a deranged fan could do something worse.

Singer Caleb Followill told NME magazine: "We still love St Louis, and we'll go back and take s**t on the head again if we have to.

"I guess now there's a risk of someone throwing human poop at us. There's probably someone out there who's mad enough at us to come to a show and try to start round two."

After the show in which the band was covered with pigeon mess, bassist Jared Followill said they had initially tried to brave the pigeons.

He said: "We didn't want to cancel the show, so we went for it. We tried to play.

"It was ridiculous. I was hit by pigeons during each of the first three songs. We had 20 songs on the set list so by the end I would have been covered head to toe."

The band's management eventually ordered the band to exit the stage, with the band's manager Andy Mendelsohn describing the excrement as a "toxic health hazard" to the band.

Chelsea Handler will host this year's MTV Video Music Awards.

The comedienne - who fronts talk show 'Chelsea Lately' - follows in the footsteps of Jack Black, Chris Rock and Russell Brand in hosting the US awards show, one of the largest in the calendar.

Speaking on her show, Chelsea said: "Everyone knows that when you think of rap music and hip-hop you think of 'Chelsea Lately.' And that's why I will be hosting the show. Let the a*s-kissing begin."

MTV have also announced plans for dance music producer Deadmau5 to serve as the house artist, DJing at this year's awards, also known as the VMAs.

Organisers said: "As the house artist Deadmau5 will serve as the musical maestro for the duration of the show and will create original remixes from a variety of artists including live musical guests."

Meanwhile, teen pop star Justin Bieber - who is nominated for Best New Artist for his 'Baby' video - has released a promo video ahead of the awards, which shows the young heartthrob being chased be a group of female fans.

He told MTV: "I like girls chasing me, so it's good. I'm kind of like the Beatles running, and there's girls chasing after me."

Lady Gaga, Eminem, Katy Perry and Florence and the Machine are among the artists nominated for awards at the coveted ceremony, which will take place at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles on September 12.