It’s called TiVo Mobile, and it’s a way to program your TiVo via your cell phone.

Of course, TiVo users already have remote capabilities through the TiVo Web site, but by making a similar service available via cell phone, TiVo hopes to stay one step ahead of its competitors.

However, there is one small catch if you want to be the first to be able to phone home your TiVo selections: Verizon Wireless has to be your cell phone carrier.

While not discussing details of the deal, TiVo did say that Verizon would be the first cell phone carrier to offer TiVo Mobile.

“This arrangement will allow the growing base of TiVo subscribers to integrate control of their TV life with the most widespread piece of consumer electronics, the wireless phone,” said Tom Rogers, CEO of TiVo, when announcing the service.

Look for TiVo Mobile to become operational sometime this summer. Just in time to remote-control your TiVo while on vacation. That way you can record all those summer reruns you missed the first time around. Or, if you’re a fan of ABC’s “Lost,” you can record those episodes you missed the second, third or fourth time around.

Fine Tuning iTunes

iTunes, the No. 1 digital online music store, has moved closer to offering a subscription service a la RealNetworks and Napster. However, the new service, dubbed Multi-Pass, won’t give you all the music you want for one flat price. In fact, it won’t give you any music at all.

That’s because Multi-Pass is for video. Lots of video.

With Multi-Pass you can subscribe to a month’s worth of episodes of a single show for $9.99. The first shows to be offered include Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show With Jon Stewart” and “The Colbert Report.”

Multi-Pass is the result of a collaboration between Apple and Viacom, owner of Comedy Central. Of course, users must wait until the original shows air on Comedy Central before the programs become available for download. Like other videos available on iTunes, the programs can be played on video iPods and computers.

It was only a few months ago when Apple shook up the TV industry by announcing it had completed a deal with Disney to include Disney programs as well as programs airing on Disney-owned ABC on iTunes. Now, virtually all the major TV networks have some kind of plan for making their prime time programming available on demand, if not portable.