AllFacebook reports that it has noticed the new feature popping up on friends’ profiles. Facebook told the blog, “This feature is being tested with a small percent of users. It lets people subscribe to friends and pages to receive notifications whenever the person they’ve subscribed to updates their status or posts new content (photos, videos, links or notes).”

In other words, when you click to subscribe to a user, you’ll get a new Facebook notification in your notifications bar at the top of the site or on the mobile device of your choosing any time that other user posts content. We’re not sure yet if you can subscribe to someone who’s not a friend, which is much more stalker-like, or if notifications include likes and comments (right now, it sounds like they won’t).

Apple made a splash in its much-anticipated new products presentation with the unexpected launch of a new music-focused social network based around iTunes called Ping. The service allows iTunes users to track the likes and dislikes of other uses and share recommendations and concert attendance plans. The move puts iTunes into direct competition with music-heavy networks such as Pandora, Last.fm and even MySpace. “This isn’t about reconnecting with your girlfriend from eighth grade. This is about talking to people about music,” said Altimeter Group analyst Michael Gartenberg.

Ah, YouTube, single-handedly redefining the word “celebrity” since 2005. Indeed, nowadays just about anyone can become an overnight sensation. All that is required is a webcam and a creative idea, that’s it. The rest is taken care of by the millions upon millions of YouTube users who will make your video viral, should they find it entertaining enough.

Such is the case for these YouTube celebrities. Most are quite young and started their channels as casual hobbies. After acquiring a dedicated fanbase, however, these users suddenly turn into YouTube stars. Sometimes, this “stardom” can translate itself into real world dollars and fame as well.

Check out this article, courtesy of William Wei for Business Insider, detailing 10 YouTube celebrities who are now raking in over $100,000 annually and how they are doing it.

For most modern organizations, social media is an intrinsic part of any web presence policy or marketing strategy. It’s a quick, easy and cheap way to communicate with your clients. It’s unparalleled in terms of receiving feedback on your products and new initiatives. Still, some companies aren’t catching on. Their reasons are varied, however the one common aspect is that some just don’t see a cultural fit. Call it corporate conservatism, I suppose. Personally, I don’t see how a company could go without a basic social media presence, at the very least.

As this article points out, social media is changing the business landscape and it’s critical for companies to hop onboard, lest they be left stranded behind the tech curve.

Facebook should allow users to divide their friends into tiers, enabling them to maintain close relationships with genuine friends and more restrained connections to other acquaintances, argues MG Siegler. A bifurcated Facebook could combine the best features of its own roots as a closed college-based network with those of more open networks such as Twitter, Siegler argues. “It would be messy at first. It would mean backlash. But ultimately, I think it would truly make Facebook the center of social sharing,” he writes.

If you’re like me, you simply love a good infographic. Mountains of useful and interesting information compiled into an elegant and inspiring graphic. It’s the best of both worlds: information sharing and creative design.

Ever have an idea for an infographic? This tutorial, courtesy of Freelance Review, details step-by-step instructions on how to gather data, find inspiration, sketch out ideas, design vector components in Adobe Illustrator and finally bring it all together using Adobe Photoshop. A must-read for any infographic fans!

Victoria Taylor of Forbes.com lists the best buzz-generating web campaigns The best social media campaigns have one thing in common: they’re fun. From The Blair Witch Project to the Will It Blend? campaign, experts say that campaigns take off when they combine interactivity with compelling entertainment.

Probably one of the most active celebrity users, Alyssa Milano has gained quite the following on Twitter. PC Magazine’s Lance Ulanoff sits down with her to find out how she found out about Twitter, how she generally uses it and what she likes the most about it.

In light of the recent launch of Facebook Places, Zachary Sniderman of Mashable lists off 26 essential social media resources. From geeky to tech to mobile, the list comprises an wide-ranging array of applications and information. A must-read for any social media enthusiast.

A good problem to have. Retailers are finding that the crowds of shoppers attracted by social-retail sites such as Groupon can be difficult to handle. One flight school was forced to pull the plug on a deal after booking 2,600 classes in five hours — 13 times as many as the company had expected to sell from its entire promotional run. “It is probably a more powerful marketing method than just about anything out there,” says LivingSocial CEO Tim O’Shaughnessy.